copywriting skill

---
name: copywriting
description: Marketing and sales copywriting principles focused on benefits over features. Use when writing landing pages, product descriptions, marketing emails, or any sales copy. Emphasizes showing user pain, specific outcomes, and making readers feel smart.
---

# Copywriting Guidelines

Principles for effective marketing and sales copy that converts.

## Core Principles

### Sell Benefits, Not Features
Features describe what something is. Benefits describe what it does for the user.

**Bad copywriting:**
- "Our headphones have noise cancellation."
- "Mattress is soft."
- "Battery lasts 24 hours."

**Great copywriting:**
- "Hear music. Not the mess around you."
- "Fall asleep in minutes, not 70 sheep later."
- "Go all day without searching for a charger."

**Rule:** Always translate features into outcomes. Ask "so what?" until you reach the real benefit.

### Make the Reader Feel Smart
Don't try to sound smart. Make the reader feel smart. That's real persuasion.

**Bad copywriting:**
- "Ergonomic office chair."
- "High-speed blender."
- "Home security camera."

**Great copywriting:**
- "Work 8 hours without back pain."
- "Turn frozen fruits into creamy smoothies in 30 seconds."
- "See who's at your door—even when you're 3,000 miles away."

**Rule:** The copy should make them feel clever for understanding the value, not impressed by your vocabulary.

### Start with Their Pain
The best hook is not a question. It's a mirror. Show them their pain.

**Bad copywriting:**
- "Our coffee gives energy."
- "Fast project management tool."
- "Advanced CRM software."

**Great copywriting:**
- "Coffee that makes deadlines feel like dares."
- "Stop asking 'who's working on what?' 20 times a day."
- "Your leads are falling through the cracks. Again."

**Rule:** Don't start with what you sell. Start with what they struggle with.

### Be Specific
Vague copy is forgettable. Specific copy sticks.

**Bad copywriting:**
- "Save time."
- "Improve productivity."
- "Better results."

**Great copywriting:**
- "Cut meeting time from 60 minutes to 15."
- "Ship features in days, not sprints."
- "Close 3x more deals without working weekends."

**Rule:** Replace abstract benefits with concrete, measurable outcomes.

## Copywriting Formulas

### The Before-After-Bridge
1. **Before:** Describe their current pain
2. **After:** Paint the picture of life with your solution
3. **Bridge:** Show how you get them there

Example:
```
Before: You repeat the same instructions to Claude on every project.
After: Teach Claude your style once. Never explain it again.
Bridge: One config file. Works everywhere.
```

### Pain-Agitate-Solution
1. **Pain:** Identify the problem
2. **Agitate:** Make them feel it
3. **Solution:** Present your offer

Example:
```
Pain: Setting up Playwright E2E tests takes forever.
Agitate: You've spent 5 hours debugging configs. Tests still aren't running.
Solution: E2E tests running in 5 minutes, not 5 hours.
```

### Feature-Advantage-Benefit
1. **Feature:** What it is
2. **Advantage:** What it does
3. **Benefit:** What it means for them

Example:
```
Feature: ~/.claude/ folder
Advantage: Global configuration
Benefit: Never repeat coding preferences again
```

## Writing Effective Headlines

### The 4 U's Framework
Great headlines are:
1. **Useful:** Offers clear value
2. **Urgent:** Creates reason to act now
3. **Unique:** Different from alternatives
4. **Ultra-specific:** Concrete, not abstract

**Bad headlines:**
- "Better Development Tools" (vague)
- "Improve Your Workflow" (generic)
- "Professional Configuration" (boring)

**Great headlines:**
- "Teach Claude your code style once. Never explain it again." (specific outcome)
- "8 steps automated into one /command." (ultra-specific)
- "E2E tests running in 5 minutes, not 5 hours." (concrete timeframe)

### Headline Templates
- `[Do desirable thing] without [undesirable thing]`
  - "Ship features without breaking production"
- `[Time saved] instead of [time wasted]`
  - "5 minutes instead of 5 hours"
- `Stop [pain point]. Start [desired outcome].`
  - "Stop repeating instructions. Start coding."
- `[Outcome] in [short time], not [long time]`
  - "Tests running in 5 minutes, not 5 hours"

## Common Mistakes

### 1. Leading with Features
❌ "Our platform has AI-powered automation"
✅ "Automate the boring stuff. Focus on what matters."

### 2. Using Jargon
❌ "Leverage our SaaS ecosystem for optimal synergy"
✅ "All your tools work together. Finally."

### 3. Burying the Benefit
❌ "With our advanced technology and years of experience, we've built a tool that helps you manage projects more efficiently"
✅ "Stop chasing updates. Know what's happening in 10 seconds."

### 4. Being Vague
❌ "Increase productivity and efficiency"
✅ "Close 3x more deals without working weekends"

### 5. Writing for Yourself
❌ "We're proud to announce our revolutionary new feature"
✅ "Your most annoying workflow just became one click"

## Power Words

### Action Words
- Automate, eliminate, skip, cut, remove
- Get, gain, achieve, reach, unlock
- Build, create, generate, produce
- Stop, avoid, prevent, protect

### Outcome Words
- Without, never, instantly, finally
- In [time], not [time]
- Instead of, rather than
- No more, zero, gone

### Emotional Words
- Headache, pain, struggle, frustration
- Relief, peace, confidence, control
- Smart, clever, savvy, insider

## Testing Copy

### The Clarity Test
Read your copy out loud. If you stumble, rewrite.

### The So What? Test
For every sentence, ask "so what?" If you can't answer with a clear benefit, cut or rewrite.

### The Scroll Test
Can someone understand your offer in 3 seconds of scrolling? If not, lead with benefits earlier.

### The Friend Test
Would you say this to a friend? If it sounds robotic or salesy, make it more conversational.

## Examples: Before & After

### Example 1: Product Description
**Before:**
```
Our Claude Code configuration includes comprehensive coding standards,
customizable workflows, and professional development practices.
```

**After:**
```
Stop repeating yourself to Claude on every project.
One config file. Consistent code everywhere.
```

### Example 2: Feature List
**Before:**
```
- Global configuration system
- Custom hooks and commands
- Ready-to-use templates
- One-time payment model
```

**After:**
```
- Never repeat the same coding instructions again
- Turn repetitive workflows into one command
- Copy, paste, code. No setup headaches.
- Pay once. Own it forever.
```

### Example 3: Email Subject Line
**Before:**
```
Introducing Our New Claude Code Configuration
```

**After:**
```
Teach Claude your style once. Never explain again.
```

## Tone & Voice

### For Landing Pages
- Direct and confident
- Focus on outcomes
- Short sentences
- Clear calls to action

### For Product Descriptions
- Benefit-focused
- Specific numbers when possible
- Show the transformation
- Address objections implicitly

### For Headlines
- Ultra-specific
- Outcome-driven
- Use contrasts (X, not Y)
- Create curiosity with specificity

## Review Checklist

Before publishing copy:
- [ ] Lead with pain or desired outcome (not features)
- [ ] Every claim translates to a specific benefit
- [ ] No jargon or vague terms
- [ ] Headlines pass the 4 U's test
- [ ] Can answer "so what?" for every sentence
- [ ] Specific outcomes (with numbers/timeframes)
- [ ] Makes reader feel smart, not impressed
- [ ] Clear call to action
- [ ] Conversational tone (would say to a friend)
- [ ] Scannable (short paragraphs, clear hierarchy)