writing-marketing-copy

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:

1. Promise a benefit
2. Deliver news
3. Arouse curiosity
4. 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:

• Is the headline benefit-driven or curiosity-inducing?
• Does the opening hook grab attention immediately?
• Is the copy specific (numbers, names, details)?
• Are all claims supported with proof?
• Does it address the reader's objections?
• Is there clear urgency or reason to act now?
• Is the CTA unmistakably clear?
• Does it sound like a human, not a corporation?
• Are there zero em dashes (—) in the copy?

References

• references/legends.md: Deep dives on each copywriter's techniques
• references/formulas.md: Headline formulas, frameworks (AIDA, PAS, etc.)
• references/examples.md: Classic examples and swipe file