Copywriting Mastery

Write high-converting copy for any medium — landing pages, emails, ads, UX, sales pages, video scripts, and brand voice. Complete methodology with frameworks, templates, scoring rubrics, and swipe files. Use when writing or reviewing any user-facing text.

# Copywriting Mastery

Complete copywriting system — from research to revision. Write copy that converts for landing pages, emails, ads, UX, sales pages, video scripts, and any user-facing text.

## Quick Copy Health Check

Run `/copy-check` on any draft:

| # | Check | Pass? |
|---|-------|-------|
| 1 | Does the headline pass the "so what?" test? | |
| 2 | Is the reader's #1 objection addressed? | |
| 3 | Can a 12-year-old understand it? | |
| 4 | Is there ONE clear CTA per section? | |
| 5 | Does it lead with benefit, not feature? | |
| 6 | Would you stop scrolling for this? | |
| 7 | Is every sentence earning its place? | |
| 8 | Does it sound like a human wrote it? | |

Score: X/8. Below 6 = rewrite before publishing.

---

## Phase 1: Research Before Writing

Never write cold. Every piece of copy starts with research.

### Customer Voice Mining

Where to find real language your audience uses:

| Source | What to extract | Priority |
|--------|----------------|----------|
| Amazon reviews (competing products) | Frustrations, desired outcomes, exact phrases | 🔴 High |
| Reddit/forums in your niche | Problems described in their own words | 🔴 High |
| Support tickets / chat logs | Common questions, confusion points, language | 🔴 High |
| Sales call transcripts | Objections, decision triggers, deal-breakers | 🔴 High |
| Competitor landing pages | Claims, positioning, gaps they miss | 🟡 Medium |
| Social comments on competitor posts | Complaints, wishes, unmet needs | 🟡 Medium |
| Survey responses | Self-described goals and frustrations | 🟡 Medium |

### Voice-of-Customer Brief

```yaml
audience:
  who: "[specific person, not demographic]"
  current_state: "[what life/work looks like now]"
  desired_state: "[what they want it to look like]"
  biggest_frustration: "[in their exact words]"
  trigger_event: "[what makes them search for a solution NOW]"

messaging:
  primary_desire: "[the one outcome they'd pay anything for]"
  top_3_objections:
    - "[objection 1 — in their language]"
    - "[objection 2]"
    - "[objection 3]"
  proof_they_need: "[what evidence would convince them]"
  words_they_use: ["[exact phrases from research]"]
  words_to_avoid: ["[jargon, corporate speak they hate]"]
```

### Awareness Level Assessment

Every reader sits at one of 5 levels. Your copy must match:

| Level | They know... | Your job | Lead with |
|-------|-------------|----------|-----------|
| **Unaware** | Nothing about the problem | Agitate the problem | Story / pattern interrupt |
| **Problem-aware** | They have a problem | Show a solution exists | Empathy + "there's a better way" |
| **Solution-aware** | Solutions exist | Why YOUR solution | Differentiation + proof |
| **Product-aware** | Your product | Why NOW | Offer + urgency + risk reversal |
| **Most-aware** | Everything | Just the deal | Price + CTA + deadline |

**Rule: Most copy fails because it's written for the wrong awareness level.**

---

## Phase 2: Headline Engineering

The headline does 80% of the work. If nobody reads past it, nothing else matters.

### 8 Headline Formulas That Work

| # | Formula | Example |
|---|---------|---------|
| 1 | **How to [desired outcome] without [pain]** | "How to double your revenue without hiring another sales rep" |
| 2 | **[Number] [things] that [benefit]** | "7 email subject lines that get 40%+ open rates" |
| 3 | **The [adjective] way to [outcome]** | "The laziest way to build a 6-figure newsletter" |
| 4 | **Why [common belief] is wrong** | "Why 'more content' is killing your conversion rate" |
| 5 | **[Do thing] like [aspirational identity]** | "Write proposals like a top-1% closer" |
| 6 | **[Specific result] in [timeframe]** | "First paying customer in 14 days" |
| 7 | **Stop [mistake]. Start [better thing].** | "Stop guessing your pricing. Start using data." |
| 8 | **What [authoritative group] knows about [topic]** | "What top SaaS founders know about churn that you don't" |

### Headline Quality Test

Score each headline 1-5 on:

| Dimension | 1 (Weak) | 5 (Strong) |
|-----------|----------|------------|
| **Specificity** | Vague promise | Exact number/result |
| **Curiosity** | Predictable | "I need to know more" |
| **Relevance** | Generic | Speaks to MY situation |
| **Clarity** | Confusing | Instantly understood |
| **Urgency** | "Whenever" | "I need this now" |

Total ≥ 20 = publish. 15-19 = tweak. Below 15 = rewrite.

### Headline Anti-Patterns

- ❌ Clever puns nobody gets
- ❌ Questions the reader answers "no" to
- ❌ Longer than 12 words (for ads/emails)
- ❌ Leading with your company name
- ❌ Using "we" instead of "you"

---

## Phase 3: Core Copy Frameworks

### PAS — Problem, Agitation, Solution

Best for: email, short-form, ads, social posts.

```
[PROBLEM] — Name the specific pain they feel right now.
[AGITATION] — Twist the knife. What happens if they don't fix it? What's it costing them?
[SOLUTION] — Here's how to fix it. Introduce your product/service.
```

**Example:**
> Your sales team spends 3 hours a day on manual data entry. (Problem)
>
> That's 15 hours a week per rep — $78,000/year in lost selling time across a 10-person team. Your competitors automated this last quarter. (Agitation)
>
> SalesFlow syncs your CRM in real-time. Zero manual entry. Your reps sell; the system handles the rest. (Solution)

### AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

Best for: landing pages, sales pages, long-form.

| Stage | Job | Technique |
|-------|-----|-----------|
| **Attention** | Stop the scroll | Bold claim, surprising stat, pattern interrupt |
| **Interest** | Keep them reading | Story, empathy, "me too" moment |
| **Desire** | Make them want it | Benefits, social proof, future pacing |
| **Action** | Get the click | Clear CTA, urgency, risk reversal |

### BAB — Before, After, Bridge

Best for: case studies, testimonials, transformation stories.

```
[BEFORE] — Paint their current painful reality.
[AFTER] — Show the transformed state they want.
[BRIDGE] — Your product/service is the bridge between the two.
```

### 4U Framework — Urgent, Unique, Ultra-specific, Useful

Best for: headlines, subject lines, CTAs. Score each element 1-4.

### PASTOR — Problem, Amplify, Story, Testimony, Offer, Response

Best for: long-form sales pages, webinar scripts, VSLs.

```
Problem: Name it in their words
Amplify: What happens if they ignore it (emotional + financial cost)
Story: Your/client's journey through the same problem
Testimony: Social proof from people like them
Offer: Present the solution with clear value stack
Response: Tell them exactly what to do next
```

---

## Phase 4: Copy by Medium

### Landing Pages

**Structure (top to bottom):**

1. **Hero section**: Headline + subhead + CTA + hero image
2. **Problem section**: 3 pain points with empathy
3. **Solution section**: How it works (3 steps max)
4. **Benefits section**: Feature → Benefit → Proof for top 3-5 features
5. **Social proof**: Testimonials, logos, numbers
6. **Objection handling**: FAQ addressing top 3 concerns
7. **Final CTA**: Restate value prop + urgency + risk reversal

**Landing page rules:**
- One page = one goal = one CTA (repeated 3+ times)
- Above the fold: headline, subhead, CTA, visual. Nothing else.
- Feature → Benefit translation: "We have X" → "You get Y, which means Z"
- Remove navigation (reduce exit points)
- Social proof near every CTA
- Page load < 3 seconds

**Conversion benchmarks:**
| Traffic source | Good | Great |
|---------------|------|-------|
| Cold ads | 3-5% | 8%+ |
| Email list | 10-15% | 25%+ |
| Organic/SEO | 5-8% | 12%+ |
| Referral | 8-12% | 20%+ |

### Email Copy

**Subject line formulas:**
| Type | Formula | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| Curiosity gap | "[partial reveal]..." | "The pricing mistake that cost us $47K..." |
| Direct benefit | "How to [get result]" | "How to close 3x more deals this month" |
| Social proof | "[Name/company] did [result]" | "How Stripe grew 10x with one email change" |
| Urgency | "[Deadline] f