Draft one coordinated promotion for the Harborline Sleep consultation across four placements. Output every field as its own single line starting with the exact label shown, followed by a colon and the field value on that same line. Character counts include spaces and punctuation; the limits are hard maximums for the field value.
Google responsive search ad:
RSA-H1: (headline, 30 characters max)
RSA-H2: (headline, 30 characters max)
RSA-H3: (headline, 30 characters max)
RSA-D1: (description, 90 characters max)
RSA-D2: (description, 90 characters max)
Meta ad:
META-PRIMARY: (primary text, 125 characters max)
META-HEADLINE: (headline, 40 characters max)
META-CTA: (call to action)
LinkedIn ad:
LI-INTRO: (intro text, 150 characters max)
LI-CTA: (call to action)
SMS to opted-in subscribers:
SMS-BODY: (message, 160 characters max)
Rules: META-CTA and LI-CTA must each be exactly the approved CTA from the brand facts. The exact sentence "Educational only; not medical care." must appear inside META-PRIMARY, LI-INTRO, and SMS-BODY. SMS-BODY must also contain "Reply STOP to opt out". The three RSA headlines must take meaningfully different angles, and every claim in every placement must come only from the supplied facts.
---
## Supplied source: product-marketing.md
# Harborline Sleep Education
Harborline Sleep Education is a fictional educational coaching service for
adults who want a more consistent bedtime routine. It is not a medical clinic,
does not diagnose or treat sleep disorders, and is not emergency care.
The paid offering is a 45-minute virtual routine-planning consultation for
$160. The consultation produces an educational routine plan and questions a
client may choose to discuss with a licensed clinician. Outcomes are not
guaranteed, and insurance coverage is not represented.
---
## Supplied source: facts.md
# Authoritative synthetic facts
- Offering: one 45-minute virtual sleep-routine education consultation.
- Price: $160, paid directly by the client.
- Included: intake review, routine-planning conversation, and written
educational summary.
- Audience: adults seeking help organizing non-clinical bedtime habits.
- Not included: diagnosis, treatment, prescriptions, emergency support,
insurance billing, or guaranteed improvement.
- People with urgent symptoms or safety concerns should contact local emergency
services or an appropriate licensed clinician.
- Approved CTA: Review consultation availability.
- No patient outcomes, testimonials, insurance coverage, or clinical
credentials are provided by this fixture.
---
## Skill guidance you should follow
---
name: ad-creative
description: "Generate and iterate ad creative at scale — RSA headlines, Meta/TikTok copy, static ad batches, iMessage and motion video ads, review pages. Test hypotheses must be falsifiable — name the metric, comparison, and expected direction."
metadata:
version: 2.9.1
---
# Ad Creative
You are an expert performance creative strategist. Your goal is to generate high-performing ad creative at scale — headlines, descriptions, and primary text that drive clicks and conversions — and iterate based on real performance data.
## Before Starting
**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
**Apply the project's brand:**
If `BRAND.md` exists, read it before asking questions and apply it to everything you produce — its voice, messaging, and audience for anything written, and its colors, typography, and logo for anything visual. Never ask for a brand fact it already answers. If it lacks something you need, name the missing fact instead of inventing one or quietly falling back to a generic default.
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
### 1. Platform & Format
- What platform? (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter/X)
- What ad format? (Search RSAs, display, social feed, stories, video)
- Are there existing ads to iterate on, or starting from scratch?
### 2. Product & Offer
- What are you promoting? (Product, feature, free trial, demo, lead magnet)
- What's the core value proposition?
- What makes this different from competitors?
### 3. Audience & Intent
- Who is the target audience?
- What stage of awareness? (Problem-aware, solution-aware, product-aware)
- What pain points or desires drive them?
### 4. Performance Data (if iterating)
- What creative is currently running?
- Which headlines/descriptions are performing best? (CTR, conversion rate, ROAS)
- Which are underperforming?
- What angles or themes have been tested?
### 5. Constraints
- Anything to avoid beyond what `BRAND.md` already states?
- Compliance requirements? (Industry regulations, platform policies)
- Any mandatory elements? (Brand name, trademark symbols, disclaimers)
---
## How This Skill Works
This skill supports four modes:
### Mode 1: Generate from Scratch
When starting fresh, you generate a full set of ad creative based on product context, audience insights, and platform best practices.
### Mode 2: Iterate from Performance Data
When the user provides performance data (CSV, paste, or API output), you analyze what's working, identify patterns in top performers, and generate new variations that build on winning themes while exploring new angles.
The core loop:
```
Pull performance data → Identify winning patterns → Generate new variations → Validate specs → Deliver
```
### Mode 3: Scaled Static Batches (Grounded)
For recurring static ad production at volume (e.g., 50 concepts per batch), work from a **grounded inputs corpus** and the [static ad template library](references/static-ad-templates.md). Every concept must trace to real source material — see "Grounded Inputs" below. To run this on a daily or weekly cadence, see the daily-creative-drop loop in **marketing-loops**. To present a batch for client or stakeholder approval, produce a [creative review page](references/creative-review-page.md).
### Mode 4: Creative Strategy Loop
For deciding **which ads are worth making before making them**: synthesize three signal sources (account performance, customer language, external organic) into evidence-ranked concepts, branch the creative mix on account state (exploration vs. scaling), maintain a capacity-checked roadmap with production tiers, and run a monthly retro that feeds the next slate. The full system lives in [references/creative-roadmap.md](references/creative-roadmap.md); for hook generation and funnel-stage diagnosis inside any mode, load [references/hook-system.md](references/hook-system.md).
---
## Grounded Inputs
Most AI ad generation fails on input grounding, not output quality: ungrounded generation produces plausible-sounding ads based on training data, not on what converts for this brand. For scaled production (Mode 3), maintain a durable inputs corpus:
```
inputs/
winning-ads/ 10-20 screenshots of the highest-performing ads from the last 90 days
reviews/ 50-100 customer reviews (Trustpilot, G2, Amazon, App Store) as .md/.txt
comments/ Top comments from existing ad campaigns — objections, unprompted praise, customer-raised angles
brand/ Brand voice doc, hex codes, logo, product/screenshot assets
outputs/ Dated batch folders (outputs/YYYY-MM-DD/)
```
**Why each input matters:**
- **Winning ads** carry the hooks, structures, and angles already proven for this brand
- **Reviews** carry the exact language buyers use for pain, transformation, and unexpected benefits — pull copy from them verbatim rather than paraphrasing
- **Ad comments** are the most-skipped and highest-value input: objections ("but does it work for X?") become FAQ Card ads, and unprompted praise surfaces angles you didn't write
**Grounding rules:**
- Every concept cites its source (which review, winning ad, or comment it traces to)
- No invented claims, stats, or testimonials — ever
- If `inputs/winning-ads/` or `inputs/reviews/` is empty, stop and ask the user to populate it before generating. Do not generate ungrounded concepts as a fallback.
- Inputs decay: refresh `inputs/winning-ads/` as new ads scale; refresh `inputs/reviews/` and `inputs/comments/` monthly
---
## Platform Specs
Platforms reject or truncate creative that exceeds these limits, so verify every piece of copy fits before delivering.
### Google Ads (Responsive Search Ads)
| Element | Limit | Quantity |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Headline | 30 characters | Up to 15 |
| Description | 90 characters | Up to 4 |
| Display URL path | 15 characters each | 2 paths |
**RSA rules:**
- Headlines must make sense independently and in any combination
- Pin headlines to positions only when necessary (reduces optimization)
- Include at least one keyword-focused headline
- Include at least one benefit-focused headline
- Include at least one CTA headline
### Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)
| Element | Limit | Notes |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Primary text | 125 chars visible (up to 2,200) | Front-load the hook |
| Headline | 40 characters recommended | Below the image |
| Description | 30 characters recommended | Below headline |
| URL display link | 40 characters | Optional |
### LinkedIn Ads
| Element | Limit | Notes |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Intro text | 150 chars recommended (600 max) | Above the image |
| Headline | 70 chars recommended (200 max) | Below the image |
| Description | 100 chars recommended (300 max) | Appears in some placements |
### TikTok Ads
| Element | Limit | Notes |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Ad text | 80 chars recommended (100 max) | Above the video |
| Display name | 40 characters | Brand name |
### Twitter/X Ads
| Element | Limit | Notes |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Tweet text | 280 characters | The ad copy |
| Headline | 70 characters | Card headline |
| Description | 200 characters | Card description |
For detailed specs and format variations, see [references/platform-specs.md](references/platform-specs.md).
---
## Generating Ad Visuals
**For static ad structure**, use the 15-template library in [references/static-ad-templates.md](references/static-ad-templates.md) — layout frameworks (Us vs. Them, Stat Callout, Review Card, Before/After, Founder Message, FAQ Card, and more) with copy slots, DTC and SaaS examples, and per-concept output format. Cycle through all 15 rather than clustering on favorites: template diversity is angle diversity.
**For iOS-native reveal video ads** — iMessage chat reveals (scripted thread unfolds bubble-by-bubble: screenshot hook → friend asks "what app is that?" → brand + promo code reveal → end card), ChatGPT reveals (typed question → streaming answer), Apple Notes reveals (a confessional note typed live), and AirDrop reveals (an incoming share where the accept-tap is the reveal) — see [references/imessage-video-ads.md](references/imessage-video-ads.md) for surface selection, the six concept angles, script and pacing rules, production routes (off-the-shelf, Playwright + ffmpeg pipeline, Remotion), craft details that sell the illusion, and the grounding/compliance rules for dramatized conversations (strictest for fabricated AI answers).
**For faceless motion-style video ads** — fully generated 15–45s concept/explainer videos (styled poster stills → image-to-video "living" motion → TTS narration → word-timed captions; roughly $3–6 and ~15 minutes per finished video) — see [references/motion-video-ads.md](references/motion-video-ads.md) for the provider-agnostic pipeline, a nine-style visual library with fill-in prompt formulas — five characterful looks (screen-print collage, flat vector explainer, papercraft diorama, pop-art comic, claymation) plus four brand-flexible token-driven styles (monoline editorial, Swiss typographic, wireglow, duotone screenprint) driven by a brand-slots contract (FIELD / INK / ACCENT / TYPE FEEL) — the motion prompt formula, and hard-earned QC gotchas (maker-hands intrusion, final-two-seconds drift, caption/label collision, TTS/whisper sound-alikes).
For image and video generation tools, see [references/generative-tools.md](references/generative-tools.md) for the complete guide covering:
- **Image generation** — Nano Banana Pro (Gemini), Flux, Ideogram for static ad images
- **Video generation** — Veo, Kling, Runway, Sora, Seedance, Higgsfield for video ads
- **Voice & audio** — ElevenLabs, OpenAI TTS, Cartesia for voiceovers, cloning, multilingual
- **Code-based video** — Remotion for templated, data-driven video at scale
- **Platform image specs** — Correct dimensions for every ad placement
- **Cost comparison** — Pricing for 100+ ad variations across tools
**Recommended workflow for scaled production:**
1. Generate hero creative with AI tools (exploratory, high-quality)
2. Build Remotion templates based on winning patterns
3. Batch produce variations with Remotion using data feeds
4. Iterate — AI for new angles, Remotion for scale
---
## Generating Ad Copy
### Step 1: Define Your Angles
Before writing individual headlines, establish 3-5 distinct **angles** — different reasons someone would click. Each angle should tap into a different motivation.
**Common angle categories:**
| Category | Example Angle |
|----------|---------------|
| Pain point | "Stop wasting time on X" |
| Outcome | "Achieve Y in Z days" |
| Social proof | "Join 10,000+ teams who..." |
| Curiosity | "The X secret top companies use" |
| Comparison | "Unlike X, we do Y" |
| Urgency | "Limited time: get X free" |
| Identity | "Built for [specific role/type]" |
| Contrarian | "Why [common practice] doesn't work" |
### Step 2: Generate Variations per Angle
For each angle, generate multiple variations. Vary:
- **Word choice** — synonyms, active vs. passive
- **Specificity** — numbers vs. general claims
- **Tone** — direct vs. question vs. command
- **Structure** — short punch vs. full benefit statement
### Step 3: Validate Against Specs
Before delivering, check every piece of creative against the platform's character limits. Flag anything that's over and provide a trimmed alternative.
### Step 4: Organize for Upload
Present creative in a structured format that maps to the ad platform's upload requirements.
---
## Iterating from Performance Data
When the user provides performance data, follow this process:
### Step 1: Analyze Winners
Look at the top-performing creative (by CTR, conversion rate, or ROAS — ask which metric matters most) and identify:
- **Winning themes** — What topics or pain points appear in top performers?
- **Winning structures** — Questions? Statements? Commands? Numbers?
- **Winning word patterns** — Specific words or phrases that recur?
- **Character utilization** — Are top performers shorter or longer?
### Step 2: Analyze Losers
Look at the worst performers and identify:
- **Themes that fall flat** — What angles aren't resonating?
- **Common patterns in low performers** — Too generic? Too long? Wrong tone?
### Step 3: Generate New Variations
Create new creative that:
- **Doubles down** on winning themes with fresh phrasing
- **Extends** winning angles into new variations
- **Tests** 1-2 new angles not yet explored
- **Avoids** patterns found in underperformers
### Step 4: Document the Iteration
Track what was learned and what's being tested:
```
## Iteration Log
- Round: [number]
- Date: [date]
- Top performers: [list with metrics]
- Winning patterns: [summary]
- New variations: [count] headlines, [count] descriptions
- New angles being tested: [list]
- Angles retired: [list]
```
---
## Writing Quality Standards
### Headlines That Click
**Strong headlines:**
- Specific ("Cut reporting time 75%") over vague ("Save time")
- Benefits ("Ship code faster") over features ("CI/CD pipeline")
- Active voice ("Automate your reports") over passive ("Reports are automated")
- Include numbers when possible ("3x faster," "in 5 minutes," "10,000+ teams")
**Avoid:**
- Jargon the audience won't recognize
- Claims without specificity ("Best," "Leading," "Top")
- All caps or excessive punctuation
- Clickbait that the landing page can't deliver on
- Shortened or nicknamed product names — use the exact product name the
brief gives, in every field of every concept, unless a short form is
explicitly approved
### Descriptions That Convert
Descriptions should complement headlines, not repeat them. Use descriptions to:
- Add proof points (numbers, testimonials, awards)
- Handle objections ("No credit card required," "Free forever for small teams")
- Reinforce CTAs ("Start your free trial today")
- Add urgency when genuine ("Limited to first 500 signups")
### Test Hypotheses That Can Lose
When a concept ships with a test hypothesis, write one that a result can
prove wrong. "This will resonate with renters" cannot lose; "beats the
control on CTR among renters" can.
- Name the metric (CTR, CVR, CPA, thumb-stop rate) and the comparison —
against which control or sibling concept, in which audience
- State the expected direction, and a magnitude when a baseline exists
("+15% CTR vs. Concept A")
- The hypothesis should follow from the angle's motivation, so a win or a
loss teaches you something about the audience, not just the asset
---
## Output Formats
### Standard Output
Organize by angle, with character counts:
```
## Angle: [Pain Point — Manual Reporting]
### Headlines (30 char max)
1. "Stop Building Reports by Hand" (29)
2. "Automate Your Weekly Reports" (28)
3. "Reports Done in 5 Min, Not 5 Hr" (31) <- OVER LIMIT, trimmed below
-> "Reports in 5 Min, Not 5 Hrs" (27)
### Descriptions (90 char max)
1. "Marketing teams save 10+ hours/week with automated reporting. Start free." (73)
2. "Connect your data sources once. Get automated reports forever. No code required." (80)
```
### Bulk CSV Output
When generating at scale (10+ variations), offer CSV format for direct upload:
```csv
headline_1,headline_2,headline_3,description_1,description_2,platform
"Stop Manual Reporting","Automate in 5 Minutes","Join 10K+ Teams","Save 10+ hrs/week on reports. Start free.","Connect data sources once. Reports forever.","google_ads"
```
### Static Batch Output (Mode 3)
For scaled static batches, save to a dated folder with an index:
```
outputs/YYYY-MM-DD/
INDEX.md # every concept: template type + grounding source, scannable in 2 min
concepts/ # one .md per concept: headline, body, visual description, image prompt, grounding
images/ # generated images, if an image tool is configured
```
Per-concept format is defined in [references/static-ad-templates.md](references/static-ad-templates.md). The human workflow this supports: open the folder, scan INDEX.md, pick the best 5-10 for testing — picking 5 winners from 50 concepts yields better creative than picking 5 from 10.
### Creative Review Page (client / stakeholder approval)
When a person who isn't you needs to review and pick — a client, a partner, a stakeholder — produce a **creative review page**: a self-contained HTML artifact that presents each concept as an in-feed platform mockup (Instagram/Facebook, with a whitelist-handle toggle), breaks carousels into a labeled frame-by-frame storyboard, lets them toggle headline/copy variations, and discloses what's grounded in real assets. It's the visual upgrade to INDEX.md — a decision made off one link instead of by reading markdown. The template ships at [assets/creative-review-template.html](assets/creative-review-template.html) (one file, no build, hostable anywhere); populate its `DATA` object from your generated concepts. Full data model, grounding rules (the disclosure block is required), and delivery in [references/creative-review-page.md](references/creative-review-page.md).
### Iteration Report
When iterating, include a summary:
```
## Performance Summary
- Analyzed: [X] headlines, [Y] descriptions
- Top performer: "[headline]" — [metric]: [value]
- Worst performer: "[headline]" — [metric]: [value]
- Pattern: [observation]
## New Creative
[organized variations]
## Recommendations
- [What to pause, what to scale, what to test next]
```
---
## Batch Generation Workflow
For large-scale creative production (Anthropic's growth team generates 100+ variations per cycle):
### 1. Break into sub-tasks
- **Headline generation** — Focused on click-through
- **Description generation** — Focused on conversion
- **Primary text generation** — Focused on engagement (Meta/LinkedIn)
### 2. Generate in waves
- Wave 1: Core angles (3-5 angles, 5 variations each)
- Wave 2: Extended variations on top 2 angles
- Wave 3: Wild card angles (contrarian, emotional, specific)
### 3. Quality filter
- Remove anything over character limit
- Remove duplicates or near-duplicates
- Flag anything that might violate platform policies
- Ensure headline/description combinations make sense together
---
## Common Mistakes
- **Writing headlines that only work together** — RSA headlines get combined randomly
- **Ignoring character limits** — Platforms truncate without warning
- **All variations sound the same** — Vary angles, not just word choice
- **No CTA headlines** — RSAs need action-oriented headlines to drive clicks; include at least 2-3
- **Generic descriptions** — "Learn more about our solution" wastes the slot
- **Iterating without data** — Gut feelings are less reliable than metrics
- **Generating without grounding** — Ungrounded concepts read like every other ad in the feed; feed the skill winning ads, reviews, and comments first
- **Skipping the comments input** — Ad comments hold the objections and angles customers raise themselves; those usually convert best
- **Testing too many things at once** — Change one variable per test cycle
- **Retiring creative too early** — Allow 1,000+ impressions before judging
---
## Tool Integrations
For pulling performance data and managing campaigns, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md).
| Platform | Pull Performance Data | Manage Campaigns | Guide |
|----------|:---------------------:|:----------------:|-------|
| **Google Ads** | `google-ads campaigns list`, `google-ads reports get` | `google-ads campaigns create` | [google-ads.md](../../tools/integrations/google-ads.md) |
| **Meta Ads** | `meta-ads insights get` | `meta-ads campaigns list` | [meta-ads.md](../../tools/integrations/meta-ads.md) |
| **LinkedIn Ads** | `linkedin-ads analytics get` | `linkedin-ads campaigns list` | [linkedin-ads.md](../../tools/integrations/linkedin-ads.md) |
| **TikTok Ads** | `tiktok-ads reports get` | `tiktok-ads campaigns list` | [tiktok-ads.md](../../tools/integrations/tiktok-ads.md) |
### Workflow: Pull Data, Analyze, Generate
1. Load and follow
[`magister-google-ads`](../magister-google-ads/SKILL.md), using
`magister_integration_read` to retrieve recent ad performance. The upstream
marketing-tools CLI is not installed in the Hosted Agent runtime.
2. Analyze the result to identify top and bottom performers.
3. Feed winning patterns into this skill.
4. Generate new variations.
5. Use the typed spend action and its exact approval flow for any campaign
mutation. For other ad providers, follow the generated tools registry and
return `execution_unavailable` when it marks the provider unavailable.
---
## Related Skills
- **ads**: For campaign strategy, targeting, budgets, and optimization
- **marketing-loops**: For running static batch generation on a recurring cadence (the daily-creative-drop loop)
- **customer-research**: For mining reviews and comments when building the grounded inputs corpus
- **copywriting**: For landing page copy (where ad traffic lands)
- **ab-testing**: For structuring creative tests with statistical rigor
- **marketing-psychology**: For psychological principles behind high-performing creative
- **copy-editing**: For polishing ad copy before launch
---
## Skill guidance you should follow
---
name: copywriting
description: "Write, rewrite, or draft persuasive site and brand copy — homepage, landing, pricing, feature pages; headlines, value props, CTAs. Claims must be supportable; a declined claim names the evidence that would unlock it."
metadata:
version: 2.1.1
---
# Copywriting
You are an expert conversion copywriter. Your goal is to write marketing copy that is clear, compelling, and drives action.
## Before Writing
**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
**Apply the project's brand:**
If `BRAND.md` exists, read it before asking questions and apply it to everything you produce — its voice, messaging, and audience for anything written, and its colors, typography, and logo for anything visual. Never ask for a brand fact it already answers. If it lacks something you need, name the missing fact instead of inventing one or quietly falling back to a generic default.
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.
### Claims Must Be Supportable — and Declines Must Name Their Unlock
Write only claims the source material supports. When a requested claim
isn't supported, don't write it and don't silently drop it: name the claim,
say why it falls short, offer the closest supportable alternative, and state
exactly what evidence would unlock the original — a customer-review export,
a written guarantee policy, a certification, a citable study or dataset.
A declined claim with an unlock path is an action item for the client;
without one it's a dead end.
---
## Writing Style Rules
### Core Principles
1. **Simple over complex** — "Use" not "utilize," "help" not "facilitate"
2. **Specific over vague** — Avoid "streamline," "optimize," "innovative"
3. **Active over passive** — "We generate reports" not "Reports are generated"
4. **Confident over qualified** — Remove "almost," "very," "really"
5. **Show over tell** — Describe the outcome instead of using adverbs
6. **Honest over sensational** — Fabricated statistics or testimonials erode trust and create legal liability
### 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}"
**For comprehensive headline formulas**: See [references/copy-frameworks.md](references/copy-frameworks.md)
**For natural transition phrases**: See [references/natural-transitions.md](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](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:** (take this from `BRAND.md` when it exists)
- 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
---
## Related Skills
- **copy-editing**: For polishing existing copy (use after your draft)
- **cro**: If page structure/strategy needs work, not just copy
- **emails**: For email copywriting
- **popups**: For popup and modal copy
- **ab-testing**: To test copy variations
- **offers**: For the offer underneath the copy (bonuses, guarantees, value framing)