cc-content-new-skill

name	cc-content-new-skill
description	Use this skill when building a new content-production skill for a specific output format. Invoke when the user says "create a new content skill", "build a skill for [format]", "new content skill", "synthesize research into a skill", or "create a [format] skill".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Bash
argument-hint	<format-name> [--plugin] (e.g., blog-article, marketing-email --plugin)

New Content Skill

This meta-skill turns external research reports into a fully structured content-production skill. It reads research files from the staging folder, assesses coverage across all content axes, synthesizes a three-layer format-guidelines.md, and generates a SKILL.md skeleton ready for customization.

Step 0: Recall learnings

If .claude/learnings.md exists, read it silently. Apply relevant entries — such as prior skill-creation observations or project-level defaults that would affect how this skill is structured. Do not announce this step. If the file is absent, continue normally.

Step 1: Determine the format name and mode

If the user passed a format name as $ARGUMENTS, use it. Normalize to kebab-case (e.g., "Blog Article" → blog-article, "Marketing Email" → marketing-email). Strip the --plugin flag from $ARGUMENTS before deriving the format name — it is not part of the name.

If no argument was passed, ask:

"What content format is this skill for? Provide a short kebab-case name — for example: blog-article, marketing-email, whitepaper, video-script, case-study."

Wait for the answer before proceeding.

Determine the mode. After resolving the format name, check whether $ARGUMENTS contains the flag --plugin.

• If --plugin is present: you are in plugin-dev mode. The output will go into the cc-content plugin repository at plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/.

• If --plugin is absent: ask once:

  "Where should this skill be created? Reply project for a project-local custom skill, or plugin to contribute it to the cc-content plugin."

  Wait for the answer. project → end-user mode; plugin → plugin-dev mode.

Store the mode — it controls output paths, shared-file handling, and @-imports in all subsequent steps.

Step 2: Find research files

Check whether the staging folder exists and contains .md files:

ls .claude/skill-drafts/<format-name>/ 2>/dev/null && echo "found" || echo "missing"

If missing or empty: respond with the following and stop:

"No research files found at .claude/skill-drafts/<format-name>/ (your consuming project's local .claude/ folder, not a folder inside the plugin repository).

To get started, open ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../_shared/content-skill-research-brief.md — it contains six copy-paste research prompts and a combined mega-prompt for your preferred AI tool (Perplexity, Claude.ai, ChatGPT).

Save each research response as a .md file under .claude/skill-drafts/<format-name>/, then invoke this skill again. If you were running in plugin-dev mode, remember to include --plugin again."

If found: list the files and read all of them:

ls .claude/skill-drafts/<format-name>/*.md 2>/dev/null

Read every file listed. Note which files appear to cover which research areas (by content, not filename).

Step 3: Assess research coverage

Semantically assess the research files across six coverage areas. Match on meaning, not filenames — a single file from the combined mega-prompt may cover all six areas at once.

#	Coverage area	Maps to layer
1	Universal structure	Layer 1 — hook, body, CTA, length, format
2	B2B vs. B2C differences	Layer 2 — audience-specific variations
3	Content goal variations	Layer 3 — goal axis
4	Funnel stage adaptations (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU)	Layer 3 — funnel axis
5	Audience expertise adaptations	Layer 3 — expertise axis
6	Psychological / persuasion principles	Layer 2 + 3 — Cialdini, biases, pre-suasion

Present a coverage summary like:

Coverage assessment for [FORMAT]:

✓ 1. Universal structure — hook, CTA, and length guidelines found
✓ 2. B2B vs. B2C differences — covered
✗ 3. Content goal variations — not found
✓ 4. Funnel stage adaptations — TOFU/MOFU/BOFU covered
✗ 5. Audience expertise adaptations — not found
✓ 6. Persuasion principles — Cialdini principles present

Gaps: areas 3 and 5.

For each gap, ask once:

"Area [N] — [name] — is not covered by the research files. Choose: a) I synthesize this section from general knowledge (flag it for review) b) Pause — you run the research prompt from content-skill-research-brief.md and we resume

Reply with the area numbers you want me to synthesize (e.g., 3 5), or pause to stop."

• If the user replies pause: stop and remind them to save the research under .claude/skill-drafts/<format-name>/ before invoking the skill again.
• If the user accepts knowledge-based synthesis for any gaps: note which areas will be marked ⚠ KNOWLEDGE-BASED in the output and proceed.

Step 4: Synthesize format-guidelines.md

Create the skill folder and — in end-user mode only — copy shared reference files into the project if not already present.

End-user mode:

mkdir -p .claude/skills/<format-name>
mkdir -p .claude/skills/_shared
cp -n "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../_shared/storytelling-frameworks.md" ".claude/skills/_shared/" 2>/dev/null
cp -n "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../_shared/persuasion-principles.md" ".claude/skills/_shared/" 2>/dev/null

Plugin-dev mode: do not copy shared files — they already exist in the repo at plugins/cc-content/skills/_shared/. Only create the new skill folder:

mkdir -p plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>

Write the format-guidelines.md to:

• End-user mode: .claude/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md
• Plugin-dev mode: plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md

Base every claim on the research files; use knowledge-based synthesis only for user-approved gaps, and mark those sections with ⚠ KNOWLEDGE-BASED — verify before treating this skill as production-ready.

The file must follow this three-layer structure:

---

Layer 1 — Universal Best Practices

Open with a brief framing sentence ("These apply to every [FORMAT] regardless of audience type, goal, or channel."), then cover each topic as a headed subsection:

• Length and scope — optimal length ranges, units (words / characters / pages), when to deviate from defaults
• Required sections — the structural skeleton with the purpose of each section (e.g., opening/hook, body sections, closing/CTA); use a numbered or bulleted list
• Hook / opening — what makes a strong opener for this format, high-performing patterns, anti-patterns to avoid; cite named frameworks where applicable (AIDA, PAS, etc.)
• Call to action — placement, phrasing norms, single-vs-multiple CTA rules
• Formatting conventions — use of headers, bullets, white space, visual rhythm; reading patterns for this format (e.g., F-pattern, linear reading, skimming)
• What separates high from low performers — distilled differentiators from research

---

Layer 2 — Audience-Specific Variations

B2B vs. B2C section — a comparison table covering: optimal length, tone, evidence / proof type, decision-maker psychology, buying cycle impact, CTA approach, reading context. Follow the table with prose notes on significant differences. Include B2B sub-variations where relevant (SMB vs. enterprise, technical buyer vs. executive sponsor).

Persuasion principles section — which Cialdini principles and cognitive biases are most applicable to this specific format, with concrete implementation techniques. Note where effectiveness or implementation differs between B2B and B2C. Flag overuse risks.

---

Layer 3 — Goal and Funnel Variations

By content goal — a table with a row for each of the six goals (thought leadership, awareness, lead generation, nurturing, conversion, retention) and columns for: length / depth, proof type, CTA directness, promotional level. Supplement with prose where the table cells cannot capture the nuance.

By funnel stage — a table with rows for TOFU, MOFU, BOFU and columns for: vocabulary level, claim specificity, proof type, CTA directness, optimal length, reader mindset, and one common mistake at each stage.

By audience expertise — a table with rows for novice, familiar, and expert, covering: vocabulary, background context depth, credibility signals, content density, and tone calibration.

---

Quality Checklist

A - [ ] checklist with format-specific quality gates derived from the research, plus these universal items:

• Audience type, goal, and funnel stage inferences confirmed with user
• Tone consistent with brand voice (if loaded)
• CTA is singular and matches the stated goal

---

Confirm when written:

• End-user mode: "✓ Written: .claude/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md"
• Plugin-dev mode: "✓ Written: plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md"

Step 5: Generate SKILL.md skeleton

Write the SKILL.md to:

• End-user mode: .claude/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md
• Plugin-dev mode: plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md

The file must be a working content-production skill following the pattern established in the content-production authoring guide. Mark every section the user must customize with a [TODO: ...] tag.

Required YAML frontmatter — the name: field differs by mode:

• End-user mode: name: <format-name>
• Plugin-dev mode: name: cc-content-<format-name> (e.g., cc-content-blog-article)

---
name: <see above>
description: >
  Use this skill when the owner wants to write, draft, or generate a [FORMAT].
  Invoke when the user says "[TODO: add trigger phrases for this format]".
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Bash
argument-hint: "[optional: path to campaign briefing file]"
---

Required @-imports at the top of the body (after frontmatter) — paths differ by mode:

End-user mode:

@.claude/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md **Read when:** starting this skill
@.claude/skills/_shared/storytelling-frameworks.md **Read when:** selecting a narrative framework
@.claude/skills/_shared/persuasion-principles.md **Read when:** selecting persuasion principles

Plugin-dev mode (relative paths, same pattern as cc-content-linkedin-post):

@./format-guidelines.md **Read when:** starting this skill
@../_shared/storytelling-frameworks.md **Read when:** selecting a narrative framework
@../_shared/persuasion-principles.md **Read when:** selecting persuasion principles

Required skill steps — write each as a level-2 heading with full prose instructions:

Step 0 — Recall learnings At the very start, if .claude/learnings.md exists, read it silently. Apply all relevant entries to inform this run. Do not announce this step. If the file is absent, continue normally.

Step 1 — Load context Check for a ## Context files table in CLAUDE.md via: grep -A 100 '## Context files' CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null || echo "(no context table)". For each row in the table, Read the file listed in the File column for categories: writing-style (Required), organization-identity (Required), target-audience (Recommended), content-defaults (Recommended). If the context table is absent or a Required category has no row, ask once: is this intentional or should the user run /cc-content:cc-content-onboarding first? Same pause / DEGRADED OUTPUT pattern as all output-format skills.

Step 2 — Check for campaign briefing Check $ARGUMENTS first, then ls brief.md. If found, read and confirm. If missing, note "No campaign briefing found — generating from company context only." and continue.

Step 3 — Infer and confirm audience and goal This is the content-production-specific step. Instruct the skill to:

1. Read target-audience context and campaign brief (if any) to infer: B2B or B2C, content goal, funnel stage, and audience expertise level.
2. Present a one-line inference summary to the user, for example: "Audience: B2B (mid-market) · Goal: lead generation · Stage: MOFU · Expertise: familiar"
3. Ask the user to confirm or correct before generating. Do not silently apply assumptions.
4. Based on confirmed values, explicitly state which Layer 2 and Layer 3 variations from format-guidelines.md are being applied and why.

Step 4 — Ask for the content topic (if not provided) Ask: "What should this [FORMAT] be about?" and wait.

Step 5 — Select storytelling framework Read storytelling-frameworks.md and follow its selection process. Apply the chosen framework as the structural spine.

Step 6 — Select persuasion principles Read persuasion-principles.md and follow its selection process. Pick 1–3 principles plus a pre-suasive opener strategy. Note the choices in working notes.

Step 7 — Generate the [FORMAT] Produce a complete [FORMAT] that applies the confirmed format-guidelines variant, the chosen framework, the selected persuasion principles, and any loaded brand-voice and audience context. Internally verify against the quality checklist in format-guidelines.md before presenting.

Include a [TODO: ...] placeholder for any format-specific mandatory elements — for example, word count requirements, mandatory section headers, or SEO constraints — that the user must specify for their use case.

Present the output in a clearly delimited block showing the content and its word / character count.

If output is degraded (missing required context), prepend: ⚠ DEGRADED OUTPUT — generated without: <list of missing categories>

Step 8 — Feedback This step has two phases:

Auto-store phase. Before asking the user for feedback, review the run for qualifying observations. For each, append one tagged line to .claude/learnings.md (create with standard header if missing), tagged [cc-content:<skill-name>]. Qualifies: content preferences or constraints not already in any loaded context file or CLAUDE.md; corrections the user made; project-specific facts that would change future output; accepted/rejected suggestions deviating from best practices. Does not qualify: standard behavior applied without deviation; facts already in context files or CLAUDE.md; anything derivable by re-reading context files; facts semantically equivalent to any existing .claude/learnings.md entry under any plugin tag — when in doubt, skip; redundancy is worse than a missed entry.

Explicit feedback. Ask whether the output met expectations. If the user provides a correction, append it as a tagged entry using the same criteria. Confirm total entries written across both phases: "✓ N learning(s) saved to .claude/learnings.md." If the user confirms quality or skips: if any entries were auto-stored, confirm "✓ N learning(s) auto-saved to .claude/learnings.md." Then deliver a closing line and exit. Include a [TODO: ...] for any format-specific delivery note (e.g., "Paste into your CMS", "Send for review").

---

Confirm when written:

• End-user mode: "✓ Written: .claude/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md"
• Plugin-dev mode: "✓ Written: plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md"

Step 6: Report and next steps

Present a completion summary — the "Files written" section and next steps differ by mode.

End-user mode:

✓ New skill created: <format-name>

Files written:
  .claude/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md
  .claude/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md

Shared reference files (copied to project if not already present):
  .claude/skills/_shared/storytelling-frameworks.md
  .claude/skills/_shared/persuasion-principles.md

Plugin-dev mode:

✓ New skill created: cc-content-<format-name>

Files written:
  plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/format-guidelines.md
  plugins/cc-content/skills/<format-name>/SKILL.md

If any areas were synthesized from general knowledge (either mode):

⚠ Sections synthesized from general knowledge (verify before shipping):
  - [list the affected area names]

Then list suggested next steps:

End-user mode next steps:

Next steps:
1. Open SKILL.md and replace all [TODO: ...] markers with format-specific content.
2. Review format-guidelines.md — especially any ⚠ KNOWLEDGE-BASED sections.
3. Run /cc-content:cc-content-onboarding in this project (if you haven't already) to set up context files, then test the skill.
4. When output looks good, save strong examples with /cc-content:cc-content-samples-curation.

Plugin-dev mode next steps:

Next steps:
1. Open SKILL.md and replace all [TODO: ...] markers with format-specific content.
2. Review format-guidelines.md — especially any ⚠ KNOWLEDGE-BASED sections.
3. Add the skill to `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json` if it's a new plugin entry.
4. Test the skill in a target project: run /cc-content:cc-content-onboarding there, then invoke your new skill.
5. When output looks good, save strong examples with /cc-content:cc-content-samples-curation.