Copywriting

Horizontal skill — applied wherever persuasive writing is needed. Also bootstraps product context for all marketing skills.

Inputs Required

• Page purpose, audience, product/offer, traffic context
• .agents/mkt/product-context.md (created below if missing)

Output

• Copy by section + annotations + 2-3 alternatives per key line
• .agents/mkt/product-context.md (if it didn't exist)

Quality Gate

Before delivering, verify:

• Every headline/hook contains a concrete noun or specific number (not abstract: "better", "innovative", "leading")
• Every key line passes 3-question test (visual? falsifiable? uniquely yours?)
• CTA follows [Action Verb] + [What They Get] formula
• Competitor swap test: Replace brand name with competitor — if it still works, rewrite

Chain Position

Horizontal — called from any skill. Creates .agents/mkt/product-context.md used by all marketing skills.

Before Starting

Step 0: Product Context

Check for .agents/mkt/product-context.md. If missing: INTERVIEW. Ask 8 product questions and save to .agents/mkt/product-context.md.

Required Artifacts

Optional Artifacts

Product Context Bootstrap

Check for .agents/mkt/product-context.md. If missing, interview with these 8 questions and save:

# Product Context

**Date:** [today]

## Product
[One sentence: what you sell]

## Buyer
[Primary buyer: role, company type, situation]

## Problem
[The pain it solves — in their words, not yours]

## Differentiator
[What's different — something a competitor CANNOT claim]

## Social Proof
[Best testimonial or most repeated praise]

## Model
[Price, pricing model, free trial availability]

## Voice
[3 adjectives: e.g., "direct, technical, warm"]

## Primary CTA
[What should people do next: e.g., "Start free trial"]

All marketing skills read this file for product context.

The Three-Question Test

Run every key sentence through:

1. Visual? Close your eyes. Can you see it? ("Couch to 5K" = yes. "Regain fitness" = no.)
2. Falsifiable? Is it true or false? ("6'2, reads on the tube" = yes. "Funny, smart, good values" = no.)
3. Uniquely yours? Could a competitor sign this? ("The dating app designed to be deleted" = only Hinge. "The best platform" = anyone.)

Three yeses = keep. Any no = rewrite.

Core Rules

Make It Visual

Abstract words evaporate. Concrete words stick. Zoom-in technique: Write the abstract word → ask "what do I actually mean?" → keep zooming until you hit something you can drop on your foot.

• "Regain fitness" → "Couch to 5K"
• "Worn by pretty and old people" → "Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio"

Make It Falsifiable

True-or-false statements put your head on the chopping block. Ears prick up. "Don't talk, only point" — point at the graph, the statistic, the specific feature.

• Volvo: "Your car has five numbers on the speedometer. Volvo has six."

Make It Yours Alone

"Never write an ad a competitor can sign." — Jim Durfee

Test: Swap in competitor's name. Still works? Rewrite.

Facts Over Adjectives

Start with a fact. Build from there. "Even when it's not Heinz, it's Heinz."

The Conflict Framework

Draw a line. Write opposites. Left: "Throw money and pray." Right: "Learn copywriting." Contrast sharpens both sides.

Speed Test

Show someone your copy. Two seconds. If they don't get it, rewrite.

CTA Formula

[Action Verb] + [What They Get] + [Qualifier]

Bad: Submit, Learn More, Click Here Good: "Start your free trial", "Download the 2026 playbook", "See pricing for your team"

Page-Specific Guidance

Cross-Skill Integration

Output Format

When saving copy artifacts, use this frontmatter:

---
skill: mkt-copywriting
version: 1
date: [today's date]
status: draft
---

On re-run: rename existing artifact to [name].v[N].md and create new with incremented version.

1. Copy by section — Hero, social proof, problem, solution, how it works, testimonials, CTA
2. Annotations — Why each choice was made, tied to which rule
3. Alternatives — 2-3 headline options, 2-3 CTA options
4. Meta — Page title + description if relevant

Process

1. Check for .agents/mkt/product-context.md — create if missing
2. Who am I talking to? What do they currently believe? What should they believe after?
3. What can I say that nobody else can?
4. Write 3-5 versions of every key line
5. Run each through 3-question test
6. Two-second test
7. Cut everything not working for you
8. See references/copy-frameworks.md for headline formulas

References

• references/copy-frameworks.md — Headline formulas, PAS framework, page templates