| name | iblai-marketing-copy-editing |
| description | When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the user mentions 'edit this copy,' 'review my copy,' 'copy feedback,' 'proofread,' 'polish this,' 'make this better,' 'copy sweep,' 'tighten this up,' 'this reads awkwardly,' 'clean up this text,' 'too wordy,' 'sharpen the messaging,' 'refresh this content,' 'update this page,' 'this content is outdated,' or 'content audit.' Use this when the user already has copy and wants it improved or refreshed rather than rewritten from scratch. For writing new copy, see iblai-marketing-copywriting. |
| globs | null |
| alwaysApply | false |
| metadata | {"version":"1.3.0"} |
/iblai-marketing-copy-editing
Improve existing marketing copy through focused, sequential edit passes.
Preserve the core message; sharpen the execution.
Step 0: Context Check
Read .agents/product-marketing-context.md (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md
on older setups) before editing. Use brand voice and customer language from
that context to guide every change.
Good editing isn't rewriting — it's enhancing. Each pass tackles one dimension; trying to fix everything at once misses things.
Principles:
- Don't change the core message; sharpen it
- Multiple focused passes beat one unfocused review
- Every edit has a clear reason
- Preserve the author's voice while improving clarity
The Seven Sweeps Framework
Edit through seven sequential passes — Clarity, Voice and Tone, So What, Prove It, Specificity, Heightened Emotion, Zero Risk. After each sweep, loop back to confirm earlier sweeps weren't compromised.
| # | Sweep | Question it answers |
|---|
| 1 | Clarity | Can the reader understand it? |
| 2 | Voice and Tone | Does it sound like the brand? |
| 3 | So What | Why should the reader care? |
| 4 | Prove It | Where's the evidence? |
| 5 | Specificity | Is it concrete, not vague? |
| 6 | Heightened Emotion | Does it move the reader? |
| 7 | Zero Risk | What hesitations remain? |
Full sweep-by-sweep guidance, examples, and per-sweep checklists: references/seven-sweeps.md.
Expert Panel Scoring
Use this after the Seven Sweeps as an extra quality gate. For high-stakes copy (landing pages, launch emails, sales pages), multi-persona review catches what a single perspective misses.
How It Works
- Assemble 3-5 expert personas relevant to the copy type
- Each persona scores the copy 1-10 on their area of expertise
- Collect specific critiques — not just scores, but fixes
- Revise based on feedback — address lowest-scoring areas first
- Re-score after revisions — iterate until every persona scores 7+, panel average 8+
Recommended Panels
Landing page copy:
- Conversion copywriter (clarity, CTA strength, benefit hierarchy)
- UX writer (scannability, cognitive load, user flow)
- Target customer persona (does this speak to me? Do I trust it?)
- Brand strategist (voice consistency, positioning accuracy)
Email sequence:
- Email marketing specialist (subject lines, open/click optimization)
- Copywriter (hooks, storytelling, persuasion)
- Spam filter analyst (deliverability red flags, trigger words)
- Target customer persona (relevance, value, unsubscribe risk)
Sales page / long-form:
- Direct response copywriter (offer structure, objection handling, urgency)
- Skeptical buyer persona (proof gaps, trust issues, red flags)
- Editor (flow, readability, conciseness)
- SEO specialist (keyword coverage, search intent alignment)
Scoring Rubric
| Score | Meaning |
|---|
| 9-10 | Publish-ready. No meaningful improvements. |
| 7-8 | Strong. Minor tweaks only. |
| 5-6 | Functional but has clear gaps. Needs another pass. |
| 3-4 | Significant issues. Major revision needed. |
| 1-2 | Fundamentally broken. Rethink approach. |
When to Use
- Always for launch copy, pricing pages, high-traffic landing pages
- Recommended for email sequences, sales pages, ad copy
- Optional for blog posts, social content, internal docs
- Skip for quick updates, minor edits, low-stakes content
Quick-Pass Checks
Use for faster reviews when a full seven-sweep process isn't warranted.
Word-Level
Cut these words:
- Very, really, extremely, incredibly (weak intensifiers)
- Just, actually, basically (filler)
- In order to (use "to")
- That (often unnecessary)
- Things, stuff (vague)
Replace these:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|
| Utilize | Use |
| Implement | Set up |
| Leverage | Use |
| Facilitate | Help |
| Innovative | New |
| Robust | Strong |
| Seamless | Smooth |
| Cutting-edge | New/Modern |
Watch for:
- Adverbs (usually unnecessary)
- Passive voice (switch to active)
- Nominalizations (verb → noun: "make a decision" → "decide")
Sentence-Level
- One idea per sentence
- Vary sentence length (mix short and long)
- Front-load important information
- Max 3 conjunctions per sentence
- Usually under 25 words
Paragraph-Level
- One topic per paragraph
- Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences for web)
- Strong opening sentences
- Logical flow between paragraphs
- White space for scannability
Copy Editing Checklist
Before You Start
Clarity (Sweep 1)
Voice & Tone (Sweep 2)
So What (Sweep 3)
Prove It (Sweep 4)
Specificity (Sweep 5)
Heightened Emotion (Sweep 6)
Zero Risk (Sweep 7)
Final Checks
Common Problems & Fixes
Problem: Wall of Features
Symptom: List of what the product does without why it matters
Fix: Add "which means..." after each feature to bridge to benefits
Problem: Corporate Speak
Symptom: "Leverage synergies to optimize outcomes"
Fix: Ask "How would a human say this?" and use those words
Problem: Weak Opening
Symptom: Company history or vague statements
Fix: Lead with the reader's problem or desired outcome
Problem: Buried CTA
Symptom: The ask comes after too much buildup, or isn't clear
Fix: Make the CTA obvious, early, and repeated
Problem: No Proof
Symptom: "Customers love us" with no evidence
Fix: Add specific testimonials, numbers, or case references
Problem: Generic Claims
Symptom: "We help businesses grow"
Fix: Specify who, how, and by how much
Problem: Mixed Audiences
Symptom: Copy tries to speak to everyone, resonates with no one
Fix: Pick one audience and write directly to them
Problem: Feature Overload
Symptom: Every capability listed, reader overwhelmed
Fix: Focus on 3-5 key benefits that matter most
Working with Copy Sweeps
When editing collaboratively:
- Run a sweep and present findings — show what you found, why it matters
- Recommend specific edits — propose solutions, not just problems
- Request the updated copy — let the author make final calls
- Verify previous sweeps — re-check earlier sweeps after each round
- Repeat until clean — until a full sweep surfaces no new issues
This iteration respects the author's ownership while compounding improvements.
References
Content Refresh Editing
Existing pages decay — outdated stats, stale examples, drifted brand voice. Use the content refresh framework when traffic is declining, data is stale, or the product has changed.
Full refresh checklist, refresh-vs-rewrite matrix, cadence guide: references/content-refresh.md.
Task-Specific Questions
- Goal of this copy? (Awareness, conversion, retention.)
- What action should readers take?
- Specific concerns or known issues?
- What proof/evidence is available?
- New copy or refresh of existing content?
Related Skills
- iblai-marketing-copywriting: Writing new copy from scratch (use this skill to edit afterward)
- iblai-marketing-page-cro: Broader page optimization beyond copy
- iblai-marketing-psychology: Why certain edits improve conversion
- iblai-marketing-ab-test-setup: Testing copy variations
When to Use Each Skill
| Task | Skill to Use |
|---|
| Writing new page copy from scratch | iblai-marketing-copywriting |
| Reviewing and improving existing copy | iblai-marketing-copy-editing (this skill) |
| Editing copy you just wrote | iblai-marketing-copy-editing (this skill) |
| Structural or strategic page changes | iblai-marketing-page-cro |
