Copywriting

---
name: copywriting
description: >
  Use this skill when writing new marketing copy for any page. Trigger phrases include: "write homepage copy," "write a landing page," "write copy for our pricing page," "write hero copy," "write a value proposition," "write feature page copy," "write about page copy," "write marketing copy," "write a headline," "write CTA copy," "write product marketing copy," or "draft copy for [page type]." This skill covers AIDA, PAS, FAB, and Before/After/Bridge frameworks and produces hero sections, value propositions, feature/benefit sections, social proof placement, and CTA copy. Distinct from copy-editing, which reviews and improves existing copy.
---

# Copywriting Skill

## Mandatory Content Standards

- Match the output length to the task. For full audits, strategies, plans, or multi-part deliverables, write 1,500 to 10,000 words. For quick tasks, single assets, snippets, or narrow revisions, keep the output concise and provide only the useful variations, rationale, and next steps.
- Write in a way that sounds like a knowledgeable human wrote it. No robotic or templated phrasing.
- Use short sentences. One idea per sentence. One focus per paragraph.
- Use active voice. Never passive constructions.
- Address the reader directly using "you" and "your."
- Use bullet points only when they genuinely improve readability.
- Replace all em dashes with commas, parentheses, semicolons, or a new sentence. No hidden Unicode characters.
- End every sentence with a period.
- No hashtags, emojis, or asterisks.
- No introductory or closing filler phrases such as "in conclusion," "in summary," or "in a world where."
- No warnings, notes, or disclaimers. Stick to requested output.
- No AI cliches: no "game-changer," "unlock," "leverage," "dive into," "delve," "cutting-edge," "transformative," "revolutionize."
- No excessive adjectives or adverbs. Let specifics do the work.
- No broad generalizations. Every claim tied to specific context.
- Use specific examples, data, and scenarios.
- Pose at least one thought-provoking question per skill.
- Mobile-friendly: short paragraphs, clear headers, scannable.
- Practical and actionable. Every section connects to a next step.

---

## What This Skill Does

This skill writes marketing copy for any page type. The output is ready-to-use text: headlines, subheadlines, hero sections, value propositions, feature descriptions, benefit statements, social proof blocks, and CTAs.

The copy is built around a specific audience, a specific problem, and a specific offer. It does not read like it was written by a template.

Before writing any copy, gather:

- The product or feature being described
- The target audience (role, company size, industry, key pain points)
- The primary message (what the reader should understand after reading this page)
- The desired action (what you want the reader to do next)
- Any differentiators from competitors
- Customer quotes, data points, or case study outcomes that can be used as proof
- The page type (homepage, landing page, pricing page, feature page, about page)
- The brand voice (how the company talks: formal or casual, expert or approachable, etc.)

---

## Why Copywriting Is a Distinct Craft

Writing marketing copy is not the same as writing well. Good copy requires understanding how people read online (fast, scanning, impatient), what motivates action (specific outcomes, social proof, risk reduction), and how to build a logical sequence of ideas that moves a stranger toward a decision.

Most people instinctively write about their product from the inside out: here is what it does, here is how it works, here is why we built it. Good copy writes from the outside in: here is your problem, here is what changes, here is the evidence, here is what to do next.

Here is the test that clarifies what you are writing: if you removed your product's name from the copy, would the reader still know who it was for and what problem it solved? If not, the copy is too product-focused and not reader-focused enough.

---

## The Four Core Copywriting Frameworks

These are not formulas to follow rigidly. They are structures that guide the logical sequence of an argument.

### AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

Attention: Grab the reader's attention with something true and specific about their situation. A headline that names the problem, a surprising number, or a scenario they recognize.

Interest: Build interest by explaining why this matters and what makes it relevant to their situation. The product is not the subject yet. The reader's problem or goal is.

Desire: Create desire by describing what life looks like when the problem is solved. Use specifics: numbers, customer stories, before-and-after scenarios.

Action: Tell the reader exactly what to do next. One specific next step.

AIDA works best for landing pages, email campaigns, and ad copy where you have a specific audience, a clear offer, and a single desired action.

### PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution

Problem: Name the problem. State it clearly and specifically. The more closely the problem statement matches how the reader thinks about the problem, the more immediately they feel understood.

Agitate: Describe what happens if the problem goes unsolved. This is not fear-mongering. It is making the stakes concrete. "Without a solution, you end up spending every Monday morning pulling data from four different tools by hand, which means you are reacting to last week's numbers instead of acting on today's."

Solution: Present your product as the solution. Now that you have made the reader feel the weight of the problem, the solution lands harder.

PAS works best for copy targeting people who have a recognized problem. If they do not yet know they have the problem, spend more time on the problem and agitate stages before introducing the solution.

### FAB: Features, Advantages, Benefits

Features: What the product does or has. "Automated weekly reporting."

Advantages: Why the feature is better than the alternative. "Reports generate in two minutes instead of two hours."

Benefits: What the reader gains. "You get Friday afternoons back and your manager gets accurate numbers without the Sunday-night scramble."

FAB works best for feature pages, product descriptions, and sales enablement copy where you need to explain a specific capability and why it matters.

### Before/After/Bridge

Before: Describe the situation as it is right now, without the product. The reader recognizes this as their current reality.

After: Describe the situation as it could be, with the product. The reader sees a better version of their situation.

Bridge: The product is how you get from before to after.

Before/After/Bridge works best for homepage hero sections, case studies, and any copy where you want to create a vivid contrast between the problem and the solution.

---

## Homepage Copy

The homepage serves multiple audiences at once. It is the hardest page to write well. Someone who found you through a competitor comparison page lands here. So does someone who clicked your ad, and someone who Googled your brand name after hearing it mentioned on a podcast.

The homepage cannot say everything. Its job is to say the most important things to the most important person clearly enough that they know within five seconds whether they are in the right place.

### Hero Section

The hero headline is the highest-value line of copy on your website. It has two seconds to tell someone who it is for and what changes for them.

Hero headline formats that work:

Outcome-focused: "Deploy faster. Break nothing." (Applies to DevOps or engineering tooling)

Problem-recognition: "Sales teams waste 40% of their week on manual CRM updates." (Works when the problem is widely recognized and urgent)

Audience-specific: "The project management tool built for engineering teams." (Works when you have a tightly defined ICP and clear differentiation)

Provocative claim: "Most customer feedback goes nowhere. Yours won't." (Works for category with a recognized systemic failure)

Hero headlines that do not work:

"The all-in-one platform for your business." (Says nothing specific.)

"Empowering teams to achieve more." (Every company claims this.)

"Welcome to [Product Name]." (Tells the reader nothing useful.)

The subheadline does the explanatory work the headline does not have room for. It answers "what is this and why does it matter to me?" in two to three sentences. It should not repeat the headline. It should extend it.

The hero CTA is usually the primary action on the page. Make it specific. "Start for free" works. "See it in action" works. "Get started" alone is vague because started doing what? Add a qualifying phrase: "Get started in 5 minutes" or "Start building for free."

### Social Proof Near the Top

Place at least one form of social proof within the first scroll. This can be customer logos, a number ("Trusted by 12,000 engineers at Stripe, Notion, and Figma"), or a single powerful quote.

Customer logos tell the reader that companies they recognize chose this product. If your logo row includes one recognizable name, it validates the decision to keep reading.

Numbers that work as early social proof: number of active users, customer satisfaction scores, a specific metric achieved across the customer base (collectively saved X hours, processed X million records, etc.).

### Value Propositions and Feature Sections

Below the hero, most homepages have two to four sections that explain what the product does and why it matters. These are not feature dumps. Each section should cover one capability and connect it to one outcome.

Structure for each section:

A short headline that names the outcome: "Know exactly where your pipeline stands."

Two to three sentences that explain how it works and what changes: "Our dashboard pulls live data from your CRM and shows you deal status, rep activity, and forecast accuracy in one view. No more manual updates or end-of-week spreadsheet assembly. Your team sees the same numbers at the same time."

Optional: a customer quote that validates the claim.

---

## Landing Page Copy

Landing pages differ from homepages in one important way: they have a single audience and a single goal. A homepage serves everyone who might visit your site. A landing page serves one type of visitor who came from one place for one specific reason.

That specificity makes landing pages both easier and harder to write. Easier because you know exactly who you are talking to. Harder because there is nowhere to hide: either the page converts or it does not.

The elements of a high-converting landing page:

Headline that matches the ad or source: If your ad said "Cut your reporting time in half," the landing page headline should say "Cut your reporting time in half" (or very close). Message match is one of the highest-leverage optimizations on any landing page.

Subheadline that extends the promise: One or two sentences explaining what the product is and who it is for.

Benefit-led body copy: Three to five key benefits, each expressed as an outcome for the reader. Avoid bulleted feature lists without context.

Social proof: One to three specific, attributed testimonials. A results-oriented quote from someone in the same role as the target reader performs best.

Trust builders: A row of customer logos, a security badge, a "no credit card required" statement, or a money-back guarantee. These reduce perceived risk.

A single, prominent CTA: One action. Make it specific. Place it above the fold and again at the bottom of the page.

FAQ section: Answers to the three to five objections that prevent conversion. Common objections: "Is this too expensive for us?", "How long does setup take?", "What if it doesn't work for our use case?", "Can we cancel easily?"

---

## Pricing Page Copy

Pricing pages are often treated as a necessary evil. They should be treated as conversion pages.

The copy on a pricing page has to:

Explain what each tier includes without requiring the reader to compare line by line.
Make the upgrade path feel obvious.
Reduce anxiety about the decision.

Tier names should describe the customer, not the product level. "Starter," "Pro," and "Business" are generic. "For freelancers," "For growing teams," and "For organizations" are audience-descriptive. Readers should be able to identify which tier is theirs immediately.

The "most popular" callout on the middle tier is a proven conversion element because it provides social proof at the moment of decision. Use it when it is genuinely true.

The FAQ section on a pricing page is not optional. It is where you address the questions that prevent people from clicking. Cover: what happens at the end of a trial, whether annual pricing offers a discount, what happens if you exceed usage limits, how billing works for teams that grow, and what your refund policy is.

---

## Feature Page Copy

Feature pages exist to help someone who already knows they need a solution understand how your specific implementation of the solution works and why it is the right choice.

The structure:

Hero: Name the feature and the primary outcome it delivers. "Automated reporting. Numbers that update themselves."

Problem context: Two to three sentences on why this feature matters and what problem it solves. Connect to a specific workflow the reader will recognize.

How it works: An explanation of the feature's mechanics, written in plain language. Avoid jargon. Use second-person. "You connect your CRM in one click. Then you choose which metrics to track. The report runs every Monday morning and sends to your team automatically."

Outcomes and proof: A specific result, a customer quote, or a case study reference that validates the feature's value.

Related features: Links to two or three related features that complete the picture.

CTA: A specific next step. "See it in action," "Start your free trial," or "Talk to us about your reporting workflow."

---

## About Page Copy

The about page is underestimated. It is often the second or third most visited page on a website. People read it when they are deciding whether to trust the company.

What an about page should do: Explain why the company exists (not just what it does), who the founders are and why they started this, what the company believes that shapes how it builds the product, and where the company is headed.

What an about page should not do: Describe the company in the third person as if it were a press release. List awards and certifications in the first paragraph. Use phrases like "passionate team" and "customer-centric approach."

The about page copy that converts trust is written in first person (or close to it), names a specific founding story or insight, and expresses a point of view that the reader either agrees with or does not. Companies without a point of view have forgettable about pages. Companies with one have about pages that people remember.

---

## Headlines and Subheadlines

The headline is always the highest-leverage piece of copy on any page. Write ten options before settling on one. The first five will be obvious. The next five will be better.

Headline checklist:

- Does it name the audience or their situation specifically?
- Does it lead with an outcome rather than a feature?
- Is it under 12 words?
- Would you read it if you were the target reader?
- Does it avoid generic adjectives (innovative, powerful, seamless)?

The subheadline's job is to answer the immediate follow-up question the headline creates. If the headline is "Stop losing deals to slow quotes," the subheadline answers "Here's how: [Your Product] generates accurate quotes in 3 minutes instead of 3 days."

---

## Social Proof Placement Strategy

Social proof placed at the right moment does more work than social proof placed at random. Think about what question or objection the reader has at each section of the page, then place the proof that answers it there.

After the hero: Logos or a user count. Answers "should I trust this brand?"

After a key benefit claim: A quote from a customer who experienced that benefit. Answers "does this actually work?"

Near the CTA: A results-oriented quote or a testimonial that references the decision to buy. Answers "did others like me make this choice and were they glad they did?"

On the pricing page: Quotes that reference the value relative to cost. Answers "is this worth the money?"

---

## CTA Copy

Every CTA is a promise. It tells the reader what happens next if they click. The CTA should fulfill the promise the copy made and reduce the perceived risk of clicking.

Strong CTA patterns:

Specific and action-oriented: "Start your free trial" is better than "Get started." "See the product tour" is better than "Learn more." "Request a live demo" is better than "Contact us."

Risk-reducers: "No credit card required." "Cancel anytime." "Free for 14 days." "Takes 5 minutes to set up." These belong on the CTA button or immediately below it.

Matched to page temperature: A cold traffic page should ask for a small commitment (free trial, newsletter sign-up, content download). A warm traffic page (someone who has visited pricing, read case studies, and returned) can ask for a bigger commitment (demo request, sales call).

Avoid: "Submit," "Click here," "Learn more" without qualification, and multiple competing CTAs on the same page.

---

## What to Deliver

For any copywriting request, deliver:

- The full page copy organized by section with clear headings
- At least two headline options for the primary hero headline
- Two CTA options with a brief rationale for each
- Notes on any assumptions made about the audience or offer (so the user can redirect if needed)

If the user has not given you enough information to write specific copy, ask for it before writing generic copy. Generic copy wastes everyone's time.