--- name: rampstackco/content-and-copy source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/rampstackco-content-and-copy@1/SKILL.md source_sha256: f31207d525f1 --- # Content and Copy Write or edit content that serves a specific reader and goal. Stack-agnostic. This skill is for general content production. Specialized skills exist for landing pages (`landing-page-copy`) and email (`email-sequences`). --- ## When to use - Writing a blog post or article - Drafting website copy (homepage sections, about, services) - Editing existing content for voice or clarity - Writing how-to guides, listicles, or explainers - Producing knowledge base or help center articles - Adapting brand voice to a specific piece ## When NOT to use - Landing pages with conversion goals (use `landing-page-copy`) - Email campaigns or sequences (use `email-sequences`) - Brand voice definition (use `brand-voice`) - SEO keyword research (use `seo-keyword`) - Content strategy and planning (use `content-strategy`) --- ## Required inputs - The piece to be written or edited - The target reader (specific audience segment) - The goal of the piece (inform, convert, rank, retain, entertain) - The brand voice (or willingness to define it) - Length target and any structural constraints If brand voice is undefined, run `brand-voice` first or use a working voice and document it as you go. --- ## The framework: 5 dimensions Strong content is strong on all five. Weakness on any one drags the rest down. ### 1. Hook The opening earns the read. Most readers decide whether to continue within 3 to 5 seconds. **Strong hooks do one of:** - **Promise specific value.** "By the end, you'll know exactly which X to pick for your situation." - **Surface a tension.** "Most advice on X is wrong. Here's why." - **Open a loop.** A question or scenario the rest of the piece resolves. - **State a contrarian point.** Provided you can defend it. - **Show, don't summarize.** A specific moment or scenario the reader recognizes. **Weak hooks:** - Throat-clearing ("In today's fast-paced world...") - Dictionary-definition openers ("X is a type of Y that...") - Stating the obvious ("Many people struggle with X.") - Vague promises ("This article will explore X.") ### 2. Structure The reader follows the flow without effort. **Common structures:** - **Problem → Solution → Proof.** Most non-fiction. - **List + reasoning.** Listicles with substance, not filler. - **How-to (numbered steps).** Procedural content. - **Compare → Contrast → Recommend.** Comparison and review content. - **Story → Lesson.** Narrative non-fiction. - **Question → Answer → Implication.** Explainers and analysis. Pick a structure. Stick to it. Most weak content fails because the writer drifted between structures. ### 3. Voice The piece sounds like the brand. - Voice attributes consistent throughout (per `brand-voice` definition) - Tone shifts appropriately for context (a serious topic gets a serious tone, even from a playful brand) - Vocabulary preferences honored - Grammar and style standards followed (contractions, em dashes, sentence length) - Reads aloud like the brand would actually talk **Test:** Read a paragraph aloud. Does it sound like the brand? If it sounds like AI, generic marketing, or someone else's voice, edit until it doesn't. ### 4. Substance The piece earns its length. Every paragraph adds something. **Substance comes from:** - **Specifics.** "Roughly 40 percent" beats "many." Names, numbers, examples, data. - **Original perspective.** Your take, not a summary of everyone else's. - **Actionable detail.** What the reader does with this information. - **Honest tradeoffs.** What's NOT true, what doesn't work, what's overhyped. - **Real examples.** Specific scenarios, real customers, real failures. **Lack of substance shows up as:** - Padding ("It's important to note that...") - Restating the same point in three different paragraphs - Generalities that anyone in the category could write - Word counts hit by stretching, not depth ### 5. Closing The piece ends with intention. **Strong closings:** - **Resolve the loop opened in the hook.** - **Issue a specific next action.** What does the reader do now? - **Land a memorable line.** Something quotable. - **Return to the opening.** Echo or invert the first line. **Weak closings:** - Summary that restates the article - "Hope this helps!" or equivalent - A wall of CTAs from unrelated programs - Trailing off with no clear ending --- ## Workflow ### For new pieces 1. **Confirm the brief.** Reader, goal, length, voice. If the brief is vague, do not write yet. 2. **Outline.** Structure first. Headlines and section purposes only. Skip prose until the structure is sound. 3. **Open with the hook.** Write the opening before anything else. If the hook isn't working, the rest won't either. 4. **Draft for substance.** First draft is about getting the substance down. Voice comes in editing. 5. **Edit for voice.** Read aloud. Tighten sentences. Cut padding. Apply brand voice. 6. **Edit for clarity.** Each paragraph: does it earn its place? Each sentence: is the meaning unambiguous? 7. **Pre-publish checks.** Headers in order, no skipped levels, internal links present, image alt text written, SEO basics applied (title, meta, slug). ### For editing existing content 1. **Read the whole piece first.** Do not edit on first read. Understand it before changing it. 2. **Identify what's working.** Note the strong sections so you don't damage them. 3. **Identify what's broken.** Voice mismatches, weak structure, vague claims, padding. 4. **Edit by priority.** Structure first (move sections, cut sections). Then substance (strengthen claims). Then voice. Then sentence-level polish. 5. **Read aloud.** Catch awkward phrasing the eye misses. --- ## Failure patterns - **Writing without a brief.** Without reader, goal, and voice defined, the piece drifts. - **Burying the lead.** The most important thing is in paragraph 8 because the writer "got there." - **Padding to hit word count.** Length should serve the reader, not the production schedule. - **Generic voice.** Sounds like every other article in the category. Brand voice neutralized. - **Weak transitions.** Sections feel disconnected. Reader has to do the work the writer should have done. - **No closing.** The piece runs out instead of ending. - **Edit by adding.** Fixing weak content by piling on more words. Strong editing usually cuts. - **Ignoring the headers.** Headers carry navigation weight. Bad headers fail readers who scan. --- ## Output format Default output is a markdown document at `[content-slug].md` ready to import into the CMS. Structure: ```markdown # [H1: matches the title or tightly paraphrases] [Hook paragraph. Earns the read in 3 to 5 seconds.] [Body content with H2 sections, H3 subsections where useful.] ## [H2 section heading - descriptive, not clever] [Section content.] ### [H3 if needed] [Subsection content.] ## [H2 section heading] [Section content.] ## [Closing section] [Closing that resolves and points to next action.] ``` Front-matter for SEO and CMS: ```yaml --- title: [SEO title, 50 to 60 chars] description: [Meta description, 120 to 160 chars] slug: [url-slug] author: [author] date: [YYYY-MM-DD] last_updated: [YYYY-MM-DD] tags: [tag1, tag2] category: [category] --- ``` --- ## Reference files - [`references/content-brief-template.md`](references/content-brief-template.md) - The brief that should exist before any content is written. - [`references/content-edit-checklist.md`](references/content-edit-checklist.md) - Pre-publish editing checklist.