$Compounding Marketing

Copywriting Skills

Deep dive on conversion copywriting using Joanna Wiebe and Eugene Schwartz frameworks

Copywriting Skills

The copywriting skills (/cm:headlines, /cm:landing-page, /cm:ad-copy) use Joanna Wiebe's conversion copywriting and Eugene Schwartz's awareness levels to write copy that converts, not just sounds good.

What's in This Category

| Skill | Output | Framework | |-------|--------|-----------| | /cm:headlines | Value prop headlines | Schwartz awareness levels | | /cm:landing-page | Full landing page copy | Wiebe conversion copywriting | | /cm:ad-copy | Paid ads (Google, Meta, LinkedIn) | Both frameworks |

The Joanna Wiebe Conversion Copywriting Framework

Joanna Wiebe pioneered conversion copywriting — writing optimized for action, not just reading.

Key principles:

1. Start with the Customer's Words

Don't write what you think sounds good. Write what customers say.

How to do this:

  • Read customer reviews (yours and competitors')
  • Pull quotes from sales calls
  • Survey users: "What made you choose us?"
  • Mine support tickets for pain language

Example:

Instead of:

"Streamline your workflow with our intuitive platform"

Use their language:

"Stop wasting 2 hours a day switching between tools"

The second one uses the words customers use ("wasting 2 hours," "switching between tools").

2. Focus on Benefits, Not Features

Features are what it is. Benefits are what it does for them.

Formula: Feature + SO THAT + Benefit

Example:

❌ Feature-focused:

"Real-time collaboration"

✅ Benefit-focused:

"Real-time collaboration SO THAT your design team ships 2x faster without waiting on file handoffs"

The skill will automatically translate features into benefits using your .cm-context (which should include the pain you solve).

3. Use the PAS Framework

Problem → Agitate → Solve

  1. Problem: State the pain
  2. Agitate: Make it worse (show the cost of not solving it)
  3. Solve: Introduce your solution

Example (AuthorityMax):

Problem: You know personal brand matters, but writing LinkedIn posts feels like a chore.

Agitate: You're either publishing generic AI slop that sounds like everyone else, or spending 10 hours a week writing manually. Meanwhile, your competitors are building authority and you're invisible.

Solve: AuthorityMax trains on your past writing to produce content that sounds like you — at 10x the speed. Research → write → publish in one workspace.

4. Overcome Objections Before They Ask

Anticipate why someone WOULDN'T buy, then handle it in the copy.

Common objections:

  • "It won't work for me" → Show proof (testimonials, case studies)
  • "It's too expensive" → Show ROI or cost of not solving
  • "It's too hard to switch" → Show migration is easy
  • "I don't trust you" → Show credibility (logos, social proof)

Example:

Objection: "AI content sounds generic." Handle it: "We're not generic AI. AuthorityMax trains on YOUR past writing — blog posts, tweets, emails — to match your voice, not some bland corporate tone."

The Eugene Schwartz Awareness Levels

Eugene Schwartz wrote Breakthrough Advertising, the bible of direct-response copywriting. His core insight: people are at different levels of awareness and need different copy.

The 5 Awareness Levels

  1. Unaware → Don't know they have a problem
  2. Problem-Aware → Know they have a problem, don't know solutions exist
  3. Solution-Aware → Know solutions exist, don't know about your product
  4. Product-Aware → Know your product, not convinced yet
  5. Most Aware → Ready to buy, need a nudge

How to Write for Each Level

1. Unaware (Education-First)

They don't know they have a problem. You need to show them the problem first.

Example (AuthorityMax for an Unaware audience):

"Why top founders spend 10 hours a week on LinkedIn (and you should too)"

They might not know personal brand matters. Educate them first.

2. Problem-Aware (Name the Pain)

They know they have a problem. You need to show you understand it.

Example:

"Building personal brand feels like a full-time job. Here's how top founders do it in 2 hours a week."

They know the pain (building brand takes too long). You're showing there's a better way.

3. Solution-Aware (Introduce Your Category)

They know solutions exist (ghostwriters, AI tools, social schedulers). You need to differentiate.

Example:

"Ghostwriters are slow. Generic AI sounds generic. Here's the tool that writes like YOU at scale."

Position against the alternatives they already know about.

4. Product-Aware (Overcome Objections)

They know about your product. They're comparing you to competitors. You need proof.

Example:

"See how 3 CTOs went from 0 to 50k followers in 6 months using AuthorityMax."

Show testimonials, case studies, demos.

5. Most Aware (Remove Friction)

They're ready to buy. Just make it easy.

Example:

"Start free. No credit card. Cancel anytime."

Remove any excuse not to try.

How the Skill Uses Awareness Levels

When you run /cm:headlines or /cm:landing-page, the skill will ask or infer:

  • "What's your audience's awareness level?"
  • Or: "Where are you driving traffic from?"

Cold traffic (Google search, cold outreach) → Solution-Aware or Problem-Aware copy Warm traffic (retargeting, email list) → Product-Aware or Most Aware copy

The copy adapts accordingly.

Input: What the Skills Need

All copywriting skills read:

From .cm-context:

  • Company, Product, ICP, Pain, Differentiator

From deliverables/:

  • positioning.md (your value prop, category, differentiators)
  • icp-research.md (customer pain language, objections)

If you haven't run /cm:position yet, the copy will be generic. Always run positioning first.

Output: What You Get

/cm:headlines

Writes deliverables/headlines.md with:

  1. Hero headline (above the fold, first thing visitors see)
  2. Subheadline (expands on the hero)
  3. 10-15 alternative headlines for A/B testing
  4. CTA copy (button text)

Example output (AuthorityMax):

Hero: Build personal brand without burning out Subheadline: AuthorityMax trains on your writing to produce LinkedIn posts, newsletters, and tweets that sound like you — at 10x the speed.

Alternatives:

  • Your voice, not AI voice — personal brand that scales
  • From 0 to 50k followers without hiring a ghostwriter
  • The only AI that writes like YOU

CTA: Start free (no credit card)

/cm:landing-page

Writes deliverables/landing-page-copy.md with full page structure:

  1. Hero section (headline + subheadline + CTA)
  2. Problem section (PAS framework)
  3. How it works (3-step process)
  4. Features → Benefits (translate features into value)
  5. Social proof (testimonials, logos)
  6. Objection handling (FAQ or "Why us" section)
  7. Final CTA

Example structure:

## Hero
Build personal brand without burning out

AuthorityMax trains on your writing to produce content that sounds like you — at 10x the speed.

[Start free — no credit card]

## The Problem
You know personal brand matters. But writing LinkedIn posts and newsletters feels like a chore.

You're either:
- Spending 10 hours a week writing manually
- Using generic AI that sounds like everyone else
- Hiring a ghostwriter who's slow and expensive

Meanwhile, your competitors are building authority and you're invisible.

## How It Works
1. Upload your past writing (blog posts, tweets, emails)
2. AuthorityMax learns your voice and thinking style
3. Research → write → publish — all in one workspace

## Why You'll Love It
- **Your voice, scaled** — Sounds like you, not AI
- **Research built-in** — Find trending topics in your niche
- **Publish everywhere** — LinkedIn, newsletter, Twitter in one click

## What Founders Say
"I went from 500 to 50k followers in 6 months. AuthorityMax is the only tool that doesn't sound generic." — [Name], CTO at [Company]

## Start Free
No credit card. Cancel anytime. Ship your first 10 posts this week.

[Start free]

/cm:ad-copy

Writes deliverables/ad-copy.md with:

  1. Google Search Ads (headlines + descriptions)
  2. Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)
  3. LinkedIn Ads (sponsored content)

Adapted for each platform:

  • Google: Intent-driven (they're searching, so match their query)
  • Meta: Interruption-driven (they're scrolling, so hook them fast)
  • LinkedIn: Professional tone, B2B value

How to Adapt Copy for Different Channels

Same positioning, different execution:

LinkedIn (Professional, Value-First)

"Building personal brand as a CTO? Here's how to go from 0 to 50k followers without hiring a ghostwriter. AuthorityMax trains on your writing to produce content that sounds like you — at scale."

Google Ads (Match Search Intent)

Headline: Personal Brand Tool for CTOs Description: Write LinkedIn posts 10x faster. AI trained on YOUR voice. Start free.

Meta (Hook + Scroll-Stop)

"Spending 10 hours a week on LinkedIn? There's a better way. [Image: Before/after of founder's LinkedIn growth]"

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Feature Dump

❌ "We have AI, real-time collaboration, analytics, and integrations."

Fix: Features → Benefits. Answer "so what?"

✅ "Write 10 posts a week without burning out. AuthorityMax handles research, drafting, and scheduling so you can focus on building."

Mistake 2: Vague Value Prop

❌ "The best tool for personal branding."

Fix: Specific + differentiated.

✅ "The only AI that trains on YOUR writing to match your voice — not generic ChatGPT slop."

Mistake 3: Wrong Awareness Level

❌ Using "Most Aware" copy (Start free!) on cold Google search traffic

Fix: Match awareness to channel.

  • Cold traffic → Problem-Aware or Solution-Aware
  • Warm traffic → Product-Aware or Most Aware

Mistake 4: No Social Proof

❌ Just describing the product

Fix: Add testimonials, logos, numbers.

✅ "Trusted by 500+ founders. Average follower growth: 10x in 6 months."

When to Re-Run Copywriting Skills

Re-run when:

  • You've updated positioning.md (new differentiator, category)
  • You've learned new customer pain language (from sales calls, reviews)
  • Your A/B tests show current copy isn't converting
  • You're entering a new market segment (need different messaging)

Next Steps