Copywriting

Copywriting is the craft of writing words that persuade people to take action - buy, sign up, click, subscribe, or believe. Unlike content writing (which informs), copywriting converts. Every word earns its place. The best copy feels effortless to read because enormous effort went into writing it. This skill gives an agent the frameworks, formulas, and judgment to produce headlines, landing pages, CTAs, value propositions, email subject lines, and product descriptions that actually work.

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When to use this skill

Trigger this skill when the user:

• Asks to write or improve a headline, title, or hook
• Needs landing page copy, above-the-fold text, or hero sections
• Wants to write or optimize a call-to-action (CTA)
• Asks for email subject lines or preview text
• Needs a value proposition or positioning statement
• Wants to apply AIDA, PAS, BAB, or other persuasion frameworks
• Asks to write product descriptions that sell
• Wants to A/B test copy and needs variant ideas
• Asks for "compelling," "persuasive," or "converting" copy

Do NOT trigger this skill for:

• Long-form editorial or journalistic content (informing, not converting)
• Technical documentation or developer-facing copy where clarity trumps persuasion

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Key principles

1. Clarity over cleverness - If a reader has to think about what you mean, you've lost them. Plain language outperforms clever wordplay in almost every A/B test. Say the obvious thing, clearly.

2. Benefits over features - Features describe the product. Benefits describe what the customer gains. Never lead with a feature. Translate every feature into the outcome it produces for the buyer.

3. One CTA per piece - Multiple calls to action dilute attention and reduce conversions. Every piece of copy has one job. One desired action. Everything else is noise.

4. Write for scanners, then readers - Most visitors scan before they read. Structure copy so the headline + subheads + CTAs tell the complete story. Readers who want detail will find it in the body.

5. Test everything - Copy intuition improves with data. Treat every headline as a hypothesis. A/B test subject lines, CTAs, and hero copy. Small wording changes routinely shift conversion rates by 20-40%.

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Core concepts

Persuasion frameworks

Three battle-tested structures cover 90% of copywriting situations:

AIDA (Attention - Interest - Desire - Action) The classic funnel. Hook with attention, build interest with relevance, create desire by amplifying the benefit, then drive action with a clear CTA. Best for long-form sales pages and email sequences.

PAS (Problem - Agitate - Solve) Lead with the reader's pain, twist the knife by amplifying consequences, then position your product as the solution. Especially effective for cold audiences who don't yet know they have a problem.

BAB (Before - After - Bridge) Paint the reader's current frustrating situation (before), describe the ideal transformed state (after), then present your product as the bridge. Works well for testimonials, case studies, and social ads.

Voice of customer (VoC) research

The most powerful copy uses the customer's own words. Before writing, collect:

• Exact phrases from support tickets and sales call transcripts
• Amazon/G2/Trustpilot reviews for the product category
• Reddit/forum threads where the target audience describes their problem
• Survey responses, especially to "What almost stopped you from buying?"

Mirror this language verbatim in headlines and body copy. It creates instant recognition: "they're talking about me."

Power words

Words that reliably increase emotional engagement and clicks:

Category	Examples
Urgency	Now, Today, Instantly, Before it's gone
Exclusivity	Only, Private, Members-only, Invitation
Curiosity	Secret, Hidden, Surprising, What most people miss
Credibility	Proven, Backed by, Trusted by, Certified
Ease	Simple, Effortless, One-click, Without the hassle
Benefit	Free, Save, Boost, Double, Eliminate

Use sparingly. Overuse makes copy feel like spam.

Social proof

Proof reduces skepticism. Layer it throughout copy:

• Numbers - "14,000 teams use this" beats "used by teams worldwide"
• Named testimonials - Full name + company + photo outperforms anonymous quotes
• Results-based - "Reduced churn by 31%" beats "great product"
• Logos - Well-known customer logos do the work of a thousand words
• Press mentions - "As seen in..." for trust with new audiences

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Common tasks

Write headlines

A headline's only job is to earn the next line. Use these 10 formula templates:

1. How-to - "How to [achieve desired outcome] without [common obstacle]"

   • "How to Write Emails People Actually Open Without Sounding Desperate"

2. Number list - "[Number] [things] that [outcome]"

   • "7 Landing Page Mistakes Killing Your Conversions"

3. The secret - "The [unusual/counterintuitive] way to [desired outcome]"

   • "The Counterintuitive Reason Your Freemium Users Never Convert"

4. Question - "[Question that implies reader has the problem]"

   • "Still Paying Full Price for Software Nobody Uses?"

5. Direct benefit - "[Do X] and [get Y]"

   • "Schedule Once and Let the System Handle All Follow-ups"

6. Before/After - "From [undesirable state] to [desirable state] in [timeframe]"

   • "From Spreadsheet Chaos to Automated Reports in 15 Minutes"

7. Social proof hook - "How [customer type] [achieved result] with [product]"

   • "How a 3-Person Agency Closed $2M Using Cold Email Templates"

8. Warning - "Don't [do X] until you [read/know/try Y]"

   • "Don't Launch Your Landing Page Until You Fix These 5 Copy Errors"

9. Fascination - "[Number] [surprising things] about [familiar topic]"

   • "9 Things Your Bounce Rate Is Actually Telling You"

10. Challenge - "What if you could [outcome] without [sacrifice]?"

    • "What if You Could Double Response Rates Without Writing More Emails?"

Headline checklist: Is the benefit specific? Is the audience implied? Does it create curiosity or urgency? Is it under 12 words? Could it stand alone?

Write landing page copy

Structure every landing page using this section-by-section framework:

1. Hero section (above the fold)

• Headline: primary benefit or transformation (use a formula above)
• Subheadline: one sentence clarifying who it's for and how
• CTA: verb + specific outcome ("Start Free Trial" not "Submit")
• Optional: social proof hook ("Join 14,000 teams...")

2. Problem section

• Name the pain clearly, using VoC language
• Agitate: what's the cost of not solving it?
• Transition: "There's a better way."

3. Solution section

• Introduce the product as the logical answer to the pain
• Three core benefits (not features) with one supporting sentence each
• Show, don't tell: screenshots, demo GIFs, or short video

4. Features section (benefits-led)

• Lead with the outcome ("Never lose a lead again"), then the feature beneath it
• Limit to 3-6 features - more creates fatigue

5. Social proof section

• Two to three testimonials with specific, result-oriented quotes
• Customer logos if available
• Case study summary with before/after numbers

6. Objection handling (FAQ or dedicated section)

• Address the top 3-5 objections from sales calls
• Write each answer as a mini persuasion piece, not just a fact

7. Final CTA section

• Restate the primary benefit
• Repeat the CTA with slightly different framing from the hero
• Add urgency or de-risk with a guarantee if available

Craft CTAs that convert

The CTA is the moment of conversion. Apply these rules:

• Use first person - "Start My Free Trial" outperforms "Start Your Free Trial" by 90% in most A/B tests (ownership effect)
• Be specific - "Download the 2024 Report" beats "Download Now"
• Reduce friction language - "See How It Works" is lower commitment than "Buy"
• Add micro-copy beneath - "No credit card required. Cancel anytime." eliminates the risk objection right at the decision point
• Match CTA to page temperature - Cold traffic: "See a Demo." Warm: "Start Free Trial." Hot: "Get Instant Access."

Funnel stage	Low-friction CTA examples
Awareness	"See How It Works", "Watch the Demo"
Consideration	"Start Free Trial", "Get the Guide"
Decision	"Get Instant Access", "Claim My Spot"

Write value propositions

A value proposition answers: "Why should I buy from you, not your competitor?"

Template: [Product] helps [target customer] [achieve outcome] by [differentiating mechanism] so they can [deeper benefit].

Examples:

• "Loom helps remote teams communicate faster by replacing long email threads with instant screen recordings so they can move projects forward without another meeting."
• "Superhuman helps founders reach inbox zero by combining keyboard shortcuts and AI triage so they spend under 30 minutes on email each day."

Test your value prop against this checklist:

1. Is the customer and their job-to-be-done clear?
2. Is the outcome specific and measurable?
3. Is there a mechanism that distinguishes you from alternatives?
4. Would this resonate with VoC language from real customers?

Write email subject lines

Subject lines determine 47% of whether an email gets opened. Apply these formulas:

Formula	Template	Example
Curiosity gap	"[Intriguing partial statement]..."	"I almost didn't send this..."
Number	"[N] [things] for [person]"	"3 headlines worth stealing"
Personal	"Quick question, [name]"	"Quick question, Sarah"
Benefit	"[Specific outcome] in [timeframe]"	"Double open rates in 7 days"
Re-engage	"Did you see this?"	"Did you see this case study?"
Fear of missing out	"Last chance for [thing]"	"Last chance: free audit closes Friday"
Controversy	"Unpopular opinion: [contrarian take]"	"Unpopular opinion: shorter emails convert better"

Subject line rules:

• Keep under 50 characters (mobile preview cutoff)
• Avoid ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation (spam signals)
• Match the tone of what's inside or people feel tricked
• Test preview text - it's a second headline

Write product descriptions

Product descriptions must do two things: help the customer picture ownership, and pre-empt the objection "but does it work for someone like me?"

Structure:

1. Lead line - The single most compelling benefit, in one sentence
2. Sensory or outcome detail - Help the reader feel or visualize the result
3. Feature list - Bulleted, brief, benefits-first
4. Social proof - One inline stat or quote
5. CTA - Specific to the product

Bad: "Premium noise-cancelling headphones with 30-hour battery life." Good: "Silence your open office and stay in flow for 30 hours straight. Adaptive ANC adjusts to your environment in real time - no more manually tweaking settings when you move from desk to commute. Rated #1 by Wirecutter for three consecutive years."

A/B test copy effectively

A/B testing copy without structure produces noise. Follow this process:

1. One variable at a time - Headline OR CTA OR hero image, never all three
2. Set a hypothesis - "Changing the CTA from 'Get Started' to 'Start My Free Trial' will increase clicks because it implies ownership and specificity"
3. Define the metric first - Click-through rate, conversion rate, or revenue
4. Run to statistical significance - Minimum 100 conversions per variant; use a significance calculator before calling a winner
5. Document learnings - Winning insights compound. Keep a swipe file of what works for your audience
6. Iterate, don't pivot - If variant B wins, make it the control and test variant C. Small improvements compound over time.

For subject line testing: 20% to variant A, 20% to variant B, 60% held for the winner (send within 4 hours).

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Anti-patterns

Anti-pattern	Why it fails	Fix
Feature-first copy	Readers don't care about features, they care about their life after buying	Lead with the outcome; features are proof the outcome is possible
Jargon overload	Industry terms create distance and confusion outside expert audiences	Use the simplest word that carries the meaning; test with someone outside the industry
Weak CTAs ("Submit", "Click here")	Generic CTAs provide no motivation to act	Use first-person, benefit-specific verbs ("Get My Free Report")
Multiple CTAs per page	Splits attention and decision energy; often reduces total conversions	Pick the single most valuable action and optimize the entire page for it
Burying the benefit	Long intros before the value prop cause readers to bounce before they understand the offer	State the primary benefit in the headline or first sentence
Superlative abuse ("best", "world-class", "revolutionary")	Unsupported superlatives signal low credibility; every competitor says the same	Replace with specific, verifiable claims and social proof

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Gotchas

1. Clever headlines that obscure the value - Puns and wordplay feel creative but often tank CTR because readers don't understand the offer. "Where ideas take flight" tells a reader nothing. Test clever headlines against a plain-language alternative; the plain version wins in most A/B tests.

2. First-person CTA backfire on cold audiences - "Start My Free Trial" outperforms "Start Your Free Trial" for warm audiences but can feel presumptuous for cold traffic who have not yet formed intent. Match CTA ownership language to how well the visitor already understands and wants the product.

3. Urgency without credibility reads as spam - Countdown timers and "last chance" copy work when the scarcity is real. Fake urgency (a timer that resets on refresh) trains readers to ignore your CTAs entirely and damages brand trust. Only use urgency when it is genuine.

4. Social proof that's too vague to be persuasive - "Trusted by 10,000 teams" is weaker than "10,000 engineering teams use this to ship faster." Numbers need context. "Used by Fortune 500 companies" without naming them provides almost no trust signal. Specific, named proof converts; generic claims don't.

5. Copy optimized for desktop ignores mobile readers - Subject lines over 50 characters get cut on mobile. Above-the-fold copy that requires scrolling on a phone means most visitors never see the CTA. Review all hero copy and CTAs at 375px width before publishing.

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References

For ready-to-use templates, formulas, and structures, load the reference file:

• references/swipe-file.md - Headline formulas, CTA templates, and landing page structures ready to adapt and deploy

Only load the reference file when the task requires specific templates or examples rather than framework guidance.