az9713 Copy Optimizer
Use this skill to apply evidence-backed tactical improvements to marketing copy. Based on the research from "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive."
Core Tactics
1. Framing Beats Force
Principle: How you frame a message matters more than the message itself.
| Weak Framing | Strong Framing |
|---|---|
| "Don't write bad code" | "Join developers who write clean code" |
| "Avoid slow deployments" | "Ship as fast as the best teams" |
| "Stop wasting time" | "Spend your time on what matters" |
Application: Reframe negatives as positives. Show what TO DO, not what to avoid.
2. Specific Social Proof
Principle: People follow others LIKE THEM more than generic crowds.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| "Join thousands of users" | "Join 10,000 founders like you" |
| "Loved by developers" | "Loved by senior engineers at Stripe and Shopify" |
| "Many companies trust us" | "Trusted by 500 YC startups" |
Application: Add specificity that matches your target audience's identity.
3. Loss Aversion
Principle: Pain of losing is 2x more powerful than pleasure of gaining.
| Gain Frame | Loss Frame (2x stronger) |
|---|---|
| "Increase productivity" | "Stop losing 10 hours per week" |
| "Get more done" | "Stop leaving money on the table" |
| "Improve code quality" | "Stop shipping bugs to production" |
Application: Reframe benefits as avoided losses.
4. Similarity Shortcut
Principle: Shared identity increases compliance dramatically.
| Generic | Identity-Matched |
|---|---|
| "A tool for teams" | "Built for remote-first teams" |
| "For developers" | "For developers who hate context-switching" |
| "Business software" | "For founders who code" |
Application: Identify and call out shared characteristics.
5. Commitment Ladder
Principle: Small yeses lead to big yeses.
| Asking Too Much | Commitment Ladder |
|---|---|
| "Sign up for annual plan" | 1. "Try free" → 2. "Upgrade monthly" → 3. "Save with annual" |
| "Buy now" | 1. "See demo" → 2. "Start trial" → 3. "Add payment" |
Application: Create a series of small commitments before the big ask.
6. Contrast Effect
Principle: Show the alternative first to make your offer shine.
| Without Contrast | With Contrast |
|---|---|
| "$99/month" | "Skip the $50k enterprise contract. Just $99/month." |
| "Easy setup" | "No more 6-week implementations. Set up in 5 minutes." |
Application: Reference the painful alternative before showing your solution.
7. Labeling
Principle: People become what you call them.
| No Label | With Label |
|---|---|
| "Try our tool" | "You're the type of developer who ships fast. This is your tool." |
| "Join us" | "Join the engineers who refuse to compromise on quality" |
Application: Label your audience as the person they want to be.
Optimization Process
Step 1: Analyze Current Copy
Identify which tactics are missing or weak.
Step 2: Apply Tactics
Rewrite using the relevant techniques.
Step 3: Compare Versions
Show before/after with specific improvements noted.
Output Format
## Copy Optimization Report
### Original Copy
> [The original text]
### Tactics Applied
1. **[Tactic Name]**
- Before: [Original phrase]
- After: [Optimized phrase]
- Why: [Explanation]
2. **[Tactic Name]**
- Before: [Original phrase]
- After: [Optimized phrase]
- Why: [Explanation]
### Optimized Copy
> [The fully optimized version]
### Additional Opportunities
- [Other tactics that could be applied]
Quick Reference: Tactic Selection
| If the copy is... | Apply this tactic |
|---|---|
| Negative/preachy | Framing (reframe as positive) |
| Generic social proof | Specific Social Proof |
| Benefit-focused | Loss Aversion (flip to loss) |
| Not connecting with audience | Similarity Shortcut + Labeling |
| Asking too much upfront | Commitment Ladder |
| Missing context | Contrast Effect |
Examples
Before
"Our AI helps developers write better code faster."
Analysis
- Generic claim (no specificity)
- Gain-framed (not using loss aversion)
- No identity match
- No contrast
After (All Tactics Applied)
"Stop losing hours to debugging. Join 10,000 senior engineers who ship 3x faster with context-aware AI. Unlike generic autocomplete, we read your entire codebase."
Tactics Used
- Loss Aversion: "Stop losing hours to debugging"
- Specific Social Proof: "10,000 senior engineers"
- Labeling: "senior engineers who ship 3x faster"
- Contrast: "Unlike generic autocomplete"
- Similarity Shortcut: "your entire codebase"