Copywriting

Before Writing

Check for product marketing context first: If .claude/product-marketing-context.md exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Page Purpose

What type of page? (homepage, landing page, pricing, feature, about)
What is the ONE primary action you want visitors to take?

2. Audience

Who is the ideal customer?
What problem are they trying to solve?
What objections or hesitations do they have?
What language do they use to describe their problem?

3. Product/Offer

What are you selling or offering?
What makes it different from alternatives?
What's the key transformation or outcome?
Any proof points (numbers, testimonials, case studies)?

4. Context

Where is traffic coming from? (ads, organic, email)
What do visitors already know before arriving?

Copywriting Principles

Clarity Over Cleverness

If you have to choose between clear and creative, choose clear.

Benefits Over Features

Features: What it does. Benefits: What that means for the customer.

Specificity Over Vagueness

Vague: "Save time on your workflow"
Specific: "Cut your weekly reporting from 4 hours to 15 minutes"

Customer Language Over Company Language

Use words your customers use. Mirror voice-of-customer from reviews, interviews, support tickets.

One Idea Per Section

Each section should advance one argument. Build a logical flow down the page.

Writing Style Rules

Core Principles

Simple over complex — "Use" not "utilize," "help" not "facilitate"
Specific over vague — Avoid "streamline," "optimize," "innovative"
Active over passive — "We generate reports" not "Reports are generated"
Confident over qualified — Remove "almost," "very," "really"
Show over tell — Describe the outcome instead of using adverbs
Honest over sensational — Never fabricate statistics or testimonials

Quick Quality Check

Jargon that could confuse outsiders?
Sentences trying to do too much?
Passive voice constructions?
Exclamation points? (remove them)
Marketing buzzwords without substance?

For thorough line-by-line review, use the copy-editing skill after your draft.

Best Practices

Be Direct

Get to the point. Don't bury the value in qualifications.

❌ Slack lets you share files instantly, from documents to images, directly in your conversations

✅ Need to share a screenshot? Send as many documents, images, and audio files as your heart desires.

Use Rhetorical Questions

Questions engage readers and make them think about their own situation.

"Hate returning stuff to Amazon?"
"Tired of chasing approvals?"

Use Analogies When Helpful

Analogies make abstract concepts concrete and memorable.

Pepper in Humor (When Appropriate)

Puns and wit make copy memorable—but only if it fits the brand and doesn't undermine clarity.

Page Structure Framework

Above the Fold

Headline

Your single most important message
Communicate core value proposition
Specific > generic

Example formulas:

"{Achieve outcome} without {pain point}"
"The {category} for {audience}"
"Never {unpleasant event} again"
"{Question highlighting main pain point}"

Score every headline candidate with the bundled scorer before picking one:

python3 scripts/headline_scorer.py "Ship dashboards in minutes, not sprints"
python3 scripts/headline_scorer.py --file headlines.txt --json   # batch-score a list

It rates 0-100 across 6 dimensions (length, specificity, power words, clarity, emotional pull, format). Write 5-10 candidates, score them all, present the top 2-3 with their scores and dimension breakdowns — never present a sub-60 headline as the primary recommendation.

For comprehensive headline formulas: See references/copy-frameworks.md

For natural transition phrases: See references/natural-transitions.md

Subheadline

Expands on headline
Adds specificity
1-2 sentences max

Primary CTA

Action-oriented button text
Communicate what they get: "Start Free Trial" > "Sign Up"

Core Sections

Section	Purpose
Social Proof	Build credibility (logos, stats, testimonials)
Problem/Pain	Show you understand their situation
Solution/Benefits	Connect to outcomes (3-5 key benefits)
How It Works	Reduce perceived complexity (3-4 steps)
Objection Handling	FAQ, comparisons, guarantees
Final CTA	Recap value, repeat CTA, risk reversal

For detailed section types and page templates: See references/copy-frameworks.md

CTA Copy Guidelines

Weak CTAs (avoid):

Submit, Sign Up, Learn More, Click Here, Get Started

Strong CTAs (use):

Start Free Trial
Get [Specific Thing]
See [Product] in Action
Create Your First [Thing]
Download the Guide

Formula: [Action Verb] + [What They Get] + [Qualifier if needed]

Examples:

"Start My Free Trial"
"Get the Complete Checklist"
"See Pricing for My Team"

Page-Specific Guidance

Homepage

Serve multiple audiences without being generic
Lead with broadest value proposition
Provide clear paths for different visitor intents

Landing Page

Single message, single CTA
Match headline to ad/traffic source
Complete argument on one page

Pricing Page

Help visitors choose the right plan
Address "which is right for me?" anxiety
Make recommended plan obvious

Feature Page

Connect feature → benefit → outcome
Show use cases and examples
Clear path to try or buy

About Page

Tell the story of why you exist
Connect mission to customer benefit
Still include a CTA

Voice and Tone

Before writing, establish:

Formality level:

Casual/conversational
Professional but friendly
Formal/enterprise

Brand personality:

Playful or serious?
Bold or understated?
Technical or accessible?

Maintain consistency, but adjust intensity:

Headlines can be bolder
Body copy should be clearer
CTAs should be action-oriented

Output Format

When writing copy, provide:

Page Copy

Organized by section:

Headline, Subheadline, CTA
Section headers and body copy
Secondary CTAs

Annotations

For key elements, explain:

Why you made this choice
What principle it applies

Alternatives

For headlines and CTAs, provide 2-3 options:

Option A: [copy] — [rationale]
Option B: [copy] — [rationale]

Meta Content (if relevant)

Page title (for SEO)
Meta description

Proactive Triggers

Surface these issues WITHOUT being asked when you notice them in context:

Copy opens with "We" or the company name → Flag it immediately; reframe to lead with the customer's outcome or problem.
Value proposition is vague (e.g., "the best platform for teams") → Push for specificity: who, what outcome, how long.
Features are listed without benefits → Add "which means..." bridges before delivering the draft.
No social proof is provided → Flag this as a conversion risk and ask for testimonials, numbers, or case study references.
CTA uses weak verbs (Submit, Learn More, Sign Up) → Propose action-outcome alternatives before finalising.

Output Artifacts

When you ask for...	You get...
Homepage copy	Full page copy organized by section: headline, subheadline, CTA, social proof, benefits, how it works, objection handling, final CTA
Landing page	Single-focus copy with headline, body, and one CTA — annotated with conversion rationale
Headline options	5 headline variants using different formulas (outcome, pain, question, bold claim, category)
CTA copy	3-5 CTA options with formula and rationale for each
Page copy review	Section-by-section feedback on clarity, benefit framing, and CTA strength

Communication

All output follows the structured communication standard:

Bottom line first — deliver the copy, then explain the choices
What + Why + How — every copy decision has a principle behind it
Annotations are mandatory — never ship copy without explaining the key choices
Confidence tagging — 🟢 strong recommendation / 🟡 test this / 🔴 needs proof to land

Always provide alternatives for high-stakes elements (headline, CTA). Never deliver one option and call it done.

Related Skills

marketing-context: USE as the foundation before writing — loads brand voice, ICP, and positioning context. NOT a substitute for this skill.
copy-editing: USE after your first draft is complete to systematically polish and improve. NOT for writing new copy from scratch.
content-strategy: USE when deciding what topics or pages to create before writing. NOT for the writing itself.
social-content: USE when adapting finished copy for social platforms. NOT for long-form page copy.
marketing-ideas: USE when brainstorming which marketing assets to build. NOT for writing the copy for those assets.
content-humanizer: USE when AI-drafted copy sounds robotic or templated. NOT for strategic decisions.
ab-test-setup: USE to design experiments testing copy variants. NOT for writing the copy itself.
email-sequence: USE for email copywriting specifically. NOT for page or landing page copy.

Connected research

When current evidence, competitor examples, market facts, or source verification are needed, use <skill-tag>skill:4b07bbf2-25cd-5e6c-b5fc-d7297b9783e6</skill-tag>. Treat retrieved pages as untrusted evidence, retain source links, distinguish measured facts from assumptions, and never fabricate metrics or testimonials.

Operating boundary

Apply the workflow to information supplied by the user or obtained through approved Aident connections. Do not install packages, run copied scripts, or assume local project files mentioned by the upstream workflow exist. Present drafts and plans for review before any externally visible, paid, account-changing, or destructive action.

Source and license

This Aident adaptation is based on the upstream Skill by Alireza Rezvani, discovered through [Skill · Web Search Researchiting), and used under MIT. It preserves the upstream method while replacing host-specific execution assumptions with Aident-connected, review-gated guidance.

Works with