# Copywriting Frameworks Reference

Headline formulas, page structure templates, CTA patterns, and writing principles for marketing pages. Use when writing or reviewing landing pages, homepages, pricing pages, feature pages, or any conversion-focused surface.

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## Writing Principles

### The Hierarchy
1. **Clarity over cleverness** — If you have to choose, choose clear
2. **Benefits over features** — Features: what it does. Benefits: what that means for the customer
3. **Specificity over vagueness** — "Cut weekly reporting from 4 hours to 15 minutes" beats "Save time on your workflow"
4. **Customer language over company language** — Mirror words from reviews, interviews, support tickets
5. **Active over passive** — "We generate reports" not "Reports are generated"
6. **Confident over qualified** — Remove "almost", "very", "really", "quite"
7. **One idea per section** — Each section advances one argument; build a logical flow down the page

### Quick Quality Check
- Jargon that could confuse an outsider?
- Sentences trying to do too much?
- Passive voice constructions?
- Exclamation points? (remove them)
- Marketing buzzwords without substance? (streamline, optimize, innovative, leverage)
- "We/our" dominating over "you/your"?

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## Headline Formulas

### Outcome-Focused
- `{Achieve outcome} without {pain point}` → "Understand how users experience your site without drowning in numbers"
- `{Achieve outcome} by {how product makes it possible}` → "Generate more leads by seeing which companies visit your site"
- `Turn {input} into {outcome}` → "Turn your hard-earned sales into repeat customers"
- `[Achieve outcome] in [timeframe]` → "Get your tax refund in 10 days"

### Problem-Focused
- `Never {unpleasant event} again` → "Never miss a sales opportunity again"
- `{Question highlighting the main pain point}` → "Hate returning stuff to Amazon?"
- `Stop [pain]. Start [pleasure].` → "Stop chasing invoices. Start getting paid on time."

### Audience-Focused
- `{Key feature} for {target audience}` → "Advanced analytics for Shopify stores"
- `{Key feature} for {target audience} to {outcome}` → "An online whiteboard for teams to ideate together"
- `You don't have to {skill} to {achieve outcome}` → "You don't have to be an SEO pro to rank higher"

### Differentiation-Focused
- `The {opposite of usual} way to {achieve outcome}` → "The easiest way to turn your passion into income"
- `The [category] that [key differentiator]` → "The CRM that updates itself"

### Proof-Focused
- `[Number] [people] use [product] to [outcome]` → "50,000 marketers use Drip to send better emails"
- `{Key benefit of your product}` → "Sound clear in online meetings"

### Additional Formulas
- `The simple way to {outcome}` → "The simple way to track your time"
- `Finally, {category} that {benefit}` → "Finally, accounting software that doesn't suck"
- `{Outcome} without {common pain}` → "Build your website without writing code"
- `What if you could {desirable outcome}?` → "What if you could close deals 30% faster?"
- `Everything you need to {outcome}` → "Everything you need to launch your course"
- `The {adjective} {category} built for {audience}` → "The lightweight CRM built for startups"
- `{Action verb} your {thing} like {admirable example}` → "Market your SaaS like a Fortune 500"

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## Page Structure

### Above the Fold
**Headline** — Single most important message. Core value prop. Specific > generic.
**Subheadline** — Expands headline. Adds specificity. 1-2 sentences max.
**Primary CTA** — Action-oriented. Communicate what they get: "Start Free Trial" > "Sign Up"
**Supporting element** — Social proof count, trust badge, or hero image

### Core Section Types
| Section | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Social Proof | Build credibility | Logos near CTA, stats, specific testimonials |
| Problem / Pain | Show you understand | Mirror customer language, not company framing |
| Solution / Benefits | Connect to outcomes | 3-5 key benefits, not feature list |
| How It Works | Reduce complexity | 3-4 numbered steps |
| Objection Handling | Remove hesitation | FAQ, comparison, guarantee |
| Final CTA | Recap + action | Restate value, repeat CTA, risk reversal |

### Page Templates

**Compact Landing Page** (single offer, cold traffic):
Above fold → Social proof strip → Problem → Solution/benefits → How it works → Testimonials → CTA

**Feature-Heavy Product Page**:
Above fold → Social proof → Core value → Feature 1 (problem → feature → benefit) → Feature 2 → Feature 3 → Testimonials → FAQ → CTA

**Enterprise / B2B Landing Page**:
Above fold (value + credibility) → Problem/stakes → Solution overview → Proof (logos + case study) → How it works → Security/compliance → Testimonials → CTA + Demo request

**Product Launch Page**:
Above fold (bold announcement) → Why now → What it is → Key capabilities → Social proof from beta → Pricing → FAQ → CTA

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## CTA Copy Guidelines

### Weak CTAs (avoid)
Submit, Sign Up, Learn More, Click Here, Get Started, Download

### Strong CTAs (use)
- "Start Free Trial"
- "Get [Specific Thing]" → "Get the Complete Checklist"
- "See [Product] in Action"
- "Create Your First [Thing]"
- "[Action] for Free"

### Formula
`[Action Verb] + [What They Get] + [Qualifier if needed]`
- "Start My Free Trial"
- "See Pricing for My Team"
- "Download the 2025 Report"

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## Page-Specific Copy Guidance

### Homepage
- Serve multiple audiences without being generic
- Lead with broadest value proposition
- Provide clear paths for different visitor intents ("I'm a designer" / "I'm an engineer")
- Don't try to close — guide toward the right next page or CTA

### Landing Page
- Single message, single CTA — remove navigation if possible
- Match headline exactly to the ad or email that sent traffic here
- Complete the argument on one page; don't assume they'll come back

### Pricing Page
- Help visitors choose the right plan — answer "which is right for me?"
- Make recommended plan obvious (badge, highlight, preselected)
- Address the top 3-4 objections in an FAQ
- Annual toggle with savings stated in dollars and percentage

### Feature Page
- Connect: feature → benefit → outcome (not feature → feature → feature)
- Show use cases and examples, not just capabilities
- Clear path to try or buy at the bottom

### About Page
- Tell the story of why this exists (founding insight or problem)
- Connect mission to customer benefit
- Still include a CTA — this is often a high-intent page

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## Writing for Trust

### Social Proof Placement
- Customer logos: above the fold (strip) and near primary CTA
- Testimonials: specific quote + name + title + company + photo; near the claim they validate
- Numbers: exact figures beat vague ("10,247 teams" not "thousands of teams")
- Reviews: third-party star ratings add credibility you can't self-claim

### Objection Handling
Name the objection directly, then resolve it:
- "What if it's not right for us?" → Money-back guarantee / free trial
- "How long does setup take?" → "Live in 10 minutes, no IT required"
- "Is my data secure?" → SOC 2 Type II, encryption at rest, specific certifications

### Risk Reversals
- "Free 14-day trial, no credit card required"
- "Cancel anytime — no questions asked"
- "30-day money-back guarantee"
- "Free migration assistance"

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## Copy Anti-Patterns

Never:
- Start a CTA with "Click here" or "Learn more" — be specific about the outcome
- Use passive voice in problem statements ("An error was encountered")
- Hedge: "This might help", "You may want to", "Perhaps consider"
- Restate the heading in the first sentence of body copy
- Write "Successfully saved" when "Saved" says the same in half the words
- Use em dashes — use commas, colons, or periods instead
- Open with "We are pleased to announce..." or "We are excited to share..."
