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

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:

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

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

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

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)

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)

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"
}

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)

Content Performance KPIs

Tier 1: Engagement (Content Quality Signal)

Tier 2: Conversion (Business Impact Signal)

Tier 3: Retention & Loyalty

Tier 4: ROI

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.

Anti-Patterns

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.