copy-optimizer

name	copy-optimizer
description	Apply tactical persuasion techniques from "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive"
allowed-tools	["Read"]
invocation	user

Copy Optimizer

Use this skill to apply evidence-backed tactical improvements to marketing copy. Based on the research from "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive."

Core Tactics

1. Framing Beats Force

Principle: How you frame a message matters more than the message itself.

Weak Framing	Strong Framing
"Don't write bad code"	"Join developers who write clean code"
"Avoid slow deployments"	"Ship as fast as the best teams"
"Stop wasting time"	"Spend your time on what matters"

Application: Reframe negatives as positives. Show what TO DO, not what to avoid.

2. Specific Social Proof

Principle: People follow others LIKE THEM more than generic crowds.

Weak	Strong
"Join thousands of users"	"Join 10,000 founders like you"
"Loved by developers"	"Loved by senior engineers at Stripe and Shopify"
"Many companies trust us"	"Trusted by 500 YC startups"

Application: Add specificity that matches your target audience's identity.

3. Loss Aversion

Principle: Pain of losing is 2x more powerful than pleasure of gaining.

Gain Frame	Loss Frame (2x stronger)
"Increase productivity"	"Stop losing 10 hours per week"
"Get more done"	"Stop leaving money on the table"
"Improve code quality"	"Stop shipping bugs to production"

Application: Reframe benefits as avoided losses.

4. Similarity Shortcut

Principle: Shared identity increases compliance dramatically.

Generic	Identity-Matched
"A tool for teams"	"Built for remote-first teams"
"For developers"	"For developers who hate context-switching"
"Business software"	"For founders who code"

Application: Identify and call out shared characteristics.

5. Commitment Ladder

Principle: Small yeses lead to big yeses.

Asking Too Much	Commitment Ladder
"Sign up for annual plan"	1. "Try free" → 2. "Upgrade monthly" → 3. "Save with annual"
"Buy now"	1. "See demo" → 2. "Start trial" → 3. "Add payment"

Application: Create a series of small commitments before the big ask.

6. Contrast Effect

Principle: Show the alternative first to make your offer shine.

Without Contrast	With Contrast
"$99/month"	"Skip the $50k enterprise contract. Just $99/month."
"Easy setup"	"No more 6-week implementations. Set up in 5 minutes."

Application: Reference the painful alternative before showing your solution.

7. Labeling

Principle: People become what you call them.

No Label	With Label
"Try our tool"	"You're the type of developer who ships fast. This is your tool."
"Join us"	"Join the engineers who refuse to compromise on quality"

Application: Label your audience as the person they want to be.

Optimization Process

Step 1: Analyze Current Copy

Identify which tactics are missing or weak.

Step 2: Apply Tactics

Rewrite using the relevant techniques.

Step 3: Compare Versions

Show before/after with specific improvements noted.

Output Format

## Copy Optimization Report

### Original Copy
> [The original text]

### Tactics Applied

1. **[Tactic Name]**
   - Before: [Original phrase]
   - After: [Optimized phrase]
   - Why: [Explanation]

2. **[Tactic Name]**
   - Before: [Original phrase]
   - After: [Optimized phrase]
   - Why: [Explanation]

### Optimized Copy
> [The fully optimized version]

### Additional Opportunities
- [Other tactics that could be applied]

Quick Reference: Tactic Selection

If the copy is...	Apply this tactic
Negative/preachy	Framing (reframe as positive)
Generic social proof	Specific Social Proof
Benefit-focused	Loss Aversion (flip to loss)
Not connecting with audience	Similarity Shortcut + Labeling
Asking too much upfront	Commitment Ladder
Missing context	Contrast Effect

Examples

Before

"Our AI helps developers write better code faster."

Analysis

• Generic claim (no specificity)
• Gain-framed (not using loss aversion)
• No identity match
• No contrast

After (All Tactics Applied)

"Stop losing hours to debugging. Join 10,000 senior engineers who ship 3x faster with context-aware AI. Unlike generic autocomplete, we read your entire codebase."

Tactics Used

1. Loss Aversion: "Stop losing hours to debugging"
2. Specific Social Proof: "10,000 senior engineers"
3. Labeling: "senior engineers who ship 3x faster"
4. Contrast: "Unlike generic autocomplete"
5. Similarity Shortcut: "your entire codebase"