| name | writing-marketing-copy |
| description | Write persuasive marketing copy for landing pages, emails, ads, and sales materials using proven principles from legendary copywriters like David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert, Eugene Schwartz, and Bill Bernbach. Use when creating landing pages, email campaigns, sales letters, advertisements, headlines, taglines, value propositions, calls to action, product descriptions, or any marketing content. Triggers on requests for persuasive writing, conversion copy, direct response copy, brand messaging, promotional materials, or "write copy for." |
Writing Marketing Copy
Create persuasive marketing copy drawing on proven principles from the greatest copywriters in history.
Core Philosophy
"Advertising is salesmanship in print." — Claude Hopkins
Copy exists to sell. Not to entertain, win awards, or demonstrate cleverness—to move the reader to action. Every word must earn its place.
The Standard Bearers
This skill draws on principles from legendary copywriters. For detailed techniques from each, see references/legends.md.
Direct Response Pioneers
- Claude Hopkins — Scientific testing, reason-why advertising, specificity
- John Caples — Headlines, tested methods, benefit-driven copy
- Robert Collier — Entering the conversation in the reader's mind
Creative Revolution
- Bill Bernbach — Concept-driven advertising, art-copy integration, honest messaging
- Julian Koenig — Radical simplicity, self-deprecating honesty (VW "Think Small")
Brand Masters
- David Ogilvy — Research-driven, long copy, brand image, the "big idea"
- Leo Burnett — Brand characters, soft sell, inherent drama of products
Direct Response Masters
- Eugene Schwartz — Market awareness levels, desire channeling, breakthrough copy
- Gary Halbert — Conversational urgency, starving crowds, the "A-pile" test
- Joseph Sugarman — Story-driven copy, slippery slide, emotional triggers
- Dan Kennedy — No-BS direct response, offer construction, deadline urgency
Modern Era
- Lee Clow & Steve Hayden — Cultural resonance, manifesto copy (Apple "1984", "Think Different")
International
- David Abbott — British elegance, intelligent wit, respecting the reader (The Economist)
- Washington Olivetto — Brazilian emotional storytelling, universal human truths, cultural resonance
The Copywriting Process
1. Research Before Writing
"The best copywriters are the most tenacious researchers." — Gary Halbert
Before writing:
- Understand the product deeply (features, benefits, differentiators)
- Know the target audience (fears, desires, objections, language)
- Study competitors (positioning, claims, gaps)
- Mine voice-of-customer data (reviews, testimonials, support tickets)
2. Identify Market Awareness Level
Eugene Schwartz's awareness spectrum determines approach:
| Level | Description | Lead Strategy |
|---|
| Unaware | Don't know they have a problem | Lead with story/problem identification |
| Problem-aware | Know the problem, not solutions | Agitate the problem, introduce solution category |
| Solution-aware | Know solutions exist, not your product | Differentiate your mechanism/approach |
| Product-aware | Know your product, haven't bought | Overcome objections, prove claims |
| Most aware | Ready to buy | Lead with offer, minimize friction |
3. Find the Big Idea
"Unless your advertising is built on a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night." — David Ogilvy
The big idea should be:
- Simple enough to express in one sentence
- Surprising or counterintuitive
- Connected to a deep desire or fear
- Ownable by the brand
4. Write the Headline
"Five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy." — David Ogilvy
Headlines must do one or more:
- Promise a benefit
- Deliver news
- Arouse curiosity
- Call out the audience
See references/formulas.md for proven headline templates.
5. Build the Slippery Slide
"Your readers should be so compelled to read your copy that they cannot stop." — Joseph Sugarman
Every element pulls the reader to the next:
- Headline → Subhead → First sentence → Body → CTA
- Short paragraphs, varied sentence length
- Open loops, create curiosity
- Break up walls of text
6. Prove Every Claim
"The consumer is not a moron; she is your wife." — David Ogilvy
Support claims with:
- Specific numbers (not "many customers" but "11,847 customers")
- Testimonials with names and specifics
- Demonstrations and proof elements
- Third-party validation
- Risk reversal (guarantees)
Copy Types
Landing Pages
- One page, one goal, one CTA
- Hero section: Headline + subhead + primary CTA above fold
- Problem agitation → Solution → Benefits → Proof → Offer → CTA
- Remove navigation, minimize distractions
Email Campaigns
- Subject line = headline (make them open)
- First line = hook (make them read)
- One idea per email
- Clear, single CTA
- P.S. lines for key points (often read first)
Sales Letters
- Long copy outsells short copy (when reader is motivated)
- Gary Halbert "A-pile" test: Would this look like personal mail or junk?
- Story-driven opening → Problem → Solution → Proof → Offer → Urgency → CTA
Advertisements
- Interrupt pattern, arrest attention
- Curiosity or benefit in headline
- Editorial style outperforms "ad-looking" ads
- Specific claims beat vague superlatives
Key Principles
From Ogilvy
- Use testimonials with photos and full names
- Include the price—people want to know
- Long headlines sell more than short ones
- Specifics are more believable than generalities
From Halbert
- Find the "starving crowd" before perfecting the product
- Write like you talk to one person
- The best writing goes unnoticed—people just buy
- Always include a reason why
From Schwartz
- You cannot create desire—only channel existing desire
- Enter the conversation already in the prospect's mind
- Copy length is determined by how much you need to say
From Bernbach
- "If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic"
- Good taste, good art, and good writing can be good selling
Authenticity: Write Like a Human Craftsman
Copy should read as if written by hand, by a skilled human copywriter. Avoid telltale signs of LLM-generated text.
Never use em dashes (—). The em dash has become a signature of AI writing. Use alternatives:
- Comma for light pauses: "Monaco Editor, the same editor that powers VS Code"
- Colon to introduce lists or explanations: "Full connectivity: object browsing, execution, analysis"
- Period for stronger breaks: "Dependency graphs aren't decoration. They're insurance."
- Rephrase to eliminate the need: "up to 5 levels deep" not "—up to 5 levels deep"
Other patterns to avoid:
- Starting sentences with "This" or "It's" too frequently
- Overusing "straightforward," "robust," "comprehensive," "seamless"
- Generic superlatives without proof
- Unnecessarily formal transitions
Write with craft:
- Vary sentence rhythm naturally
- Use contractions when they sound right
- Let personality show through word choice
- Read it aloud. If it sounds like a robot, rewrite it.
Quality Checklist
Before delivering copy:
References
