marketing-expert

name	marketing-expert
description	This skill should be used when writing or rewriting marketing copy for software products, including positioning, messaging, homepage rewrite work, landing pages, product descriptions, conversion-focused updates, and sales-enablement content. Produces clear, truthful, high-performing SaaS copy.

Deliver high-quality SaaS marketing copy that is specific, accurate, and usable immediately.

Workflow

1. Clarify task intent and channel.
   • Identify target artifact: homepage, landing page section, pricing copy, launch post, product description, email, ad, or neutral informational rewrite.
   • Identify primary audience and awareness level.
2. Ground copy in product truth.
   • Verify capabilities from available source material (codebase, docs, changelogs, specs, product notes).
   • Remove or soften unverified claims.
3. Define message strategy before drafting.
   • State audience pain, desired outcome, differentiator, and proof points.
   • Use a concise positioning statement when needed: For [audience] who [problem], [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [alternative], it [differentiator].
4. Draft copy with clear structure.
   • Use benefit-led language, concrete mechanisms, and explicit next step.
   • Match level of persuasion to task type (promotional vs neutral).
5. Run quality checks.
   • Confirm clarity, specificity, factual accuracy, and tone fit.
   • Ensure claims are supportable and language is free of hype.

Output Format

Provide responses in this order:

1. Final copy
   • Ready to paste, formatted for the requested channel.
2. Why this works
   • 1-2 sentences explaining core messaging decisions.
3. Alternatives (optional)
   • Provide 1-2 alternatives only when useful for headline, CTA, or hook testing.
4. Verification notes
   • Briefly list what product facts were validated and any claim constraints.

Task-Scope Guidance

Adjust optimization target to the task instead of forcing every deliverable toward direct signup or revenue:

• Promotional tasks (landing pages, campaign copy, pricing, sales pages): optimize for conversion, objection handling, and clear CTA.
• Informational or neutral tasks (docs-facing summaries, release notes copy, explanatory blurbs): optimize for clarity, trust, comprehension, and accurate expectation-setting.
• Retention/adoption tasks (onboarding, lifecycle emails, in-product messaging): optimize for activation, confidence, and continued usage.

Product Discovery (Portable)

When repository context exists, locate relevant product sources before writing. Do not assume fixed paths.

If the project follows template-ts conventions, check likely locations such as:

• app routes and landing components
• service or agent packages
• auth/security configuration
• schema and integration definitions

If the project uses different structure, identify equivalent files first and use those as the source of truth.

Claims Verification

Before making strong claims:

1. Confirm implementation evidence in available sources.
2. Verify sensitive claims (security, privacy, compliance, reliability) with explicit proof.
3. If evidence is partial, rewrite using accurate, lower-commitment phrasing.

Core Principles

1. Clarity over cleverness: Prefer direct language over slogans and jargon.
2. Outcome-aware messaging: Translate features into user-relevant outcomes.
3. Proof-led writing: Keep claims factual and defensible.
4. Positioning first: Define audience, problem, and differentiation before polishing lines.
5. Respect technical readers: Be specific, useful, and concise.
6. Fit to channel: Keep structure and length appropriate to destination.

Messaging Patterns

Headlines

• 6-10 words, benefit-first
• Lead with outcome, not feature
• Examples: "Detect K8s issues before your users do" / "CI/CD failures, caught automatically"

Subheadlines

• 1-2 sentences
• Clarify mechanism and expected outcome
• Ground abstract value in concrete specifics

Feature Cards

• Title: 5-8 words max
• Description: 1 sentence with proof or specificity
• Avoid: "powerful", "seamless", "cutting-edge"

Story Structure

1. Problem: Name the pain clearly
2. Approach: Explain what changes
3. Outcome: State concrete result

Contrast Pattern

• Before: current friction and cost
• After: improved workflow and outcome

UX & Copy Guidelines

Landing Page Hierarchy

1. Hero: One bold promise + one clarifying sentence + CTA
2. What: 3-5 value cards with icons
3. How: 3-step process (Connect -> Monitor -> Act)
4. Integrations: Logo grid with 1-line descriptions
5. Features: 6 cards with specific benefits
6. Social proof: Testimonials, logos, or trust signals
7. CTA: Repeat primary action

CTAs

• Use decisive verbs: "Get alerts", "See issues", "Start monitoring", "Join waitlist"
• Avoid passive: "Learn more", "Click here", "Submit"

Tone

• Confident, not inflated
• Technical, but readable
• Specific, not noisy
• Honest about limits and tradeoffs

Research Workflow (When Needed)

For positioning and messaging tasks:

1. Audit current copy and artifacts.
2. Map validated capabilities and limits.
3. Analyze market language and competitor framing.
4. Identify differentiation and proof points.
5. Draft positioning and message hierarchy.

Reference Style Cues (Condensed)

Use these influences as lightweight guidance, not imitation:

• first-principles clarity
• minimalist phrasing
• plainspoken, practical language
• positioning before promotion
• developer-respecting specificity

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Generic AI hype ("revolutionary", "game-changing", "next-gen")
• Feature lists without benefits
• Passive voice and weak verbs
• Unverified security claims
• Copy that sounds like every other SaaS
• Jargon that excludes non-experts
• Promises the product can't keep