Marketing Copywriting

---
name: marketing-copywriting
description: Write new marketing copy for a surface — landing page, homepage, email, product screen — with headline variants, body copy and CTAs matched to the reader's awareness level. Use when the user needs words written from scratch for a page or message that does not exist yet. Not for tightening a draft they already have; see /marketing-copy-editing.
metadata:
  argument-hint: "[project] [--skip-checks]"
  workflow: marketing
  phase: 2
  artifact: 02-act.md
---

# Copywriting

Write persuasive, conversion-focused copy for "$ARGUMENTS". Apply proven copywriting frameworks to create compelling headlines, body copy, and calls to action.

**Arguments.** `$ARGUMENTS` may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as `<project>` and treat `--skip-checks` as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use `<project>`. If `--skip-checks` is present, skip the prerequisite check and, **before writing any artifact**, append one line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl`: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"marketing-copywriting","workflow":"marketing","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"02-act.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}`.

## Prerequisites

**Part of a workflow.** This skill is phase 2 (Act) of the RACE Framework workflow (`marketing`); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check `.singularskills/log.jsonl` for an open run for this project: a `run-started` line with `"project":"<project>"` and no later `run-finished` line for the same `workflow` and `project`. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the `workflow` skill with the workflow the user asked for, or `marketing` when they named none, followed by `<project>`; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: `sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>`, where `<project root>` is the folder that contains `.singularskills/` (use `.` when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless `--skip-checks` was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (create the folder and file if missing): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"marketing-copywriting","workflow":"marketing","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"02-act.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}`. Once the gate has passed, or under `--skip-checks` once you have appended the `skipped` line, append this line before you start work: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"marketing-copywriting","workflow":"marketing","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"02-act.md","note":""}`.

Read `.singularskills/marketing/<project>/00-strategy.md`. If this file does not exist, tell the user:

> Phase 0 (Strategy) has not been completed for "<project>". Run `/marketing-customer-research <project>` first, or use `--skip-checks` to bypass.

## Process

1. **Read context:**
   - Read `.singularskills/marketing/<project>/00-strategy.md` for audience, messaging, and positioning
   - Read `.singularskills/marketing/<project>/01-reach.md` if it exists (for content context)

2. **Define the copy brief:**
   - What surface? (landing page, email, ad, social, product)
   - Who is reading? (map to persona from strategy)
   - What's the one action they should take?
   - What's their current state of awareness? (unaware, problem-aware, solution-aware, product-aware)

3. **Apply copywriting frameworks:**
   - **Headlines:** Use PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve), AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action), or 4U (Useful-Urgent-Unique-Ultra-specific)
   - **Body:** Lead with the biggest benefit, use social proof, address objections, create urgency
   - **CTA:** Clear, specific, benefit-oriented action verbs
   - Generate 3-5 headline variants and recommend the strongest

4. **Voice and tone calibration:**
   - Match the brand voice from the messaging framework
   - Adjust formality for the channel (email vs. social vs. landing page)
   - Use the audience's own language (from customer research)

5. **Write the artifact** — append to `.singularskills/marketing/<project>/02-act.md` under a `## Copywriting` section. Create the file with a `# Act — <project>` heading if it does not exist; if a `## Copywriting` section already exists, replace only that section. The section contains:
   - **Copy Brief** — surface, audience, action, awareness level
   - **Headlines** — 3-5 variants with framework used
   - **Body Copy** — complete draft
   - **CTA Options** — 2-3 call-to-action variants
   - **Copy Notes** — tone decisions and rationale

## Output

Copy appended to `.singularskills/marketing/<project>/02-act.md`. Present the copy directly to the user with headline options highlighted.

**Record the run.** After you have written your section, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (the `started` line of Prerequisites, with `"event":"finished"`): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"marketing-copywriting","workflow":"marketing","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"02-act.md","note":""}`.

This artifact is shared by every skill of phase 2 (Act). The frontmatter is written once, by whoever creates the file: if you create it, open it with the block below (`skill` is the phase title, `started` the time of that first write; `gate` is `passed` when the gate ran clean and `skipped` under `--skip-checks`); if it already exists, leave the block alone except to update `finished` and to set `gate` to the worst value among the sections (`skipped` over `passed`).

```yaml
---
skill: Act
workflow: marketing
phase: 2
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---
```

Open your `## Copywriting` section with one italic line, `*<skill name> · <ISO timestamp> · gate: <passed|skipped>*` (your skill name is `marketing-copywriting`).

End your section with `### Decisions` and `### Open questions` (one level under your `## Copywriting` heading, so the section stays one block), in this shape:

```markdown
### Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

### Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>
```