Joely Dicks's AuthorDNA
The writing patterns that make your content uniquely yours
What is AuthorDNA?
AuthorDNA is a hidden linguistic profile - the subconscious patterns and habits unique to how someone writes. We analyze posts across 243 style metrics specific to B2B social content and compare them to thousands of other authors.
These are the markers most people don't even notice - but they're what makes writing sound authentic.
Does More Of...
Patterns you use more often than typical LinkedIn authors
Percentage of words used only once
1.1x more consistent
Closing length relative to total post
1.3x more consistent
Unique words divided by total words
1.1x more consistent
Word count of shortest sentence
2x more Length of your shorter sentences (20th percentile)
1.8x more Hook length relative to total post
1.3x more consistent
Where LinkedIn's 'see more' cuts off
1.3x more consistent
Does Less Of...
Patterns you use less often - that's part of your style too!
Whether there's a clear opening hook section
rarely consistent
Percentage of very short lines (<5 words)
rarely consistent
Whether any emoji are used in the post
rarely consistent
Variety of different emoji used (unique/total ratio)
rarely consistent
Percentage of sentences ending with a question
rarely consistent
Whether the hook contains a question
rarely consistent
Whether the ending is a question
rarely consistent
Signature = unique to you
| Distinctive = stands out from average
| Consistent = reliable pattern
Your AuthorDNA Profile
You probably didn't realize, but your shortest sentences are twice as long as the average LinkedIn post - and even your "short" lines (the bottom 20th percentile) clock in at 1.8x the average length. You have a distinct resistance to going punchy or abrupt; your posts unfold in measured, considered beats, never chopped into fragments or slogans. It's a style that most people couldn't pull off if they tried.
Here's why that matters: longer sentences force readers to actually engage, slow down, and process your ideas. They signal thoughtfulness - but they also leave zero room for filler or fluff. Now try briefing that to a ghostwriter: "Make all my shortest sentences twice as long, but in a way that still feels natural." Good luck. You couldn't reverse-engineer this if you wanted to. This isn't a formula - it's baked into how you think.
You've posted less than once per week over five years, but the fingerprint is unmistakable. This is exactly what Drumbeat captures - the patterns you can't articulate but your audience feels. Your company's message, in each team member's authentic voice, at scale.
Signature Phrases
Your most frequently used words and phrases
Posting Consistency
18 Oct 2016 - 03 Dec 2021
0 posts/week avg
7/268 active weeks
261 inactive weeks
Deep Dive
Explore all 17 categories of writing style
Call-to-Action Patterns 7
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTAs using command verbs (Click, Share, Comment, etc.) | 25% | HIGH | VARIES |
| CTAs phrased as questions vs statements | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether CTAs are concentrated at the end of the post | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether CTAs include emoji | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether CTAs include hashtags | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether any call-to-action exists | 38% of posts | LOW | VARIES |
| Average position of CTAs in the post | Near top | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Emoji Usage 5
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emoji count per 1000 words | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Number of different emoji types used | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Total number of emoji in the post | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Variety of different emoji used (unique/total ratio) | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether any emoji are used in the post | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
Formality & Tone 9
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio of negative to positive contractions | 125:1 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Count of positive contractions used | 12% | LOW | VARIES |
| Number of different contraction types | 25% | LOW | VARIES |
| Percentage of words that are contractions | 28% | LOW | VARIES |
| Total number of contractions | 25% | LOW | VARIES |
| Usage of positive contractions (it's, I'm, we're) | 12% | LOW | VARIES |
| Count of negative contractions used | 12% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Usage of negative contractions (don't, won't, can't) | 16% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Variety of different contractions used | 25% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Function Words 21
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usage of 'as' per 1000 words | 0-19 per 1k words | HIGH | VARIES |
| Usage of 'on' per 1000 words | 0 - 40 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Usage of 'to' per 1000 words | 0 - 96 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Usage of 'with' per 1000 words | 0 - 35 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Usage of 'and' per 1000 words | 0 - 32 | LOW | VARIES |
| Usage of 'at' per 1000 words | 0-12 per 1k words | LOW | VARIES |
| Usage of 'because' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'but' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'by' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'if' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'is' per 1000 words | 0-6 per 1k words | LOW | VARIES |
| Usage of 'so' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'that' per 1000 words | 0-9 per 1k words | LOW | VARIES |
| Usage of 'which' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Usage of 'who' per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Overall grammatical word usage | 163 - 260 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Usage of 'a' per 1000 words | 1 - 48 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Usage of 'for' per 1000 words | 0 - 44 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Usage of 'of' per 1000 words | 0 - 41 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Usage of 'the' per 1000 words | 19 - 74 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Variety of function words used | 28% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Hashtag Usage 12
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average character length of hashtags | 9.7 | HIGH | STEADY |
| Proportion of all-lowercase hashtags | 100% | HIGH | STEADY |
| Proportion of hashtags in the opening | 100% | HIGH | STEADY |
| Whether the opening line contains a hashtag | 100% | HIGH | STEADY |
| Proportion of hashtags in ALL CAPS | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Proportion of hashtags placed at the end | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Proportion of hashtags using CamelCase | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Proportion of hashtags woven into the text | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Ratio of inline hashtags to end hashtags | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Total number of hashtags | 0.0 - 1.4 | LOW | VARIES |
| Whether any hashtags are used | 12% of posts | LOW | VARIES |
| Hashtag density per 100 words | 0 - 10 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Opening Hooks 14
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether there's a blank line after the hook | 38% | HIGH | VARIES |
| Negation words in the hook | 0.0 - 0.5 | LOW | VARIES |
| Number of emoji in the hook | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Use of 'you/your' in the hook | 1% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the hook contains a question | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the hook contains emoji | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the hook starts with a conjunction | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether there's a clear opening hook section | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| ALL CAPS words in the hook | 3% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Character count of the hook | 98 - 390 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Character position where the hook ends | 98 - 390 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Hook length relative to total post | 92% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Hook lines relative to total lines | 85% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Where LinkedIn's 'see more' cuts off | 92% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Line Structure 18
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio of lines starting with ALL CAPS | 12% | HIGH | VARIES |
| Number of visual text blocks | 0.6 - 3.1 | LOW | STEADY |
| Percentage of single-word lines | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Percentage of very short lines (<5 words) | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Predictability of line length pattern | Very consistent | LOW | VARIES |
| Ratio of lines starting with numbers | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Ratio of lines starting with punctuation | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Ratio of lines starting with quotes | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Variation in block sizes | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Variation in line lengths | 0 - 415 | LOW | VARIES |
| Average characters per line | 112 - 190 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Average lines per text block | 100% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Average spacing between blank lines | 75% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Average words per line | 19 - 31 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Blank lines per 100 total lines | 0 - 37 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Lines containing exactly one sentence | 57% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Proportion of blank space | 15% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Spacing between content-rich lines | 75% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
List Patterns 15
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average items per dash/bullet list | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Average items per emoji list | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Consistency of emoji bullet indentation | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Consistency of numbered list formatting | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Nesting depth of numbered lists | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Number of dash/bullet list sections | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Number of emoji bullet list sections | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Number of numbered list sections | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Use of fraction-style numbering (1/, 2/) | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Use of inline enumeration | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Variety of emoji used as bullets | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether any list structure is used | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether dash/bullet lists are used | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether emoji bullet lists are used | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether numbered lists are used | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
Vocabulary & Phrases 10
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common idioms and expressions per 1000 words | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Count of idiomatic expressions | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| How often two-word phrases repeat | 97% | LOW | VARIES |
| Length of longest repeated phrase | 50% | LOW | VARIES |
| Number of unique words used | 14 - 68 | LOW | STEADY |
| Count of words used only once | 14 - 60 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| How often three-word phrases repeat | 66% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Percentage of words used only once | 92% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Ratio of meaningful words to grammatical words | 4% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Unique words divided by total words | 90% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Sentence Openings 16
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Count of sentences starting with time words | 0.0-0.5 per post | HIGH | VARIES |
| Sentences starting with -ing verbs (%) | 0 - 48 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Sentences starting with time words (%) | 2% | HIGH | VARIES |
| Count of sentences starting with There is/It is | ~0.0 per post | LOW | STEADY |
| Count of sentences starting with conjunctions | ~0.0 per post | LOW | STEADY |
| Sentences starting with 'There is/are' or 'It is' (%) | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Sentences starting with And, But, Or, So (%) | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Sentences starting with adverbs (%) | 2% | LOW | VARIES |
| Count of sentences starting with -ing verbs | 0.0-0.5 per post | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Count of sentences starting with adverbs | 0.0-0.5 per post | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Count of sentences starting with discourse markers | ~0.0 per post | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Count of sentences starting with pronouns | 0.0-1.3 per post | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Count of sentences starting with subordinate clauses | ~0.0 per post | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Sentences starting with Actually, Basically, etc. (%) | 0% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Sentences starting with pronouns (I, You, We, They) (%) | 0 - 31 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Sentences starting with subordinate clauses (%) | 0% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Closing Patterns 11
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of emoji in the closing | ~0.0 | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the closing has emoji clusters | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the ending includes emoji | 0% of posts | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether the ending includes hashtags | 12% of posts | LOW | VARIES |
| Whether the ending is a question | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Whether there's a clear closing section | 38% of posts | LOW | VARIES |
| ALL CAPS words in the closing | 3% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Character length of the closing | 91 - 454 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Closing length relative to total post | 97% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Whether the closing has a signature phrase | 12% of posts | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Whether the ending has a call-to-action | 38% of posts | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Paragraph Structure 13
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average change in length between paragraphs | 0.3 - 2.0 | HIGH | STEADY |
| Consecutive long paragraphs | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Consecutive short paragraphs | 0.4 - 2.8 | LOW | STEADY |
| How frequently new paragraphs start | 29 - 56 | LOW | STEADY |
| How much paragraph length varies | 64% | LOW | STEADY |
| Opening paragraph length vs body average | 44% | LOW | STEADY |
| Total number of paragraphs | 0.6 - 3.1 | LOW | STEADY |
| Variation in length changes between paragraphs | 11% | LOW | VARIES |
| Average sentences per paragraph | 1.0 - 1.9 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Average sentences per paragraph | 1.0 - 1.9 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Closing paragraph length vs body average | 61% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Length of your longer paragraphs (80th percentile) | 1.0 - 2.5 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Typical paragraph length (median) | 0.9 - 1.9 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Parts of Speech 9
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of auxiliary/helper verbs | 3% | LOW | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are adverbs | 2% | LOW | VARIES |
| Balance/distribution of different word types | Fairly consistent | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are adjectives | 8% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Percentage of words that are determiners | 9% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are nouns | 7 - 33 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are prepositions | 9 - 14 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are pronouns | 8% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of words that are verbs | 8 - 19 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Post Basics 7
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total sentence count | 0.6 - 5.1 | LOW | STEADY |
| Total syllables in the post | 21 - 138 | LOW | STEADY |
| Total word count of the post | 14 - 82 | LOW | STEADY |
| Average word complexity (syllables per word) | 1.6 - 1.7 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Count of complex words (3+ syllables) | 2 - 18 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| How easy the text is to read (higher = easier) | 39 - 59 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Percentage of complex words (3+ syllables) | 17 - 25 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
Punctuation Style 17
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| En dash (–) usage per 1000 words | 0-6 per 1k words | HIGH | VARIES |
| Percentage of sentences ending with exclamation | 0 - 65 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Percentage of sentences trailing off with ellipsis | 4% | HIGH | VARIES |
| Colon usage per 1000 words | 0-30 per 1k words | LOW | VARIES |
| Em dash (—) usage per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Hyphen usage per 1000 words | 0-13 per 1k words | LOW | VARIES |
| Mixed punctuation clusters per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Multiple exclamation marks per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Multiple question marks per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Parentheses usage per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Percentage of sentences ending with a question | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Question marks per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Quotation mark usage per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Semicolon usage per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Comma usage per 1000 words | 1-53 per 1k words | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Ellipsis (...) usage per 1000 words | 0-9 per 1k words | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Exclamation marks per 1000 words | 0-40 per 1k words | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Quotes & Narrative 10
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average length of quoted passages | 0 - 176 | HIGH | VARIES |
| Use of story transitions | 16% | HIGH | VARIES |
| Lines starting with quotation marks | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Presence of dialogue attribution patterns | 0% | LOW | STEADY |
| Lines using past tense | 43% | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Number of narrative/story signals | 0.3 - 2.4 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Number of quotation blocks | 0.0 - 1.4 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Total characters in quoted content | 0 - 176 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Whether the post contains quotations | 50% of posts | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Whether the post tells a story | 50% of posts | TYPICAL | VARIES |
Sentence Rhythm 16
| Feature | Your DNA | vs Others | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of your shorter sentences (20th percentile) | 4 - 25 | HIGH | STEADY |
| Percentage of sentences over 20 words | 42% | HIGH | STEADY |
| Word count of shortest sentence | 2 - 25 | HIGH | STEADY |
| How much sentence length varies (normalized) | 36% | LOW | VARIES |
| Parenthetical breaks per 1000 words | ~0 per 1k words | LOW | STEADY |
| Percentage of sentences under 8 words | 13% | LOW | VARIES |
| Variation in clause count across sentences | 38% | LOW | VARIES |
| Average number of clauses per sentence | 0.9 - 3.6 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Average number of words per sentence | 10 - 27 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Average words per sentence | 10 - 27 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| How often paragraphs contain just one sentence | 57% | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Length of your longer sentences (80th percentile) | 14 - 34 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Overall sentence complexity | 5 - 95 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Typical sentence length (median) | 10 - 27 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
| Variation in sentence lengths | 0 - 11 | TYPICAL | VARIES |
| Word count of the longest sentence | 16 - 35 | TYPICAL | STEADY |
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