Marketing Content Skill

Overview

Enable marketing-strategist agents to produce high-quality, data-driven marketing content using proven frameworks, structured workflows, and measurable performance loops.

This skill covers the full content lifecycle:

• Strategy → audience mapping, funnel alignment, channel selection
• Creation → copywriting frameworks, platform adaptation
• Operations → editorial calendar, scheduling, workflow
• Optimization → A/B testing, iteration, performance KPIs
• Measurement → engagement, conversion, retention, ROI

When to Use

Invoke when asked to:

• Write or plan marketing copy (ads, emails, blog posts, social)
• Build or maintain an editorial calendar
• Design a content campaign with objectives and KPIs
• Optimize existing content performance
• Conduct audience segmentation for content targeting
• A/B test content variants
• Adapt content for a specific platform (LinkedIn, TikTok, Email, etc.)

Enforcement Hooks

Input validated against schemas/input.schema.json before execution. Output contract defined in schemas/output.schema.json.

Pre-execution hook: hooks/pre-execute.cjs Post-execution hook: hooks/post-execute.cjs

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Content Strategy Framework

Step 1: Audience Mapping

Before writing a single word, define:

• Who: Primary audience segment (demographics, psychographics, intent signals)
• Where: Platform/channel they are on
• When: Buying stage / funnel position (Awareness → Consideration → Decision)
• Why: Pain point or aspiration driving search/scroll

Audience Awareness Stages → Framework Match:

Awareness Stage	Best Framework	Why
Unaware (cold)	AIDA, PAS	Build attention first; introduce problem
Problem-aware	PAS, BAB	Lead with pain, show resolution
Solution-aware	4Ps, FAB	Evidence-based; translate features to value
Product-aware	FAB, BAB	Show transformation; competitor contrast
Most aware	Direct CTA	Skip education; they are ready

Step 2: Content Pillar Definition

Organize content into 3-5 pillars per brand/product:

1. Educational: Solves a problem (SEO-driven, evergreen)
2. Inspirational: Shows aspiration, transformation (social-first)
3. Promotional: Drives direct action (conversion-focused)
4. Community: User-generated, testimonials (trust signals)
5. Behind-the-Scenes: Builds brand personality (engagement)

Step 3: Channel Selection

Channel	Content Type	Goal	Cadence
Blog/SEO	Long-form evergreen, 1500-3000 words	Organic traffic	2-4x/month
LinkedIn	Thought leadership, case studies	B2B awareness	3-5x/week
Email	Segmented newsletters, drip sequences	Retention + conversion	1-3x/week
TikTok/Reels	Short-form video, <60s hooks	Discovery + top-of-funnel	Daily
Facebook	Carousel, events, community posts	Community + retargeting	3-5x/week

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Copywriting Patterns

AIDA Framework (Cold Audience)

ATTENTION: Grab with bold claim, stat, or question
INTEREST:  Explain relevance to reader's situation
DESIRE:    Show transformation, testimonials, proof
ACTION:    Single clear CTA (avoid multiple options)

Example (Email subject + body):

Subject: "68% of marketers are wasting their content budget"
[ATTENTION] Most companies publish content nobody reads.
[INTEREST]  The difference? A documented content strategy.
[DESIRE]    Teams using structured content plans see 3x ROI.
[ACTION]    Download the 2025 Content Strategy Playbook →

PAS Framework (Problem-Aware Audience)

PROBLEM:   Name the exact pain point
AGITATE:   Amplify the consequences of inaction
SOLUTION:  Present your offer as the logical answer

BAB Framework (Transformation Stories)

BEFORE:    Describe life with the problem
AFTER:     Paint the aspiration/desired state
BRIDGE:    Explain how your product/service creates the bridge

4Ps Framework (Informed/Warm Audience)

PROBLEM:   State the problem (brief; audience already aware)
PROMISE:   Make a specific, believable claim
PROOF:     Evidence (stats, case studies, testimonials)
PROPOSAL:  Concrete offer with CTA

FAB Framework (Product Copy)

FEATURE:   What the product has/does
ADVANTAGE: Why that feature matters
BENEFIT:   How it improves the customer's life

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Platform-Specific Content Guidelines

TikTok / Instagram Reels

• Hook in first 1-3 seconds — text overlay + strong visual
• Ideal length: 15-30s (watch-through rate drops sharply after 30s)
• Use trending audio (2x engagement lift vs. original audio)
• Captions: conversational, 3-5 sentences, include 3-5 relevant hashtags
• CTA: "Follow for more", "Comment your answer", "Link in bio"
• Content types: tutorials, trends, POV, behind-the-scenes

LinkedIn

• Long-form posts: 1200-1500 characters for maximum reach
• Hook (first line must standalone as preview): bold claim or question
• Structure: Hook → Story/Data → Insight → CTA
• Posting time: Tuesday–Thursday, 8-10am or 12-2pm (business timezone)
• Images: native documents (carousels) outperform external links by 3x
• Avoid: external links in post body (kills reach); put in comments

Email

• Subject line (A/B test mandatory): 40-60 characters, include power word
• Preview text: 85-100 characters, extends subject line promise
• Single CTA per email (multiple CTAs reduce click rate by 25%)
• Segmentation: separate sequences by funnel stage and behavior
• Cadence: max 3x/week; nurture sequences: 7-10 emails over 2-4 weeks
• Mobile-first layout: single column, 600px max width, 16px minimum font

Blog / SEO

• Primary keyword in H1, URL slug, first 100 words, at least 2 H2s
• Target featured snippet with direct answer paragraph (40-60 words)
• Internal links: minimum 3 relevant internal links per post
• Word count: 1500-3000 words for competitive SERP positions
• Schema markup: Article or HowTo depending on content type
• Update cadence: refresh top posts every 12-18 months

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Editorial Calendar Management

Calendar Structure

Month View:
- Content pillars assigned to week blocks
- Platform rotation (ensures channel balance)
- Campaign anchors (product launches, seasonal events, holidays)
- Buffer capacity (20% reserved for reactive/trending content)

Week View:
- Monday: Brief writer + assign assets
- Tuesday-Wednesday: Draft creation
- Thursday: Review + edits
- Friday: Schedule/publish

Content Brief Template

## Content Brief

**Title/Working Headline**: [H1 target]
**Content Type**: Blog / Email / Social / Ad
**Platform**: [channel]
**Pillar**: Educational / Inspirational / Promotional / Community
**Framework**: AIDA / PAS / BAB / 4Ps / FAB
**Target Audience**: [segment + awareness stage]
**Primary Goal**: [Awareness / Traffic / Lead / Conversion]
**Primary Keyword/Topic**: [keyword or topic]
**CTA**: [exact text + destination]
**Due Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Assigned To**: [human / AI / both]
**Word Count / Length**: [target]
**Assets Needed**: [images, video, graphics]

Workflow States

1. IDEATION → Content brief drafted
2. IN_PROGRESS → Draft being written
3. REVIEW → Awaiting approval
4. SCHEDULED → Approved + in queue
5. PUBLISHED → Live
6. MEASURING → Post-publish tracking window (7-30 days)

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A/B Testing Workflow

Test Design Protocol

1. HYPOTHESIS: "Changing X to Y will increase Z because [reason]"
2. VARIABLE: Isolate ONE variable per test (subject line, CTA, headline, image)
3. SAMPLE: Minimum 500 impressions per variant for statistical significance
4. DURATION: Run minimum 7 days to account for day-of-week variance
5. METRIC: Define primary metric BEFORE running (CTR, conversion rate, open rate)

Test Backlog (Priority Order)

Variable	Impact	Effort	Recommended Order
Email subject line	High	Low	1st
Ad headline	High	Low	2nd
CTA text	High	Low	3rd
Landing page hero	High	Medium	4th
Email send time	Medium	Low	5th
Content format (video vs. static)	High	High	6th

Test Result Logging

{
  "test_id": "email-subject-2026-03",
  "variable": "subject_line",
  "variant_a": "68% of marketers waste their budget",
  "variant_b": "Is your content strategy costing you money?",
  "metric": "open_rate",
  "result_a": 0.24,
  "result_b": 0.31,
  "winner": "b",
  "confidence": 0.95,
  "applied_to": "all future campaign emails",
  "date": "2026-03-01"
}

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Campaign Planning

Campaign Structure

CAMPAIGN NAME: [descriptive + date range]
OBJECTIVE:     [SMART goal: Awareness / Traffic / Leads / Revenue]
AUDIENCE:      [Primary segment + targeting parameters]
BUDGET:        [total + channel allocation]
CHANNELS:      [ranked by expected ROI]
TIMELINE:      [start → warm-up → peak → wind-down → analysis]
KPIs:          [primary metric + 2-3 supporting metrics]
CONTENT MAP:   [content pieces by channel and funnel stage]

Campaign Content Map (Example)

Funnel Stage	Channel	Content Type	Framework	Goal
Awareness	TikTok	30s tutorial video	AIDA	Reach 50k
Awareness	Blog	SEO article	Educational	1000 organic visits
Consideration	Email	Drip sequence (5 emails)	PAS	500 nurture enrollments
Conversion	Email	Offer email	4Ps	50 conversions
Retention	Email	Onboarding sequence	FAB	80% activation rate

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Content Performance KPIs

Tier 1: Engagement (Content Quality Signal)

KPI	Definition	Target Benchmark
Engaged sessions	Sessions >10s with interaction	>60% of sessions
Scroll depth	% of page scrolled	>50% to 75% mark
Time on page	Average seconds spent	Varies by content type
Social shares	Organic amplification	>1% of views

Tier 2: Conversion (Business Impact Signal)

KPI	Definition	Target Benchmark
CTR (organic)	Click-through rate from SERP	>3%
Email open rate	Opens / delivered	>25%
Email CTR	Clicks / opened	>3%
Content conversion rate	CTA completions / visitors	>2%

Tier 3: Retention & Loyalty

KPI	Definition	Target Benchmark
Return visit rate	% of visitors who return	>20% in 30 days
Email list growth rate	Net new subscribers / total	>5% monthly
Unsubscribe rate	Churned / sent	<0.5%

Tier 4: ROI

KPI	Definition	Target Benchmark
Content ROI	(Revenue attributable - cost) / cost	>200%
Cost per lead	Total content cost / leads	Varies by industry
Customer acquisition cost via content	Total cost / customers	Trending down

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Iron Laws

1. ALWAYS match copywriting framework to audience awareness stage — using AIDA for a product-aware audience wastes attention; using FAB for a cold audience loses them before they care.
2. NEVER publish content without a measurable KPI defined first — content without a success metric cannot be optimized and cannot prove ROI.
3. ALWAYS A/B test one variable at a time — testing multiple variables simultaneously makes it impossible to attribute performance changes to a single cause.
4. NEVER use a one-size-fits-all content format across platforms — each platform's algorithm rewards native content formats; cross-posting without adaptation produces 50-80% lower organic reach.
5. ALWAYS maintain human editorial oversight for AI-drafted content — AI handles research, structure, and drafts; human editors ensure brand voice, factual accuracy, and strategic alignment.

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Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Correct Approach
Using AIDA for product-aware audience	Over-educates audience that already knows the problem	Use 4Ps or FAB; lead with proof and offer
Cross-posting identical content to all platforms	Platform algorithms penalize non-native formats	Adapt format, length, and tone per platform
No A/B testing before scaling ad spend	Intuition-based creative selection leaves 30-40% CTR on the table	Test headlines + CTAs first; scale winners
Measuring pageviews as content success	Pageviews measure traffic not content quality	Track engaged sessions and conversion rate
Publishing without a content brief	Inconsistent messaging, poor SEO, no clear CTA	Require brief for every piece before writing starts
Writing for search engines, not humans	High bounce rate, low engagement, penalized by Google	Write for humans first; optimize secondarily

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Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)

Before starting: Read .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

After completing:

• New pattern → .claude/context/memory/learnings.md
• Issue found → .claude/context/memory/issues.md
• Decision made → .claude/context/memory/decisions.md

ASSUME INTERRUPTION: If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.