Copywriting

---
name: copywriting
description: Use when asked to write, rewrite, or improve marketing copy for any page — homepage, landing page, pricing, feature page, about page, or product page. Triggers on "write copy for", "improve this copy", "rewrite this page", "marketing copy", "headline help", or "CTA copy". For full page generation with structure and code, use `landing-page-generator`.
stack: []
area: marketing
---

# Write marketing copy that converts

Clarity beats cleverness every time. If you have to choose, choose clear.

## Gather before writing (ask for missing pieces — one at a time)

1. **Page type** — homepage, landing, pricing, feature, about?
2. **Primary action** — the ONE thing visitors should do.
3. **Audience** — who they are; what problem they're trying to solve; what language they use.
4. **Differentiation** — what makes this meaningfully different from the obvious alternative?
5. **Proof points** — numbers, testimonials, case studies, recognisable customers.
6. **Traffic source** — organic, paid, email, direct? Awareness level changes the angle.

## Core principles

**Benefits, not features.** Feature: "256-bit encryption". Benefit: "Your files are private — we can't read them, and neither can anyone else." Always translate mechanism → outcome → feeling.

**Customer language.** Use the words your users use to describe their problem. If interviews say "it's a nightmare to reconcile", the headline says "Stop the reconciliation nightmare" — not "Streamline financial operations."

**Specificity > generality.** "Save 2 hours a week" > "Save time". "4,200 teams" > "thousands of teams". Specific claims are more believable.

**One idea per section.** Each section of a page answers one question. Don't layer messages.

## Headline formula bank

| Formula | Example | When to use |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| Outcome + timeframe | "Profitable in 90 days or your money back" | Strong guarantee; outcome is measurable |
| Problem reversal | "Stop losing deals to follow-up gaps" | Pain-aware audience |
| Social proof + outcome | "4,200 teams use Gaffer to ship twice as fast" | Strong install base |
| Who + outcome | "For developers who hate waiting on CI" | Niche audience; resonance over reach |
| Contrast | "The Stripe fees dashboard you always wanted" | Competitor-aware or category-aware audience |

## CTA copy rules

- State what happens next: "Start free trial" (not "Get started"), "Book a 20-min demo" (not "Contact us").
- Match the commitment level to the page: cold traffic → low-commitment CTA (free trial, see pricing); warm traffic → higher-commitment CTA (book demo, talk to sales).
- Avoid: "Submit", "Click here", "Learn more" as primary CTAs.

## Steps

1. **Read existing copy if present.** Identify what's working (don't throw away specificity) and what's broken (vague, feature-first, wrong audience language).
2. **Write 5 headline variants.** Apply different formulas; don't self-edit until all 5 are drafted.
3. **Pick the clearest one.** Read it cold — does a first-time visitor understand what they get and for whom? If not, it's not clear enough yet.
4. **Write body copy section by section.** Each section: one idea, benefit-first, with supporting proof.
5. **Write the CTA.** State the action; reduce friction; match commitment level to audience temperature.
6. **Self-review.** Read every sentence aloud. Cut any sentence that doesn't move the reader one step closer to the primary action.

## Review checklist

- **Headline states outcome, not product** — a new visitor with no context can understand the benefit.
- **Customer language used** — words from user interviews/reviews, not internal jargon.
- **Every claim specific** — no "faster", "better", "smarter" without a number or proof.
- **CTA states what happens next** — not a generic verb.
- **No hedging language** — "may", "could", "help you" weaken the value prop.
- **Mobile readable** — headline is ≤ 12 words; no wall-of-text paragraphs (max 3 lines).

## Rules

- Clarity first, always. A clever headline that makes someone re-read it has already lost them.
- Never write for the company — write for the specific person arriving at this page.
- No fluff: "We're passionate about X" is filler; cut it.