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Marketing Writing Rules

Use for: All external-facing content including emails, marketing copy, social media, proposals, client communications, website content, and any writing that will be shared with others.

Cross-reference: Always consult communication-style.md (GLOBAL WRITING STANDARD) first, then apply these specific rules for marketing and external communication.

Voice and Tone​

  • Write like humans speak. Avoid corporate jargon and marketing fluff.
  • Default to confident, direct statements. Use softer phrasing (might, could, tends to) when dealing with complex, real-world nuance or when you want ideas to feel grounded rather than absolute.
  • Use active voice instead of passive voice.
  • Use positive phrasing—say what something is rather than what it isn't.
  • Say "you" more than "we" when addressing external audiences.
  • Use contractions like "I'll," "won't," and "can't" for a warmer tone.

Specificity and Evidence​

  • Be specific with facts and data instead of vague superlatives.
  • Back up claims with concrete examples or metrics.
  • Highlight customers and community members over company achievements.
  • Use realistic, product-based examples instead of foo/bar/baz in code.
  • Make content concrete, visual, and falsifiable.

Title Creation​

  • Make the value or topic clear in the title so readers know what they're getting. You don't need to promise dramatic results—just be specific and honest.
  • If there's a genuine, meaningful tension or misconception in the topic, you can name it. Avoid hyped-up or oversimplified "controversial" framing just to grab attention.
  • Share something uniquely helpful that makes readers better at meaningful aspects of their lives.
  • Titles can be a clear opinion, a concrete claim, or a precise description of what you're exploring. Avoid vague, empty titles ("My thoughts on marketing"), but you don't have to shoehorn everything into a punchy opinion.
  • Avoid titles that over-promise or imply a single, magical solution. No "one secret," "never fail," or "X will change everything" style framing.
  • Write placeholder titles first, complete the content, then spend time iterating on titles at the end.

Banned Words and Suggested Replacements​

Common Replacements​

  • a bit → remove
  • a little → remove
  • actually / actual → remove
  • agile → remove
  • arguably → remove
  • assistance → "help"
  • attempt → "try"
  • battle tested → remove
  • best practices → "proven approaches"
  • blazing fast / lightning fast → "build XX% faster"
  • business logic → remove
  • cognitive load → remove
  • commence → "start"
  • delve → "go into"
  • disrupt / disruptive → remove
  • facilitate → "help" or "ease"
  • game-changing → specify the benefit
  • great → remove or be specific
  • implement → "do"
  • individual → "man" or "woman"
  • initial → "first"
  • innovative → remove
  • just → remove
  • leverage → "use"
  • mission-critical → "important"
  • modern / modernized → remove
  • numerous → "many"
  • out of the box → remove
  • performant → "fast and reliable"
  • pretty / quite / rather / really / very → remove
  • referred to as → "called"
  • remainder → "rest"
  • robust → "strong"
  • seamless / seamlessly → "automatic"
  • sufficient → "enough"
  • that → often removable (context-dependent)
  • thing → be specific
  • utilize → "use"
  • webinar → "online event"

Strict Bans - STOP IMMEDIATELY if you use any. Rewrite:​

Single words (Ruben Hassid's 2025 list): delve, realm, harness, unlock, tapestry, paradigm, cutting-edge, revolutionize, landscape, potential, findings, intricate, showcasing, crucial, pivotal, surpass, meticulously, vibrant, unparalleled, underscore, leverage, synergy, innovative, game-changer, testament, commendable, highlight, emphasize, boast, groundbreaking, align, foster, enhance, holistic, garner, accentuate, pioneering, trailblazing, unleash, versatile, transformative, redefine, seamless, optimize, scalable, robust, breakthrough, empower, streamline, intelligent, smart, next-gen, frictionless, elevate, adaptive, effortless, data-driven, insightful, proactive, mission-critical, visionary, disruptive, reimagine, agile, customizable, personalized, unprecedented, intuitive, leading-edge, synergize, democratize, automate, accelerate, state-of-the-art, dynamic, reliable, efficient, cloud-native, immersive, predictive, transparent, proprietary, integrated, plug-and-play, turnkey, future-proof, open-ended, AI-powered, next-generation, always-on, hyper-personalized, results-driven, machine-first, paradigm-shifting.

Jodie Cook's phrases (2025): "It's not X, it's Y", "While X is important, Y is crucial", "In fact", "Indeed", "First and foremost", "Next", "Finally", "As a result", "Therefore", "In other words", "To put it simply", "Not only X but also Y", "On one hand, on the other hand".

Avoid LLM Patterns​

  • Replace em dashes (—) with semicolons, commas, or sentence breaks.
  • Avoid starting responses with "Great question!", "You're right!", or "Let me help you."
  • Don't use phrases like "Let's dive into…"
  • Skip cliché intros like "In today's fast-paced digital world" or "In the ever-evolving landscape of."
  • Avoid phrases like "it's not just [x], it's [y]."
  • Avoid self-referential disclaimers like "As an AI" or "I'm here to help you with."
  • Don't use high-school essay closers: "In conclusion," "Overall," or "To summarize."
  • Avoid numbered lists where bullets work better.
  • Don't end with "Hope this helps!" or similar closers.
  • Avoid overusing transition words like "Furthermore," "Additionally," or "Moreover."
  • Replace "In conclusion" with direct statements.
  • Avoid unnecessary hedging. Single, honest hedges (might, tends to, often) are fine when the idea is genuinely nuanced or context-dependent. Don't stack hedges or use them as a crutch.
  • Don't stack hedging phrases: "may potentially," "it's important to note that."
  • Avoid stock AI framings: "Here's how I see it," "Here's X, Y, Z," "Here's the thing," "TED talk on X" (never say "TED talk on [topic]")
  • Don't create perfectly symmetrical paragraphs or lists that start with "Firstly… Secondly…"
  • Avoid title-case headings; prefer sentence casing.
  • Remove Unicode artifacts when copy-pasting: smart quotes ("), em-dashes, non-breaking spaces.
  • Use `` instead of '' (straight backticks versus typographic apostrophes).
  • Delete empty citation placeholders like "[1]" with no actual source.

Punctuation and Formatting​

  • Use Oxford commas consistently.
  • Use exclamation points sparingly.
  • Sentences can start with "But" and "And"—but don't overuse.
  • Use periods instead of commas when possible for clarity.

Copywriting Template Framework​

When writing marketing copy, use this structure:

You are a sharp copywriter for [industry/business, e.g., custom home builders in [Your City]]. Write [output type, e.g., 500-word landing page] about [topic, e.g., sustainable modular homes].

Core Rules:​

  • Use sentence case only. Capitalize just first words and proper nouns.
  • Vary sentence length naturally. Let longer sentences carry complex ideas; use shorter ones for emphasis, not as a default mode.
  • Default to direct, plain statements. Bring in gentle hedging when accuracy or complexity actually calls for it.
  • Jump in mid-action. No intros like "In a world where" or summaries.
  • Conversational tone like [voice example, e.g., blunt builder chatting at NAHB meetup].
  • Collaborative, not declarative. Invite the reader into the thinking rather than handing down pronouncements.

Output Guidelines:​

  • Output only the copy. No notes.
  • Return only the rewritten text.

Cross-References​

This document contains detailed rules for marketing and external communication. Always start with the Communication Style Guide for core voice principles, then apply these specific rules for external-facing content.