Research-to-Carousel Automation
Turn a topic row into a researched, branded social carousel
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 97%
Maintain a simple spreadsheet of approved content topics and use each new row to trigger a Make or Zapier automation. The workflow sends the topic to a research model, converts the findings into a structured social narrative, and generates a branded carousel in the presentation tool. The carousel can then be reviewed, edited, and shared to LinkedIn. This separates the low-friction act of choosing a topic from the repetitive work of research, outlining, visual design, and formatting. The automation should not remove editorial responsibility: claims require source checks, the opening hook and slide sequence need human judgment, and the final deck must fit both the brand and the platform’s reading behavior.
Origin
Kristen Frackett showed a Make workflow that took a spreadsheet topic about cycling moments, researched it with ChatGPT, and generated a branded carousel for LinkedIn. Extracted from Marketing Against The Grain.
Core principles
- 01Separate topic selection from content production
- 02Research before generating the visual story
- 03Standardize the brand through a reusable deck format
- 04Automate repetitive assembly while retaining editorial review
- 05Design the final artifact for the target platform
How to run it
- 1
Queue the topic
Add an approved, specific topic to the workflow spreadsheet along with any audience or angle constraints.
Pro tip Phrase the topic as a question or promise the carousel should answer.
Watch out A broad topic produces generic research and an unfocused carousel.
- 2
Trigger research
Use Make or Zapier to send the topic into the configured research model automatically.
Pro tip Request sources, dates, and explicit uncertainty for factual claims.
Watch out Do not rely on model memory for current or numerical claims.
- 3
Structure the story
Convert the research into a hook, sequenced insights, supporting evidence, and a concluding takeaway or action.
Pro tip Give each card one job and make the sequence understandable without narration.
Watch out A list of facts is not automatically a coherent carousel.
- 4
Generate on brand
Create the visual carousel from a reusable template containing the required typography, colors, and layout rules.
Pro tip Use stable templates so frequent posts remain recognizable.
Watch out Template consistency should not force every topic into the same narrative shape.
- 5
Perform editorial review
Verify claims and sources, remove unsupported material, and refine the hook, wording, and visual hierarchy.
Pro tip Read the carousel at mobile size before approval.
Watch out Automated research can produce outdated rankings, fabricated facts, or weak citations.
- 6
Publish or schedule
Export the approved carousel or post it through the presentation platform’s supported integration.
Pro tip Record performance against the original topic and angle for future improvement.
Watch out Do not enable unattended publishing until the research and review controls are proven.
In the wild
A creator enters “cycling moments of 2025” into a spreadsheet. Make sends the topic to ChatGPT for research and then creates an on-brand Gamma carousel ready for LinkedIn review and publishing.
→ A single topic entry becomes a researched visual social asset through a repeatable automation.
A B2B marketer queues one narrowly defined industry lesson each week. The workflow researches the claim, builds an eight-card carousel from the company template, and sends it to an editor for verification and final copy changes.
→ The company sustains a regular visual publishing cadence without rebuilding each asset manually.
Common mistakes
Publishing research unchecked
Automated research must be verified because incorrect claims can be amplified by polished visual presentation.
Using vague topic rows
The workflow cannot compensate for a topic that lacks a specific audience, question, or useful angle.
Automating weak storytelling
Research and design automation still require a deliberate hook, logical card sequence, and worthwhile takeaway.
Is it for you?
Best for
Marketers and frequent LinkedIn publishers with a steady topic pipeline and a repeatable visual brand.
Not ideal for
Breaking-news or regulated content that cannot be reliably researched and reviewed before the publishing deadline.
From the transcript
“It's so hard to think about content to make all the time, right? People are busy.”
“So this is a quick flow spreadsheet. You know, insert your topic, um, set it up in make or or zapier, and this is the…”
“So topic cycling moments of 2025, sending it into make, researching with chat GPT, generate the carousel.”
From the episode
This AI Workflow Turns Every Sales Call Into a Custom Deck