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THE HEXWAVE JOURNALIDEAS WITH SOMETHING BEHIND THEM.

Something
worth posting.

A GOOD IDEA
makes a few waves.

Working examples, useful questions and a little less staring at a blank page.

28 FIELD NOTES
START WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

Find the facts, choose a customer question and turn it into something you can actually make. A worked guide, start to finish.

Open the field guide
01 — PLANNING6 MIN READ
PICK UP WHERE YOU ARE

The reading list.

Start anywhere. Take something useful with you.

A trend broken into two parts. The creator's script, footage, performance, sound and identity stay with them. The structure (setup, turn, payoff) carries over into a new version built from your own product.
01 / Making11 MIN

Borrow the shape of a trend. Leave the creator's video alone.

Use TikTok trends for business without copying the creator. Separate the structure from their script and footage, rebuild it for your product, or skip it.

By Joel
Read the note
Three cards before a post goes out: how it was made (the AI label), who paid (the commercial disclosure), and whether it is true (claims and testimonials). Only the first two have a switch.
02 / Reviewing13 MIN

An AI label says how you made it. It doesn't make it true.

When to label AI content on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, which commercial disclosure applies, and why no label fixes an invented claim. With a checklist.

By Joel
Read the note
Original diagram comparing three similar-looking phone videos: an AI presenter can explain, a paid creator can demonstrate, and only a customer can describe their own experience.
03 / Making12 MIN

A presenter can explain your product. Only a customer can say they used it.

Compare AI UGC, paid creator videos and real customer content by what each can prove, then check scripts, rights, disclosure and cost before choosing one.

By Joel
Read the note
Editorial diagram of three vertical phone frames labelled TikTok, Reels and Shorts, each with shaded areas where interface controls may sit and a different clear area in the middle. Headline: there is no single safe rectangle.
04 / Making11 MIN

Keep the proof out from under the buttons.

Keep product demos and captions clear of TikTok, Reels and Shorts controls. See what each platform officially publishes, then test contrast, timing and exports.

By Joel
Read the note
Original planning diagram: a product claim, the hands-only shot that shows it, and an experience claim that still needs a real customer.
05 / Making11 MIN

Stay off camera. Keep the proof in frame.

Choose faceless brand content by what each post must prove: hands-only demos, screen capture, voiceover, slideshows or text, and when a real person must speak.

By Joel
Read the note
Planning diagram: a four-hour weekly content budget fits three posts plus thirty spare minutes; the test adds one post for four weeks, then compares the typical post, the business signal and the hours spent.
06 / Planning10 MIN

Post as often as you can still learn from.

How often should a business post on TikTok? Start with a pace you can review, then test one change. What TikTok says, what the data shows, and a test sheet.

By Joel
Read the note
Three ways a TikTok post gets scheduled: TikTok publishes it, a connected app publishes it, or a person finishes it from a reminder. Each one ends with checking the account.
07 / Publishing12 MIN

Scheduling a TikTok post: who actually presses publish?

Schedule TikTok posts with TikTok's own tools, a publishing app or a reminder. Check eligibility, time zone, edits and limits, then confirm the post went live.

By Joel
Read the note
A troubleshooting diagram: the scheduled time passes, then check the destination account, then the tool's record, before deciding to record, fix and resend, or post manually.
08 / Publishing10 MIN

Your scheduled post didn't appear. Check before you post it again.

A scheduled post didn't appear? Tell not-due, disconnected, rejected, processing and unclear outcomes apart, then check before reposting to avoid posting twice.

By Joel
Read the note
Three linked panels for a fictional receipts app: the problem line, a receipt becoming an expense row, and the closing line asking the viewer to try one receipt.
09 / Making14 MIN

A product script earns its last line in the demonstration.

Use a short-form video script template for products. Compare a feature-stuffed draft with a focused rewrite, then adapt it for voiceover or text-led posts.

By Joel
Read the note
A fictional backpack question, What fits in a 20L personal item bag for three days?, is said, shown and written in the same words, then checked in search analytics.
10 / Making10 MIN

TikTok SEO for a product video starts with the buyer's question.

Do TikTok SEO for a product video: pick one buyer question, use their words in speech, text and caption, then read search analytics without chasing a rank.

By Joel
Read the note
A three-step diagnostic: can people see the post, where did the views come from, and where did viewers leave.
11 / Publishing11 MIN

Few views on a product TikTok? Rule out the status problems first.

Your product TikTok got few views. Check visibility, eligibility and account status first, then read traffic source and retention to find what to change next.

By Joel
Read the note
Editorial diagram with four cards: recurring automation, hands-on editing, a creator on camera, and scheduling finished posts.
12 / Choosing tools11 MIN

Leaving Viraloop? First decide which job should change.

Compare Viraloop alternatives by the job you want to change: recurring automation, hands-on editing, creator-made video or scheduling, with dated sources.

By Joel
Read the note
A WORKING FILE, NOT MORE HOMEWORK

Give the ideas
a place to go.

A free content calendar with worked examples, filming notes and room for your own product. No email gate.

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