mdmagnuson-creator/marketing-copy

Marketing Copy Skill

Generate marketing copy derived from product documentation, PRDs, and feature analysis.

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The Job

1. Understand what copy is needed
2. Gather context from product documentation
3. Generate copy following brand voice guidelines
4. Review with @copy-critic
5. Iterate if needed
6. Return the final copy

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Step 1: Understand the Request

Determine what type of copy is needed:

| Copy Type | Purpose | Typical Length | |-----------|---------|----------------| | Headline | Grab attention, convey main benefit | 5-12 words | | Subheadline | Support headline, add detail | 10-25 words | | Value Proposition | Core product benefit statement | 1-3 sentences | | Feature Description | Explain what a feature does and why it matters | 2-4 sentences | | Benefit Statement | Focus on user outcome, not feature | 1-2 sentences | | CTA | Drive specific action | 2-5 words | | Tagline | Memorable brand phrase | 3-8 words | | Meta Description | SEO summary for search results | 150-160 characters |

If the request is ambiguous, ask one clarifying question.

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Step 2: Gather Context

First, check for project context:

cat docs/project.json 2>/dev/null || echo "NO_PROJECT_JSON"

If docs/project.json exists, extract:

• context.brandVoice — Path to brand voice document
• context.productName — Product name to use in copy
• projectName — Fallback if no productName set

Then read reference documents (if they exist):

From project.json context paths OR standard locations:

docs/marketing/brand-voice.md        # Tone and messaging guidelines
docs/marketing/target-personas.md    # User profiles and pain points
docs/marketing/feature-matrix.md     # Feature descriptions and benefits
docs/prd.md                          # Product details
docs/prd-*.md                        # Any PRD files

Key Information to Extract

From brand-voice.md:

• Tone (professional, friendly, authoritative, etc.)
• Words to use / words to avoid
• Writing style guidelines

From target-personas.md:

• Primary audience
• Pain points
• Language they use
• What they care about

From feature-matrix.md or PRD:

• Feature capabilities
• User benefits
• Differentiators from competitors

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Step 3: Generate Copy

Follow these principles:

1. Lead with Benefits, Not Features

❌ "Our calendar supports multi-resource scheduling" ✅ "See your entire crew's availability at a glance"

2. Be Specific

❌ "Save time with our powerful tools" ✅ "Schedule a week of installs in under 10 minutes"

3. Use Active Voice

❌ "Jobs are automatically assigned to crews" ✅ "Assign jobs to your crews with one click"

4. Match the Persona's Language

For a flooring contractor:

• ❌ "Optimize your resource allocation paradigm"
• ✅ "Know which crew is available, when"

5. Create Urgency Without Being Pushy

• ✅ "Start scheduling smarter today"
• ✅ "Your free trial is waiting"
• ❌ "ACT NOW! LIMITED TIME ONLY!"

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Step 4: Copy Formulas

Headlines

Problem-Solution:

"Stop [pain point]. Start [benefit]." Example: "Stop double-booking crews. Start scheduling with confidence."

How-To:

"How [persona] [achieves benefit]" Example: "How flooring pros schedule 30% more installs"

Question:

"[Question about pain point]?" Example: "Still juggling schedules on paper?"

Benefit-Focused:

"[Achieve outcome] with [minimal effort]" Example: "Schedule your entire week in minutes"

Value Propositions

Format:

For [target customer] who [pain point], [Product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [differentiator].

Example:

For flooring businesses who struggle with scheduling chaos, Example Scheduler is a business management platform that puts your entire operation in one place. Unlike paper calendars and spreadsheets, we show your crews, jobs, and availability in a single view.

CTAs

| Goal | Examples | |------|----------| | Start trial | "Start Free Trial", "Try It Free" | | See product | "See How It Works", "Watch Demo" | | Contact | "Talk to Sales", "Get a Quote" | | Learn more | "Learn More", "See Features" |

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Step 5: Review

Invoke @copy-critic to review the generated copy:

@copy-critic: Review this marketing copy.

Copy type: [headline / value prop / feature description / etc.]
Target audience: [persona from target-personas.md]
Copy:
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[the generated copy]
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Check for: clarity, target market fit, accuracy, brand voice alignment.

Address any Critical Issues or Warnings before finalizing.

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Output Format

Return copy in a structured format:

## Marketing Copy

### [Copy Type]

**Primary option:**
> [The recommended copy]

**Alternatives:**
1. [Alternative 1]
2. [Alternative 2]

**Rationale:**
- [Why this copy works for the target audience]
- [What pain point or benefit it addresses]

**Usage notes:**
- [Where this copy should be used]
- [Any variations needed for different contexts]

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Examples

Example 1: Feature Headline

Request: Write a headline for the scheduling calendar feature

Context gathered:

• Target: Small flooring businesses (5-20 employees)
• Pain point: Double-booking crews, missed appointments
• Feature: Visual calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling

Output:

## Marketing Copy

### Feature Headline

**Primary option:**
> See every job, every crew, every day—at a glance

**Alternatives:**
1. Your entire schedule, one simple view
2. No more double-booking. No more missed installs.
3. Drag, drop, done. Scheduling made simple.

**Rationale:**
- Addresses the "where is everyone?" pain point
- "At a glance" emphasizes speed and ease
- Uses concrete terms (job, crew, day) that resonate with trades

**Usage notes:**
- Use on features/scheduling page hero
- Alternative 2 works well for problem-aware visitors
- Alternative 3 emphasizes the UI interaction

Example 2: Homepage Value Proposition

Request: Write the main value proposition for the homepage

Context gathered:

• Product: Example Scheduler
• Target: Flooring retailers and contractors
• Key benefit: All-in-one scheduling and business management
• Differentiator: Built specifically for flooring businesses

Output:

## Marketing Copy

### Value Proposition

**Primary option:**
> Run your flooring business from one place.
> Schedule crews, track jobs, and keep customers happy—without the paperwork.

**Alternatives:**
1. The scheduling tool built for flooring pros.
2. From estimate to install, manage it all in one app.
3. Stop juggling spreadsheets. Start running your business.

**Rationale:**
- "One place" addresses the fragmentation pain point
- Lists three concrete benefits (schedule, track, customers)
- "Without the paperwork" speaks to manual process pain
- Uses "flooring business" for relevance/SEO

**Usage notes:**
- Pair with a CTA like "Start Free Trial" or "See How It Works"
- Hero section with product screenshot
- Alternative 3 works well if targeting spreadsheet users specifically

Example 3: CTA Variations

Request: Generate CTAs for the pricing page

Output:

## Marketing Copy

### CTAs - Pricing Page

**Primary CTA (main plan):**
> Start Free Trial

**Secondary CTA (enterprise):**
> Talk to Sales

**Alternatives:**
1. Get Started Free / Contact Us
2. Try It Free / Get a Custom Quote
3. Start Scheduling Today / Let's Talk

**Rationale:**
- "Start Free Trial" is clear, low-commitment
- "Talk to Sales" appropriate for enterprise inquiries
- Avoid generic "Sign Up" or "Buy Now"

**Usage notes:**
- Primary CTA should be prominent, high-contrast button
- Secondary CTA can be text link or outline button
- Keep CTA text under 4 words

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Integration with Other Skills

With public-page skill

The public-page skill invokes this skill when it needs copy for a new page. After receiving copy, it implements the page using @public-page-dev.

With screenshot skill

Marketing copy often accompanies screenshots. Coordinate to ensure copy and visuals tell a cohesive story.

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When to Escalate

If you cannot generate appropriate copy because:

1. No brand voice defined — Suggest creating docs/marketing/brand-voice.md
2. No target personas — Suggest creating docs/marketing/target-personas.md
3. Feature not documented — Ask for clarification or point to PRD gaps
4. Conflicting guidance — Highlight the conflict and ask for direction