# Decisions: Copywriting

Critical decision points that shape effective copy.

---

## Decision 1: Long Copy vs. Short Copy

**Context:** Determining the right length for your copy.

**Options:**

| Length | When | Why | Risk |
|--------|------|-----|------|
| **Short** | Aware audience, simple product | Respects time, clear action | May not convince |
| **Medium** | Considered purchase | Answers objections | May not cover everything |
| **Long** | Unaware audience, complex product | Educates fully | May lose attention |

**Framework:**
```
Copy length decision:

AUDIENCE AWARENESS:
Unaware (don't know they have problem) → Long
Problem-aware (know problem, not solution) → Medium
Solution-aware (know solutions exist) → Medium
Product-aware (know your product) → Short
Most-aware (ready to buy) → Shortest

PRODUCT COMPLEXITY:
Simple product → Short
Moderate complexity → Medium
Complex/expensive → Long
High-risk decision → Longest

PRICE POINT:
Under $50 → Short
$50-$500 → Medium
$500-$5,000 → Long
$5,000+ → Longest

FORMULA:
Length = Awareness × Complexity × Price

SHORT COPY EXAMPLE:
Known product, returning customer, low price
"Get 20% off. Use code SAVE20. Shop now."

LONG COPY EXAMPLE:
Unknown product, unaware audience, high price
Full sales page with story, proof, objections

GOLDEN RULE:
"Copy can never be too long,
only too boring."
— David Ogilvy

Make every word earn its place.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Match length to awareness level. Err toward shorter for aware audiences, longer for unaware.

---

## Decision 2: Formal vs. Casual Tone

**Context:** Choosing the appropriate level of formality.

**Options:**

| Tone | Pros | Cons | Choose When |
|------|------|------|-------------|
| **Formal** | Professional, trustworthy | Cold, distant | B2B enterprise, legal, finance |
| **Casual** | Approachable, human | Less authoritative | Consumer, startup, creative |
| **Balanced** | Professional yet warm | Neither extreme | Most B2B, professional services |

**Framework:**
```
Tone decision factors:

AUDIENCE:
Enterprise executives → Formal-balanced
SMB owners → Balanced
Consumers → Casual
Developers → Casual-technical
Creative pros → Casual

PRODUCT:
Financial services → Formal
Healthcare → Formal-balanced
Software → Balanced
Consumer products → Casual
Apps → Casual

INDUSTRY NORMS:
Banking → Formal
Legal → Formal
Tech → Casual-balanced
Retail → Casual
Food/beverage → Casual

TONE SPECTRUM:

FORMAL:
"We provide comprehensive solutions
for enterprise organizations."

BALANCED:
"We help businesses work better.
Let's show you how."

CASUAL:
"Tired of clunky software?
We made something better."

TONE CONSISTENCY:
Pick a point on the spectrum.
Stay there across all copy.
Inconsistency confuses readers.

FORMALITY ELEMENTS:
Contractions: Casual uses them
First person: Casual is more "we/you"
Sentence length: Casual is shorter
Vocabulary: Casual is simpler
```

**Default Recommendation:** Match industry norms, then adjust slightly more casual. Warmth builds trust.

---

## Decision 3: Benefit-Led vs. Feature-Led

**Context:** Deciding whether to lead with outcomes or capabilities.

**Options:**

| Lead | Description | Best For | Audience |
|------|-------------|----------|----------|
| **Benefit-led** | Start with outcomes | Most copy | General audience |
| **Feature-led** | Start with capabilities | Technical products | Technical buyers |
| **Hybrid** | Benefit headline, feature body | Complex products | Mixed audience |

**Framework:**
```
Lead decision:

AUDIENCE TYPE:
Business buyer → Benefits first
  (What outcomes will this create?)
Technical buyer → Features acceptable
  (What can this do?)
Consumer → Benefits always
  (How will I feel?)

PRODUCT TYPE:
Outcome-focused → Benefits
  (CRM, project management)
Capability-focused → Hybrid
  (Developer tools, APIs)
Commodity → Features
  (When comparing similar products)

DECISION STAGE:
Awareness → Benefits
  (Why should I care?)
Consideration → Hybrid
  (What does it do + why)
Decision → Features
  (Compare specifications)

BENEFIT-LED EXAMPLE:
"Close 30% more deals."
(Then explain how the CRM helps)

FEATURE-LED EXAMPLE:
"GraphQL API with real-time subscriptions."
(For developers who know what this means)

HYBRID EXAMPLE:
"Deploy in seconds, not hours.
One-click deployments. Auto-scaling.
Zero-config SSL."
(Benefit headline, feature proof)

RULE:
When in doubt, lead with benefit.
Features are proof, not persuasion.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Lead with benefits for most audiences. Use features as proof points underneath.

---

## Decision 4: Direct vs. Indirect Approach

**Context:** Choosing between straightforward selling and subtle persuasion.

**Options:**

| Approach | Description | Pros | Cons |
|----------|-------------|------|------|
| **Direct** | Clear selling | Efficient, clear | May feel salesy |
| **Indirect** | Storytelling, education | Less pushy | Takes longer |
| **Blended** | Educate then sell | Best of both | Requires skill |

**Framework:**
```
Approach decision:

AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP:
Cold traffic → Indirect
  (Build trust first)
Warm leads → Blended
  (Some trust, need persuasion)
Hot leads → Direct
  (Ready to buy)

PRODUCT COMPLEXITY:
Simple → Direct
  (Buy now, start today)
Complex → Indirect
  (Educate, then sell)
High-risk → Indirect
  (Build extensive trust)

CONTENT TYPE:
Landing page → Direct
Blog post → Indirect
Email sequence → Blended
Ad → Direct
Webinar → Indirect → Direct

DIRECT EXAMPLE:
"Start your free trial.
14 days. No credit card.
See why 10,000 teams switched."

INDIRECT EXAMPLE:
"When we started, we wasted hours
on spreadsheets. Sound familiar?
Here's what we learned..."
(Story → Lesson → Product)

BLENDED EXAMPLE:
"The 5 mistakes killing your conversions.
[Valuable content]
...
Here's how we fix all five."
(Education → Offer)

CHANNEL MATTERS:
Email: Build relationship → Sell
Ads: Sell immediately
Content: Educate primarily
Landing: Sell with proof
```

**Default Recommendation:** Match to traffic temperature. Cold = indirect, warm = blended, hot = direct.

---

## Decision 5: Emotional vs. Rational Appeal

**Context:** Choosing between heart and head in persuasion.

**Options:**

| Appeal | Description | Use When | Risk |
|--------|-------------|----------|------|
| **Emotional** | Feelings, desires, fears | Consumer, B2C | May lack credibility |
| **Rational** | Facts, logic, specs | B2B, technical | May feel cold |
| **Both** | Feel then think | Most purchases | Requires balance |

**Framework:**
```
Appeal selection:

PURCHASE TYPE:
Impulse → Emotional
  (I want it now)
Considered → Rational + Emotional
  (I need to justify this)
Enterprise → Rational (emotional undertones)
  (Committee decision, needs justification)

PRODUCT TYPE:
Lifestyle → Emotional
  (Fashion, food, entertainment)
Business tool → Rational + Emotional
  (Productivity, efficiency)
Technical → Rational
  (Developer tools, infrastructure)

PRICE POINT:
Low → Emotional
  (Easy to justify)
Medium → Balanced
  (Some justification needed)
High → Rational + Emotional
  (Needs strong justification)

PERSUASION SEQUENCE:
1. Emotional hook (get attention)
2. Rational proof (build credibility)
3. Emotional reinforcement (drive action)

EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS:
- Fear (of loss, missing out)
- Aspiration (success, status)
- Belonging (community, identity)
- Relief (solving pain)

RATIONAL ELEMENTS:
- Statistics and data
- Comparisons and specs
- ROI calculations
- Testimonials with numbers

B2B SECRET:
Sold emotionally, justified rationally.
"This will make me look good" (emotion)
→ "It has a 2x ROI" (rational cover)
```

**Default Recommendation:** Hook emotionally, prove rationally. Emotion opens the door; logic walks through it.

---

## Decision 6: Single CTA vs. Multiple CTAs

**Context:** Deciding how many actions to offer readers.

**Options:**

| Strategy | Use When | Pros | Cons |
|----------|----------|------|------|
| **Single** | Clear objective | Focus, clarity | Miss other segments |
| **Primary + Secondary** | Mixed intent | Catches more | Slight dilution |
| **Multiple** | Portal/hub pages | Options | Decision paralysis |

**Framework:**
```
CTA strategy:

PAGE PURPOSE:
Landing page → Single CTA
Homepage → Primary + Secondary
Pricing → Per-tier CTA
Blog → Content-relevant CTA
Portal → Multiple (by section)

AUDIENCE STAGE:
Single stage → Single CTA
Mixed stages → Primary + Alternative

SINGLE CTA:
Best for focused conversion.
"Start your free trial"
One path, one action.

PRIMARY + SECONDARY:
Primary: Main action (big, prominent)
Secondary: Alternative (smaller, less prominent)

"Start Free Trial"
or talk to sales

MULTIPLE CTAs:
Only for hub pages.
Clear visual hierarchy.
Each CTA distinct purpose.

CTA REDUCTION TEST:
If you have multiple CTAs, try:
1. Remove the weakest one
2. Measure conversion
3. Often improves

FOCUS PRINCIPLE:
Every CTA you add dilutes the others.
Two CTAs get 50% attention each.
One CTA gets 100%.

CTA PLACEMENT:
Above fold: Primary
After benefits: Primary
After objections: Primary
Footer: Secondary
```

**Default Recommendation:** One primary CTA per page. Add secondary only if serving distinct segments.

---

## Decision 7: First Person vs. Second Person vs. Third Person

**Context:** Choosing the narrative voice for your copy.

**Options:**

| Voice | Example | Feel | Use When |
|-------|---------|------|----------|
| **First (We)** | "We help you grow" | Company-centric | Brand building |
| **Second (You)** | "You'll grow faster" | Reader-centric | Conversion copy |
| **Third (They)** | "Teams grow faster" | Objective | Case studies |

**Framework:**
```
Voice selection:

COPY TYPE:
Sales page → Second person (you)
About page → First person (we)
Case study → Third person (they)
Email → Second + First (you/we)

EFFECT:

FIRST PERSON (We/I):
"We've helped 10,000 teams..."
Company as subject.
Good for credibility, story.

SECOND PERSON (You):
"You'll save 10 hours per week..."
Reader as subject.
Good for conversion, benefits.

THIRD PERSON (They/Teams):
"Teams using our product save..."
Others as subject.
Good for proof, case studies.

COMBINATION:
Most effective copy mixes them:

"You're spending too much time on email.
(Second - about them)

We built EmailPro to fix that.
(First - establishing credibility)

Teams like Acme save 10+ hours weekly.
(Third - social proof)

Start your free trial today."
(Second - driving action)

RATIO GUIDELINE:
Conversion copy: 70% You, 20% We, 10% They
Brand copy: 50% We, 30% You, 20% They
Case study: 70% They, 20% You, 10% We

DEFAULT:
When in doubt, use "you."
Make it about them.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Lead with "you" for conversion. Use "we" for credibility. Use "they" for proof.

---

## Decision 8: Specific vs. Vague Numbers

**Context:** Deciding how precise to be with statistics and claims.

**Options:**

| Precision | Example | Credibility | Risk |
|-----------|---------|-------------|------|
| **Exact** | "10,847 customers" | High | Must be true |
| **Rounded** | "10,000+ customers" | Medium | Less memorable |
| **Vague** | "Thousands of customers" | Low | Feels inflated |

**Framework:**
```
Number specificity:

WHEN TO BE EXACT:
True and verifiable → Use exact
"10,847 teams trust us"
"4.3 hours saved per week"
"99.97% uptime"

Exact numbers feel real.
Round numbers feel estimated.

WHEN TO ROUND:
Numbers that change frequently
"10,000+" (easier to maintain)
"1M+ users" (memorable)

WHEN VAGUE IS ACCEPTABLE:
Approximate comparisons
"Save hours every week"
"Thousands of integrations"

SPECIFICITY HIERARCHY:
"10,847 teams" > "10K+ teams" > "Thousands of teams"
"4.3 hours" > "4+ hours" > "Hours"
"23% increase" > "20%+ increase" > "Significant increase"

ODD NUMBERS:
More believable than round.
"10,847" > "10,000"
"23%" > "25%"
"4.3 hours" > "4 hours"

PRECISION BALANCE:
Exact: Primary claims
Rounded: Supporting points
Vague: Only when necessary

FALSE PRECISION:
"Exactly 10,000 customers" sounds fake.
Exact odd numbers sound researched.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Use exact numbers for key claims. Round for convenience. Never be vague on important points.

---

## Decision 9: Problem-Focused vs. Solution-Focused

**Context:** Deciding whether to emphasize pain or gain.

**Options:**

| Focus | Lead With | Effect | Risk |
|-------|-----------|--------|------|
| **Problem** | The pain | Creates urgency | May feel negative |
| **Solution** | The outcome | Creates desire | May not resonate |
| **Balanced** | Problem → Solution | Complete picture | Requires more space |

**Framework:**
```
Focus selection:

AUDIENCE AWARENESS:
Unaware of problem → Problem focus
  (Help them see the pain)
Aware of problem → Solution focus
  (They already feel the pain)
Comparing solutions → Differentiation focus
  (Why you're better)

PRODUCT TYPE:
Pain killer → Problem focus
  "Stop losing customers to slow load times"
Vitamin → Solution focus
  "Grow faster with better analytics"

EMOTIONAL INTENSITY:
High pain → Problem focus
  (They'll recognize it)
Low pain → Solution focus
  (Need to inspire, not remind)

PROBLEM-FOCUSED:
"You're losing 30% of visitors
because your site is too slow."
(Emphasizes the pain)

SOLUTION-FOCUSED:
"Your site loads in 0.4 seconds.
Visitors stay and convert."
(Emphasizes the outcome)

BALANCED:
"Slow sites lose customers.
Yours won't."
(Problem → Solution)

SEQUENCE:
Problem (hook) → Agitation (deepen) →
Solution (relief) → Proof (credibility)

TONE CONSIDERATION:
Problem focus can feel negative.
Balance with hope.
End on positive.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Start with problem (hook), but spend more time on solution (desire). 30% problem, 70% solution.

---

## Decision 10: Brand Voice Consistency vs. Context Adaptation

**Context:** Balancing consistent voice with context-appropriate tone.

**Options:**

| Approach | Consistency | Adaptation | Best For |
|----------|-------------|------------|----------|
| **Rigid** | 100% same | None | Simple brands |
| **Flexible** | Core same | Tone varies | Most brands |
| **Contextual** | Themes same | Voice varies | Multi-audience |

**Framework:**
```
Voice/Tone balance:

VOICE = Core identity (doesn't change)
TONE = Expression (adapts to context)

EXAMPLE BRAND VOICE:
"Confident, helpful, human"

TONE VARIATIONS:

HOMEPAGE (Inspiring):
"Build something amazing. We'll help."

ERROR MESSAGE (Helpful):
"That didn't work. Here's what to try."

LEGAL (Clear):
"Your privacy is protected. Here's how."

SUPPORT (Warm):
"We've got your back. Let's fix this together."

CONSISTENCY ELEMENTS:
- Core vocabulary
- Sentence rhythm
- Personality traits
- Values expressed

ADAPTATION ELEMENTS:
- Energy level
- Formality level
- Emoji usage
- Sentence length

VOICE GUIDE STRUCTURE:
Core voice: [3-5 attributes]
We are: [list]
We are not: [list]
We say: [examples]
We don't say: [examples]

Tone by context:
- Marketing: [description]
- Support: [description]
- Legal: [description]

CONSISTENCY RULE:
Reader should recognize your brand
across all contexts.
Tone adapts; voice stays the same.
```

**Default Recommendation:** Keep voice consistent, adapt tone to context. Users should always recognize you, but feel appropriately addressed.
