--- name: landing-page-copy description: "Write landing page copy with attention to the hero, value proposition, social proof, objection handling, and conversion-focused CTAs. Use this skill whenever the user wants to write a landing page, sales page, hero section, or any conversion-focused web copy. Triggers on landing page, sales page, hero copy, value proposition, headline, subheadline, hero section, CTA copy, conversion copy, opt-in page, squeeze page. Also triggers when the user has a marketing campaign or product launch needing dedicated conversion copy." category: content catalog_summary: "Landing pages, sales pages, hero-to-CTA flow" display_order: 4 --- # Landing Page Copy Write copy for pages with a single conversion goal: signup, purchase, demo request, download, lead capture. Stack-agnostic. This skill is narrower than `content-and-copy`. Landing pages exist to drive a specific action, not to inform broadly. --- ## When to use - Writing a hero section for a homepage or product page - Writing a sales page or long-form sales letter - Drafting opt-in or lead-capture page copy - Campaign-specific landing pages - Pricing page copy - Demo or signup CTAs ## When NOT to use - Long-form blog content (use `content-and-copy`) - Email sequences (use `email-sequences`) - Brand voice definition (use `brand-voice`) - Page design and layout decisions (use `design-standards`) --- ## Required inputs - The product, service, or offer - The target audience and the specific objection they bring - The conversion goal (one specific action) - Brand voice - Existing customer language (testimonials, support tickets, sales calls) - Any constraints (length, format, regulatory) If audience is unclear or objections are unknown, run `brand-discovery` or pull from sales call recordings before writing. --- ## The framework: 7 sections A landing page does seven things in sequence. The structure can flex (combine, reorder, expand), but the elements stay constant. ### 1. Hero The first 3 to 5 seconds. Decides whether the visitor stays. **Three components:** - **Headline.** The promise. Specific, outcome-focused, free of cliche. - **Subheadline.** The mechanism. How you deliver the promise. - **Primary CTA.** The action. One button, descriptive label. **Strong hero patterns:** - **Outcome + audience + mechanism.** "Ship features 3x faster, for engineering teams who hate meetings, with our async-first project tool." - **Pain reversal.** "Stop losing customers to slow page loads." - **Surprising claim.** "The note-taking app that gets used. We have data." - **Direct address.** "You have 47 unread Slack messages. Here's what to do about it." **Weak hero patterns:** - Generic adjective stacking ("Powerful, intuitive, scalable") - "Welcome to our platform" - Brand-name-only headlines ("Acme: The Future of X") - Vague benefits ("Streamline your workflow") ### 2. Social proof (early) Within the first scroll, prove someone else trusts you. **Forms:** - Customer logos (recognizable beats unknown) - Quantitative trust signal ("Over 10,000 teams") - One strong testimonial with name and role - Press mentions (logos of where you've been featured) **Placement:** Right below the hero, before the visitor invests in reading more. ### 3. Problem / promise Establish that you understand the visitor's situation. **Pattern:** - 1 to 3 paragraphs naming the specific problem - Use the visitor's language (mined from research, not your marketing language) - Stop before you sell. Resonate first. **Test:** Read the problem section aloud. Does the target audience nod? If they don't, you don't understand them yet. ### 4. Solution / mechanism How you solve the problem. The "what we actually do" section. **Effective structure:** - One headline summarizing the solution - 3 to 5 specific features or capabilities, each with a 1-2 sentence explanation - Each feature framed as the benefit it produces, not the technical detail - Visual support (screenshots, illustrations, video clips) **Failure mode:** Listing features without translating to outcomes. "Real-time collaboration" is a feature. "Edit together without copying-pasting from email" is the outcome. ### 5. Proof and detail The expanded social proof and case studies section. **Components:** - 1 to 3 detailed case studies (specific customer, specific outcome, specific numbers) - Multiple testimonials with attribution - Specific data points (usage stats, success metrics, growth) - Awards, certifications, or third-party validation The deeper proof section is where committed visitors convert. Skim-readers won't make it here, but the ones who do are ready to buy. ### 6. Objection handling Anticipate the reasons people say no. Address them directly. **Common objection types:** - **Price.** "Is this worth it?" - **Time.** "Will this take forever to set up?" - **Trust.** "Will this actually work for my situation?" - **Risk.** "What if I commit and it's wrong?" - **Comparison.** "How is this different from [competitor]?" - **Implementation.** "Can my team handle the change?" **Handling formats:** - **FAQ section.** Structured, scannable. - **Comparison table.** Vs. competitors or vs. alternatives. - **Risk reversal.** Money-back guarantee, free trial, no-contract terms. - **Proof of effort needed.** "Setup takes 5 minutes, not 5 weeks." ### 7. Final CTA The closer. Re-state the offer. Re-state the action. **Strong final CTAs:** - Repeat the primary CTA from the hero (consistency) - Frame in terms of the visitor's situation ("Get your team set up in 5 minutes") - Remove friction ("No credit card required") - One action only (avoid offering 5 alternatives that paralyze decision) **Avoid:** - Multiple CTAs competing for attention at the bottom - New offers introduced only at the bottom (visitor is now confused) - Long forms that ask for more information than needed for the action --- ## The CTA itself Buttons matter. Treat the button copy as a whole-page-worth of attention. **Strong CTA patterns:** - **Action + outcome.** "Start your free trial," "Get my pricing," "Send me the guide" - **First-person.** "Show me how" outperforms "Show you how" - **Specific.** "Book a 15-minute demo" beats "Contact us" - **Low-friction.** "Free trial, no credit card" reduces commitment cost **Weak CTAs:** - "Submit" (functional but lifeless) - "Click here" (no value statement) - "Learn more" (vague; about what?) - "Get started" (started doing what?) --- ## Workflow 1. **Confirm the offer.** What exactly is being offered? At what price (if any)? What does the visitor get? 2. **Confirm the audience and objection.** Specific segment. The specific worry they bring. 3. **Mine the language.** Customer testimonials, support tickets, sales calls. Use real customer phrases. 4. **Draft the hero.** Headline, subheadline, CTA. Test 5 to 10 variations. 5. **Build the structure.** All 7 sections in order. Sections can combine for shorter pages. 6. **Draft sections.** Section by section. Don't polish until the structure is sound. 7. **Edit for friction.** Remove every word that doesn't earn its place. Landing pages do not have words to spare. 8. **Test the CTA.** Read the page aloud. By the end, is the visitor's next action obvious? 9. **Pre-publish:** check links, spell-check, mobile preview, SEO basics if SEO is a goal. --- ## Failure patterns - **Hero that explains instead of sells.** "We're an X for Y" is description. "Get X without Y" is sell. - **Feature lists with no outcomes.** Features without benefits read as a spec sheet. - **Generic testimonials.** "Great product!" is worth less than nothing. "We cut onboarding time from 2 weeks to 4 days" is gold. - **Multiple competing CTAs.** Pick one primary action. Everything else is noise. - **Walls of text.** Visitors scan. Use short paragraphs, bullet lists, and visual breakpoints. - **No social proof.** Trust is the first hurdle. Without proof, the rest of the page does not earn the chance to be read. - **Mismatched headline and CTA.** Hero promises X, CTA asks for Y. Visitor confused. - **Writing for everyone.** "Our solution works for any business" appeals to no one. Specificity converts. - **Ignoring mobile.** Most visitors are on mobile. Test the page at 375px first. --- ## Output format Default output is a structured markdown document for the page, with each section labeled. The markdown is ready to import into the CMS or hand to design. Structure: ```markdown # [Page Title] ## SECTION: Hero - Headline: [text] - Subheadline: [text] - Primary CTA: [button text] - Supporting cue: [optional, e.g., "No credit card required"] - Hero visual notes: [if any] ## SECTION: Social proof (early) - Logo bar: [list customer/press logos] - Trust statistic: [if any] ## SECTION: Problem / promise [2 to 3 paragraphs] ## SECTION: Solution - Headline: [text] - Feature 1: [headline + description] - Feature 2: [headline + description] - Feature 3: [headline + description] ## SECTION: Proof - Case study 1: [customer, outcome, numbers] - Testimonials: [list] - Data points: [list] ## SECTION: Objection handling - FAQ: [questions and answers] - OR Comparison table: [vs alternatives] - OR Risk reversal: [guarantee, terms] ## SECTION: Final CTA - Headline: [text] - Final CTA button: [text] - Supporting cue: [optional] ## Variants for testing - [Alternate headlines] - [Alternate CTAs] - [Alternate proof framings] ``` --- ## Reference files - [`references/hero-formulas.md`](references/hero-formulas.md) - Patterns and formulas for hero headlines. - [`references/objection-library.md`](references/objection-library.md) - Common objections by category, with handling strategies.