diff --git a/.agents/skills/copywriting/references/copy-frameworks.md b/.agents/skills/copywriting/references/copy-frameworks.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..194aefe --- /dev/null +++ b/.agents/skills/copywriting/references/copy-frameworks.md @@ -0,0 +1,432 @@ +# Copy Frameworks Reference + +Headline formulas, page section types, and structural templates. + +## Contents +- Headline Formulas (outcome-focused, problem-focused, audience-focused, differentiation-focused, proof-focused, additional formulas) +- Landing Page Section Types (core sections, supporting sections) +- Page Structure Templates (feature-heavy page, varied engaging page, compact landing page, enterprise/B2B landing page, product launch page) +- Section Writing Tips (problem section, benefits section, how it works section, testimonial selection) +- Clarity & Message-Market Fit (the "Now you can" test, Human Action Model, the Perception Gap, the SavvyCal case, clarity metrics) + +## Headline Formulas + +These are starting points. Fill every slot with specifics, and check the result against [ai-tells.md](ai-tells.md): a "without" or "Never X again" headline is fine once, but don't follow it with a negation list. + +### Outcome-Focused + +**{Achieve desirable outcome} without {pain point}** +> Understand how users are really experiencing your site without drowning in numbers + +**{Achieve desirable outcome} by {how product makes it possible}** +> Generate more leads by seeing which companies visit your site + +**Turn {input} into {outcome}** +> Turn your hard-earned sales into repeat customers + +**[Achieve outcome] in [timeframe]** +> Get your tax refund in 10 days + +--- + +### Problem-Focused + +**Never {unpleasant event} again** +> Never miss a sales opportunity again + +**{Question highlighting the main pain point}** +> Hate returning stuff to Amazon? + +**Stop [pain]. Start [pleasure].** +> Stop chasing invoices. Start getting paid on time. + +--- + +### Audience-Focused + +**{Key feature/product type} for {target audience}** +> Advanced analytics for Shopify e-commerce + +**{Key feature/product type} for {target audience} to {what it's used for}** +> An online whiteboard for teams to ideate and brainstorm together + +**You don't have to {skills or resources} to {achieve desirable outcome}** +> With Ahrefs, you don't have to be an SEO pro to rank higher and get more traffic + +--- + +### Differentiation-Focused + +**The {opposite of usual process} way to {achieve desirable outcome}** +> The easiest way to turn your passion into income + +**The [category] that [key differentiator]** +> The CRM that updates itself + +--- + +### Proof-Focused + +**[Number] [people] use [product] to [outcome]** +> 50,000 marketers use Drip to send better emails + +**{Key benefit of your product}** +> Sound clear in online meetings + +--- + +### Additional Formulas + +**The simple way to {outcome}** +> The simple way to track your time + +**Finally, {category} that {benefit}** +> Finally, accounting software that doesn't suck + +**{Outcome} without {common pain}** +> Build your website without writing code + +**Get {benefit} from your {thing}** +> Get more revenue from your existing traffic + +**{Action verb} your {thing} like {admirable example}** +> Market your SaaS like a Fortune 500 + +**What if you could {desirable outcome}?** +> What if you could close deals 30% faster? + +**The {adjective} {category} built for {audience}** +> The lightweight CRM built for startups + +--- + +## Landing Page Section Types + +### Core Sections + +**Hero (Above the Fold)** +- Headline + subheadline +- Primary CTA +- Supporting visual (product screenshot, hero image) +- Optional: Social proof bar + +**Social Proof Bar** +- Customer logos (recognizable > many) +- Key metric ("10,000+ teams") +- Star rating with review count +- Short testimonial snippet + +**Problem/Pain Section** +- Articulate their problem better than they can +- Create recognition ("that's exactly my situation") +- Hint at cost of not solving it + +**Solution/Benefits Section** +- Bridge from problem to your solution +- 3-5 key benefits (not 10) +- Each: headline + explanation + proof if available + +**How It Works** +- 3-4 numbered steps +- Reduces perceived complexity +- Each step: action + outcome + +**Final CTA Section** +- Recap value proposition +- Repeat primary CTA +- Risk reversal (guarantee, free trial) + +--- + +### Supporting Sections + +**Testimonials** +- Full quotes with names, roles, companies +- Photos when possible +- Specific results over vague praise +- Formats: quote cards, video, tweet embeds + +**Case Studies** +- Problem → Solution → Results +- Specific metrics and outcomes +- Customer name and context +- Can be snippets with "Read more" links + +**Use Cases** +- Different ways product is used +- Helps visitors self-identify +- "For marketers who need X" format + +**Personas / "Built For" Sections** +- Explicitly call out target audience +- "Perfect for [role]" blocks +- Addresses "Is this for me?" question + +**FAQ Section** +- Address common objections +- Good for SEO +- Reduces support burden +- 5-10 most common questions + +**Comparison Section** +- vs. competitors (name them or don't) +- vs. status quo (spreadsheets, manual processes) +- Tables or side-by-side format + +**Integrations / Partners** +- Logos of tools you connect with +- "Works with your stack" messaging +- Builds credibility + +**Founder Story / Manifesto** +- Why you built this +- What you believe +- Emotional connection +- Differentiates from faceless competitors + +**Demo / Product Tour** +- Interactive demos +- Video walkthroughs +- GIF previews +- Shows product in action + +**Pricing Preview** +- Teaser even on non-pricing pages +- Starting price or "from $X/mo" +- Moves decision-makers forward + +**Guarantee / Risk Reversal** +- Money-back guarantee +- Free trial terms +- "Cancel anytime" +- Reduces friction + +**Stats Section** +- Key metrics that build credibility +- "10,000+ customers" +- "4.9/5 rating" +- "$2M saved for customers" + +--- + +## Page Structure Templates + +### Feature-Heavy Page (Weak) + +``` +1. Hero +2. Feature 1 +3. Feature 2 +4. Feature 3 +5. Feature 4 +6. CTA +``` + +This is a list, not a persuasive narrative. + +--- + +### Varied, Engaging Page (Strong) + +``` +1. Hero with clear value prop +2. Social proof bar (logos or stats) +3. Problem/pain section +4. How it works (3 steps) +5. Key benefits (2-3, not 10) +6. Testimonial +7. Use cases or personas +8. Comparison to alternatives +9. Case study snippet +10. FAQ +11. Final CTA with guarantee +``` + +This tells a story and addresses objections. + +--- + +### Compact Landing Page + +``` +1. Hero (headline, subhead, CTA, image) +2. Social proof bar +3. 3 key benefits with icons +4. Testimonial +5. How it works (3 steps) +6. Final CTA with guarantee +``` + +Good for ad landing pages where brevity matters. + +--- + +### Enterprise/B2B Landing Page + +``` +1. Hero (outcome-focused headline) +2. Logo bar (recognizable companies) +3. Problem section (business pain) +4. Solution overview +5. Use cases by role/department +6. Security/compliance section +7. Integration logos +8. Case study with metrics +9. ROI/value section +10. Contact/demo CTA +``` + +Addresses enterprise buyer concerns. + +--- + +### Product Launch Page + +``` +1. Hero with launch announcement +2. Video demo or walkthrough +3. Feature highlights (3-5) +4. Before/after comparison +5. Early testimonials +6. Launch pricing or early access offer +7. CTA with urgency +``` + +Good for ProductHunt, launches, or announcements. + +--- + +## Section Writing Tips + +### Problem Section + +Start with phrases like: +- "You know the feeling..." +- "If you're like most [role]..." +- "Every day, [audience] struggles with..." +- "We've all been there..." + +Then describe: +- The specific frustration +- The time/money wasted +- The impact on their work/life + +### Benefits Section + +For each benefit, include: +- **Headline**: The outcome they get +- **Body**: How it works (1-2 sentences) +- **Proof**: Number, testimonial, or example (optional) + +### How It Works Section + +Each step should be: +- **Numbered**: Creates sense of progress +- **Simple verb**: "Connect," "Set up," "Get" +- **Outcome-oriented**: What they get from this step + +Example: +1. Connect your tools (takes 2 minutes) +2. Set your preferences +3. Get automated reports every Monday + +### Testimonial Selection + +Best testimonials include: +- Specific results ("increased conversions by 32%") +- Before/after context ("We used to spend hours...") +- Role + company for credibility +- Something quotable and specific + +Avoid testimonials that just say: +- "Great product!" +- "Love it!" +- "Easy to use!" + +--- + +## Clarity & Message-Market Fit + +Headline formulas give you the shape of a line. These tools tell you whether the line is actually *working*: whether it's clear, whether it maps to how the reader already thinks, and whether it lands with the right person. Positioning is the prologue to your novel: it sets up everything that follows. Get it clear and the rest of the page writes itself. + +### The "Now you can" Test + +A fast gut-check for any headline or benefit line. Mentally prefix it with **"Now you can…"**. If the result is both **compelling** and **true**, the line is doing its job. If it reads as vague, obvious, or a stretch, rewrite it. + +The test works because "Now you can…" forces the copy into the reader's world. It has to name a concrete new ability they didn't have before. Feature-speak and buzzwords collapse under it. + +| Original line | "Now you can…" version | Verdict | +|---------------|------------------------|---------| +| "Powerful analytics platform" | Now you can… have a powerful analytics platform | Fails. not a new ability, just a description | +| "See which companies visit your site" | Now you can… see which companies visit your site | Works. compelling + true | +| "Streamline your workflow" | Now you can… streamline your workflow | Fails. vague, unfalsifiable | +| "Send unlimited docs, images, and audio in one place" | Now you can… send unlimited docs, images, and audio in one place | Works. concrete + true | + +Use it as a filter, not a formula: draft with the headline formulas above, then run each candidate through "Now you can…" and keep the survivors. + +### The Human Action Model (landing-page narrative spine) + +Ludwig von Mises' Human Action Model explains *why* anyone acts: a person acts only when three things line up. Every above-the-fold that converts follows the same three-beat spine: + +1. **Current discomfort**: the felt problem, named in the reader's own words. They have to recognize their situation ("that's exactly me"). +2. **Better vision**: a clearly imagined, more satisfying state. What life looks like once the discomfort is gone. +3. **Path to action**: the belief that *this specific step* closes the gap between the two. The product is the bridge, and the CTA is how they cross it. + +Miss any beat and the reader stalls. No discomfort = no reason to move. No vision = no destination. No path = no reason to believe *you're* the way there. + +**Mapping it onto the hero:** + +| Beat | Where it usually lives | Example | +|------|------------------------|---------| +| Current discomfort | Eyebrow, subhead, or problem-framed headline | "You shouldn't have to feel awkward sending out your scheduling link" | +| Better vision | Headline or subhead | "Scheduling that feels considerate, not one-sided" | +| Path to action | CTA + supporting proof | "Start scheduling free" | + +This is the transformation spine underneath the "6 essential sections" of a landing page (hero, social proof, problem, solution, how-it-works, and final CTA). The hero states the transformation; the rest of the page substantiates each beat. + +### The Perception Gap + +The same benefit can read as a **selling point to one segment and a red flag to another**. The gap is between what *you* think you're saying and what a given reader hears through their own risk tolerance. + +The fix is **matching the value prop to the reader's risk tolerance**. Segment first, then swap the framing. + +| Benefit as written | Startup / early-adopter hears | Enterprise / risk-averse hears | +|--------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------| +| "Move fast. Ship in a weekend." | Speed, momentum (✅) | Immature, unstable (🚩) | +| "Brand-new approach" | Innovative edge (✅) | Unproven, risky (🚩) | +| "Enterprise-grade security & SLAs" | Bloated, slow, expensive (🚩) | Safe, trustworthy (✅) | +| "Trusted by the Fortune 500" | Not built for me (🚩) | Proven, de-risked (✅) | + +**Value-prop swap in practice** (same product, two audiences): + +- *Startup landing page:* "Ship your first integration this afternoon. Pay by card and skip the sales call." +- *Enterprise landing page:* "SOC 2 Type II, 99.99% uptime SLA, and a named implementation lead. Roll out with confidence." + +When a page has to serve both, don't average them into mush. Segment the traffic (separate pages, or a persona split) and let each read its own version of the truth. + +### Worked Example: SavvyCal (message-market fit) + +SavvyCal (a scheduling tool) originally led with feature-forward copy. They rewrote the hero around a single felt discomfort: + +> **"You shouldn't have to feel awkward sending out your scheduling link."** + +That one line **roughly tripled (3×) conversions**. It works because it hits all three beats of the Human Action Model at once: + +- **Discomfort:** the small social awkwardness of "here's my link, pick a time," named exactly as users feel it. +- **Vision:** scheduling that feels considerate to *both* people. +- **Path:** SavvyCal's overlay-your-calendar mechanic is the bridge, so the CTA feels like the obvious next step. + +The lesson: message-market fit beats feature lists. The winning line named a real feeling the reader hadn't heard a scheduling tool acknowledge before. Run your own hero through "Now you can…" and the Human Action Model to find that line. + +### Clarity Beats Cleverness (the metrics) + +When teams measure it, clarity is what moves the numbers. Clearer positioning and copy is associated with: + +- **+81% conversions** +- **−38% sales cycle** (shorter time to close) +- **−28% CAC** (lower customer acquisition cost) +- **+175% referrals** + +The mechanism: clear copy lets the *right* buyer self-qualify fast and the wrong one bounce early, so every downstream metric improves. Clever copy that requires decoding does the opposite. It adds a comprehension tax at the exact moment attention is scarcest. + +**Practical rule:** if a reader has to pause to figure out what you mean, you've already lost. When forced to choose between a clever line and a clear one, ship the clear one, then use the tests above ("Now you can…", the Human Action Model, the Perception Gap) to make the clear line compelling too.