# 04 — Copywriting

Write the copy for a public marketing page (landing, home, pricing, how it works) from the message and structure already decided. This is page-level work; the decision on informal or formal address (tú/usted/vos) and the voice are set once per site and reused.

Index: Input · Decide · Do (principles, hero, sections, CTA, voice, Spanish, anti-AI, editing) · Deliverable · Verify · Audit · Gate

## Input
- Message and offer document and the customer quote bank (phase 02): the copy does not invent strategy; if it is missing, go back to 02.
- Section map and primary CTA (phase 03).
- Brief with market, jurisdiction and language (phase 01).

## Decide
Ask the user; do not assume:
- **Informal or formal address (tú / usted / vos).** Use informal "tú" for B2C and approachable brands; formal "usted" for formal B2B, older audiences or traditional sectors (legal, health, finance, administration). Do not mix forms of address on the same page: the switch is noticeable and breaks trust.
- **Regional variant.** Spain (informal "tú", plural "vosotros") versus Latin America (plural "ustedes"; "vos" in Argentina and Central America). "Vosotros" on a Latin American site creates distance. For neutral Spanish, use "tú" without localisms. The market already comes from the brief (01).
- **Voice:** formality (approachable / professional-friendly / formal) and personality (playful or serious, bold or restrained, technical or accessible). Define them before writing and keep them: bolder headlines, clearer body copy, action-oriented CTAs.
- **Segments with opposite perceptions.** The same benefit attracts one segment and alarms another ("muévete rápido" (move fast) appeals to startups and scares a large company; "enterprise-grade security" is the reverse). If the brief has such segments, do not average: propose versions or pages per segment.

## Do
Work order: 1) hero headline and subtitle, 2) CTA and microcopy, 3) sections in the order of 03, 4) FAQ with the objections from 02, 5) provisional title and meta description (05 polishes them), 6) editing passes, 7) anti-AI self-check.

### Principles
- Clarity over cleverness: if the reader has to decipher the sentence, you lose them.
- Benefit over feature; specific over vague ("from 4 hours to 15 minutes", not "saves time"); customer language (quote bank from 02) over company language; one idea per section.
- Active voice, simple sentences, confident over hedged (remove "almost", "very", "really"); show the result instead of using adverbs.
- Do not invent proof: fake statistics or testimonials erode trust and create legal risk. Mark what is missing as `[NEED: proof]` or `[NEED: differentiator]` and ask.
- Do not cite conversion figures from blogs or vendor case studies as general data; they illustrate a principle, they do not prove it.

### Hero
- The headline is the single most important message, communicates the value proposition and matches the traffic source (02-B).
- Three-beat structure (Human Action Model): current pain in the reader's words, a better vision, a path to action (the product is the bridge, the CTA is crossing it). If one is missing, the reader stops. Spread them across eyebrow, subtitle, headline and CTA with proof.
- "Now you can…" filter: prepend the phrase to each headline or benefit; if it does not read as convincing and true (it describes instead of naming a new capability, or it is vague), rewrite. Use it on candidates already drafted.
- Starting formulas, filled with concrete data: "{result} without {pain}", "{result} through {how}", "turn {input} into {result}", "{result} in {timeframe}", "{category} for {audience}", "the {category} that {differentiator}", "{number} {people} use {product} to {result}". "Never again {unpleasant event}" only once.
- Subtitle: 1-2 sentences that expand and make the headline concrete.

### Sections
- **Problem:** the concrete frustration, the time or money lost, the impact. Avoid textbook openings ("Todos hemos pasado por eso" (We have all been there)).
- **Benefits (3-5):** headline with the result, how it works in 1-2 sentences, optional proof (figure, quote, example).
- **How it works (3-4 steps):** numbered, simple verb, result-oriented ("Conecta tus herramientas (2 minutos)" (Connect your tools (2 minutes))).
- **Testimonials:** pick those with a concrete result, before/after context, role and company, and something quotable. Discard "Gran producto" (Great product) or "Me encanta" (I love it).
- **FAQ:** real objection questions (price, fit, rollout, "what if it does not work?", cancelling, free trial) with extractable answers (06 explains why this matters).
- **Final CTA:** repeat the value and the CTA and reduce risk (guarantee, trial, no lock-in).
- Templates by type (compact for ads, enterprise B2B, launch) are reference only; the map from 03 rules.

### CTA and microcopy
- Formula: action verb + what they get (+ nuance): "Obtener mi presupuesto" (Get my quote), "Descargar la guía" (Download the guide), "Empezar mi prueba gratis" (Start my free trial). Avoid "Enviar" (Submit), "Más información" (More information), "Haz clic aquí" (Click here) and a bare "Empezar" (Start): they do not say what happens next.
- First person on the button ("mi", "quiero") is a hypothesis to test, not a rule: a well-known Unbounce test raised clicks by 90%, while another test on a checkout page lost about 25%. If you test it, keep "tú/tu" in the body text and "mi" only on the button; the test method is in 11.
- What the button cannot promise goes in microcopy below it, smaller ("Sin tarjeta" (No card), "Respuesta en 24 h" (Reply within 24 h)). Button of 2-5 words.
- One primary action; secondary ones visually subordinate (03).
- Imperatives by form of address: tú "Descarga/Empieza/Prueba"; vos "Descargá/Empezá/Probá"; usted "Descargue/Empiece/Pruebe".

### Spanish
- Write Spanish from scratch; do not translate English copy: it produces calques, possessives ("Lava tus manos" (Wash your hands), where Spanish uses the article) and title case on every word. In headlines, capitalize only the first word.
- Urgency tone: in some markets an invitation works better ("Si te interesa, escríbenos" (If you are interested, write to us)) than pressure ("Actúa AHORA" (Act NOW)). This is a hypothesis from local guides, not a rule; check against the market in the brief.
- There is no solid Spain versus Latin America comparison; the sources are agency blogs. Treat these guidelines as indicative.

### Anti-"sounds like AI"
Structural patterns weigh more than word lists, which change with the models. The Spanish blacklist below stays in Spanish because it applies to Spanish page copy; each item has an English gloss.

For English copy, avoid the equivalent stock patterns (contrast reveals like 'not X, but Y', negation lists, 'In today's fast-paced world', 'Unlock the power of…', em dashes in short copy, vague intensifiers); rewrite from facts and apply the swap test.

#### Spanish-language copy: patterns to avoid
- **Structural, do not use:** contrast reveal ("No es X, es Y" (It is not X, it is Y), "no solo… sino también" (not only… but also)); negation lists ("sin A, sin B, sin C" (no A, no B, no C)); trailing clause after the statement; self-answered rhetorical question ("¿El resultado? 3x más rápido" (The result? 3x faster)) and colon reveal ("Lo mejor:" (The best part:)); long dash (—) in headlines, subtitles, CTAs and short texts (at most 1-2 per page in long text).
- **At most one per section:** loose fragments, reflexive lists of three, uniform rhythm, abstractions as the subject, rotating synonyms, compulsive anaphora (same word opening several sentences).
- **Openings and closings:** "En el mundo actual…" (In today's world…), "En un mundo donde…" (In a world where…), "Cuando se trata de…" (When it comes to…), "En la era digital" (In the digital age), "Imagina…" (Imagine…), "Cabe destacar" (It is worth noting), "Es importante considerar" (It is important to consider), "En resumen/En conclusión" (In summary/In conclusion), "Pero aquí está la cuestión" (But here is the thing).
- **Marketing phrases:** "Descubre cómo…" (Discover how…) as a crutch, "Desbloquea el poder de…" (Unlock the power of…), "Revoluciona la forma en que…" (Revolutionize the way…), "Lleva tu negocio al siguiente nivel" (Take your business to the next level), "Di adiós a…" (Say goodbye to…), "Transforma tu…" (Transform your…), "Todo lo que necesitas" (Everything you need), "en solo unos clics" (in just a few clicks), "Únete a miles de clientes satisfechos" (Join thousands of satisfied customers) without a real figure, "es un testimonio de" (is a testament to).
- **Capped vocabulary:** crucial (crucial), transformador (transformative), paisaje (landscape), matices (nuances), potenciar (empower/boost), apalancar (leverage), navegar (la incertidumbre) (navigate uncertainty), embarcarse (embark), profundizar (delve), integral (comprehensive), robusto (robust), fluido/sin fisuras (seamless), innovador (innovative), de vanguardia (cutting-edge), líder (leader), without data.

#### Rewriting and self-check (any language)
- **Rewrite:** start from the facts (mechanism, number, customer, step), not from synonyms. Every claim carries a number, name, mechanism or concrete action. Swap test: if the sentence is equally valid on a competitor's site, rewrite it or mark `[NEED: differentiator]`. Two capped patterns in one paragraph: rewrite the paragraph. Do not invent figures to fix a sentence or turn every reveal into ", because…".
- **Self-check before delivering:** search for "no ", "sin", "?", ":" and "—" in headlines and short texts (in English copy: "not", "no", "without", "?", ":" and "—"); read aloud any sentence longer than ~20 words; count the capped patterns per section; apply the swap test to the headline, the subtitle and every heading.
- No AI detector is reliable (they give false positives on formal text): the criterion is quality and specificity, not evading detectors.

### Seven-pass editing
After the draft, in this order: 1) clarity (understood on first read, no jargon or ambiguous pronouns); 2) voice and tone (constant formality, reads well aloud); 3) "so what?" (each feature connects to a benefit and a real desire); 4) prove it (specific, attributed proof, figures with a source, no unearned superlatives); 5) specificity (figures, timeframes, concrete words, no filler); 6) emotion (the pain feels real and the aspirational feels attainable, in service of the message); 7) zero risk (objections resolved next to the CTA, trust signals, clear next steps, risk reversal).
Typical problems: feature wall, corporate jargon, weak opening, buried CTA, no proof, generic claims, mixed audiences, sounds like AI.

## Deliverable
- Copy per section: headline, subtitle, CTA, body and secondary CTAs.
- 2-3 alternatives for the headline and the CTA, each with its reason.
- FAQ.
- Provisional title and meta description.
- List of open `[NEED: …]` items (proof, differentiator).
- Decision on informal/formal address (tú/usted/vos) and regional variant.

## Verify
- Search the copy for `[NEED`: no headline or main claim may depend on an open one.
- Run the anti-AI self-check and apply the "Now you can…" filter and the swap test to the hero.
- Check a single form of address: search the text for forms of another one ("usted"/"tú"/"vos", "vosotros"/"ustedes").
- Read the hero and the CTAs on the built page on mobile: the button fits in 2-5 words and the microcopy is not larger than it.

## Audit
| Check | How to verify (evidence) | Severity if it fails |
|---|---|---|
| No invented proof (testimonials, figures, logos, reviews) | Each piece of proof has a verifiable origin (customer, document, link); ask for the source of those without one | Blocking |
| Headline communicates the value proposition and matches the traffic source | Quote the headline and the originating ad or query; check that they promise the same thing | High |
| Hero with pain, vision and path to action | Hero screenshot and location of the three elements in eyebrow, subtitle, headline and CTA | High |
| CTA with verb + result, one primary | List the page's button texts and flag the generic ones ("Enviar", "Más información") | High |
| Microcopy under the CTA resolves the main objection | Screenshot of the CTA with its microcopy; compare with the objections from 02 | Medium |
| Form of address (tú/usted/vos) and variant consistent | Search for markers of the other form of address in the served HTML; matches the brief's decision | Medium |
| "Sounds like AI" patterns absent or under the cap | Count of structural patterns and blacklisted phrases per section over the served text | Medium |
| Swap test passed in headline, subtitle and headings | Each heading quoted with its concrete differentiator (number, name, mechanism) | Medium |
| FAQ with real objections and self-contained answers | List of questions against the objections documented in 02 | Medium |
| Testimonials with result, role and company | Each testimonial quoted with its three data points; flag the generic ones | Low |
| Text not literally translated from English | Flag calques, possessives and title case in the text | Low |

Verdict per item: Pass / Improvable / Missing / N/A.

## Gate
Move on to 05 only with copy approved by the user, no critical `[NEED]` open (headlines and main claims with proof) and the anti-AI self-check done.

Sources: copywriting and copy-editing skills (with copy-frameworks, ai-tells and checklist) adapted from Corey Haines, Marketing Skills (https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills, MIT); Spanish-language copy guides: [kom.pe](https://kom.pe/copywriting-espanol-landing-page-errores/), [Maider Tomasena](https://maidertomasena.com/como-decidir-si-escribir-de-tu-o-de-usted-en-la-web-de-tu-negocio/), [Isabel Romero](https://www.soyisabelromero.com/tu-o-usted/), [Coderhouse](https://www.coderhouse.com/en/coderlibrary/como-crear-landing-page-que-convierta-guia-argentina), [Borja Girón](https://borjagiron.com/palabras-frases-repite-chatgpt/), [escribepro](https://escribepro.substack.com/p/los-12-chivatos-como-detectar-y-corregir).