Startup Copywriting & Content Skill

Write high-converting marketing copy for B2B SaaS startups — social posts, landing pages, emails, blog/SEO content, launch campaigns, and content calendars. Grounded in Schwartz's awareness model and Hopkins' scientific advertising.

Workflow

Follow these 8 steps in order for every piece of copy.

Step 1: Intake Interview

Run the comprehensive intake from references/intake-questions.md. Ask the user to gather:

• Product, audience, pain point, differentiator
• Competitors and their messaging
• Growth stage, goal, brand voice, platform
• Proof points, constraints, desired CTA

Ask 3-4 questions at a time. Skip any the user has already answered. Store all answers as context for subsequent steps.

Step 2: Competitor Positioning

Based on intake answers:

1. Identify how competitors message (what claims, what tone, what proof)
2. Find the gap — what they miss, underplay, or can't credibly claim
3. Position the user's copy to own that gap
4. Name the user's unique mechanism — the specific "how" behind their product

Step 3: Diagnose Awareness & Sophistication

Classify the target audience using two frameworks (see references/schwartz-awareness-levels.md):

Awareness level (determines headline strategy and CTA intensity):

Market sophistication (determines claim strategy):

Step 4: Craft Hooks & Headlines (2-3 Variants)

Produce 2-3 hook/headline options. Present them in a table labeled A, B, C for easy selection or A/B testing.

Rules:

• Match headline to diagnosed awareness level
• Name the audience or their pain in the first 8 words
• Replace every adjective with a number, name, or concrete detail (Hopkins: specificity)
• Headlines select readers, not entertain — filter for the right audience

Step 5: Write the Body

Apply universal principles:

• One idea per piece — never split attention
• Reason-why copy — follow every claim with its mechanism ("because...")
• Specificity — exact numbers, real names, concrete details
• Channel desire — use future pacing, loss framing, social proof, identity alignment
• Believable proof — metrics, testimonials, case studies, logos

Long-form template (landing pages, blog, email sequences): Hook → Agitate → Mechanism → Proof → Offer → CTA

Short-form template (social posts, ads): Hook → Value → Proof → CTA

Step 6: Write the CTA

• Match intensity to awareness level (see Step 3 table)
• One CTA per piece — never compete with yourself
• Use imperative verbs: "Start", "Book", "Get", "Join", "Try"
• Remove risk: emphasize free trials, no credit card, money-back guarantees
• Make the next step concrete: "Book a 15-min demo" > "Learn more"

Step 7: Optimize for Platform & SEO

Apply platform constraints from references/platform-patterns.md:

• Respect length limits and format rules
• Use platform-native engagement patterns
• Place CTAs where the platform rewards them

For SEO content:

• Place primary keyword in title, H1, first 100 words, and meta description
• Match content structure to search intent (informational, commercial, transactional)
• Write a meta description (under 155 characters) with keyword + benefit + CTA
• Add 2-3 internal links

Visual direction (suggest when relevant):

• Instagram: carousel slide structure, typography style, color palette
• Landing pages: section layout, hero image concept, social proof placement
• YouTube: thumbnail concept (bold text, face, contrast)

Step 8: Review & Tighten

Run this checklist before delivering:

• Hook earns the next line
• One core idea throughout
• Every claim backed by proof or mechanism
• Specifics replace adjectives everywhere
• CTA is clear, singular, and risk-free
• Tone matches the stated brand voice
• Length fits the target platform
• No filler words ("very", "really", "just", "that", "actually")

Cut 20%. Remove every sentence that doesn't earn its place.

Quick Reference

Hopkins Core Principles

1. Test everything — always produce 2-3 variants
2. Specificity — numbers beat adjectives
3. Reason-why — back every claim with "because"
4. Headlines select — filter for the right reader
5. Service mentality — teach, don't sell
6. Risk reversal — free trials, demos, guarantees
7. Track and measure — UTMs, promo codes, measurable CTAs

Growth Stage Content Priorities

Campaign & Calendar Support

For launch campaigns, follow the phased playbook in references/campaign-playbooks.md:

• Pre-launch (2-4 weeks): problem posts → teasers → waitlist → beta proof
• Launch day: announcement → founder story → engagement → thank-you
• Post-launch (1-2 weeks): user spotlights → learnings → case studies

For content calendars, use the weekly pillar rotation from references/campaign-playbooks.md:

• Educational (2x/week) → Social proof (1x) → Behind-the-scenes (1x) → Promotional (1x)
• Adapt frequency and platforms to the user's growth stage

Deep References

• references/intake-questions.md — Full interview template
• references/schwartz-awareness-levels.md — Awareness levels + desire channeling + market sophistication
• references/hopkins-scientific-principles.md — 7 principles with B2B SaaS examples
• references/platform-patterns.md — Platform-specific rules for all major channels
• references/campaign-playbooks.md — Launch playbook + content calendar framework