Blog Writer

Generate a complete, professional blog post from a brief. The output is a finished article in markdown — ready to paste into a CMS, share with a client, or hand to a web developer.

Use when

• Write a complete, publication-ready blog post from a content brief. Produces the full article text with SEO title, meta description, body with H2/H3 structure, and a closing CTA. Use when the user says "write a blog post", "write a blog article", "write about [topic]", or provides a content brief and wants a finished article. Output is a standalone markdown document — no web page building, no image pipelines.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Read files in references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
4. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• The requested copy asset or idea set in markdown, written to publish, review, or adapt without major rework.

References

• Read references/article-design.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/content-strategy.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/editorial-standards.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/human-voice-standards.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/ideation-and-research.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/reader-experience.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/series-and-launch-engine.md when the article is part of a campaign, lead-nurture path, or launch sequence rather than a standalone post.
• Read references/storytelling.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/topic-ideas.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/writing-craft.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read ../premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md when the article must operate as premium thought leadership, justify a high-value offer, or strengthen proof, authority, and AI-search readiness.

Required Input

Ask for these before writing:

1. Client business name and industry
2. Country / city (default: Uganda/East Africa)
3. Article topic or working title
4. Target reader — who is this for? (job role, situation, problem they have)
5. Search intent — are they looking to learn, compare, or decide?
6. Key questions the article must answer (3–5)
7. Word count target (default: 1,200–1,800 words)
8. Call to action — what should the reader do at the end?
9. Tone — professional / conversational / authoritative (default: professional)

If any input is missing, ask before writing. Do not guess intent.

Article Structure

Generate in this order:

Frontmatter block

Title: [SEO-optimised title, under 60 characters, primary keyword included]
Meta description: [Under 155 characters, includes primary keyword and location]
Primary keyword: [The main search phrase this article targets]
Secondary keywords: [2–3 related phrases]
Estimated read time: [X min read at 200 words/min]

Article body

1. Opening hook (1–2 paragraphs) — do not open with a definition or generic statement. Use one of: a specific scenario the reader recognises, a surprising fact, a question that surfaces a real problem, or a short story with a lesson.
2. Nut paragraph — if the opening uses a story or scenario, follow it immediately with a grounding paragraph that states what the article covers and why it matters.
3. Body sections — 4–7 H2 sections. Each section answers one of the key questions provided. Use H3 subheadings where a section has distinct sub-topics.
4. Practical takeaways — at least one section must give the reader something concrete to act on (a checklist, a decision framework, a step-by-step).
5. Conclusion — reconnect to the opening (full-circle structure). End with a natural, non-pushy CTA.

Writing Standards

Apply the east-african-english skill for language and tone. Also:

• British spelling — organisation, programme, colour, analyse, recognise
• Active voice — 90%+ of sentences. Passive only when the actor is unknown.
• Sentence variety — mix short (8–12 words) and medium (20–28 words). No sentence over 35 words.
• One idea per paragraph — 2–4 sentences each.
• Concrete and specific — use numbers, named places, real examples. No vague abstractions.
• No AI vocabulary — never use: delve, tapestry, landscape (metaphorical), leverage, navigate (metaphorical), foster, realm, game-changer, revolutionary, groundbreaking.
• No filler phrases — cut: "in order to" → "to", "due to the fact that" → "because", "it is important to note that" → state it directly.
• No weak modifiers — cut: really, very, quite, basically, actually, somewhat.
• Take positions — at least 2 clear opinions or recommendations per article. "I recommend" not "one might consider".
• Commit, do not hedge — "This approach works for SMEs" not "This could potentially be a viable option".

For premium thought leadership or lead-generation articles, also apply premium-commercial-writing: build a message spine before drafting, state a clear point of view, make the mechanism visible, add proof density, and structure the article so both readers and AI-search systems can extract the main answer.

SEO Requirements

• Primary keyword in: title, first 100 words, at least one H2, and the conclusion.
• Secondary keywords distributed naturally through body. Never keyword-stuff.
• Internal linking suggestions: note 2–3 places where the client could link to related pages (service pages, about, contact) — mark as [LINK: suggested anchor text → page type].
• External links: suggest 1–2 authoritative sources to cite where data or claims need backing.

Platform Adaptation Notes

If the article will be shared as social content after publication, include at the end:

Social cut-downs:

• LinkedIn post (150 words) — professional tone, key insight as the hook
• Facebook post (80 words) — warmer, question-led
• X/Twitter thread opener (280 characters) — bold claim or surprising fact

Only include this section if the user requests it.

Human Authenticity Gate

All content produced using this skill must pass through the ai-content-humaniser before client delivery. AI-generated or AI-assisted blog drafts must meet the Golden Rule: every article must look, feel, and sound as if it was crafted by the most skilled human writer with genuine expertise in the subject and deep knowledge of the East African reader. Generic, flat, or culturally misaligned output is not acceptable regardless of how efficiently it was produced.

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Quality Criteria

Good output meets all of these:

• Opening hook captures attention without being generic or clichéd
• Every H2 section answers a real question the target reader would have
• At least one section provides a concrete, actionable takeaway
• No banned vocabulary or filler phrases
• Primary keyword placed naturally in title, opening, at least one H2, and conclusion
• British spelling throughout
• Conclusion reconnects to the opening and includes a clear CTA
• Tone matches the client's industry and the East African professional register
• Article reads as written by a human with genuine expertise, not as generated content

References

File	When to Read
references/human-voice-standards.md	If the article risks sounding generic or AI-generated — run the voice checklist
references/writing-craft.md	For sentence structure, opening hook techniques, paragraph rhythm
references/editorial-standards.md	For punctuation, capitalisation, and grammar rules
east-african-english/SKILL.md	For tone calibration, British English spelling list, courteous phrasing
premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md	For premium positioning, proof density, value framing, and SEO/GEO-aware authority structure