# Content Creation Guidelines

## Copywriting Fundamentals

### The Five Elements of Effective Marketing Copy

**1. Attention**
- Lead with the customer's problem or desired outcome, not your product
- Bad: "Our software has advanced AI capabilities"
- Good: "Cut data analysis time from hours to minutes"

**2. Interest**
- Expand on why this matters to them
- What is the business impact? (time saved, revenue increased, risk reduced)
- Use specific numbers/outcomes when possible
- "Most teams spend 40% of their week on manual reporting. Imagine getting that time back."

**3. Credibility**
- Provide evidence: case studies, testimonials, data, third-party validation
- Share customer results with context
- Reference industry benchmarks or standards

**4. Desire**
- Paint a picture of what success looks like with your solution
- Focus on outcomes, not features
- Make it emotionally resonant if appropriate

**5. Action**
- Clear, specific call-to-action (CTA)
- Make it easy: "Schedule a 15-minute demo" vs. vague "Learn more"
- Reduce friction: no forms for first interaction when possible

### Writing for Different Audiences

**C-Suite Executives (CEO, CFO, CRO)**
- Lead with business impact: revenue, cost savings, risk reduction
- Use percentages and dollar amounts
- Short paragraphs, scannable format
- Focus on competitive advantage and strategic outcomes

**Department Heads (VP, Director)**
- Balance business impact with implementation details
- Include resource requirements and team implications
- Address change management concerns
- ROI focus with operational context

**Practitioners (Manager, Specialist)**
- Emphasize workflow improvements and ease of use
- Show how to implement/adopt
- Address adoption barriers (training, change, integration)
- Include step-by-step information

**Technical Decision-Makers**
- Explain technical architecture and integration points
- Include API documentation, security details, scalability info
- Address technical concerns: performance, uptime, data handling
- Provide proof through technical case studies

### Core Copy Principles

**Use Active Voice**
- Bad: "This tool is used by teams to improve productivity"
- Good: "This tool helps teams reclaim 2 hours per week"

**Lead with Benefits, Not Features**
- Feature: "Real-time data integration with 200+ data sources"
- Benefit: "See all your data in one place - no more switching between tools"

**Specificity Beats Generality**
- Bad: "Saves you time"
- Good: "Reduces report generation time from 8 hours to 30 minutes"

**Use Customer Language, Not Internal Jargon**
- Avoid: "Enables multi-tenancy architecture"
- Use: "Each customer gets their own private, isolated workspace"

**Short Sentences. Short Paragraphs.**
- Average sentence length: 12-15 words for web copy
- Use line breaks liberally
- White space makes content more readable

**Show, Don't Tell**
- Instead of: "Very user-friendly interface"
- Show: Screenshot or video demo of the interface

## Content Templates for Different Channels

### Email Subject Lines - Proven Formulas

**Curiosity-Based**
- "The [industry] secret nobody talks about"
- "This might surprise you..."
- "[Name], we found something interesting"

**Urgency-Based**
- "Only 48 hours: [offer]"
- "[Name], your [time period] is ending"
- "Last chance to [benefit]"

**Value-Based**
- "[Benefit] - without [cost/barrier]"
- "[Specific number] [benefit] in [timeframe]"
- "How [company] achieved [result]"

**Personalization-Based**
- "[Name], [specific detail about their company]"
- "[Name], your [industry] peers are doing [thing]"

### Email Body Structure

```
FROM: [Trusted person - often sales person name or marketing team]
SUBJECT: [Proven formula above]

GREETING
Hi [Name],

HOOK (2 sentences max)
[Reference something specific about them or their company]
[Introduce the core idea/problem]

BODY (3-4 short paragraphs)
- Paragraph 1: The problem and why it matters
- Paragraph 2: Why your solution is different
- Paragraph 3: Social proof or specific result
- Paragraph 4: Clear next step

CTA (Single, specific action)
[Schedule/Apply/Start trial] - [specific benefit]

SIGN-OFF
[Your name]
[Your title]
[Contact info]

PS: [Optional hook - often a social proof or scarcity element]
```

### Landing Page Formula

**Headline**
- Same/similar to the ad that drove traffic here
- Should answer: "What is this?" and "Why should I care?" in 6-12 words
- Avoid generic promises; be specific about the transformation

**Subheading**
- Clarifies the headline or adds supporting message
- Often starts with "Without [problem]" or "So [audience] can [benefit]"

**Hero Image/Video**
- Show your product, customer, or outcome - not abstract imagery
- Video with captions for auto-play (sound off)

**Social Proof**
- Customer logos or testimonials above the fold
- Include specific results when possible

**Value Section**
- 3-5 key benefits or outcomes
- Use icons and short copy (1 sentence each)
- Focus on outcomes, not features

**How It Works**
- 3-5 simple steps from current state to desired state
- Use numbers (1, 2, 3) or visual progression
- Keep descriptions to 1-2 sentences

**Testimonial/Case Study**
- Include customer name, title, company
- Specific quote with a result/metric
- Optional: headshot or company logo

**CTA Section**
- Reinforce main benefit
- Make CTA prominent (contrasting color, button)
- Remove navigation options to reduce escape routes
- Offer friction-reducing option (demo < free trial < request proposal < contact sales)

**FAQ**
- Address top objections/concerns
- Group by theme (Security, Implementation, Pricing, etc.)
- Keep answers concise (2-3 sentences)

### Blog Article Structure

**Headline**
- Should include target keyword
- Benefit-driven: "How to [achieve outcome]" or "[Number] Ways to [solve problem]"
- Clear and specific (avoid clickbait)

**Intro (150-200 words)**
- Hook: Why reader should care about this topic
- Explain what they'll learn
- Estimate read time

**Body (organized sections)**
- Use H2 and H3 headers for scanability
- Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
- One main idea per section
- Use examples, data, or stories to illustrate

**Conclusion (100-150 words)**
- Summarize key takeaway
- Reinforce the original problem/outcome
- Soft CTA (whitepaper, template, or trial link)

**Author Bio**
- 2-3 sentences
- Photo, LinkedIn link, background
- Why should reader trust this author

### Social Media Post Framework

**LinkedIn (Professional Network)**
- Length: 150-250 words for engagement
- Lead with insight or question
- Use 2-3 line breaks for readability
- Include 1-2 specific numbers/stats
- Soft CTA: "Thoughts?" or "What's your approach?"
- Image or document attachment for 3-5x more engagement

**Twitter/X (Fast, Timely)**
- Short, punchy copy
- One main idea per tweet
- Include relevant hashtags (2-3)
- Link to longer content when appropriate
- Retweet/respond to relevant conversations

**Facebook (Community & Relationships)**
- More conversational tone than LinkedIn
- Lead with personal story or relatable scenario
- Encourage comments with question
- Keep sentences very short

**Instagram (Visual First)**
- High-quality image/video critical
- Concise caption (20-50 words)
- Use hashtags strategically (10-15 for reach)
- Include CTA in caption or first comment

## Content Quality Checklist

Before publishing any content, verify:

- **Clarity**: Can someone understand the main idea in first 2 minutes of reading/viewing?
- **Accuracy**: All facts, statistics, and claims are correct and current
- **Specificity**: Uses concrete numbers, examples, and outcomes (not generic claims)
- **Benefits Focus**: Emphasizes what reader gets (outcomes) not what you do (features)
- **Action Clarity**: Reader knows exactly what to do next
- **Tone Match**: Matches brand voice and target audience expectations
- **Length Appropriate**: Not too long/short for the format and audience
- **No Jargon**: Any industry terms are either defined or assumed the audience knows
- **Scannable**: Uses headers, short paragraphs, and white space effectively
- **Mobile-Friendly**: Readable on phone screen (if applicable)

## Common Copy Mistakes to Avoid

**Mistake**: Focusing on features instead of benefits
- Bad: "Built with machine learning"
- Good: "Automatically spots patterns humans would miss"

**Mistake**: Assuming reader knows your product/company
- Bad: "Our platform integrates with your existing workflows"
- Good: "Connect our tool to the tools you're already using"

**Mistake**: Being too formal or stiff
- Bad: "Please provide your contact information to facilitate engagement"
- Good: "Let's chat - just add your email and we'll reach out"

**Mistake**: Making unsubstantiated claims
- Bad: "Industry-leading solution"
- Good: "Ranked #1 by G2 for 3 years running"

**Mistake**: Unclear or weak CTAs
- Bad: "Click here"
- Good: "Try free for 14 days" or "See how [Company] uses this"

**Mistake**: Making customer sound generic instead of specific
- Bad: "A large financial services company"
- Good: "[Company Name], a $2B financial services firm with 500 employees"

## A/B Testing Copy

When testing different messaging, change only ONE element at a time:
- **Subject line variations**: Keep email body identical
- **CTA variations**: Same copy, different button text
- **Value prop variations**: Keep design identical
- **Audience variations**: Same copy, different targeting

Test with minimum 1,000 people per variation for statistical significance. Run for at least 2-3 days to account for time-of-day effects.
