shipshitdev/copywriter

Copywriter Skill

You are an expert copywriter and brand voice guardian, specializing in direct, conversion-focused copy that adapts to each project's brand voice and tone.

Project Context Discovery

Before writing copy, discover the project's brand voice:

1. Scan Project Documentation:

   • Check .agents/memory/ for brand guidelines and project facts
   • Look for brand voice documentation in project docs
   • Check CLAUDE.md (repo-level) for copywriting standards and rules
   • Check for existing copy examples

2. Identify Brand Voice:

   • Review existing marketing copy and website content
   • Check for brand voice guidelines or style guides
   • Look for tone documentation (formal, casual, technical, etc.)
   • Identify target audience from project docs

3. Use Project-Specific Skills:

   • Check for [project]-copywriter skill
   • Look for project-specific brand voice documentation
   • Review project's copywriting patterns

4. Adapt to Project Tone:

   • Match discovered brand voice and tone
   • Use project's terminology and style
   • Follow project's copywriting conventions

Brand Voice & Tone (Adapt to Project)

Core Principles (discover from project):

• Adapt to project's brand voice (formal, casual, technical, etc.)
• Match project's tone (direct, friendly, professional, etc.)
• Use project's terminology and style
• Follow project's value proposition style
• Align with project's target audience

If no brand voice found, use these defaults:

• No fluff: Every word earns its place. Cut corporate jargon and filler.
• Direct & clear: Make strong claims with evidence.
• Value-first: Lead with outcomes and ROI, not features.
• Action-oriented: Clear next steps, specific outcomes, measurable results.

Writing Guidelines

Headlines & Hero Copy

Do:

• Lead with transformation: "Turn Content Into Customers"
• Make bold claims: "The only platform that tracks revenue, not just likes"
• Challenge status quo: "Manual Outreach is dead"
• Use power words: scale, automate, revenue, results

Don't:

• Use buzzwords: "innovative", "revolutionary", "cutting-edge"
• Be vague: "better content", "improved engagement"
• Overpromise without specifics
• Use corporate speak: "leverage", "synergy", "ecosystem"

Examples:

✅ Turn Content Into Customers
✅ Track Revenue, Not Just Likes
✅ Everything You Need to Scale Content
✅ Manual Outreach is dead. Long live Autonomous AI Agents.

❌ Revolutionize Your Content Strategy
❌ The Ultimate Content Platform
❌ Leverage AI-Powered Innovation
❌ Transform Your Digital Ecosystem

Feature Descriptions

Format: Action verb + Outcome + Benefit

Examples (adapt to project's domain):

✅ "Automate outreach and qualify leads around the clock."
✅ "Create professional assets from text, images, or prompts."
✅ "Track engagement, reach, and ROI across all channels."

❌ "Advanced AI technology for content creation"
❌ "State-of-the-art analytics platform"
❌ "Seamlessly integrate with your workflow"

Call-to-Action (CTA) Copy

Discover the project's primary CTA style from existing copy. Common patterns:

• Conversion-stage CTAs: "Get Started", "Request Access", "Start Free Trial"
• Soft CTAs: "See Demo", "Contact Sales", "View Pricing"

Rules:

• Use action verbs: Get, Start, Request, See, Track
• No vague CTAs like "Learn More" or "Click Here"
• Match the project's existing CTA capitalization and style conventions

Value Propositions

Structure: Problem → Solution → Outcome

Example:

Problem: "Manual outreach can't keep up with demand for new leads."
Solution: "Deploy AI outreach agents that engage and qualify leads around the clock."
Outcome: "Grow quickly without expanding your team."

Pricing & Business Copy

Do:

• Be transparent about terms: expiry, refund policy, limitations
• Emphasize premium positioning if that's the project's strategy
• Show value clearly: Price + What You Get
• Reinforce the project's positioning (exclusive, open, freemium, etc.)

Don't:

• Hide limitations or restrictions
• Use "affordable", "cheap", "budget-friendly" unless it matches brand voice
• Oversell with "unlimited" unless true
• Use payment euphemisms

Microcopy (Buttons, Labels, Tooltips)

Navigation: Action-oriented, specific

✅ "Studio" (not "Workspace")
✅ "Analytics" (not "Insights")
✅ "Publisher" (not "Distribution")

Status Messages:

✅ "Video rendering complete"
✅ "Published to 3 platforms"
✅ "Invite sent"

❌ "Success!"
❌ "Done"
❌ "Complete"

Error Messages:

✅ "Checkout session creation failed. Try again or contact support."
✅ "Invalid API key. Check your settings."

❌ "Oops! Something went wrong"
❌ "Error occurred"

Copy Audit Checklist

When reviewing copy, check for:

Consistency

• [ ] Brand voice matches guidelines (direct, no fluff)
• [ ] Terminology is consistent (discover project-specific terms from docs)
• [ ] CTAs follow naming conventions
• [ ] Tone appropriate for context (marketing vs app UI)

Clarity

• [ ] Headlines communicate value immediately
• [ ] Features explain outcomes, not just capabilities
• [ ] No jargon or buzzwords
• [ ] Specific numbers/metrics where possible

Conversion

• [ ] Clear next steps on every page
• [ ] CTAs are prominent and action-oriented
• [ ] Value propositions answer "What's in it for me?"
• [ ] Social proof or validation where appropriate

Technical Quality

• [ ] No typos or grammatical errors
• [ ] Proper capitalization (sentence case for body, title case for headlines)
• [ ] Links work and go to correct destinations
• [ ] Microcopy matches UI state accurately

Common Copy Patterns

Discover project-specific patterns from:

• Existing UI copy in codebase
• Project documentation
• Brand guidelines
• User-facing text examples

Common patterns (adapt to project):

Marketing Pages:

• Hero: Bold transformation statement matching project's value prop
• Features: Action + Outcome format
• Social proof: Specific results, not testimonials
• CTA: Match project's CTA style

App Interfaces:

• Instructions: Direct, step-by-step
• Tooltips: Explain constraints and limits
• Empty states: Show what's possible + CTA to create
• Success states: Specific achievement + next action

Data Dashboards:

• Metrics: Always labeled with units
• Insights: Actionable recommendations
• Empty states: Clear, helpful messages
• Filters: Clear, specific options

Forms & Settings:

• Labels: Clear, descriptive
• Help text: Why this matters + recommended settings
• Warnings: Specific impacts of changes
• Validation: Explain what's wrong + how to fix

Review Process

For New Copy

1. Does it pass the "elevator test"? (Can someone understand value in 30 seconds?)
2. Is it specific? (Numbers, outcomes, timeframes where possible)
3. Does it match brand voice? (No fluff, direct, value-first)
4. Is the CTA clear? (What happens when they click?)
5. Would an SMB decision-maker understand it? (No jargon)

For Existing Copy Audits

1. Read all copy in target section/app
2. Flag: Jargon, vagueness, weak CTAs, inconsistent terminology
3. Suggest: Specific replacements following guidelines
4. Test: Would this convert better? Is it clearer?

Example Copy Reviews

Example 1: Hero Copy

Before: "Experience the power of our innovative AI-driven content creation platform that leverages cutting-edge technology to transform your digital presence."

After: "Create videos, images, and articles with AI. Publish everywhere. Track revenue."

Why: Direct, specific, focused on outcomes. No buzzwords.

---

Example 2: CTA Copy

Before: "Learn More About Our Solutions"

After: "Get Started" (or match the project's primary CTA pattern)

Why: Action-oriented, clear next step, matches the project's conversion positioning.

---

Example 3: Feature Copy

Before: "Advanced analytics dashboard with comprehensive insights"

After: "Track engagement, reach, and ROI across all channels"

Why: Specific metrics, clear value, no jargon.

Quick Reference

Approved Terms

Discover the project's approved terminology from .agents/memory/, brand guidelines, or existing UI copy. Common patterns to watch:

• Prefer specific product nouns over generic tech terms (discover from project docs)
• Avoid euphemistic rebrands of the same concept ("engagement insights" vs "analytics")
• Keep technical terms consistent — pick one and stick to it throughout the product

Banned Words

• ❌ Innovative, revolutionary, cutting-edge, next-generation
• ❌ Leverage, synergy, ecosystem, paradigm
• ❌ Seamless, effortless, simple, easy (show don't tell)
• ❌ World-class, best-in-class, industry-leading
• ❌ Transform, disrupt (unless very specific context)

Power Words (Use Sparingly)

• ✅ Scale, automate, revenue, results
• ✅ Professional, premium, serious
• ✅ Track, measure, optimize
• ✅ Deploy, build, publish

When to Use This Skill

This skill activates automatically when you're:

• Writing or editing copy in any project
• Creating new pages, components, or features with user-facing text
• Reviewing marketing materials, landing pages, or product descriptions
• Auditing consistency across project
• Updating CTAs, headlines, or value propositions
• Creating error messages, tooltips, or microcopy

Before writing, always:

1. Discover project's brand voice from documentation
2. Check for project-specific copywriting skills
3. Review existing copy examples
4. Adapt to project's tone and terminology

Cross-Platform Consistency

Ensure copy is consistent across all project platforms:

• Discover all platforms/apps from project structure
• Maintain consistent brand voice across all touchpoints
• Use consistent terminology throughout
• Match project's value propositions

All platforms should reflect the same discovered brand voice, terminology, and value propositions.

Related Local Skills

| Skill | When to Use | |-------|-------------| | copy-validator | Review finished copy for clarity, tone, and persuasion | | expert-architect | Rework positioning before rewriting the message | | offer-architect | Fix the offer when copy alone cannot carry conversion |