---
slug: "marketing-skill"
source_type: "skill_md"
source_url: "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/arturseo-geo/marketing-skill@main/SKILL.md"
repo: "https://github.com/arturseo-geo/marketing-skill"
source_file: "SKILL.md"
branch: "main"
---
---
name: marketing
description: Plan, write, and optimize marketing campaigns, funnels, ad copy, personas, positioning, and go-to-market strategy. Use this skill whenever the user mentions marketing campaigns, ad copy, Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, PPC, paid search, audience personas, customer avatars, messaging frameworks, brand positioning, value propositions, StoryBrand, $100M Offers, Hormozi, scorecard marketing, UTM tracking, A/B testing, conversion rate optimization (CRO), email marketing, cold email, B2B outreach, churn prevention, onboarding optimization, funnels, lead generation, free tool strategy, product launches, go-to-market (GTM) plans, competitive analysis, marketing psychology, attribution models, or customer journey mapping. Also trigger for requests involving marketing strategy, channel selection, budget allocation, or any deliverable intended to attract, convert, or retain customers.
---

# Marketing Skill

## Reference Files

This skill includes detailed reference guides:
- `references/frameworks.md` — Marketing frameworks (StoryBrand, $100M Offers, AIDA, PAS, BAB, 4Ps, Jobs-to-Be-Done)
- `references/ad-copy.md` — Ad copy templates and best practices for Google, Meta, LinkedIn
- `references/email.md` — Email marketing: sequences, cold outreach, subject lines, deliverability
- `references/analytics.md` — UTM tracking, attribution models, KPIs by channel, A/B testing

---

## Core Frameworks

### Messaging Hierarchy (build this first)
Before writing any copy, establish:
1. **Who**: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) — role, company size, pain, goal
2. **Problem**: The specific pain, cost of the problem, why it matters now
3. **Solution**: What you offer + the mechanism (how it works)
4. **Proof**: Stats, testimonials, case studies, credentials
5. **CTA**: The single next step you want them to take

### Positioning Statement
Before any campaign, nail this:
> For [target audience] who [situation/need], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitor/alternative], we [differentiator].

### Value Proposition Canvas
| Customer Side | Product Side |
|---|---|
| Jobs to be done | Products & services |
| Pains | Pain relievers |
| Gains | Gain creators |

Map each customer pain/gain to a specific product feature. If a feature does not map to a pain or gain, question whether to promote it.

---

## Audience Personas

When building a persona, capture:
- **Name + Role**: e.g., "Marketing Manager Maria"
- **Demographics**: Age range, company type/size, seniority
- **Goals**: What does she want to achieve?
- **Pain Points**: What keeps her up at night?
- **Objections**: Why might she NOT buy?
- **Watering Holes**: Where does she consume content? (LinkedIn, Reddit, podcasts...)
- **Buying triggers**: What event causes her to start looking for a solution?
- **Success metric**: How does she measure if your product worked?
- **Budget authority**: Does she have budget control or does she need to convince a decision-maker?
- **Preferred content formats**: Long-form articles, short video, podcasts, tools?

Output as a one-page persona card.

### Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) Interview Questions
Use when building personas from scratch:
1. When did you first start looking for a solution like this?
2. What was happening in your life/business that triggered the search?
3. What solutions did you try before? Why did they fail?
4. What would make this a perfect solution for you?
5. What almost stopped you from buying?

---

## Campaign Planning

### Campaign Brief Template
```
Campaign Name:
Goal: [Awareness / Lead gen / Conversion / Retention]
Target Audience: [Persona name]
Core Message: [One sentence — the "so what"]
Offer: [What are we giving/selling]
Channels: [Paid / Organic / Email / Social]
Timeline: [Start → End]
Budget: [$]
KPIs: [CPA / CPL / ROAS / CTR / Conversion rate]
Tracking: [UTM convention, pixels, conversion events]
```

### Channel Selection Matrix
| Channel | Best For | Typical CPA Range | Time to Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | High-intent demand capture | $20–$150 (B2B) | 2–4 weeks |
| Meta Ads | Awareness, retargeting, DTC | $5–$50 | 2–6 weeks |
| LinkedIn Ads | B2B lead gen, enterprise | $50–$200 | 4–8 weeks |
| SEO / Content | Long-term organic traffic | $0 (time cost) | 3–12 months |
| Email | Nurture, retention, reactivation | $1–$5 | Immediate |
| YouTube Ads | Awareness, education | $10–$30 | 4–8 weeks |
| Reddit Ads | Niche communities, dev tools | $5–$30 | 2–4 weeks |
| Podcast sponsorship | Brand awareness, trust | $15–$50 CPM | 1–3 months |

### RACE Funnel Mapping
| Stage | Goal | Channels | Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Reach** | Awareness | Paid social, SEO, PR | Impressions, reach |
| **Act** | Engagement | Content, landing pages | CTR, time on page |
| **Convert** | Purchase/sign-up | Email, retargeting, PPC | CVR, CPA, ROAS |
| **Engage** | Retention/LTV | Email, community, CS | Churn, NPS, LTV |

### Full-Funnel Mapping
| Stage | User Mindset | Content Types | Channels | KPIs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Awareness** | "I have a problem" | Blog, social, video, podcast | SEO, paid social, PR | Impressions, traffic |
| **Consideration** | "What are my options?" | Comparison pages, webinars, case studies | Email, retargeting, search | Email signups, MQLs |
| **Conversion** | "I'm ready to buy" | Free trial, demo, pricing page | PPC, direct, email | Trials, demo requests, CVR |
| **Retention** | "Was this worth it?" | Onboarding, support, community | Email, in-app, CS | Activation rate, NPS, churn |
| **Advocacy** | "I love this" | Referral program, reviews, UGC | Community, social, email | Referral rate, reviews, NPS |

---

## Ad Copy

### Google Search Ads (RSA)
- 15 headlines (30 chars max each)
- 4 descriptions (90 chars max each)
- Include: keyword, benefit, CTA, differentiator
- Pin Headline 1 = brand/product; Headline 2 = main benefit
- Use dynamic keyword insertion: `{KeyWord:Default Text}`
- Include at least 2 headlines with numbers/stats
- Include at least 1 headline as a question

### Meta / Social Ads
Formats needed per ad:
1. **Primary text** (125 chars for preview, up to 500)
2. **Headline** (27 chars)
3. **Description** (27 chars)
4. **CTA button** label

Always write 3 variants per ad:
- Pain-focused (agitate the problem)
- Benefit-focused (paint the outcome)
- Social proof / FOMO (what others have achieved)

### LinkedIn Ads
- **Sponsored Content**: Up to 150 chars intro text (desktop truncates at ~150), 70 char headline
- **Message Ads**: Under 500 chars for body, personal tone, single CTA
- **Conversation Ads**: Multi-CTA branching, max 500 chars per message
- Target by: job title, company size, industry, skills, groups
- Best performing: thought-leadership + pain-point messaging
- Avoid: hard sell in first touch; lead with insight or data

### Ad Copy Formula Options
- **PAS**: Problem → Agitate → Solution
- **AIDA**: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action
- **BAB**: Before → After → Bridge
- **4Cs**: Clear → Concise → Compelling → Credible
- **PPPP**: Picture → Promise → Prove → Push

See `references/ad-copy.md` for full templates and examples.

---

## UTM Parameter Builder
Always include UTMs on campaign links:
```
utm_source    = traffic source (google / facebook / newsletter / linkedin)
utm_medium    = channel (cpc / email / organic / social)
utm_campaign  = campaign name (use-hyphens, no spaces)
utm_content   = ad variant (image-1 / headline-a)
utm_term      = keyword (for paid search)
```
Full URL format: `https://example.com/page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring-launch&utm_content=pain-variant`

### UTM Naming Conventions
Standardize across all campaigns:
- **All lowercase**, hyphens instead of spaces
- Campaign names: `{year}-{quarter}-{campaign-name}` e.g., `2026-q1-spring-launch`
- Content labels: `{format}-{variant}` e.g., `video-testimonial-a`
- Never put PII (names, emails) in UTM parameters

See `references/analytics.md` for attribution models and KPI frameworks.

---

## A/B Testing
When designing a test, always specify:
1. **Hypothesis**: "Changing X will improve Y because Z"
2. **Variable**: One change only (headline / CTA / image / offer)
3. **Control vs Variant**: Label clearly
4. **Sample size**: Aim for statistical significance (min. 100 conversions per variant)
5. **Duration**: Run for full business cycles (min. 2 weeks)
6. **Primary metric**: One KPI to declare a winner
7. **Confidence level**: 95% minimum before calling a winner

### What to Test (by impact)
| Priority | Element | Typical Lift |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offer/pricing | 20–100%+ |
| 2 | Headline / hero copy | 10–50% |
| 3 | CTA text and placement | 5–30% |
| 4 | Social proof placement | 5–20% |
| 5 | Form length | 5–15% |
| 6 | Images/video | 5–15% |
| 7 | Page layout | 3–10% |

---

## Go-To-Market (GTM) Plan
For a product launch, structure as:
1. **Launch goal** (revenue target / signups / awareness)
2. **ICP** (who we're targeting first)
3. **Positioning** (what category, vs. whom, why us)
4. **Pricing** (anchoring strategy, tiers)
5. **Channels** (ranked by expected ROI)
6. **Launch timeline** (pre-launch / launch week / post-launch)
7. **Content plan** (what content pieces, where, when)
8. **Partnerships / PR** (co-marketing, media, influencers)
9. **Success metrics** (week 1 / month 1 / quarter 1 KPIs)

---

## Competitive Analysis
| Dimension | Us | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | | | |
| Key features | | | |
| Positioning | | | |
| Target audience | | | |
| Strengths | | | |
| Weaknesses | | | |
| Unique angle | | | |
| Key messaging | | | |
| Distribution channels | | | |

---

## CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)
Landing page audit checklist:
- [ ] Headline matches ad promise (message match)
- [ ] Value prop clear within 5 seconds
- [ ] Single, prominent CTA (above the fold)
- [ ] Social proof present (logos, testimonials, numbers)
- [ ] No navigation bar (for campaign-specific pages)
- [ ] Form fields minimized (ask only what's needed)
- [ ] Mobile-optimized
- [ ] Page load < 3s
- [ ] Trust signals (SSL, money-back, reviews)
- [ ] Objection handling near CTA (FAQ, guarantee)
- [ ] Exit intent offer for high-value pages
- [ ] Progress indicators on multi-step forms

### CRO Prioritization (ICE Framework)
Score each test idea 1–10 on:
- **Impact**: How much will this move the needle?
- **Confidence**: How sure are you this will work?
- **Ease**: How easy is it to implement?

Average score = priority ranking. Run highest-scoring tests first.

---

## Email Marketing

### Email Sequence Types
| Sequence | Trigger | # Emails | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Sign-up | 5–7 | Daily for 3 days, then every 2 days |
| Nurture | Lead magnet download | 5–10 | Every 2–3 days |
| Cart abandonment | Abandoned cart | 3 | 1hr, 24hr, 72hr |
| Onboarding | Trial start | 7 | Day 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 |
| Re-engagement | 30 days inactive | 3 | Day 0, 3, 7 |
| Win-back | Churned | 3 | Day 30, 60, 90 |

### Cold Email Rules
- 5–7 sentences max
- Personalize the first line (reference their company, role, or recent event)
- One ask per email (never two CTAs)
- Follow-up: Day 3, Day 7, Day 14 (breakup email)
- Warm up new domains for 2–4 weeks before outreach
- Keep daily volume under 50 per inbox

See `references/email.md` for full sequences, subject line formulas, and deliverability.

---

## StoryBrand Framework (Donald Miller)
Use when writing homepage, about page, or hero copy:
- **Character**: The customer (not the brand) is the hero
- **Problem**: External (surface) → Internal (how it makes them feel) → Philosophical (why it's unjust)
- **Guide**: Your brand — shows empathy + authority
- **Plan**: 3 simple steps to work with you
- **CTA**: Direct ("Buy Now") + Transitional ("Download free guide")
- **Success**: Paint the transformation
- **Failure**: What's at stake if they don't act

---

## $100M Offers Framework (Alex Hormozi)
Use when crafting offers, pricing pages, or value propositions:
- **Dream Outcome**: What does the customer ultimately want?
- **Perceived Likelihood**: Why will this actually work for them?
- **Time Delay**: How fast will they see results?
- **Effort & Sacrifice**: How easy is it?
- Value Equation: `(Dream Outcome x Perceived Likelihood) / (Time Delay x Effort)`
- Stack bonuses, guarantees, and urgency to increase perceived value without lowering price

### Offer Stack Construction
1. Core offer (the main thing)
2. Bonus 1: Tool/template that removes friction
3. Bonus 2: Training/community that increases likelihood
4. Bonus 3: Speed bonus (get results faster)
5. Guarantee: Risk reversal (money-back, results-based, or hybrid)
6. Urgency/scarcity: Deadline or limited quantity (must be real)

See `references/frameworks.md` for all frameworks in detail.

---

## Scorecard Marketing (lead generation via quizzes)
- Create a 10-20 question assessment in your niche (e.g., "Rate your marketing maturity")
- 5 scoring categories → personalized results page
- Gate results with email opt-in
- Follow up with segmented email sequence based on score

---

## Churn Prevention
1. Exit survey: Capture reason (price / missing feature / not using / competitor)
2. Pause option: Offer 1-3 month pause before cancel
3. Save offer: Discount or plan downgrade based on exit reason
4. Failed payment: 3-email dunning sequence
5. Win-back campaign: 30/60/90 days post-churn

---

## Onboarding Optimization (Time-to-Value)
- Map the activation event (action correlated with retention)
- Remove all friction before that event
- Trigger activation emails at 1hr, Day 3, Day 7 if event not hit
- Measure: Day 1 / Day 7 / Day 30 retention rates

---

## Marketing Psychology Principles
| Principle | Application | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Social proof | Testimonials, user counts, logos | "Join 10,000+ marketers" |
| Scarcity | Limited spots/time (must be real) | "Only 3 spots left this month" |
| Reciprocity | Free value before the ask | Free tool, template, or audit |
| Authority | Credentials, media mentions | "Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch" |
| Loss aversion | Frame as what they lose by not acting | "You're losing $X/month without this" |
| Specificity | Use exact numbers over vague claims | "47% increase" beats "significant improvement" |
| Anchoring | Show the high price first, then the deal | "$2,000 value — yours for $497" |
| Commitment | Start with small yeses before the big ask | Free trial → paid plan → annual |
| Contrast | Place options side by side to guide choice | 3-tier pricing with highlighted "popular" plan |

---

## Free Tool / Lead Magnet Strategy
High-converting ideas: ROI calculator, site grader/audit, template generator, quiz/assessment.
Distribution: dedicated landing page + Product Hunt + SEO for "[niche] calculator" keywords.

### Lead Magnet Hierarchy (by conversion rate)
1. **Tools**: Calculators, graders, generators (highest conversion)
2. **Templates**: Swipe files, spreadsheets, frameworks
3. **Quizzes**: Assessments, scorecards
4. **Reports**: Industry data, benchmarks
5. **Guides**: Ebooks, whitepapers (lowest conversion but highest perceived value)

---

## Output Standards
Always deliver:
- Clearly labeled variants (Variant A, B, C)
- Character counts for ad copy
- Platform-specific formatting
- Recommended next test or follow-up action
- UTM-tagged links where applicable
- Persona alignment (which persona this targets)