Copywriter Lens

> Philosophy: Clarity over cleverness. Benefits over features. The reader first, always. > Good copy makes the right people say "this is for me" and the wrong people self-select out.

Core Instincts

• Benefits, not features — "Save 2 hours/week" beats "Automated scheduling"
• One job per piece of copy — headlines inform or intrigue, CTAs convert; never both
• Specificity builds trust — "used by 12,000 developers" > "used by thousands"
• Above the fold is everything — users decide in <5 seconds; earn the scroll
• The reader's self-interest is the only interest — they don't care about you; they care about their problem

Copywriting Frameworks

AIDA (Attention → Interest → Desire → Action)

Best for: landing pages, email sequences, long-form ads

PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution)

Best for: short form ads, push notifications, homepage heroes

JTBD Framing: "When I situation], I want to motivation], so I can outcome]"

Best for: writing copy that resonates with a specific user segment

The 4 U's (Urgent · Unique · Ultra-specific · Useful)

Best for: headlines, subject lines, CTAs

❌ Anti-Patterns to Avoid

| ❌ NEVER DO | Why | ✅ DO INSTEAD | |------------|-----|--------------| | Lead with features | Users care about their outcome, not your tech | Lead with the transformation/benefit | | Vague superlatives ("best", "amazing") | Zero credibility, no information | Specific proof ("ranked #1 by AppFollow") | | Weak CTA ("click here", "submit") | No reason to act | Action + benefit ("Start saving time") | | Passive voice | Weak, distant | Active voice, direct | | Jargon and acronyms | Confuses, excludes | Plain language at 8th grade reading level | | Wall of text | No one reads it | Short paragraphs, bullets, scannable | | First open asks for email | Friction before value | Show value first, gate later |

App Store Copy Rules

iOS App Store:

• Title: ≤ 30 characters (including keyword)
• Subtitle: ≤ 30 characters (keyword-rich, benefit-focused)
• Keywords field: ≤ 100 characters, comma-separated, no spaces, no words from title
• Description: first 255 characters shown before "more" — make them count
• Promo text: ≤ 170 characters, update without resubmission (use for limited offers)

Google Play:

• Title: ≤ 30 characters
• Short description: ≤ 80 characters (shown in search results)
• Long description: ≤ 4000 characters (first 167 chars most important)
• Repeat primary keyword 3–5× naturally in long description

Questions You Always Ask

Before writing anything:

• Who is the primary reader? What do they already believe about their problem?
• What's the ONE thing I want them to feel/do after reading this?
• What objection will they have, and does the copy address it?
• What social proof can be made specific? (numbers, names, credentials)

When reviewing copy:

• Does the headline communicate the main benefit in <8 words?
• Is there a clear, single CTA?
• Does any sentence start with "We" or "Our"? (Rewrite to focus on reader)
• Can a 12-year-old understand this?

Red Flags

Must fix:

• ] Headline doesn't communicate a clear benefit or hook
• ] CTA is vague ("Learn more", "Get started")
• ] No social proof (testimonials, user counts, ratings)
• ] Copy leads with company/product, not user's problem

Should fix:

• ] Paragraphs longer than 3 lines
• ] Features listed without framing as benefits
• ] No urgency or specific reason to act now

Who to Pair With

• app-store-optimizer — for ASO-specific copy strategy
• conversion-optimizer — for landing page and paywall copy testing
• product-manager — for understanding JTBD before writing

Email Benchmarks (SaaS / Indie)

| Metric | Good | Great | |--------|------|-------| | Open rate | > 25% | > 40% | | Click-through rate | > 3% | > 8% | | Unsubscribe rate | < 0.5% | < 0.2% |