Copywriting skill
Copywriting: a step-by-step method and prompt
Turn customer language into clear copy that makes one promise and asks for one action.
Updated · 3 min read
Copywriting is writing that gets a specific reader to take one specific action. Good copy comes from research, not inspiration: you collect the exact words customers use for their problem, pick one promise you can prove, and say it plainly. The method below works for homepages, emails, ads and product pages.
What it is
Copywriting is persuasive writing tied to a measurable action: a click, a signup, a reply, a purchase. It differs from general writing in three ways. It has one reader in mind. It makes one main promise. It ends with one clear next step.
Most weak copy fails because it tries to say everything. A homepage that lists twelve features and four audiences gives the reader nothing to hold on to. Strong copy chooses.
The raw material is voice of customer data: reviews, support tickets, sales call notes, Reddit threads and survey answers. When your copy repeats the words buyers already use, it reads as if you understand them, because you do.
When to use it
Use this method whenever words need to drive an action:
- Writing or rewriting a homepage, pricing page or feature page
- Launch announcements and product update emails
- Onboarding emails and in-app prompts
- Ads, social bios and app store descriptions
- Any page with a conversion rate you want to move
If you only need to explain how something works, write documentation instead. If you need to rank for a search query, start with a content brief and add copy to the conversion points.
Step-by-step method
- Define the reader and the action. Write one sentence: "This is for [specific person] who wants [outcome], and I want them to [action]." If you cannot fill it in, you are not ready to write.
- Collect customer language. Pull 20 to 50 snippets from reviews, support tickets, call notes and community threads. Copy them word for word into a doc. Do not paraphrase.
- Find the pattern. Group snippets into pains, desired outcomes and objections. Highlight phrases that appear more than once. These become your headline candidates.
- Pick one promise. Choose the outcome that is most wanted and that your product can actually deliver. Write it in the customer's words, then add how you deliver it.
- Draft fast. Write the headline, a one-line subhead, three benefit points with proof, an objection answer, and a call to action. Aim for complete, not good.
- Add proof. Back each claim with something checkable: a screenshot, a number from your own data, a named integration, a guarantee, a short demo. Remove claims you cannot back.
- Cut. Delete every sentence that does not move the reader toward the action. Replace abstract words ("solutions", "platform", "streamline") with concrete ones.
- Test with a reader. Show the copy to someone who matches the reader for five seconds. Ask what you sell and who it is for. If they cannot say, rewrite the headline.
A quick example
A hypothetical invoicing app called Ledgerly started with "Streamline your financial workflows." Reviews kept repeating "I hate chasing clients for payment." The rewrite became "Get paid without chasing clients. Ledgerly sends polite reminders until the invoice is settled." The second version names the pain and the mechanism.
Ready-to-use prompt
You are a direct-response copywriter. Write copy for [PAGE_OR_ASSET] for [PRODUCT_NAME]. Reader: [SPECIFIC_READER, e.g. "solo accountants with 20 to 50 clients"] Action I want: [ACTION, e.g. "start a free trial"] What the product does: [ONE_PARAGRAPH_DESCRIPTION] Proof I can show: [PROOF_POINTS, e.g. integrations, guarantees, own data] Customer language (verbatim snippets, use these words where natural): [PASTE_20_TO_50_SNIPPETS] Instructions: 1. List the 3 most repeated pains and the 3 most wanted outcomes from the snippets. 2. Propose 5 headline options, each under 10 words, built from customer phrases. 3. Pick the strongest and write: headline, subhead (max 20 words), 3 benefit bullets each with a proof point, one objection with its answer, and a call to action button label. 4. Use plain words, sentences under 20 words, no hype words, no exclamation marks, no em dashes. 5. Do not invent statistics, testimonials or customer names.
Checklist
- One reader and one action are named before writing
- At least 20 verbatim customer snippets collected
- Headline uses words customers actually use
- One main promise, not a list of features
- Every claim has proof or has been removed
- Benefits come before features
- The main objection is answered on the page
- One call to action, repeated, with a specific label
- No jargon, hype words or vague nouns
- A five-second test passed with a real reader
How Thig automates it
Thig builds a Brand Voice document from your site and keeps customer language from your research in context, so every draft starts from real words. The Writer agent drafts copy in that voice and scrubs generic phrasing before it reaches your feed. For pages, pair this with the landing page copy skill, and run drafts through the AI Humanizer for a final check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting asks the reader to take a specific action, like signing up or buying. Content writing mainly informs or teaches. Many pages mix both, but copy always has a call to action.
How long should marketing copy be?
As long as it takes to answer the reader's objections and no longer. A simple, cheap product needs little copy. An expensive or unfamiliar product needs more proof and explanation.
Can AI write good copy?
AI drafts quickly, but it writes generic copy unless you feed it real customer words, a clear audience, and one specific promise. Use it to draft and vary, then edit by hand.