Marketing Copywriting SKILL.md

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---
name: marketing-copywriting
description: "Write marketing copy across channels: mini-briefs with one audience and one action, customer language and proof, PAS, AIDA, before-after-bridge, FAB and 4 Us frameworks, headline angles, body copy and calls to action, channel guidelines for emails, ads, product descriptions, sales one-pagers and scripts, and review for clarity, voice and compliance. Use whenever someone asks for marketing copy, ad copy, email copy, headlines, product descriptions, launch announcements, sales one-pagers, copywriting frameworks or why copy is not persuading."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/content-copy-pr/marketing-copywriting/
  category: marketing
  subcategory: content-copy-pr
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-10"
---

# Marketing Copywriting

Copy is the words that persuade: headlines, ads, emails, product descriptions, landing pages, video scripts, social posts and sales one-pagers. Strong copy is clear about who it's for, specific about what changes for the reader and honest about the offer. Weak copy talks about the company, piles up adjectives and asks for action before giving a reason. Frameworks help, but research into what customers want and say matters more.

This skill writes marketing copy across channels: briefs, research, structure with proven frameworks, headlines, body copy, calls to action, channel adaptations and review. Page-level conversion testing sits in the CRO `conversion-copywriting` skill; long-form articles sit in the Content SEO and thought leadership skills.

## Operating principles
1. **Know the reader and the one job.** Every piece has one audience and one action.
2. **Customer words beat company words.** Reviews, interviews and sales calls supply the best phrases.
3. **Benefits backed by specifics.** Numbers, examples and proof make claims believable.
4. **Clarity over cleverness.** Wordplay that hides the offer costs attention.
5. **Write for the channel.** A subject line, an ad and a sales page need different lengths and rhythms.

## Frameworks
| Framework | Structure | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| PAS | Problem, agitate, solution | Ads, emails, short landing pages |
| AIDA | Attention, interest, desire, action | Sales pages, launches |
| Before, after, bridge | Life now, life after, how to get there | Case-led ads and emails |
| Features, advantages, benefits | What it is, what it does, why it matters | Product descriptions |
| 4 Us | Useful, urgent, unique, ultra-specific | Headlines and subject lines |
Frameworks give structure; they don't replace research or proof.

## Channel guidelines
| Channel | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Email subject lines | Specific, short, honest about content; preview text extends the message |
| Paid social ads | Hook in the first line, one idea, clear offer; match the visual |
| Search ads | Mirror the query, include the benefit and proof, follow character limits |
| Product descriptions | Lead with the use and outcome; scannable specs; answer common questions |
| Sales one-pagers | Problem, solution, proof, next step on one page |
| Video scripts | Hook in three seconds, one message, captions-friendly lines |
| Landing pages | Headline, subheadline, benefits, proof, objections, call to action |

## When to use, and when not to
Use it for campaign copy, ads, emails, product descriptions, sales materials, launch announcements and short scripts.

Don't use it for page conversion testing (the CRO `conversion-copywriting` skill), lifecycle email programmes (the CRM skills) or long-form SEO articles (the Content SEO skills).

## Inputs to ask for, in one message
1. The piece, channel and goal.
2. Audience and what they already know.
3. Offer, product facts and proof.
4. Customer language: reviews, survey answers, sales notes.
5. Brand voice guide.
6. Constraints: character limits, legal requirements, deadlines.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Write a mini-brief
Audience, one job, key message, proof, call to action, constraints.

### Step 2. Research
Collect customer phrases about the problem, outcome and objections; note proof points.

### Step 3. Choose a framework
Matched to channel and awareness.

### Step 4. Write headlines first
Ten to twenty options using different angles; pick the strongest three.

### Step 5. Write the body
One idea per paragraph, benefits with specifics, objections answered.

### Step 6. Write the call to action
Verb plus outcome; reduce risk with reassurance.

### Step 7. Adapt for channels
Cut, reorder and resize for each placement.

### Step 8. Review
Clarity, proof, voice, compliance; read aloud; remove filler and hype.

## Headline angles
| Angle | Example |
|---|---|
| Outcome | "Close your books in two days" |
| Problem | "Still chasing receipts at month-end?" |
| Specific number | "12 checks that cut month-end errors" |
| Curiosity backed by substance | "The month-end step most finance teams skip" |
| Proof | "How 2,000 finance teams close faster" (only if true) |
| Objection | "Switch from spreadsheets without losing a week" |

## Mini-brief template
```
Piece and channel:
Audience (and what they already know):
One job (the action we want):
Key message (one sentence):
Proof (numbers, quotes, demos):
Objections to answer:
Call to action:
Constraints (length, legal, deadline):
```

## Example: PAS email
```
Subject: Still finishing month-end at midnight?
Problem: Most finance teams spend the last three days of every month chasing receipts and reconciling spreadsheets.
Agitate: Every late night adds risk: a missed entry, a wrong total, an awkward audit question.
Solution: Acme pulls data from your bank and ERP, flags mismatches and builds the close checklist for you. Finance teams like Northwind now close in two days.
CTA: See how it works in 2 minutes
```

## Editing pass for copy
- Cut every word that doesn't change the meaning.
- Replace adjectives with numbers or examples.
- Check that the first line makes sense on its own.
- Read aloud; rewrite anything you stumble over.
- Check claims, prices and legal lines with the owner.

## Testing copy
For ads and emails, test different angles (outcome versus problem versus proof) rather than synonyms, judge on clicks that lead to the real goal and keep a swipe file of winning lines for future campaigns.

## Proof types for copy
| Proof | Example |
|---|---|
| Customer result | Northwind closes in two days instead of six |
| Usage number | Used by 2,000 finance teams (only if current) |
| Third-party rating | 4.7 out of 5 from 900 reviews |
| Demonstration | A 60-second video showing the result |
| Guarantee | Cancel anytime in the first 30 days |
Choose the proof that answers the reader's biggest doubt at that moment, and keep a swipe file of approved proof points so every writer uses accurate, current claims.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Little proof | Use specific product facts, demos and guarantees |
| Regulated products | Legal review; required disclaimers; no unproven claims |
| Very short formats | One message only; cut everything else |
| Several audiences | Separate versions rather than one diluted message |
| AI-generated drafts | Edit for voice, specifics and accuracy before use |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Voice: `brand-voice-guide`
- Editing: `editing-proofreading`
- AI-sounding drafts: `ai-writing-cleanup`
- Page tests: the CRO `conversion-copywriting` skill
- Ad creative testing: the Performance Marketing `ad-creative-testing` skill
- Lifecycle emails: the CRM and Lifecycle `lifecycle-email-copy-design` skill

## Worked example
A project management tool's launch email read "Introducing our exciting new feature set". Sales notes showed agencies struggled to see which projects were over budget. The rewrite used before-after-bridge: "Find out which client projects are over budget, before your client does", a short body with one customer quote and a number, and the call to action "See budget tracking in action". Click-through rose markedly compared with the previous launch email, and sales reused the line in outreach.

## Output format
```
# Copy: <piece>, <date>
## Mini-brief
## Customer language and proof used
## Headline options (top three marked)
## Body copy
## Call to action and reassurance
## Channel versions
## Review notes
```

## Common mistakes
- Writing about the company instead of the reader.
- Adjectives instead of specifics.
- Several messages in one piece.
- Clever headlines that hide the offer.
- Skipping review for compliance and accuracy.

## Questions to ask before you write
- Who is this for, and what one action should they take?
- What do customers say about the problem and outcome?
- What proof supports the main claim?

## Self-check before you answer
- Is there one audience, one message and one action?
- Are claims specific and supported?
- Does the copy fit the channel?
- Has it been edited for voice, clarity and compliance?

## Further reading
- Joanna Wiebe, Copyhackers: https://copyhackers.com/blog/
- David Ogilvy, Ogilvy on Advertising (1983)

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/content-copy-pr/marketing-copywriting/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.