Service
Social media content creator & designer in Philadelphia
Carousels, Reels and TikToks with real hooks, Meta ads, YouTube thumbnails and the content systems behind them. I'm Paul Vu, a Philly creative director who has grown brand accounts from the inside: Kicks USA, Gopuff and now Luxury Bazaar. Want it posted for you too? See social media management.
Results I’ve driven
65K to 106KInstagram followers, with link clicks doubledLuxury Bazaar
2–3Kaverage carousel engagement per post, up from 300–500Luxury Bazaar
210K to 506KYouTube subscribers, with thumbnails at an 8–10% click-through rateLuxury Bazaar
70K to 101KInstagram followers after rebuilding social around lifestyle photographyKicks USA
What I make
Content that stops the scroll.
01The swipe
Carousels
Carousels are where a brand can teach, sell and get saved in one post. I design them with a hook slide that earns the swipe, a story that pays it off and a last slide worth sharing. My process is in Instagram carousel design.
- Hook & cover slides
- Educational & product carousels
- Before and after
- Carousel templates
- Copy & captions
02Reels & TikToks
Short-form video & hooks
The first second decides everything. I edit Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts with a hook up front, captions, on-brand motion graphics and pacing built for retention, and cut long footage into many pieces. See 40 hooks for Reels and TikTok.
- Hook-first edits
- Captions & motion graphics
- AI story-style videos
- Repurposing long footage
- Cover frames
03Paid social
Ad creative
Ads have about a second to work. I design Meta and TikTok ads in variation sets (hooks, layouts and formats) so you can test what converts. See my ad campaigns for Philly brands and my guide to ad creative that converts.
- Meta & TikTok ads
- Static & motion
- Variation sets for testing
- Giveaway & promo ads
- All sizes & formats
04The click
YouTube thumbnails
Your thumbnail decides whether anyone watches. Mine have hit an 8–10% click-through rate on a channel that grew from 210K to 506K subscribers. More on my YouTube thumbnail design page.
- Video thumbnails
- Channel thumbnail systems
- A/B test versions
- Topic & title research
- Banner & avatar
05The system
Content systems & templates
A feed people recognize without seeing your logo. I build content pillars, visual rules and custom templates so your team can post fast and stay on brand, plus AI-assisted workflows that speed up resizing and variations.
- Content pillars
- Custom templates
- Story & highlight design
- Email & campaign graphics
- AI-assisted workflows
06The raw material
Photography & content shoots
Great content starts with great raw material. I plan and shoot product, lifestyle and event content with every format in mind. See product photography.
- Product & lifestyle
- Content days
- Event coverage
- Retouching
- Shot lists
07The room
Pitch decks & presentations
A deck is a story told one slide at a time. I design investor, sales and brand presentations with editable templates your team can keep using.
- Investor decks
- Sales decks
- Brand presentations
- Editable templates
Social work
Formats
Five formats I make every week.
- 01
The hook-led Reel.
A 15 to 45 second vertical video that opens on the most interesting frame, with on-screen text in the first second and captions throughout. Goal: reach and watch time.
- 02
The save-worthy carousel.
A cover built like a thumbnail, one idea per slide and a last slide that asks for one thing. Goal: saves, sends and followers who stick.
- 03
The static ad set.
Three to six ads built on different angles (offer, proof, problem, person) in 4:5 and 9:16, ready for Meta and TikTok. Goal: find the message that converts.
- 04
The thumbnail set.
Two or three thumbnail versions per video for YouTube's built-in testing, in a look viewers recognize. Goal: clicks.
- 05
The content day.
One planned shoot, in Philly or on location, that turns into photos and clips for posts, stories, ads and your website. Goal: a month of raw material in a day. See product photography.
What works
Why some posts blow up.
- 01
The hook is the post.
On a carousel it's the cover slide, on a Reel it's the first second, on YouTube it's the thumbnail. I spend more time on the hook than on anything else, and I make a few versions to test.
- 02
People follow people.
At Kicks USA, Instagram grew from 70K to 101K after we moved from stock product graphics to lifestyle photography of real people wearing the shoes. The Kicks Way rebrand drove more than 5,000 posts from customers under #thekicksway.
- 03
Series beat one-offs.
A recognizable format gives people a reason to come back. I created four YouTube series at Kicks USA, including Mayor Mondays at 262K+ views, and relaunched Kicksway TV past 2M views.
- 04
Saves and shares are the real metric.
Likes are nice. Saves and shares tell the algorithm a post is worth showing to more people, so I design carousels people want to keep and send.
- 05
Consistency is a system, not willpower.
Templates, pillars and a clear look make posting easy. More in how to build a social media content system.
Who it's for
- 01
Brands & shops
A feed and ads that look as good as your product.
- 02
Creators & channels
Thumbnails, edits and a look that gets clicks.
- 03
Retail & ecommerce
Product content that drives sales and saves.
- 04
Restaurants & local
Content and ads that bring people through the door.
How it works
The process
- 01
Audit
Your accounts, competitors and what already works, with numbers.
- 02
Strategy
Pillars, formats and hooks mapped to your goals.
- 03
Production
Shoots, design, editing and ad variations, held to one look.
- 04
Test & refine
Track what lands, double down on it and drop what doesn’t.
Selected work
FAQ
Good questions
What does a social media content creator do for a brand?
I plan, design, shoot and edit the content your brand posts: carousels, Reels and TikToks, stories, ads and YouTube thumbnails, all built on one visual system so every post looks like you. I also set up templates so your team can keep the look going.
Do you make carousels?
Yes. Carousels are one of my strongest formats. At Luxury Bazaar, redesigned carousels took average engagement from 300–500 to 2,000–3,000 likes, shares and saves per post. Each one is built with a hook slide, a clear story and a reason to save or share.
Do you edit Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts?
Yes. I edit short-form video with a strong hook in the first second, captions, on-brand graphics and pacing built for retention, and I cut longer footage into several pieces for different platforms.
How do you write hooks?
I start with what the viewer gets, not what the brand wants to say: a bold claim, a question, a surprising visual or a before and after. Then I test a few versions. I design the text and first frame as carefully as the words. My 40 go-to hooks are in hooks for Reels and TikTok.
Do you design Meta and TikTok ads?
Yes. I design static and motion ad creative in variation sets (hooks, layouts and formats) so you can test what converts. See my ad campaigns for Philly businesses.
Do you design YouTube thumbnails?
Yes. My thumbnails have hit an 8–10% click-through rate on a channel that grew from 210K to 506K subscribers. See YouTube thumbnail design.
Can one shoot cover a month of content?
Often, yes. I plan shoots around the formats you need, so one day can deliver photos and video for posts, stories, ads and your website.
Do you post the content for us?
Yes, if you want it. With my social media management service I plan, make and post your Instagram and TikTok content each month after you approve it, and your team keeps the comments and DMs. If you'd rather post it yourselves, I set you up with templates, captions and a calendar.
Do you use AI in your content?
Yes, carefully. I build AI-assisted workflows that speed up editing, resizing and variations while a human (me) keeps the ideas and the brand look on track. More in why AI content all looks the same.
Can you use photos and footage we already have?
Yes. I start by sorting what you already have, then plan new shoots only for the gaps. Old footage often becomes a month of Reels once it's recut with new hooks, captions and covers.
What do you need from us to get started?
Access to your accounts or recent insights, your brand assets (logo, fonts, colors) if you have them, any photos and footage, and a clear goal: more followers, more sales, more bookings or a launch. I'll handle the rest of the plan.
How do revisions and feedback work?
Each batch comes with a review round. You comment on the posts in one place, I revise, and once the look is locked in, later batches need far fewer changes. The proposal spells out the review rounds for your scope.
Do you work with brands outside Philadelphia?
Yes. Shoots happen in Philly and the surrounding area, and design and editing work happens remotely with clients anywhere.
How do I get started?
Send the details through the contact form: your platforms, goals, what you post now and your timeline. You'll get a proposal with the scope, deliverables and timeline.
From the Design Dept.
Philadelphia / Worldwide
Have a project in mind?
Tell me what you are making. I reply to every inquiry myself.