Marketing
How to prompt a chat assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for marketing strategy, messaging, landing pages, campaigns, launches and measurement when you are not a marketer. Read fundamentals first for the general method. Brand strategy and voice are in branding, turning prospects into revenue in sales, producing posts and articles at volume in content generation, and an early-stage launch sequence in launch and iterate.
How experts think
| Expert habit | What it means | What it changes in your prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Customer before channel | decide who, what problem and what promise before "should we do TikTok?" | give the audience and problem first; ask for channels last |
| One audience, one message, one action | every asset targets one segment, makes one point, asks for one thing | name the segment, the single message and the call to action |
| Meet people where their awareness is | someone who doesn't know they have the problem needs different copy from someone comparing prices | state the audience's awareness level |
| Benefits sell, features prove | lead with what changes for the customer; use features as evidence | ask for benefit-led copy with features as proof |
| Capture vs. create demand | search captures people already looking; social, PR and content create demand among people who aren't | match the channel to the job |
| Fix the funnel from the bottom | more traffic into a page that doesn't convert wastes money | ask where the biggest drop-off is before asking for more reach |
| Measure the change you caused | platforms over-claim credit; experts look for incremental results | ask how to test incrementality, not just what the dashboard says |
| Everything is a hypothesis | copy, offers and channels are bets to test, not truths | ask for variants and a test plan with each draft |
Les Binet and Peter Field's The Long and the Short of It (IPA, 2013) is the standard argument for balancing brand building (long-term, broad reach, emotional) with sales activation (short-term, targeted, rational). In their data the best long-term results came from spending more on brand than activation, roughly 60:40, with wide variation by category. Small, early companies usually start almost entirely with activation.
Vocabulary
| Term | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Segmentation | splitting a market into groups with different needs or behavior | "Segment this market by job to be done, not by demographics." |
| Targeting | choosing which segments to serve first | "Rank these segments by pain, reachability and willingness to pay." |
| Positioning | how you want the target to see you relative to alternatives | "Position us against the spreadsheet they use today." |
| STP | segmentation, targeting, positioning: the classic strategy sequence | "Run an STP analysis before suggesting tactics." |
| ICP (ideal customer profile) | the type of company or customer that gets the most value and is best for you | "Write our ICP: firmographics, triggers, disqualifiers." |
| Persona | a sketch of an individual buyer or user role within the ICP | "Create two personas: the buyer and the daily user." |
| Jobs to be done (JTBD) | the progress a customer is trying to make in a circumstance | "Frame the copy around the job: 'when I…, I want to…, so I can…'." |
| Value proposition | the promise of value: who, which outcome, why you over alternatives | "Write the value proposition in under 20 words." |
| Differentiator | what you do that alternatives don't, which the customer values | "Which of these is a real differentiator, not table stakes?" |
| Awareness level | Eugene Schwartz's scale: unaware, problem-aware, solution-aware, product-aware, most aware | "Write this ad for a problem-aware reader." |
| Funnel (TOFU / MOFU / BOFU) | top (awareness), middle (consideration), bottom (decision) of the buying journey | "Map one asset to each funnel stage." |
| AARRR | acquisition, activation, retention, referral, revenue ("pirate metrics") | "Where in AARRR is our biggest drop?" |
| Demand generation / capture | creating interest among people not yet looking / converting people already looking | "Split the budget between demand capture and demand generation." |
| Lead, MQL, SQL | a contact / a lead marketing judges ready / one sales accepts as worth pursuing | "Define MQL and SQL criteria we can agree with sales." |
| Owned, earned, paid media | your channels (site, email) / coverage you didn't pay for (press, shares) / ads | "Plan the launch across owned, earned and paid." |
| SEO | search engine optimization: earning unpaid search traffic | "Suggest SEO topics our buyers search for before they know us." |
| Search intent | what a searcher is trying to do: learn, compare, buy, find a site | "Group these keywords by search intent." |
| SERP | search engine results page | "What kind of pages rank on the SERP for this query?" |
| Paid search (SEM, PPC) | ads on search results, usually paid per click | "Draft paid search ads for high-intent keywords only." |
| Quality Score | Google Ads' 1–10 estimate from expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience | "Rewrite the ad and landing headline to match the keyword more closely." |
| Paid social | ads on social platforms, targeted by interests, lookalikes or lists | "Give 5 paid social hooks for the first 3 seconds." |
| Retargeting | showing ads to people who already visited or engaged | "Write a retargeting ad for people who saw pricing but didn't sign up." |
| Lookalike audience | a platform-built audience similar to a list you supply | "What seed list would make a good lookalike audience?" |
| Content marketing | useful articles, videos or tools that attract and educate buyers | "Plan 10 pieces of content that answer questions from sales calls." |
| Lead magnet | something valuable offered in exchange for contact details | "Suggest lead magnets a bookkeeper would actually want." |
| Nurture sequence | a series of emails that moves a lead toward a decision | "Write a 5-email nurture sequence from sign-up to trial." |
| Partnerships / affiliates | reaching customers through other companies / paying commission for referrals | "List partners who already serve our ICP." |
| PR | earning media coverage and attention | "Find the news angle: what's new, surprising or useful?" |
| Community | a group where customers talk to each other, not just to you | "How could a community serve customers without becoming a support queue?" |
| Offer | what the customer gets and on what terms: product, price, bonus, guarantee, deadline | "Strengthen the offer without discounting." |
| Social proof | evidence others use and like it: logos, testimonials, reviews, numbers | "Where on the page should social proof go, and what kind?" |
| CTA (call to action) | the single action you want next | "Give 10 CTA labels that say what happens after the click." |
| Landing page | a page built for one campaign and one action | "Outline a landing page for this ad, matching its promise." |
| Above the fold | what's visible before scrolling | "What must be above the fold on mobile?" |
| Campaign brief | the one-page plan: objective, audience, message, offer, channels, budget, KPIs | "Write a campaign brief before any copy." |
| Single-minded proposition | the one thing the campaign must communicate | "State the single-minded proposition in one sentence." |
| Creative | the ads and assets themselves: copy, images, video | "Give 3 creative concepts, each with a headline and visual." |
| UTM parameters | tags on links that tell analytics where a visit came from | "Give a UTM naming convention for this campaign." |
| CAC / LTV | customer acquisition cost / lifetime value (margin) of a customer | "Is this channel's CAC sustainable given our LTV?" |
| CTR, CVR | click-through rate (clicks ÷ impressions) / conversion rate (conversions ÷ visitors) | "Our CTR is fine but CVR is low; diagnose the page." |
| CPM, CPC, CPA, ROAS | cost per 1,000 impressions / per click / per acquisition; return on ad spend | "Compute CPA and ROAS from these numbers, step by step." |
| Attribution | assigning credit for a conversion to the touchpoints before it | "Explain why the platforms' conversions add up to more than our sales." |
| Incrementality | conversions that wouldn't have happened without the marketing | "Design a holdout test to measure incrementality." |
| A/B test | randomly splitting traffic between versions to compare one change | "Design an A/B test with a sample size estimate." |
| MDE (minimum detectable effect) | the smallest change a test is sized to detect | "With 2,000 visitors a week, what MDE can we detect?" |
| Deliverability | whether email reaches the inbox rather than spam | "Audit our setup for deliverability: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, list hygiene." |
Strategy
From market to message
Segmentation ─► Targeting ─► Positioning ─► Value proposition ─► Messaging ─► Channels ─► Assets
who exists who first vs. what outcome + proof by funnel where they ads, pages,
alternative stage already are emails| Tool | What it gives you | Prompt move |
|---|---|---|
| ICP | firmographics (size, industry, region), triggers (events that create need), disqualifiers | "Write disqualifiers too: who looks like a fit but isn't." |
| Jobs to be done | the situation, motivation and outcome behind a purchase (Christensen et al., HBR 2016) | "From these interview notes, extract jobs in 'when / want to / so I can' form." |
| Value Proposition Canvas | Strategyzer's map of customer jobs, pains and gains against your pain relievers and gain creators | "Fill a value proposition canvas; mark which gains are guesses." |
| Awareness levels | which story the reader needs (Schwartz, Breakthrough Advertising, 1966) | "Write the same offer for unaware, problem-aware and product-aware readers." |
| AARRR | where the funnel leaks (see launch and iterate) | "Given these stage numbers, which stage should we fix first?" |
Channels
| Channel | Job | Speed to results | Main cost | Good fit when | Ask the model for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | capture people searching, compounding over time | months | content and time | buyers search for the problem or category | topic clusters by intent, briefs, title and meta drafts |
| Paid search | capture high-intent searches now | days | cost per click | people search for the solution and the margin supports bids | keyword groups, negative keywords, ad variants, landing match |
| Paid social | create demand among people not searching | days | impressions and creative | visual or impulse products; clear audience signals | hooks, angles, creative briefs, audience hypotheses |
| nurture, onboard, retain, sell to people who opted in | immediate | list building | you have an engaged list | sequences, subject lines, segmentation rules | |
| Content | educate and build trust; feeds SEO and social | weeks–months | production | long consideration, expert buyers | editorial calendar from real customer questions |
| Partnerships / affiliates | borrow another company's audience | weeks–months | revenue share, effort | others already serve your ICP | partner lists, co-marketing offers, outreach |
| PR | earned attention and credibility | unpredictable | time, sometimes agency fees | real news, data or a story | news angles, press release, pitch emails |
| Community | peer trust and retention | months | sustained effort | customers benefit from each other | programming ideas, moderation rules |
| Events | deep conversations, B2B relationships | weeks | travel, booths, time | high-value B2B deals | booth messaging, follow-up sequences, ROI plan |
For first users, the launch and iterate sheet ranks channels by fit at MVP stage; paid ads rarely work before retention does.
Messaging and copywriting
| Framework | Steps | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| AIDA | Attention → Interest → Desire → Action | ads, landing pages, launch emails |
| PAS | Problem → Agitate (make the cost of the problem vivid) → Solution | short ads and cold copy for problem-aware readers |
| Before–After–Bridge | life now → life with the problem solved → how you get there | testimonials, case studies, onboarding emails |
| FAB | Feature → Advantage → Benefit | turning a spec list into reasons to buy |
| Features vs. benefits | a feature is what it is or does; a benefit is what changes for the customer | every headline: lead with the benefit, prove with the feature |
Feature: "Bank feeds sync every 15 minutes."
Benefit: "See today's cash position before your 9 a.m. call."
Proof: "Syncs with 40 banks every 15 minutes."More formulas and headline rules are in persuasive writing. A model's default copy is generic; the cure is specific inputs (real customer words, numbers, objections) and asking for several distinct angles rather than one polished draft.
Offers, pricing pages and landing pages
The offer
An offer is more than a price: what they get, what it costs, what reduces risk, and why act now.
| Part | Examples | Ask the model |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | plan, bundle, service level | "Which plan should we lead with for this segment?" |
| Price and terms | monthly or annual, usage-based, seats | "Express the price per outcome (per invoice, per client)." |
| Risk reversal | free trial, money-back guarantee, cancel anytime | "Which risk reversal fits a buyer who fears migration?" |
| Bonus | onboarding call, templates, migration help | "Suggest bonuses that cost us little and matter to them." |
| Urgency | real deadlines, limited cohorts, launch pricing | "Only real urgency: no fake countdown timers." |
Pricing page anatomy
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 2–4 tiers named for who they're for | self-selection ("Solo", "Firm", "Practice") |
| a value metric | price scales with value (clients, invoices), not arbitrary limits |
| a recommended tier, visually highlighted | reduces choice paralysis; the higher tier acts as an anchor |
| monthly/annual toggle with the saving stated | annual cash and commitment |
| a short feature comparison | the 5–8 differences that matter, not 60 rows |
| FAQ and objections | billing, cancellation, data, migration |
| social proof and a "talk to us" path | trust, and a route for large buyers |
Test prices on new sign-ups, not existing customers; see pricing experiments.
Landing page anatomy
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ HEADLINE the benefit, matching the ad/query │ above the fold
│ SUBHEAD who it's for + how, one sentence │ (on mobile too)
│ [ PRIMARY CTA ] risk reversal under it │
│ hero image/video showing the product or result │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ social proof: logos, a number, one testimonial │
│ 3 benefits, each with a feature as proof │
│ how it works: 3 steps │
│ objections: price, switching, security (FAQ) │
│ deeper proof: case study, reviews │
│ [ REPEAT CTA ] │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘Message match: the headline should repeat the promise of the ad, email or search query that brought the visitor. One page, one goal: remove navigation and secondary offers on campaign pages.
Campaigns and launches
Campaign brief
CAMPAIGN BRIEF
Objective one measurable goal + date (e.g. 200 trials by 30 Jan)
Audience segment, awareness level, what they believe now
Insight the truth about them the campaign is built on
Single-minded the one thing they should take away
proposition
Reasons to 2-3 proofs we actually have
believe
Offer + CTA what we're asking them to do, and why now
Channels where, with rough budget split
Mandatories legal lines, brand rules, disclosures
Budget, timeline total, flighting, key dates
KPIs primary metric, guardrails, how attributed
Owner, approvers who decidesLaunch plan
| Phase | Typical work | Ask the model for |
|---|---|---|
| T−6 to −4 weeks | positioning, messaging, launch tier decision, audience list | messaging doc, tiering rationale, risk list |
| T−4 to −1 weeks | assets: page, emails, posts, press, sales enablement | drafts per channel, FAQ, one-pager, demo script outline |
| Launch day | sequence of announcements, monitoring, responses | run-of-show, reply templates |
| T+1 to +4 weeks | follow-ups, retargeting, case studies, measurement | follow-up sequence, results report template |
Size the launch to the news: a major new product gets the full plan; a small feature gets a changelog entry and an email. An early product should launch in widening rings, as in launch and iterate.
Metrics and attribution
| Metric | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CTR | clicks ÷ impressions | 120 ÷ 10,000 = 1.2% |
| CPM | spend ÷ impressions × 1,000 | $300 ÷ 50,000 × 1,000 = $6 |
| CPC | spend ÷ clicks | $300 ÷ 600 = $0.50 |
| CVR | conversions ÷ visitors (define which conversion) | 30 ÷ 600 = 5% |
| CPA / CPL | spend ÷ acquisitions (or leads) | $300 ÷ 30 = $10 |
| ROAS | attributed revenue ÷ ad spend | $1,200 ÷ $300 = 4 (400%) |
| CAC | total sales and marketing cost ÷ new customers | $20,000 ÷ 40 = $500 |
| LTV (simple) | monthly revenue per account × gross margin ÷ monthly churn | $50 × 0.8 ÷ 0.04 = $1,000 |
| LTV:CAC | LTV ÷ CAC | $1,000 ÷ $500 = 2 (a common heuristic target is 3 or more) |
CAC, LTV and payback are worked in detail in startup finance.
Attribution caveats. Every ad platform counts conversions it can link to its own ads, using its own window and rules, so platform totals usually add up to more than your real sales. Models differ: last-click gives all credit to the final click; data-driven spreads it using the platform's statistical model (Google Ads now supports only these two). Privacy changes and blocked cookies hide many journeys. Treat attribution as a rough guide, and check important decisions with holdout or lift tests (turn a channel off for a random region or audience and compare) or, at larger scale, marketing mix modeling. Ask the model to reconcile platform numbers with your actual revenue before you trust any ROAS.
Experimentation
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| test one change with one primary metric | otherwise you can't say what caused the difference |
| estimate the sample size before starting | small effects need large samples |
| decide the duration in advance; run whole weeks | weekday and weekend visitors behave differently |
| don't stop when it first looks significant | repeated peeking inflates false positives (Evan Miller, "How Not To Run an A/B Test") |
| watch guardrails | a higher sign-up rate with lower-quality sign-ups is a loss |
| write down the result, even when it loses | you'll otherwise re-run the same test |
Sample size, roughly. A common rule of thumb (Lehr's) for 80% power at 5% significance: visitors per variant ≈ 16 × p × (1 − p) ÷ δ², where p is the baseline rate and δ the absolute change to detect. For a 3% baseline and a lift to 3.6% (δ = 0.006): 16 × 0.03 × 0.97 ÷ 0.000036 ≈ 13,000 per variant. With a few hundred visitors a week, test big changes (a new offer, a new page), not button colors. Models often do this arithmetic wrong: ask them to show each step, and confirm with a calculator such as Evan Miller's.
Email deliverability basics
| Item | What it is | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | DNS record listing servers allowed to send for your domain | required by Gmail for all senders (SPF or DKIM) |
| DKIM | cryptographic signature proving the message came from your domain | bulk senders need both SPF and DKIM |
| DMARC | DNS policy telling receivers what to do when SPF/DKIM fail, plus reports | required for bulk senders; policy may start at p=none |
| One-click unsubscribe | a header (RFC 8058) letting mail apps unsubscribe in one click | required for marketing mail from bulk senders, plus a visible link |
| Spam rate | share of recipients marking you as spam | Gmail: stay below 0.3%, ideally below 0.1% |
| List hygiene | confirmed opt-in, remove bounces, stop mailing the long-inactive | never buy lists |
| Warm-up | ramping volume gradually on a new domain or IP | sudden volume spikes look like spam |
Google's sender guidelines define a bulk sender as one sending more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail accounts; Yahoo publishes similar requirements. In the US, the CAN-SPAM Act requires honest headers and subject lines, a valid postal address, a clear way to opt out, and honoring opt-outs within 10 business days. EU and UK rules (GDPR plus the ePrivacy rules, PECR in the UK) generally require consent for marketing email to individuals. This is not legal advice: check the law where your recipients are.
Brief the model
Each input has a slot in the prompt skeleton from fundamentals; the Slot column says where it goes.
| Input | Why it matters | Example | Slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer language | real words beat invented ones | "Interview quotes: 'month-end eats my weekend'." | <materials> |
| Current numbers | lets the model diagnose instead of guess | "10k visits/mo, 2% sign-up, 15% trial-to-paid." | <materials> |
| Product and price, plainly | copy and channels depend on price point and complexity | "Bookkeeping software, $49/month per firm." | <context> |
| Segment and ICP | generic audiences produce generic copy | "Firms of 1–10 bookkeepers in the US, owner-led." | <context> |
| Awareness level | decides whether to lead with the problem or the product | "Problem-aware: they hate month-end, haven't heard of us." | <context> |
| Alternatives and objections | copy must answer them | "Alternatives: QuickBooks, spreadsheets. Objection: migration pain." | <context> |
| Proof you have | prevents invented testimonials and stats | "300 firms use it; median close fell from 6 days to 2 (our survey, n=85)." | <context> |
| Budget and timeline | separates realistic plans from fantasy | "$3,000 over 6 weeks; launch 15 January." | <context> |
| Ads, pages or emails you like | taste is easier to show than describe | "This competitor's page: one button, proof under the headline." | <examples> |
| Goal and metric | changes the asset and the CTA | "Goal: trials. Metric: trial starts per week." | <task> |
| Channel and format limits | character counts, placements, specs | "Google search ads: 30-char headlines, 90-char descriptions." | <requirements> |
| Brand voice | stops tone drift | "Plain-spoken, warm, no hype; voice chart attached." | <requirements> |
| Legal and compliance constraints | regulated claims, disclosures | "No savings claims without a footnote; finance industry." | <requirements> |
| Output format | tables, variants, word counts | "10 variants in a table: angle, headline, body, CTA." | <output_format> |
What to ask for
| Stage | Deliverables to ask for by name |
|---|---|
| Research | ICP and disqualifiers; personas; jobs-to-be-done statements from interview notes; competitor messaging teardown; keyword research grouped by intent; customer-language swipe file |
| Strategy | STP summary; positioning statement; value proposition canvas; channel plan with budget split and rationale; funnel diagnosis from current numbers |
| Messaging | messaging matrix (segment × awareness level × message); headline and angle bank; objection-handling copy; feature-to-benefit table |
| Assets | landing page outline and copy; pricing page copy; ad variants per channel; email sequences (welcome, nurture, trial, win-back); content calendar; press release and media pitch |
| Campaign and launch | campaign brief; launch plan with tiers and dates; run-of-show; UTM convention; sales enablement one-pager |
| Measure and learn | KPI definitions; dashboard spec; A/B test plan with sample size; attribution reconciliation; post-campaign report template |
The prompt chain
The main deliverable is a launch campaign for a product: a messaging matrix, a channel plan, a one-page campaign brief, then the assets. Run stages 1–3 in one chat. Run stage 4 in a fresh chat, because a model reviewing its own draft shares its blind spots.
1. Interview
Use first, when you know what you're launching but not what a product marketer would need to plan it.
<context>
I'm launching [launch, e.g. a new reporting feature in our bookkeeping app] and need a launch campaign: a messaging matrix, a channel plan, a campaign brief, then the assets.
Launch size: [launch tier: major launch | feature launch | changelog entry and email]. I am not a marketer.
</context>
<task>
Interview me first: ask the questions a product marketer asks before planning a launch.
</task>
<requirements>
- At most 10 questions, grouped under: the product and offer, segments and targeting (STP), jobs to be done and customer language, proof, goal and metric, budget and timeline, current funnel numbers (AARRR), constraints.
- For each question: why it matters to the campaign, and 2-3 typical answers I can pick from.
- Ask what proof I have (numbers, customers, quotes) and where each comes from.
- Do not write messages, plans or copy yet.
</requirements>
<process>
Ask the questions, then stop and wait for my answers.
</process>2. Options
Use once the interview is answered, to choose a launch strategy before anything is written.
<materials>
[paste the interview questions and my answers]
</materials>
<task>
Propose 2-3 materially different launch strategies for this product.
</task>
<requirements>
- For each: the target segment and its awareness level, why this segment first (STP), the single-minded proposition, the 2 lead channels and why, the split between demand capture and demand generation, the primary metric, and the main risk.
- Mark any proposition that relies on proof I haven't given [NEEDS PROOF].
- Recommend one and say what result in the first 2 weeks would make you switch.
</requirements>
<process>
Give the strategies as a table, then the recommendation, then stop and wait for my choice.
</process>3. Produce
Use after you have chosen a strategy: the full skeleton, filled in for the campaign.
<materials>
Interview answers and the strategy I chose: [paste]
Customer language: [paste interview quotes, reviews or support tickets, verbatim]
Current numbers: [paste, e.g. 10k visits a month, 2% sign-up, 15% trial-to-paid]
</materials>
<context>
Product: [what it is and its price, e.g. Ledgerly Reports, included in the $49/month plan]
Audience: [segment, e.g. owners of US bookkeeping firms with 2-10 staff] · awareness: [awareness: unaware | problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware | most aware]
Target: [number and date, e.g. 200 trials by 30 January]
Budget and timeline: [amount and dates, e.g. $3,000 over 6 weeks, launch on 15 January]
Proof we can use: [paste numbers, customers and quotes; real ones only]
The plan is for [team, e.g. me, a part-time designer and a contractor who runs our ads].
</context>
<examples>
[optional: 1-2 launch emails, ads or pages you like and why; 1 you don't, and why]
</examples>
<task>
A launch campaign whose only goal is [goal: trials | demos | upgrades | purchases]: a messaging matrix, a channel plan, a one-page campaign brief, then first drafts of the core assets, so the team can execute from one document.
</task>
<requirements>
- Messaging matrix: per segment, the job to be done, top pain, awareness level, the single message, 3 supporting points (benefit first, feature as proof), the objection to pre-empt, and the CTA.
- Channel plan: the 2-3 channels that fit where this audience already is, labeled owned, earned or paid, each with budget, a weekly metric, and the result that would make us stop it.
- Campaign brief fields: objective, audience, insight, single-minded proposition, reasons to believe, offer and CTA, channels, mandatories, budget and timeline, KPIs (primary plus guardrails), attribution plan, owner and approvers.
- Assets: a landing page outline with message match to each ad and email, 3 paid ads (one PAS, one AIDA, one Before-After-Bridge), a 3-email launch sequence with subject lines, and a UTM naming convention.
- One audience, one message and one action per asset.
- Voice: [traits, e.g. plain-spoken, warm, no hype]. Mandatories: [paste legal lines, disclosures and brand rules].
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources: write [NEEDS PROOF] where a claim isn't backed by the proof above.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Every asset carries the single-minded proposition and the same CTA.
- Each landing headline repeats the promise of the ad or email that sends traffic to it (message match).
- Every number and claim traces to my materials or is marked [NEEDS PROOF].
- The KPIs can be measured with what we have, and the attribution caveats are stated.
- The plan fits the budget and the team: nothing needs a channel we can't run.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
1. Messaging matrix (table). 2. Channel plan (table: channel | owned, earned or paid | budget | weekly metric | stop rule). 3. Campaign brief (one page, the fields above). 4. Assets, each labeled with its channel and funnel stage. 5. A week-by-week timeline. 6. The assumptions.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
Write the messaging matrix first and check it against the quality bar, then build the rest on it.
</process>4. Review
Use when the campaign is back: open a fresh chat, paste the brief and the campaign, and ask for a ranked critique, not a rewrite.
<materials>
The brief: [paste the stage 3 prompt]
The campaign: [paste]
</materials>
<context>
This is a fresh chat. The campaign below was written in another conversation; review it as someone seeing it for the first time, before anything ships.
</context>
<task>
A review of this launch campaign. Do not rewrite it.
</task>
<requirements>
- Judge against: specific audience, one clear message, benefit-led and feature-proved, awareness fit, honest claims, clear CTA, channel fit, measurable, testable.
- Read each asset as a skeptical member of the audience seeing it for 3 seconds on a phone: what they understand, what they doubt, whether they would click.
- Check message match between every ad or email and its landing page.
- Highlight every claim and say whether the brief's proof supports it; recheck all arithmetic.
- Quote the line behind every finding.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check that every finding names a criterion, quotes the line, and proposes a specific fix.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table: rank | finding | criterion | asset and quoted line | fix, most damaging first. Then one line: ship, fix first, or rethink the strategy.
</output_format>
<process>
Rank the issues by likely effect on the goal; do not produce revised assets.
</process>Goals and loops
In an agent that runs commands and checks its own work, such as Claude Code, the Produce stage can run until it
measurably passes: /goal keeps starting turns until a condition holds, and /loop repeats a prompt or skill on
an interval. The checker reads only the conversation, so every condition below names a check whose output Claude
prints, the constraints that must survive, and a bound. How to write your own:
Goals and loops.
| Task | Completion condition |
|---|---|
| Search ad variants | /goal ads.csv has 15 headlines of at most 30 characters and 4 descriptions of at most 90 (print every length), every claim appears in the proof list, and no two headlines share an angle; or stop after 8 turns |
| Campaign links | /goal python check_utm.py links.csv reports 0 links that break the UTM convention and npx markdown-link-check landing.md 0 dead links (show both summaries); or stop after 6 turns |
| Email sequence | /goal each of the 3 emails has a subject under 50 characters, exactly one call to action and an unsubscribe line (print a row per email); no claim without proof; or stop after 6 turns |
Loops that fit: on launch day, /loop 2h to pull sign-ups and spend (through your analytics MCP server), report CAC against target, and flag any ad whose click-through rate halves.
What a checker can't judge: whether it persuades. Only real traffic in an A/B test tells you, with a sample size planned in advance.
Prompt library
One entry per deliverable a marketer produces, besides the launch campaign in the chain. Quick is for when you're in a hurry; Full is for when the result matters.
Customer-language swipe file
Stage: produce · Use when: your copy sounds like you instead of your customers.
Quick
Here are [source: interview notes | reviews | support tickets | sales-call notes]: [paste]. Extract the exact phrases customers use for the problem, the outcome they want, their objections and the alternatives they name. Group and count them, quoting verbatim.
Then suggest 5 headlines in their words, not ours. Never paraphrase a quote.Full
<materials>
[paste interview notes, reviews, support tickets or sales-call notes, each labeled with its source and date]
</materials>
<context>
Product: [what it is, e.g. bookkeeping software for small firms]
Segment: [segment, e.g. owners of firms with 2-10 staff]
What I'll use it for: [use, e.g. landing page headlines and ad hooks for a launch]
</context>
<task>
A customer-language swipe file: the words customers actually use, organized so I can write copy from it.
</task>
<requirements>
- Extract verbatim phrases for: the problem, the moment it hurts (the "when..." of a job to be done), the outcome they want, their objections, and the alternatives they name.
- Group similar phrases, count how often each appears, and keep the source label on every quote.
- Write 3-5 job statements in "When I..., I want to..., so I can..." form, each backed by quotes.
- Suggest 5 headlines that use their words, and say which quote each comes from.
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources: quote only what is in the materials, and write [NEEDS SOURCE] where a theme has too few quotes to trust.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Every quote appears word for word in the materials.
- Counts are counts, not impressions, and single mentions are labeled as such.
- The headlines make sense to someone who has never heard of us.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table per group (phrase | count | sources), the job statements, then the headlines with their source quotes.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>Landing page
Stage: produce · Use when: you have an ad, email or keyword and need a page that converts the traffic it sends.
Quick
Write a landing page for visitors arriving from [paste the exact ad, email or keyword], who are [segment, e.g. owners of 2-10 person bookkeeping firms] and [awareness: problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware]. Its only goal: [action, e.g. start a free trial].
The headline repeats the source's promise; under 500 words; mark missing proof [NEEDS PROOF].Full
<context>
Product: [what it is and its price, e.g. bookkeeping software, $49/month per firm, 30-day free trial]
Visitors arrive from: [paste the exact ad, email or keyword]
Audience: [segment, e.g. owners of US bookkeeping firms with 2-10 staff] · awareness: [awareness: unaware | problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware | most aware]
Proof we can use: [paste numbers, customers and quotes; real ones only]
Objections we hear: [objections, e.g. migration pain, price, data security]
</context>
<examples>
[optional: a landing page you like and why, e.g. "one button, the proof right under the headline"; one you don't, and why]
</examples>
<task>
A landing page whose only goal is [action, e.g. starting a free trial].
</task>
<requirements>
- Message match: the headline repeats the promise of the ad, email or keyword above, close to its words.
- Structure: headline (the benefit); subhead (who it's for and how, one sentence); primary CTA with the risk reversal under it; social proof; 3 benefits, each proved by a feature; how it works in 3 steps; an FAQ that answers the objections; the CTA repeated.
- For unaware or problem-aware visitors, lead with the problem; for product-aware or most aware visitors, lead with the offer.
- Under 500 words; no navigation or secondary offers.
- Voice: [traits, e.g. plain-spoken, warm, no hype].
- Never invent proof: no numbers, testimonials, logos or quotes beyond those above; write [NEEDS PROOF] where proof is missing.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- The headline-only test: someone who reads only the headline and the button knows what they get and what happens next.
- Every claim is backed by the proof above or marked [NEEDS PROOF].
- One CTA, repeated, that says what happens after the click.
- Every listed objection is answered.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
The page as labeled sections in order (headline, subhead, CTA and so on), with the word count at the end.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
Then give 3 headline angles with their trade-offs, and stop for my choice. After I choose, write the page, then the assumptions.
</process>Ad variants
Stage: produce · Use when: you're starting or refreshing paid search or paid social and need ads built as a test.
Quick
Write 6 [channel: paid search | paid social] ads for [segment, e.g. owners of small bookkeeping firms] who are [awareness: problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware]: 3 angles, 2 ads each, within these character limits: [paste the platform's current limits]. Use only claims from this proof: [paste].
End with which 2 to test first and why.Full
<materials>
Proof we can use: [paste real numbers, customers, quotes]
Platform limits: [paste the current character limits for each field from the platform's help pages]
Keywords, for paid search: [paste]
</materials>
<context>
Product and offer: [what it is, e.g. bookkeeping software, $49/month, 30-day free trial]
Channel: [channel: paid search | paid social | retargeting]
Audience: [segment, e.g. owners of US bookkeeping firms with 1-10 staff] · awareness: [awareness: unaware | problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware | most aware]
Landing page headline: [paste it, so the ads can match it]
</context>
<examples>
[optional: 1-2 ads you like and why, e.g. "names the pain in the first five words"; 1 you don't, e.g. "Revolutionize your workflow!"]
</examples>
<task>
A set of ad variants whose only goal is [goal: trials | demos | purchases | sign-ups], built as a test: distinct angles, each traceable to the proof, ready to upload.
</task>
<requirements>
- 3 angles, 2 ads each; within each angle, one ad uses PAS and the other Before-After-Bridge.
- Paid search: group the keywords by search intent (learn, compare, buy), drop the informational ones and say why, repeat the searcher's words in headlines, and add 10 negative keywords.
- Paid social: a hook for the first line or the first 3 seconds (under 12 words), and an image or video idea per ad.
- Every field within the limits above; count the characters.
- No exclamation marks and no hype words (revolutionary, seamless, game-changing).
- Never invent proof: write [NEEDS PROOF] where a claim goes beyond the proof above.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- The two ads within an angle differ in framework; the three angles differ in promise.
- Each ad matches the landing page headline closely enough that a visitor knows they're in the right place.
- Every character count is within its limit.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table: angle | framework | each field with its character count | CTA | creative idea. Then the 2 ads to test first and why.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>Email sequence
Stage: produce · Use when: you need onboarding, nurture, trial-conversion or win-back emails.
Quick
Write a [sequence: welcome | nurture | trial conversion | win-back] sequence of [number, e.g. 5] emails for [segment, e.g. trial users who haven't connected a bank]. Goal: [action, e.g. connect a bank account].
Per email: day, its one job, 3 subject lines under 50 characters, a body under 150 words, one CTA. Include an exit condition, and no fake urgency.Full
<materials>
[paste the proof we can use, any current emails, and the product's onboarding steps]
</materials>
<context>
Sequence: [sequence: welcome | nurture | trial conversion | win-back | launch]
Who gets it: [segment and trigger, e.g. firms that started a trial and haven't connected a bank within 48 hours]
Sender: [sender, e.g. the cofounder by name, plain-text style]
</context>
<examples>
[optional: 1-2 emails you were glad to receive and why; 1 you deleted unread, and why]
</examples>
<task>
An email sequence whose only goal is [action, e.g. connecting a bank account, then converting to paid], with timing and branching, ready to load into our email tool.
</task>
<requirements>
- Per email: the day sent, the one job of the email, 3 subject lines under 50 characters, preview text, a body under 150 words, one CTA.
- Branching: what happens when someone completes the goal, and an exit condition so nobody gets the rest after converting or unsubscribing.
- Plain and specific, no hype, and only real deadlines.
- Compliance: a visible unsubscribe link and a postal address in every email (CAN-SPAM); one-click unsubscribe if we are a bulk sender.
- Voice: [traits, e.g. plain-spoken, warm, no hype].
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources: write [NEEDS PROOF] where support is missing.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Each email can be summarized in one sentence, and no two have the same job.
- Every subject line says something specific; none is clickbait.
- The sequence stops the moment the goal is reached.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A summary table (email | day | job | CTA | exit rule), then each email in full, then what to A/B test first.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>SEO content plan
Stage: produce · Use when: you want content that brings in buyers, not just traffic.
Quick
Turn these questions prospects ask on sales calls into an SEO content plan: [paste]. Per question: target query, search intent, funnel stage, the page type that tends to rank, a working title, and the page it links to.
Don't invent search volumes; I'll check them in an SEO tool.Full
<materials>
[paste questions from sales calls, support tickets or community threads, verbatim]
[optional: paste keyword data exported from your SEO tool]
</materials>
<context>
Product: [what it is, e.g. bookkeeping software for small firms]
Audience: [segment, e.g. owners of firms with 2-10 staff]
What the content should drive: [goal: trials | demo requests | newsletter sign-ups | awareness]
Existing pages: [paste the URLs and titles of pages we already have]
Capacity: [capacity, e.g. 2 articles a month, written by me]
</context>
<task>
An SEO content plan built from real buyer questions, ordered so I write the pages most likely to bring in buyers first.
</task>
<requirements>
- Per piece: target query, search intent (learn, compare, buy, navigate), funnel stage (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU), the page type that tends to rank for it (guide, comparison, template, tool), a working title, and the existing page it should link to.
- Group the pieces into topic clusters, each with a pillar page.
- Follow Google's guidance on helpful, people-first content: each piece must answer the question better than what ranks now, from our own experience.
- Never invent search volumes, difficulty scores or rankings: write [VERIFY IN SEO TOOL] where a number would go.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Every piece traces to a question in the materials.
- Intent matches page type: no product page for a "how to" query, no guide for a "pricing" query.
- The first 3 pieces are the closest to a buying decision, not the broadest topics.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table (query | intent | stage | page type | title | links to | source question), the clusters as a short list, then the order to write them in.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>A/B test plan
Stage: produce · Use when: you want to know whether a page or email change worked, and whether your traffic can even tell.
Quick
Page: [page, e.g. the trial sign-up page]. Weekly visitors: [visitors, e.g. 2,000]. Current conversion: [rate, e.g. 3%]. Change: [change, e.g. a headline that matches the ad]. Estimate visitors per variant for 80% power and 5% significance to detect [effect, e.g. 3% to 3.6%], showing the formula and each step.
Then how many weeks that takes and, if it's too long, a bigger change to test instead.Full
<context>
Page or email: [page, e.g. the trial sign-up page]
Weekly visitors: [visitors, e.g. 2,000]
Current conversion: [rate and definition, e.g. 3% of visitors start a trial]
Change to test: [change, e.g. a new headline that matches the ad]
Primary metric: [metric: sign-up rate | trial starts | purchases | revenue per visitor]
Guardrail: [guardrail, e.g. trial-to-paid rate must not fall]
</context>
<task>
An A/B test plan with an honest sample size, so I know before starting whether the test can give an answer.
</task>
<requirements>
- Sample size per variant for 80% power and 5% significance, using Lehr's rule of thumb (16 × p × (1 − p) ÷ δ², where δ is the absolute change), showing each arithmetic step; then the duration in whole weeks.
- If it takes more than about 6 weeks, say so and propose a bigger change to test instead.
- One change, one primary metric, one guardrail; the duration fixed in advance; no stopping early when it first looks significant.
- How traffic is split, and exactly what counts as a conversion.
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources: write [VERIFY] beside the sample size so I check it in a calculator such as Evan Miller's.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- The arithmetic is right: recompute it a second way.
- The effect is stated both as an absolute change and as a relative lift.
- The plan says which decision each outcome leads to, including "no difference".
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
Hypothesis, metric and guardrail, sample size with the working, duration, decision rules. Under 300 words.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>Copy review
Stage: review · Use when: an ad, page or email is drafted and you want an expert's critique before it ships.
Quick
Review this [asset: ad | landing page | email | social post] for [segment, e.g. owners of small bookkeeping firms]: read it as someone seeing it for 3 seconds on a phone, then highlight every claim and say whether this proof supports it: [paste proof]. Rank the fixes; don't rewrite.
[paste the copy]Full
<materials>
The copy: [paste]
Proof we have: [paste]
Where traffic comes from: [paste the ad, email or keyword that sends people to it, if any]
</materials>
<context>
Asset: [asset: paid ad | landing page | email | social post | pricing page]
Audience: [segment, e.g. owners of US bookkeeping firms with 2-10 staff] · awareness: [awareness: unaware | problem-aware | solution-aware | product-aware | most aware]
Goal: [action, e.g. start a free trial]
</context>
<examples>
[optional: paste a past asset that performed well, with its numbers, as a benchmark]
</examples>
<task>
A review of this copy before it ships. Do not rewrite it.
</task>
<requirements>
- Judge against: specific audience, one clear message, benefit-led and feature-proved, awareness fit, honest claims, clear CTA, channel fit, measurable, testable.
- Read it as a skeptical member of the audience seeing it for 3 seconds on a phone: what they understand, what they doubt, whether they would click.
- Highlight every claim and say whether the proof above supports it.
- The competitor test: list the lines that would still work with a competitor's name.
- Check message match with the traffic source.
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources; mark every claim the proof doesn't support [NEEDS PROOF].
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Every finding quotes the line and names the criterion.
- Fixes are ranked by likely effect on the goal, not by ease.
- Nothing in the review is a rewrite in disguise.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table: rank | quoted line | criterion | problem | fix direction. Then one line: ship, fix first, or rethink.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>Results and attribution diagnosis
Stage: review · Use when: campaign numbers came back, or channel reports add up to more customers than you got.
Quick
Campaign results by channel: [paste spend, impressions, clicks, sign-ups, customers, revenue]. Our own database shows [count, e.g. 41] new customers. Compute CTR, CPC, CVR, CPA and ROAS per channel, showing the arithmetic.
Then: the biggest drop-off, which numbers attribution may inflate, and 3 changes to test next.Full
<materials>
Platform-reported results by channel: [paste a table: spend, impressions, clicks, sign-ups, customers, revenue]
New customers in our own database: [paste the count and any source data]
Funnel numbers: [paste visitors, sign-ups, activated, paid, still paying at month 3]
</materials>
<context>
Campaign: [campaign, e.g. a 6-week launch, $3,000 across paid search and paid social]
Attribution model in each platform: [model: last click | data-driven | platform default | don't know]
Decision this feeds: [decision, e.g. where to put next month's $2,000]
</context>
<task>
A diagnosis of these results: what worked, where the funnel leaks, how far to trust each channel's numbers, and what to do next.
</task>
<requirements>
- Compute CTR, CPC, CVR, CPA and ROAS per channel, showing each step.
- Find the biggest drop-off in the funnel (AARRR) before recommending more traffic.
- Reconcile platform conversions with our database: explain the gap (attribution windows, view-through, double counting, model choice) and give a range for each channel's real contribution.
- Design one holdout or lift test to measure the largest channel's incrementality.
- Never invent numbers, names, quotes or sources: write [NEEDS SOURCE] where support is missing, and [VERIFY] beside any benchmark you cite.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- The arithmetic is right: recompute each total a second way.
- No recommendation rests on platform ROAS alone.
- Every "cut" or "scale" call says what result would reverse it.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A metrics table, the funnel with the biggest leak marked, a reconciliation table (channel | platform-reported | estimated real range | why), the holdout test design, then 3 next steps.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>Worked example
Weak prompt
Write a Facebook ad for my bookkeeping software.What's wrong
- No audience or awareness level, so the model writes for everyone and leads with features.
- No offer, proof or goal, so it fills the gaps with generic hype ("Revolutionize your workflow!") and invented numbers.
- One draft gives you nothing to test.
- Nothing about format or placement, so the lengths may not fit.
Strong prompt
<context>
Product: Ledgerly, bookkeeping software, $49/month per firm, 30-day free trial, imports from QuickBooks in one click.
Audience: owners of US bookkeeping firms with 1-10 staff · awareness: problem-aware. Month-end close takes them about 6 days and eats weekends; they haven't heard of us.
Proof we can use: 300 firms use Ledgerly; in our survey of 85 customers, the median close fell from 6 days to 2.
Channel: paid social, feed placements.
</context>
<task>
6 paid social ads whose only goal is free-trial starts, built as a test.
</task>
<requirements>
- 3 angles (time back, fewer errors, calm month-end), 2 ads each: one PAS, one Before-After-Bridge.
- Per ad: a hook for the first line (under 12 words), primary text under 125 characters, a headline under 40 characters, a CTA button, and an image idea.
- No exclamation marks, no hype words.
- Never invent proof: no claims beyond the proof above; write [NEEDS PROOF] where you'd want one.
- End with a list of the assumptions you made.
</requirements>
<quality_bar>
Before answering, check your draft against:
- Every number in an ad appears in the proof above, with the same meaning.
- The hook names the problem in the reader's terms.
- The six ads differ in ways a test can measure.
</quality_bar>
<output_format>
A table: angle | framework | hook | primary text | headline | CTA | image idea, with character counts. Then which 2 ads to test first and why.
</output_format>
<process>
Ask me up to 3 questions first if anything missing would change your answer; otherwise go on.
</process>What came back
Illustrative, abridged:
1. Time back · PAS
Hook: Month-end shouldn't cost you a weekend.
Primary (101): Six days of matching bank lines, every month. Ledgerly matches them for you. Try it free for 30 days.
Headline (25): Close month-end in 2 days
CTA: Sign up · Image: a laptop shut on a Saturday morning
2. Time back · Before-After-Bridge
Hook: Picture Friday with the books already closed.
Primary (80): Before: 6-day closes. After: 2. 300 firms already close in 2 days with Ledgerly.
Headline (32): Join 300 firms closing in 2 days
CTA: Sign up · Image: a calendar with 4 days crossed out
3. Fewer errors · PAS …
Test first: ad 2 (strongest proof) against ad 1 (strongest pain).
Assumptions: feed placements only; the trial needs no credit card.How an expert judged it
- Audience and awareness: pass. The hooks name the pain in the reader's terms ("cost you a weekend") before the product, which suits problem-aware readers.
- Testable: pass. The angles differ in promise and each pair differs in framework, so a test can tell them apart.
- Honest claims: fail on ad 2. "300 firms already close in 2 days" merges two separate facts: 300 firms use Ledgerly, and the median close among 85 surveyed customers fell to 2 days. It turns a survey median into a claim about every customer, the kind of objective claim the FTC expects you to be able to substantiate. Ad 1's headline, "Close month-end in 2 days", does the same in a milder way: a median is not a promise. The first quality-bar check ("with the same meaning") was there to catch this; the model didn't apply it, so you have to.
- Test plan: flawed as a result. The suggested test pits the ad with the inflated claim against an honest one, so a "win" would partly measure the exaggeration.
The follow-up
Ad 2 says "300 firms already close in 2 days", but the proof is two separate facts: 300 firms use Ledgerly, and in a survey of 85 customers the median close fell from 6 days to 2. Rewrite only the lines that state or imply a 2-day close for everyone (ad 2's primary text and headline, and ad 1's headline) so each claim keeps its real meaning, e.g. "Customers' median close: 2 days (survey of 85)". Keep everything else, recount the characters, and recheck that the suggested test still compares pain against proof.Judge the output
| Criterion | Good | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Specific audience | you can tell exactly who it's for | "businesses", "everyone", "users" |
| One clear message | one promise per asset, stated early | three ideas competing in one headline |
| Benefit-led, feature-proved | outcome first, proof right after | spec lists, or benefits with no proof |
| Awareness fit | an unaware reader is led to the problem; a product-aware reader gets the offer | pitching features to people who don't know they have the problem |
| Honest claims | every number and testimonial is one you supplied | "trusted by thousands", invented stats, fake urgency |
| Clear CTA | one action, saying what happens next | "Learn more" everywhere, multiple competing CTAs |
| Channel fit | lengths, tone and format match the placement | an essay as a search ad |
| Measurable | a metric and a way to know if it worked | "build awareness" with no measure |
| Testable | variants differ in one meaningful way | ten rewrites of the same idea |
The same checks are built into every <quality_bar> on this sheet, so the model applies them before you see a draft;
use the table to check what comes back, starting with honest claims: the model's most common and most costly failure.
Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for tactics before strategy | you get a generic "post on all channels" plan | give ICP, positioning and goal; ask for 2 channels, not 9 |
| Hype words ("revolutionary", "seamless") | readers skip them; nothing is said | ban them in the prompt; ask for specifics and customer language |
| Invented proof | false claims break trust and can break advertising law (the FTC bans fake reviews and requires disclosure of paid endorsements) | supply proof; ask for [NEEDS PROOF] where it's missing; ask the model to flag claims |
| Trusting the model's benchmarks | "typical CTR is 2%" may be invented or stale | ask for sources and check them; use your own baseline |
| Sending traffic to the homepage | no message match; low conversion | one landing page per campaign promise |
| Believing platform ROAS | platforms over-claim and double count | reconcile with revenue; run holdout tests |
| A/B testing on tiny traffic | results are noise | test big changes; estimate sample size first |
| Peeking and stopping early | false winners | fix duration in advance |
| Buying email lists | spam complaints, blocklisting, legal risk | build a list with consent; keep it clean |
| Fake urgency and dark patterns | short-term lift, long-term distrust, legal risk | only real deadlines and honest scarcity |
| One draft only | nothing to compare or test | ask for distinct angles and a test plan |
References
- Les Binet and Peter Field, The Long and the Short of It (opens in a new tab) (IPA, 2013): balancing brand building and sales activation
- Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan, "Know Your Customers' 'Jobs to Be Done'" (opens in a new tab) (Harvard Business Review, September 2016): the JTBD framing
- Strategyzer, Value Proposition Canvas (opens in a new tab): customer jobs, pains and gains vs. pain relievers and gain creators
- HubSpot, "The AIDA Model" (opens in a new tab): the attention–interest–desire–action framework with examples
- HubSpot, What Is Inbound Marketing? (opens in a new tab): attract, engage and delight; content-led acquisition
- HubSpot, landing page best practices (opens in a new tab): landing page structure and examples
- Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide (opens in a new tab): how search works and what Google recommends
- Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (opens in a new tab): Google's guidance on content quality
- Ahrefs, Keyword research guide (opens in a new tab) and search intent (opens in a new tab): finding and grouping keywords
- Google Ads Help, About Quality Score (opens in a new tab): expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience
- Google Ads Help, About responsive search ads (opens in a new tab): headline and description counts and character limits
- Meta, Facebook Ads Guide (opens in a new tab): format specs and text recommendations per placement
- Google Ads Help, About attribution models (opens in a new tab): last-click and data-driven attribution
- Meta Business Help Center, About Facebook's attribution system (opens in a new tab): how Meta attributes conversions
- Evan Miller, "How Not To Run an A/B Test" (opens in a new tab) and sample size calculator (opens in a new tab): peeking, and sizing tests
- Gmail Help, Email sender guidelines (opens in a new tab): SPF, DKIM, DMARC, one-click unsubscribe and spam-rate requirements
- Yahoo Sender Hub, Sender best practices (opens in a new tab): Yahoo's bulk-sender requirements
- FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business (opens in a new tab): US commercial email rules
- ICO, Direct marketing and privacy and electronic communications (opens in a new tab): UK rules on marketing email and consent
- Eugene M. Schwartz, Breakthrough Advertising (1966): the five levels of customer awareness