---
name: copywriter-skill
description: >
  Use when the user needs to write, rewrite, review, or critique commercial copy meant to drive
  a reader toward action — landing pages, hero sections, headlines, email (cold outreach, nurture,
  promo, launch), CTAs, microcopy, product descriptions, value propositions, ads, or taglines.
  Also for copy audits, clarity checks, conversion reviews, or choosing a framework (AIDA, PAS,
  BAB, FAB, 4U's). Applies even when the user just says "write me an email" or "review this page."
  Not for channel/budget strategy (use channel-expert) or pricing structure (use pricing).
---

# Clarity-First Copywriting

This skill enables two modes: **WRITE** (draft new copy) and **REVIEW** (audit and improve existing copy). Both are grounded in the same clarity-first methodology.

## Output discipline

Deliver only what the user will actually use. Never leak internal scaffolding into the output:
- No reference citations the reader can't see ("§3.2", "per the knowledge base", "KB §1.4").
- No mode or process narration ("Mode: Generate", "I have everything I need", "following the skill's methodology").
- No skill-handoff chatter inside the deliverable.

Apply frameworks silently — name one only when it helps the reader, not to show your work. When context is missing, state your assumption in one line and proceed; don't interrogate.

> **First action on trigger:** Read `references/knowledge-base.md` to load the full methodology before producing any output. The knowledge base contains the detailed principles, frameworks, and practitioner guidance that inform every decision below.

---

## Mode Detection

Determine the mode from the user's request:

| Signal | Mode |
|--------|------|
| "write," "draft," "create," "come up with" | WRITE |
| "review," "edit," "improve," "critique," "audit," "rewrite," "fix" | REVIEW |
| User pastes existing copy + asks for help | REVIEW |
| User describes a goal/audience + wants output | WRITE |
| Ambiguous | Infer from context (pasted copy → REVIEW; described goal → WRITE); if genuinely unclear, state your assumption and proceed. |

---

## WRITE Mode

### Step 1: Gather Context

If brand/voice/audience/stage context is provided, honor it; otherwise state assumptions and proceed. Infer from context; if genuinely missing, state your assumption and proceed. Before writing a single word, establish:

1. **Format**: What are you writing? (landing page hero, full landing page, email, headline set, CTA, ad, product description, etc.)
2. **Audience**: Who is the reader? Be specific — role, pain, situation.
3. **Awareness stage** (Schwartz): Where is the reader on the awareness ladder?
   - **Unaware** → Must surface & name the problem
   - **Problem-aware** → Dramatize the problem, raise stakes
   - **Solution-aware** → Introduce your category/approach as the answer
   - **Product-aware** → Differentiate, prove, compare
   - **Most-aware** → Specific offer, deal, terms
4. **Goal**: What single action should the reader take?
5. **Key proof/specifics**: Numbers, results, testimonials, mechanisms — anything concrete.
6. **Voice/tone guidance**: Brand voice attributes if any; otherwise default to clear, direct, confident, warm.

If the user provides most of this, fill reasonable gaps and state your assumptions. Don't over-interrogate.

### Step 2: Select Framework

Choose the primary structural framework based on format and awareness:

| Context | Recommended Framework |
|---------|-----------------------|
| Full landing page or sales page | **AIDA** — Attention → Interest → Desire → Action |
| Pain-driven email, ad, or short page | **PAS** — Problem → Agitate → Solution |
| Case study, transformation narrative | **BAB** — Before → After → Bridge |
| Feature-heavy product page, B2B datasheet | **FAB** — Feature → Advantage → Benefit |
| Headline generation or subject line stress-test | **4 U's** — Useful, Urgent, Unique, Ultra-specific |

Frameworks can be layered: e.g., AIDA structure with PAS in the Interest section, FAB in the Desire section.

### Step 3: Draft

Apply these non-negotiable clarity rules while writing:

1. **Plain language**: Short words over long. Everyday English over jargon. Aim for ~8th grade reading level.
2. **Specificity**: Concrete numbers, named outcomes, measurable gains. "Save 3 hours/week" not "save time."
3. **One job per element**: Each page has one goal, each section one argument, each sentence one idea.
4. **Benefits over features**: Always pass the "so what?" test. Feature → Advantage → Benefit.
5. **Reader-first framing**: Every sentence answers "why should I care?" from the reader's perspective. Never "We're excited to announce…" — always "Here's how you can now…"
6. **Honest urgency**: Use urgency only when real (genuine deadlines, limited quantities). Never fake scarcity.
7. **Headline does the heavy lifting**: Ogilvy's rule — the headline spends 80 cents of your dollar. It must contain a clear benefit, identify the audience, and ideally contain news or specificity.

### Step 4: Self-Edit Before Presenting

Run these passes on your own draft before showing it:

1. **Orwell pass**: Can any word be cut? Can any long word become short? Any jargon replaced with plain English?
2. **Hopkins pass**: Would this line help a salesperson close a half-sold prospect? If not, cut or rewrite.
3. **Specificity pass**: Replace every vague claim with a concrete one. "Fast" → "in under 2 minutes." "Many" → "1,200+."
4. **Empathy pass**: Re-read as the target reader. What questions remain unanswered? What feels like corporate filler?

### Step 5: Present with Rationale

When presenting the draft:
- Briefly state the framework used and why.
- Note the assumed awareness stage.
- Flag any areas where the user's input was thin and you made assumptions.
- Offer 2–3 headline variants if writing a landing page or email (always test headlines).

---

## REVIEW Mode

### Step 1: Read the Copy

Read the user's copy carefully. Identify:
- The apparent format (email, landing page, ad, etc.)
- The apparent target audience
- The apparent awareness stage
- The apparent goal / primary CTA

### Step 2: Score Against Clarity Dimensions

Rate each dimension 1–5 and provide a one-line rationale:

| Dimension | What to evaluate |
|-----------|-----------------|
| **Clarity** | Can an 8th grader understand the core message? Is jargon absent or explained? |
| **Specificity** | Are claims concrete and measurable? Numbers, names, timeframes present? |
| **Benefit focus** | Does copy answer "so what?" or does it feature-dump? |
| **Reader empathy** | Is it written from the reader's perspective or the company's? |
| **Structure** | Does each section have one job? Is the framework coherent (AIDA, PAS, etc.)? |
| **CTA strength** | Is the action clear, specific, and low-friction? Supportive microcopy present? |
| **Headline/hook** | Does the headline sell a benefit, identify the audience, create interest? |
| **Trust signals** | Is proof specific and placed near decision points? Any empty superlatives? |
| **Tone alignment** | Does the tone match the audience and context? Conversational or stiff? |
| **Economy** | Could anything be cut without losing meaning? Any clutter or filler? |

### Step 3: Identify Anti-Patterns

Flag any of these explicitly:

- **Jargon/vagueness**: Abstract corporate language hiding weak positioning
- **Clever-over-clear**: Wordplay that obscures the offer or benefit
- **Feature dumping**: Lists of features without benefits
- **Self-focused framing**: "We're excited…" instead of reader-value framing
- **False urgency**: Fake countdowns, invented scarcity, unsupported superlatives
- **Structural confusion**: Competing CTAs, unclear page goal, awareness mismatch
- **Message dissonance**: Hero/headline doesn't match where traffic comes from

### Step 4: Rewrite Recommendations

For each issue found:
1. Quote the problematic line or section.
2. Name the principle being violated (with attribution where natural, e.g., "Orwell's cut-the-word rule" or "Hopkins's salesperson test").
3. Provide a rewritten alternative.

### Step 5: Present the Review

Format the review as:
1. **Quick verdict** — 1–2 sentences summarizing overall impression.
2. **Scorecard** — The dimension table with scores and rationale.
3. **Top 3 priorities** — The highest-impact changes, ranked.
4. **Detailed rewrites** — Line-by-line fixes for priority issues.
5. **What's working** — Acknowledge strengths. Not everything needs fixing.

---

## Headline Generation

### Headline Quality Rules

- **Active voice, strong verbs.** Prefer "Stop losing client feedback in email threads" over "Client feedback is often lost across email threads." The subject should act, not be acted upon.
- **No filler openers.** Avoid "Introducing," "Discover," "Unlock," "Welcome to." Lead with the benefit, the pain, the number, or the audience.
- **One core idea per headline.** A headline can have texture and rhythm, but it should serve one argument. Two ideas weakens both.
- **Aim for 5–12 words.** Long enough to carry meaning and personality. Short enough to scan in a glance. Over 15 words is a sign you're explaining, not headlining.
- **Personality welcome.** Headlines can use rhythm, contrast, quoted phrases, and specifics to create voice — as long as clarity comes first. A headline with character beats a headline that's merely short.

### Process

1. Generate **5–8 variants** spanning different approaches:
   - **Benefit-first (Ogilvy style)**: "Reconcile invoices in minutes, not days."
   - **Problem-forward (PAS)**: "Stop losing client feedback in email threads."
   - **How-to**: "How to manage 5 client projects without drowning in email."
   - **Numbered/specific**: "3 revision rounds. 47 emails. 0 clarity."
   - **Curiosity + clarity**: "'Which version are we on?' — the last time you'll ask."
   - **Audience-identified**: "Freelance designers: your feedback workflow is broken."
   - **Contrast/tension**: "Every revision request, every note, one place."

2. Score each headline against the **4 U's**: Useful? Urgent? Unique? Ultra-specific? (Mark ✓/✗ for each)

3. Recommend a top pick and a runner-up with rationale.

---

## Email-Specific Guidance

When writing email copy:

- **Subject line**: Clear > clever. Benefit-focused. Test with 4 U's. Offer 3+ subject line variants.
- **Opening**: Write as if to one specific person. No "Dear valued customer." Start mid-conversation.
- **Body**: One main idea. One primary CTA. Use PAS or AIDA structure.
- **CTA**: Explicit verb + benefit. "Download the playbook" not "Click here." Add friction-reducing microcopy ("Takes 2 minutes," "No credit card required").
- **Cold outreach**: Extra brevity. Reference a specific trigger (funding round, job post, content they published). Speak to their problem, not your product. Empathy over pitch.
- **Nurture**: Can use more storytelling. Each email must deliver standalone value. Respect permission (Godin's principle).

---

## Quick Reference: Core Principles

These principles override any framework or formula when in conflict:

1. **Clear beats clever** — If a reader has to decode the message, it fails.
2. **Specific beats vague** — Concrete > abstract, always.
3. **Reader > writer** — Every sentence must serve the reader's interest.
4. **One job per element** — Page, section, sentence, button: one purpose each.
5. **Cut, then cut more** — If a word can go without losing meaning, it goes.
6. **Benefits > features** — "So what?" is the reader's constant silent question.
7. **Test, don't guess** — Hopkins's core rule. Offer variants. Recommend A/B testing.
8. **Match awareness to depth** — Don't feature-dump on unaware prospects. Don't stay vague with product-aware buyers.
9. **Proof near decisions** — Social proof, testimonials, and specifics belong adjacent to CTAs and pricing.
10. **Rewrite is where it happens** — First drafts are raw material. Editing is the craft.

---

## Reference

For deep-dive principles, framework details, practitioner examples, headline formulas, editing checklists, and anti-pattern analysis, read:

→ `references/knowledge-base.md`

This file contains the full clarity-first copywriting knowledge base covering: foundations of clear writing, commercial application, AIDA/PAS/BAB/FAB/4U's frameworks, Ogilvy's headline principles, Schwartz's awareness stages, Wiebe's conversion methodology, landing page structure, email copy, product messaging, voice/tone, editing heuristics, and common failures.