Copy Diagnosis

---
name: copy-diagnosis
description: Evaluate marketing copy against Ogilvy's principles to identify what's working, what's failing, and how to make it sell.
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 1.0.3688
  author: sethmblack
repository: https://github.com/sethmblack/paks-skills
keywords:
- copy-diagnosis
- writing
---

# Copy Diagnosis

Evaluate marketing copy against Ogilvy's principles to identify what's working, what's failing, and how to make it sell.

---

## When to Use

- Reviewing ad copy, landing pages, emails, or sales materials
- Diagnosing why marketing content isn't converting
- Improving existing copy before publishing
- Training writers on effective copywriting principles
- User asks "Review this copy" or "What's wrong with this ad?"

---

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| copy | Yes | The marketing copy to evaluate |
| product | Yes | What's being sold |
| objective | No | What action you want readers to take |
| audience | No | Who the copy is targeting |

---

## Ogilvy's Copy Principles

### The Purpose of Advertising
"I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me that you find it 'creative.' I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product."

The only question that matters: Does it sell?

### Respect the Consumer
"The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything."

### The Cardinal Sins of Copy

**1. Boring the Reader**
"You cannot bore people into buying your product; you can only interest them in buying it."

**2. Talking to Yourself**
Copy that impresses the writer rather than serving the reader.

**3. Vapid Adjectives**
"Amazing," "incredible," "revolutionary" - without proof, they mean nothing.

**4. Lack of Specifics**
Generalities are forgettable. Facts, numbers, and concrete details persuade.

**5. Cleverness Over Clarity**
Puns, wordplay, and tricks that obscure the message.

**6. Entertainment Without Selling**
Amusing the reader while failing to give them a reason to buy.

---

## The Copy Diagnostic Framework

### 1. The Sell Check
- Is there a clear product/service?
- Is there a clear benefit?
- Is there a call to action?
- Is there a reason to act now?

### 2. The Respect Check
- Does it treat the reader as intelligent?
- Does it provide real information?
- Does it avoid condescension?
- Does it avoid hype without substance?

### 3. The Specificity Check
- Are there concrete facts?
- Are there numbers?
- Are there examples?
- Are there proof points?

### 4. The Clarity Check
- Is the meaning immediately clear?
- Is it free of jargon?
- Is it free of tricks and puns?
- Can it be understood on first read?

### 5. The Interest Check
- Does it engage from the first line?
- Does it maintain interest throughout?
- Does it avoid boredom?
- Would YOU read this if you saw it?

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:
- Review the provided data and context
- Identify key parameters and constraints
- Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
- Establish success criteria

### Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:
- Identify patterns and relationships
- Evaluate against established frameworks
- Consider multiple perspectives
- Document key findings

### Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:
- Synthesize insights from analysis
- Prioritize recommendations by impact
- Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
- Consider implementation feasibility

## Output Format

```markdown
## Copy Diagnosis

### The Copy
[Quote or summary of the copy being evaluated]

### The Product
[What's being sold]

### Overall Verdict: [SELLS / ENTERTAINS / BORES / CONFUSES]

### Diagnostic Checklist

**Sell Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Clear product | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Clear benefit | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Call to action | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Urgency/reason to act | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Respect Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Treats reader as intelligent | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Provides real information | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Avoids condescension | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Substance over hype | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Specificity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Concrete facts | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Numbers | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Examples | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Proof points | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Clarity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Immediately clear | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Jargon-free | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| No tricks/puns | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| First-read comprehension | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Interest Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Engaging opener | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Maintains interest | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Avoids boredom | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Would you read this? | Yes/No | [Notes] |

### Primary Weaknesses
1. [Biggest problem]
2. [Second biggest problem]
3. [Third biggest problem]

### What's Working
[Anything that should be preserved]

### Recommended Revisions

**Fix 1:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

**Fix 2:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

**Fix 3:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

### The Ogilvy Verdict
[What Ogilvy would say about this copy]
```

---

## Constraints

- Judge copy by whether it sells, not whether it's "creative"
- Always identify specific passages that succeed or fail
- Provide concrete rewrites, not just criticism
- Remember: specifics beat generalities, facts beat adjectives
- The reader's time is valuable - respect it

---

## Outputs

**Primary Output:** A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

**Format:**
```markdown
## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
```

**Example output:** See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

## Example

**Input:**
Copy for a SaaS invoicing tool:

"Ready to revolutionize your billing?

InvoiceNinja is the game-changing solution that's disrupting how businesses think about payments. With our innovative platform, you'll experience a paradigm shift in financial operations.

Our cutting-edge technology leverages advanced algorithms to streamline your workflow and supercharge your productivity. Join thousands of forward-thinking companies who have already made the leap.

Try it free today!"

**Output:**

## Copy Diagnosis

### The Copy
SaaS invoicing tool landing page copy using "revolutionize," "game-changing," "disrupting," "paradigm shift," "cutting-edge," and "supercharge."

### The Product
Invoicing software (InvoiceNinja)

### Overall Verdict: BORES

This copy is a greatest hits album of meaningless buzzwords. It says absolutely nothing about what the product does, who it's for, or why anyone should care.

### Diagnostic Checklist

**Sell Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Clear product | Barely | "Billing" mentioned but no specifics on what it does |
| Clear benefit | No | "Paradigm shift" and "supercharge" are not benefits |
| Call to action | Yes | "Try it free" is present and clear |
| Urgency/reason to act | No | "Today" is weak; no reason given |

**Respect Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Treats reader as intelligent | No | Assumes reader will be impressed by buzzwords |
| Provides real information | No | Zero facts about the product |
| Avoids condescension | No | Talks down by assuming buzzwords = substance |
| Substance over hype | No | 100% hype, 0% substance |

**Specificity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Concrete facts | No | Nothing concrete anywhere |
| Numbers | No | "Thousands" is the only number, and it's vague |
| Examples | No | No use cases or scenarios |
| Proof points | No | No testimonials, case studies, or results |

**Clarity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Immediately clear | No | After reading, I still don't know what it does |
| Jargon-free | No | "Paradigm shift," "leverage," "algorithms" |
| No tricks/puns | Yes | At least it's not trying to be clever |
| First-read comprehension | No | Requires decoding; still yields nothing |

**Interest Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Engaging opener | No | "Ready to revolutionize" is tired and vague |
| Maintains interest | No | Each sentence is more buzzwords |
| Avoids boredom | No | Actively boring |
| Would you read this? | No | Would bounce immediately |

### Primary Weaknesses
1. **Zero information** - Nothing about what the product actually does
2. **Buzzword soup** - Every adjective is meaningless marketing speak
3. **No specifics** - No numbers, no proof, no examples

### What's Working
- "Try it free" is clear
- Product name is mentioned
- Grammatically correct

### Recommended Revisions

**Fix 1:** Replace buzzword opener with specific benefit
Before: "Ready to revolutionize your billing?"
After: "Create and send invoices in 2 minutes. Get paid twice as fast."

**Fix 2:** Replace buzzword paragraph with facts
Before: "Our cutting-edge technology leverages advanced algorithms..."
After: "InvoiceNinja automatically sends payment reminders, tracks who's paid, and deposits money to your account the same day. Works with Stripe, PayPal, and 50+ payment methods."

**Fix 3:** Replace vague social proof with specific
Before: "Join thousands of forward-thinking companies..."
After: "Used by 47,000 businesses who've processed $2.3 billion in invoices. Average customer gets paid 14 days faster."

### The Ogilvy Verdict
You've written an advertisement that could be for any product in any industry. Remove "billing" and "InvoiceNinja" and this copy could sell project management software, CRM, or weight loss pills. That's the sign of failure.

The consumer isn't a moron. She knows "revolutionize" and "paradigm shift" are empty words. She wants to know: Will this help me send invoices faster? Will I get paid sooner? How much does it cost? What do I have to learn?

Stop trying to impress her with your vocabulary. Start informing her with your facts. Tell her what the product DOES. Give her numbers. Show her proof. Treat her like an intelligent adult who has a real problem to solve.

*Facts are more persuasive than adjectives. Always.*

---

## Integration

This skill is part of the **David Ogilvy** expert persona. Use it to strip the fluff and find the sell.