# Marketing Brand > Focus on distribution over creation with the 80/20 principle—brand voice, pillar content strategy, SEO playbook, PR templates, and community building from lurker to ambassador. Use when building brand presence, planning content strategy, crafting PR outreach, or growing a community. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/marketing-brand` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/marketing-brand` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/marketing-brand/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/marketing-brand --- # Marketing & Brand ## Core Principle Spend 20% of your time creating and 80% distributing. The best content nobody sees is worse than good content everyone shares. ## The 80/20 Distribution Rule ``` For every piece of content: 20% — Create it (write, design, record) 80% — Distribute it (repurpose, share, promote, engage) One blog post becomes: → 5-10 social posts (different angles) → 1 email newsletter feature → 1 Twitter/X thread → 1 LinkedIn article → 3-5 comments on related discussions → 1 community post ``` ## Brand Voice Definition ### Voice Attributes Framework ``` Step 1: Choose 3-5 voice attributes Examples: Bold, Approachable, Technical, Witty, Empathetic Step 2: Define each with "this, not that" Bold: Confident opinions, not aggressive arguments Approachable: Casual and clear, not dumbed down Technical: Precise when it matters, not jargon-heavy Step 3: Write sample sentences in your voice On-brand: "Here's what we learned shipping to 1,000 users in 30 days." Off-brand: "We are pleased to announce the successful deployment of..." ``` ### Voice Consistency Checklist | Element | Questions | |---------|-----------| | Tone | Would this sound natural if I said it in conversation? | | Vocabulary | Am I using words my customer uses? | | Perspective | Am I talking about them, not us? | | Energy | Does this match our brand personality? | ## Pillar Content Strategy ### The Content Pyramid ``` PILLAR (1/month) Deep, comprehensive piece — 2,000+ words, original research or framework → Establishes authority on a core topic CLUSTER (4-8/month) Supporting content answering specific questions within the pillar topic → Blog posts, guides, tutorials — 500-1,000 words each MICRO (daily-weekly) Social posts, comments, snippets from pillar and cluster content → Tweets, LinkedIn posts, newsletter highlights, community answers ``` ### Content Calendar Template | Week | Pillar | Cluster Posts | Distribution | |------|--------|---------------|--------------| | 1 | Publish pillar piece | 2 supporting posts | Social, newsletter, communities | | 2 | — | 2 supporting posts | Repurpose pillar into thread + video | | 3 | — | 2 supporting posts | Guest post or podcast pitch | | 4 | Next pillar research | 2 supporting posts | Round up month's best performing | ## SEO Playbook ### Keyword Strategy for Startups ``` 1. Start with long-tail, low competition keywords BAD: "project management software" (DR 90+ competitors) GOOD: "project management for 2-person dev teams" (achievable) 2. Match intent to content type Informational: "how to..." → Blog post, guide Navigational: "[brand] pricing" → Landing page Commercial: "best [tool] for [use case]" → Comparison page Transactional: "[tool] free trial" → Product page 3. Build topical authority Write 10-15 pieces on one topic cluster before moving to the next. Google rewards depth, not breadth. ``` ### On-Page SEO Checklist ``` - [ ] Primary keyword in title, H1, first 100 words, and URL slug - [ ] 2-3 related keywords used naturally throughout - [ ] Meta description under 155 characters with keyword and CTA - [ ] Internal links to 3-5 related pages - [ ] At least one external link to authoritative source - [ ] Images with descriptive alt text - [ ] Page loads under 3 seconds ``` ## PR Templates ### Journalist Pitch Template ``` Subject: [Specific angle] — [Company name] Hi [First name], I noticed you cover [beat]. [One sentence about why this is relevant now.] [Company] just [milestone or launch] — [one sentence on what makes it newsworthy]. Key data point: [Specific metric that makes a journalist's ears perk up.] Happy to share more details or connect you with our founder for a quick chat. No pressure either way. [Your name] ``` ### Press Release Structure ``` Headline: [Company] [Action] to [Benefit for Users] Subhead: [Supporting context with key metric] Para 1: Who, what, when, where, why — the news Para 2: Quote from founder (vision, not feature list) Para 3: Supporting details, context, market need Para 4: Quote from customer or partner (social proof) Para 5: Availability, pricing, where to learn more Boilerplate: About [Company] — one paragraph ``` ## Community Building Framework ### The Lurker → Ambassador Pipeline ``` LURKER (passive reader) → Make content easy to consume without joining Action: Public content, no login walls PARTICIPANT (occasional contributor) → Lower the barrier to first interaction Action: Welcome threads, easy-to-answer prompts REGULAR (consistent contributor) → Recognize and reward consistency Action: Shoutouts, badges, early access to features AMBASSADOR (community leader) → Give ownership and responsibility Action: Moderator roles, co-creation opportunities, advisory board ``` ## Brand Identity System Voice alone is not a brand. A complete brand identity includes visual consistency — colors, typography, and how they're applied. ### Color Palette Structure ``` Every brand needs three color groups: MAIN COLORS (backgrounds, primary text) Dark: #______ — Primary text and dark backgrounds Light: #______ — Light backgrounds and text on dark Mid Gray: #______ — Secondary elements Light Gray: #______ — Subtle backgrounds ACCENT COLORS (CTAs, highlights, differentiation) Primary: #______ — Main accent (buttons, links, emphasis) Secondary: #______ — Supporting accent Tertiary: #______ — Optional third accent RULES: → One accent dominates. Never give all accents equal weight. → Test contrast ratios — 4.5:1 minimum for text on backgrounds. → Document hex values. Don't let "close enough" drift across pages. ``` ### Typography System ``` Choose two fonts maximum: HEADING FONT: Distinctive, personality-driven → Carries the brand's visual identity → Used at 24pt and larger → Example: Poppins, Clash Display, Space Grotesk BODY FONT: Readable, professional → Optimized for long-form text → Used for all body copy and UI text → Example: Lora, DM Sans, Source Serif Pro FALLBACKS: Always define system font fallbacks → Heading: "Poppins", "Arial", sans-serif → Body: "Lora", "Georgia", serif RULES: → Self-host fonts for performance and privacy → Use font-display: swap to prevent invisible text → Keep heading/body pairing consistent across all materials ``` ### Color Application Guidelines ``` Where to apply brand colors: TEXT: → Headings: Main dark color → Body: Main dark color (slightly lighter for secondary) → Links: Primary accent color → Hover states: Darkened accent or underline shift BACKGROUNDS: → Page backgrounds: Light/white → Card backgrounds: Light gray → Hero sections: Dark for impact, light for approachability → CTAs: Primary accent on light, inverted on dark SHAPES & ACCENTS: → Non-text elements (icons, borders, dividers): cycle through accents → Use accent colors sparingly — they lose impact when overused DARK MODE: → Swap main dark ↔ light → Keep accent colors or adjust brightness (not hue) → Test contrast ratios in both modes ``` ## Anti-Patterns | Marketing Theater | Real Marketing | |-------------------|----------------| | Creating content nobody distributes | 80% of time on distribution | | "We need to be on every platform" | Own one channel before adding another | | Brand guidelines nobody follows | 3-5 voice attributes with "this, not that" | | PR blasts to 500 journalists | 10 personalized pitches to relevant writers | | Community = broadcast channel | Community = conversations and relationships | ## Power Move "Build a 90-day content strategy for [product/audience]. Define brand voice with 'this, not that' examples. Map out 3 pillar topics with cluster posts. Then write the first pillar piece and show me how to distribute it across 8+ touchpoints." The agent becomes your marketing engine — creating once, distributing everywhere, and building an audience that compounds. --- > Source: [pingwu/solo-unicorn](https://github.com/pingwu/solo-unicorn) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).