qa-aman/ad-campaign-writer

ad-campaign-writer

Writes paid ad copy across channels using two frameworks baked together:

1. Eugene Schwartz's Awareness Levels (Breakthrough Advertising) - determines what to say based on where the buyer is in their journey
2. Robert Cialdini's 6 Principles of Persuasion (Influence) - determines how to say it to trigger action

The result: every ad set has a distinct angle grounded in buyer psychology, not guesswork.

The two frameworks

Framework 1: Schwartz's 5 Awareness Levels

The biggest mistake in ad copy: writing the same message regardless of where the audience is in their journey. Schwartz's levels fix this.

| Level | Who they are | What they believe | What your copy must do | |---|---|---|---| | 1. Most Unaware | Don't know they have the problem | "Everything is fine" | Tell a story. Don't mention the product. Introduce the problem through emotion or narrative. | | 2. Problem Aware | Know the pain, don't know solutions exist | "This sucks but that's just how it is" | Name the pain precisely. Agitate it. Show you understand. Introduce the idea that solutions exist. | | 3. Solution Aware | Know solutions exist, haven't chosen one | "I've been looking into options" | Educate on the category. Show why your approach is right. Don't lead with your brand name yet. | | 4. Product Aware | Know your product, not convinced yet | "I've heard of them. Not sure if they're right for me" | Features, proof, objection handling. This is where testimonials and case studies earn their place. | | 5. Most Aware | Ready to buy, need a reason to act now | "I know what I want" | Just the offer. Pricing, urgency, the specific CTA. No education needed. |

Rule: Retargeting audiences are typically Level 4-5. Cold audiences are Level 1-3. Never run a Level 5 ad to a cold audience - it will fail.

Framework 2: Cialdini's 6 Principles

Each ad variant tests a different persuasion lever. Use all 6 across a campaign, measure which performs for this audience.

| Principle | How to apply in ads | |---|---| | 1. Social Proof | Numbers, named customers, "X companies use this", peer validation | | 2. Authority | Awards, publications, expertise, specific credentials | | 3. Scarcity | Limited spots, pricing ends, cohort-based intake | | 4. Reciprocity | Free resource, tool, audit, or insight in the ad itself | | 5. Commitment | Start small ("free trial", "book a 15-min call") before asking for big commitment | | 6. Liking | Human, relatable, founder voice, shared identity ("built for people like you") |

Channels this skill handles

| Channel | Format | Key limits | |---|---|---| | LinkedIn Sponsored Content | Single image, carousel, video | 150 char intro, 70 char headline | | LinkedIn Message Ads | InMail | 60 char subject, 500 word body | | Google Search | Responsive | 15 headlines (30 char each), 4 descriptions (90 char each) | | Google Display | Responsive display | 5 short headlines, 5 long, 5 descriptions | | Meta feed | Image, carousel, video | 125 char primary text, 40 char headline | | Meta Reels/Stories | Vertical video | 15-30 sec script | | YouTube pre-roll | Skippable | 5-sec hook + 30-sec full script |

Inputs needed

• Channel(s)
• Campaign objective: awareness, demand gen, retargeting, conversion
• Audience: persona from knowledge/icp/personas.md + warm/cold/retargeting
• Offer: ebook, demo, trial, webinar, content download
• Landing page URL or topic
• Awareness level of this audience: ask if not clear (cold = Level 1-3, retargeting = Level 4-5)
• Number of variants: default 3 per channel minimum for testing

Process

Step 1: Load context

Read knowledge/brand/voice.md, the relevant persona, knowledge/markets/positioning.md, and the relevant service file.

Step 2: Determine awareness level

Ask the user: "Is this audience cold (never heard of you), warm (visited your site, engaged with content), or retargeting (already showed buying intent)?"

Map to Schwartz levels:

• Cold → Levels 1-3 (depending on category awareness)
• Warm → Levels 3-4
• Retargeting → Levels 4-5

Step 3: Build the variant matrix

For each channel, produce variants that cross awareness levels with Cialdini principles:

Awareness Level: [X]
Cialdini Principle: [Y]
Hypothesis: Why this combination should work for this audience

Minimum variant set for a cold LinkedIn campaign targeting Level 2-3:

Variant A: Level 2 (Problem Aware) × Social Proof
Variant B: Level 2 (Problem Aware) × Reciprocity
Variant C: Level 3 (Solution Aware) × Authority
Variant D: Level 3 (Solution Aware) × Liking

Minimum variant set for retargeting (Level 4-5):

Variant A: Level 4 (Product Aware) × Social Proof (testimonial-led)
Variant B: Level 4 (Product Aware) × Scarcity (limited time offer)
Variant C: Level 5 (Most Aware) × Commitment (clear CTA, specific offer)

Step 4: Write per channel

LinkedIn Sponsored Content:

Variant A: [Awareness Level 2 × Social Proof]
  Hypothesis: Cold audience experiencing the problem responds to peer validation
  Intro (≤150 char): <name the pain in their exact words - NO mention of product>
  Headline (≤70 char): <peer proof + outcome>
  Description (≤100 char): <supporting social proof line>
  CTA button: [Learn More | Download | Register]
  Visual brief: <real customer / real result, not product UI>

Variant B: [Awareness Level 2 × Reciprocity]
  Hypothesis: Giving value before asking earns trust at this awareness level
  Intro (≤150 char): <useful insight or stat they can act on immediately>
  Headline (≤70 char): <free resource or guide that solves part of the problem>
  CTA button: [Download | Get free guide]
  Visual brief: <guide cover or data visual>

Variant C: [Awareness Level 3 × Authority]
  Hypothesis: Solution-aware audience needs to be educated on why this approach wins
  Intro (≤150 char): <category framing - "most teams do X. here's why it fails">
  Headline (≤70 char): <our approach + credibility signal>
  CTA button: [See how it works | Watch demo]
  Visual brief: <process diagram or before/after>

Google Search Ads (responsive):

Note: Google Search is typically Level 3-5 (they're searching for a solution)

Headlines (15, each ≤30 char) - mix across principles:
  [Social Proof]: "240+ Teams Use Threadline"
  [Authority]: "Rated #1 Onboarding Tool"
  [Scarcity]: "Free Trial Ends Friday"
  [Commitment]: "Start Free in 5 Minutes"
  [Outcome-led]: "Activate Users in 6 Days"
  [Problem-led]: "Onboarding Killing Trials?"
  ... (fill to 15 mixing approaches)

Descriptions (4, each ≤90 char):
  1. [Social proof + CTA]: "Trusted by Ramp, Linear, and 240+ PLG teams. Start your free trial today."
  2. [Reciprocity]: "Free onboarding audit included with every trial. See where users drop off in 24 hours."
  3. [Authority + outcome]: "Ship your first onboarding flow in 6 days. Rated best-in-class by G2 reviewers."
  4. [Scarcity + commitment]: "14-day trial, no card needed. Pricing increases 15-05-2026."

Display path: /<keyword>/<benefit>

Meta feed:

Variant A: [Level 2 × Liking] - relatable human story
  Primary text (≤125 char): <founder/customer voice, problem narrative, first person>
  Headline (≤40 char): <outcome promise>
  Description (≤30 char): <social proof or urgency>
  CTA: [Learn More]
  Visual brief: <authentic human image - real person, not stock>

Variant B: [Level 4 × Scarcity] - retargeting
  Primary text (≤125 char): <they've seen you before - cut to the offer>
  Headline (≤40 char): <specific offer + deadline>
  CTA: [Sign Up | Get Started]
  Visual brief: <product result / dashboard>

Step 5: Voice checks

• Match knowledge/brand/voice.md
• Specific numbers ("47% faster", "6 days", "240 customers")
• Active voice, present tense
• No: "revolutionary", "best-in-class", "synergy", "leverage"
• No claims not documented in knowledge/services/

Step 6: Self-check

• [ ] Each variant has a named awareness level and Cialdini principle
• [ ] No two variants use the same combination
• [ ] Cold audience variants do NOT lead with product name or brand
• [ ] Retargeting variants get straight to the offer
• [ ] Character limits respected (hard limits, no exceptions)
• [ ] Hypothesis written for each variant (this is what gets tested)
• [ ] Visual briefs written for every variant

Step 7: Save

output/ad-campaign/<DD-MM-YYYY>-<campaign-slug>/

output/ad-campaign/25-04-2026-q2-launch/
├── README.md (awareness level map, test plan, benchmarks)
├── linkedin-sponsored.md
├── google-search.md
├── meta-feed.md
└── [other channels]

README.md must include:

# <Campaign> ad creative

**Audience**: <persona> | <cold/warm/retargeting>
**Awareness level targeted**: [1-5]
**Offer**: <offer>

## Variant matrix
| Variant | Channel | Awareness Level | Cialdini Principle | Hypothesis |
|---|---|---|---|---|

## Test plan
- Run all variants: [X days]
- Kill threshold: <[CTR below Y]>
- Scale threshold: <[CTR above Z, CPL below $X]>

## Benchmarks
- LinkedIn: 0.5-1.5% CTR, $X CPL
- Google search: 3-6% CTR, $X CPC
- Meta: 1-2% CTR, $X CPL

Rules

• Always identify the awareness level before writing. Copy direction changes completely between levels.
• Never run Level 5 copy to a cold audience. It assumes familiarity that doesn't exist.
• Always produce minimum 3 variants. One ad is not testable.
• Always write the visual brief. Designers cannot ship without it.
• Never fabricate claims. If a user wants a stat not in knowledge/services/, flag it.
• Regulated industries: include "Confirm with legal before publishing" on any health, finance, or legal claim.

Quick reference: awareness level copy direction

| Level | First line of copy must... | Never do at this level | |---|---|---| | 1 - Most Unaware | Tell a relatable story with no product mention | Name the brand or product | | 2 - Problem Aware | Name their pain precisely, in their words | Lead with a solution | | 3 - Solution Aware | Frame the category, educate on approach | Assume they know your brand | | 4 - Product Aware | Address objections, show proof | Educate on why the category matters | | 5 - Most Aware | Just the offer and the CTA | Explain what the product does |