newsletter-creation-curation · diff
git:20260214.bdd7f87 to git:20260225.733acad
162 added, 176 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: newsletter-creation-curation
description: Industry-adaptive B2B newsletter creation with stage, role, and geography-aware workflows
- metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"📧","homepage":"https://github.com/shashwatgtm","always":true}}
---
# Newsletter Creation & Curation Skill
Use this skill to create B2B newsletters that match business context, not generic content templates.
Deep strategic guidance is in `PLAYBOOK.md`.
Use this file as the executable operating manual.
- ## Quick Decision Tree (5 Dimensions)
+ ---
- Answer these in order before writing anything.
+ ## Context Loading Gates
- ### 1) Goal
- - `Lead Generation`: newsletter should drive pipeline and SQLs.
- - `Thought Leadership`: newsletter should build trust and category authority.
- - `Personal Brand`: newsletter should establish individual POV and visibility.
- - `Category Ownership`: newsletter should define market narrative at scale.
+ **Before generating any newsletter content, collect:**
- ### 2) Industry
- - `Sales Tech`: tactical, data-heavy, ROI-forward.
- - `HR Tech`: research-led, professional, trust-first.
- - `Fintech`: compliance-aware, conservative claims.
- - `Operations Tech`: domain-specific, practical playbooks.
+ - [ ] **Company context:** What product/service? Who is the ICP?
+ - [ ] **Newsletter goal:** Lead gen / thought leadership / personal brand / category ownership
+ - [ ] **Industry vertical:** Sales Tech / HR Tech / Fintech / Operations Tech
+ - [ ] **Company stage:** Series A / Series B / Series C+
+ - [ ] **Role:** Founder / VP-Director / PMM-Content / Enterprise employee
+ - [ ] **Geography:** US-first / India-first
+ - [ ] **Prior issues:** Any existing issues to maintain consistency and voice?
+ - [ ] **Approval constraints:** Does this need legal/brand/manager review?
- ### 3) Company Stage
- - `Series A`: founder-led, lean, weekly or bi-weekly.
- - `Series B`: team-led, stronger editorial process, analytics discipline.
- - `Series C+`: media-grade quality, original research, category narrative.
+ **Structured intake — answer all 5 dimensions before proceeding:**
- ### 4) Role
- - `Founder`: highest autonomy, fastest execution.
- - `VP/Director`: medium autonomy, stakeholder review expected.
- - `PMM/Content`: structured approvals, brand constraints.
- - `Enterprise employee`: PR/legal gatekeeping likely required.
+ ```
+ Goal: [lead_gen | thought_leadership | personal_brand | category_ownership]
+ Industry: [sales_tech | hr_tech | fintech | ops_tech]
+ Stage: [series_a | series_b | series_c_plus]
+ Role: [founder | vp_director | pmm_content | enterprise_employee]
+ Geography: [us_first | india_first]
+ ```
- ### 5) Geography
- - `India-first`: IST timing, local examples/channels.
- - `US-first`: EST/PST timing, US benchmarks/channels.
+ ---
- ## Template Selector
+ ## Phase 1: Context Analysis
- Pick exactly one base template first:
- - Sales Tech: `templates/sales-tech-template.md`
- - HR Tech: `templates/hr-tech-template.md`
- - Fintech: `templates/fintech-template.md`
- - Operations Tech: `templates/ops-tech-template.md`
+ Before drafting, reason through:
- Then adapt cadence and tone using Stage + Role + Geography.
+ 1. **Template match:** Which industry template best fits? (Sales Tech = data-heavy; HR Tech = research-led; Fintech = compliance-aware; Ops Tech = practical)
+ 2. **Cadence match:** Series A = weekly/bi-weekly for simplicity; Series B = weekly with process; Series C+ = media-grade weekly with pillars
+ 3. **Role constraints:** Founder = direct POV allowed; Employee = approval checkpoint required before final draft
+ 4. **Geography adjustments:** India-first = IST timing + local examples; US-first = EST/PST + US benchmarks
+ 5. **Goal-content alignment:** Lead gen needs a clear conversion CTA; thought leadership needs original insight, not general content
- ## Execution Workflow (Do This Every Time)
+ Output one-line strategy statement:
+ > `For [ICP], we publish [cadence] to achieve [goal] with [format].`
- ### Step 1: Assess Context
- Collect and confirm:
- - Product category and ICP.
- - Primary goal for the next 90 days.
- - Stage, role, approval constraints.
- - Geography and timezone.
- - Available production bandwidth (hours/week, team, budget).
+ ---
- Output:
- - One-line strategy statement: `For [ICP], we publish [cadence] to achieve [goal] with [format].`
+ ## Phase 2: Issue Blueprint
- ### Step 2: Select and Adapt Template
- Actions:
- - Load one industry template from `templates/`.
- - Set cadence:
- - Series A: weekly/bi-weekly (execution simplicity).
- - Series B: weekly or bi-weekly (team process).
- - Series C+: weekly with recurring pillars (media-quality).
- - Apply role constraints:
- - Founder: direct POV is allowed.
- - Employee: insert approval checkpoint before final draft.
- - Apply geography settings:
- - India-first: schedule in IST and local references.
- - US-first: schedule in EST/PST and US references.
+ Before writing full draft, produce an issue blueprint:
- Output:
- - Final issue blueprint with section headings + target word count per section.
+ ```markdown
+ ## Issue Blueprint
- ### Step 3: Generate Content
- Use the blueprint to draft issue content.
+ **Strategy:** For [ICP], [cadence] to achieve [goal].
+ **Industry tone:** [tactical/research-led/compliance-aware/practical]
+ **Approval required:** [yes/no — who]
- Required structure:
- - Subject line options (3)
- - Hook (problem + stakes)
- - Core insight (data, framework, or pattern)
- - Actionable playbook (steps/checklist)
- - CTA (reply, share, demo, resource)
+ **Sections:**
+ 1. Subject lines (3 options) — [~words each]
+ 2. Hook — [target ~75 words]
+ 3. Core insight — [target ~200 words]
+ 4. Actionable playbook — [target ~150 words, 3-5 steps]
+ 5. CTA — [1 sentence, singular action]
+ ```
- Generation rules:
- - Prefer specific numbers, examples, and named scenarios.
- - Remove generic filler.
- - Keep one primary takeaway per issue.
- - Keep CTA singular and measurable.
+ Get confirmation or proceed to draft.
- Output:
- - Draft issue in publish-ready markdown.
+ ---
- ### Step 4: Refine and Ship
- Run this checklist:
- - `Clarity`: can a busy reader extract value in 60 seconds?
- - `Specificity`: does each section include concrete guidance or evidence?
- - `Relevance`: does tone match industry and role constraints?
- - `Compliance`: for fintech/employee-led, ensure legal/manager review step exists.
- - `Consistency`: voice aligns with prior issues.
+ ## Phase 3: Full Issue Draft
- Finalize:
- - Choose one subject line.
- - Add final send time.
- - Add amplification plan (LinkedIn + one secondary channel).
+ Generate complete publish-ready draft. Required structure — every issue:
- Output:
- - Final issue + distribution notes + KPI targets.
+ ### Subject Line Options (3 required)
+ Produce 3 distinct angles:
+ - A: Curiosity/open loop ("The metric most [ICP] ignore")
+ - B: Specific + benefit ("How [Company type] achieves [X] in [timeframe]")
+ - C: Contrarian/bold ("Stop [common behavior]. Do this instead.")
- ## Role-Based Approval Workflow
+ ### Hook
+ - First 2 sentences must earn the read
+ - Lead with the problem + stakes
+ - Target: busy reader can extract the point in 60 seconds
- Use this enforcement logic before publishing:
- - Founder-led:
- - No formal approval required.
- - Optional peer review for quality.
- - VP/Director-led:
- - Manager or leadership review required.
- - High-impact claims should be validated.
- - PMM/Content-led:
- - Brand + stakeholder review required.
- - Keep documented source notes for claims.
- - Enterprise employee:
- - PR/legal review required before distribution.
+ ### Core Insight
+ - One primary takeaway per issue — not three
+ - Support with: data, framework, or named pattern
+ - Include specific numbers or named examples wherever possible
- If unsure, default to stricter review.
+ ### Actionable Playbook
+ - 3-5 steps or checklist items
+ - Each step must be implementable, not just conceptual
+ - Series A = simpler steps; Series C+ = more sophisticated process
- ## KPI Defaults by Goal
+ ### CTA
+ - ONE measurable action only
+ - Options: reply with [X], click [link], share [asset], book [demo]
+ - Never use vague CTAs ("Learn more")
- - Lead Generation:
- - Open rate, CTR, demo requests, SQL mentions in CRM.
- - Thought Leadership:
- - Open rate trend, replies, shares, speaking invites, inbound references.
- - Personal Brand:
- - Subscriber growth, profile visits, inbound opportunities.
- - Category Ownership:
- - Share of voice, citations, partnerships, executive visibility.
+ ---
- ## Playbook Map (Deep Dives)
+ ## Phase 4: Refinement Checklist
- Use these sections in `PLAYBOOK.md` when deeper strategy is needed:
- - Sales Tech strategy: `SECTION A`
- - HR Tech strategy: `SECTION B`
- - Fintech strategy: `SECTION C`
- - Operations Tech strategy: `SECTION D`
- - Role approvals and geography tactics: `CROSS-CUTTING: UNIVERSAL FRAMEWORKS`
- - Mistakes, prompts, tool matrix, quick-reference matrix: bottom sections of `PLAYBOOK.md`
+ Run before delivering:
- ## Why This vs Generic ChatGPT Prompting?
+ - [ ] `Clarity`: Can a busy reader extract value in 60 seconds?
+ - [ ] `Specificity`: Does each section include concrete guidance or evidence?
+ - [ ] `Relevance`: Does tone match industry and role constraints?
+ - [ ] `Compliance`: For fintech/employee-led, is a legal/manager review step included?
+ - [ ] `Consistency`: Does voice align with prior issues (if any were provided)?
+ - [ ] `CTA`: Is there exactly ONE measurable CTA — not two, not zero?
- This skill adds structured context control that generic prompting usually misses:
- - Matches content to `industry + stage + role + geography` before drafting.
- - Forces approval logic for employee-led and fintech scenarios.
- - Uses proven templates tied to B2B newsletter outcomes.
- - Produces repeatable workflows, not one-off writing outputs.
- - Keeps strategic depth in `PLAYBOOK.md` for escalation without bloating execution steps.
+ ---
- ## Fictional Case Study (Realistic)
+ ## Phase 5: Self-Critique Pass (REQUIRED)
- ### Context
- - Company: `SignalPilot` (Sales Tech)
- - Stage: Series A, $4M ARR
- - Role: Founder-led
- - Market: US-first
- - Goal: 12 SQLs/month from newsletter in 6 months
- - Bandwidth: 4 hours/week, no designer
+ After completing the draft, evaluate:
- ### What They Did
- - Selected `templates/sales-tech-template.md`.
- - Published weekly on Tuesday 9 AM EST.
- - Issue mix:
- - 50% data-backed sales observations
- - 30% tactical playbooks
- - 20% contrarian POV
- - Reused each issue for one LinkedIn post + one short thread.
+ - [ ] Does the subject line A option create genuine curiosity without being clickbait?
+ - [ ] Does the hook deliver a problem + stakes in the first 2 sentences?
+ - [ ] Is the core insight something subscribers couldn't get from a generic AI prompt?
+ - [ ] Does the playbook have steps that are specific to this audience, not generic "tips"?
+ - [ ] Is the CTA actually measurable — i.e., can they track whether it worked?
+ - [ ] For fintech/employee contexts: is there an explicit approval checkpoint?
- ### Outcome (6 Months)
- - 1,350 subscribers.
- - Average 42% open rate, 8.1% CTR.
- - 14 monthly SQLs tagged as newsletter-influenced.
- - Sales team started using issues as pre-demo credibility assets.
+ Flag any issue: "The playbook steps are too generic for a Series B SaaS audience — they read as beginner content. Revised to assume existing process maturity."
- ## Usage Examples
+ ---
- ### Example A: Founder, Sales Tech, Series A
- Prompt:
- ```text
- Use newsletter-creation-curation.
- Context: Sales tech founder, Series A, US market, lead generation goal.
- Create next week's issue using the sales-tech template, with 3 subject lines,
- 700-900 words, and a Tuesday 9 AM EST send plan.
- ```
+ ## Iteration Protocol
- ### Example B: VP Marketing, HR Tech, Series B
- Prompt:
- ```text
- Use newsletter-creation-curation.
- Context: HR tech VP Marketing, Series B, US-first, thought-leadership goal.
- Create a bi-weekly issue outline and full draft with approval checkpoints and
- source-backed claims only.
- ```
+ After delivering the draft:
+ 1. Ask: "Does the hook earn the read? Does the playbook feel actionable for your audience?"
+ 2. If hook is weak → rewrite using a different angle (data-led, story-led, or contrarian)
+ 3. If playbook is too generic → ask for a specific example from their own experience to ground it
+ 4. For next issue: "Want me to save these content themes so the next issue builds on this one?"
- ### Example C: PMM, Fintech, Series B, India
- Prompt:
- ```text
- Use newsletter-creation-curation.
- Context: Fintech PMM, Series B, India-first, trust-building goal.
- Build issue draft with compliance-safe language, IST send timing, and
- manager/legal review checklist.
+ ---
+
+ ## Output Structure
+
+ ```markdown
+ ## Newsletter Issue: [Name] — Issue #[X] — [Date]
+ **Strategy:** For [ICP], [cadence] to achieve [goal].
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Subject Line Options
+ A) [Curiosity/open loop]
+ B) [Specific + benefit]
+ C) [Contrarian/bold]
+ **Recommended:** [A/B/C] — [reason]
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Hook
+ [2-3 sentences — problem + stakes]
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Core Insight
+ [200-300 words — data, framework, or named pattern]
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Actionable Playbook
+ 1. [Step]
+ 2. [Step]
+ 3. [Step]
+
+ ---
+
+ ### CTA
+ [Single measurable action]
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Distribution Plan
+ - **Send time:** [Day, Time, Timezone]
+ - **LinkedIn amplification:** [Post angle / hook]
+ - **Secondary channel:** [Platform + angle]
+
+ ### KPI Targets
+ - Open rate goal: [%]
+ - CTR goal: [%]
+ - Primary metric: [SQLs / subscribers / replies]
+
+ ### Approval Required
+ [Yes — [who] | No]
+
+ ### Self-Critique Notes
+ [Issues flagged + revisions made]
```
- ## Fast Start (Agent Checklist)
+ ---
- 1. Ask 5 decision-tree questions.
- 2. Select one industry template from `templates/`.
- 3. Produce issue blueprint (sections + word counts).
- 4. Draft issue using the workflow.
- 5. Apply role/compliance review.
- 6. Finalize send-time, amplification, and KPI targets.
- 7. If deeper strategy is needed, consult `PLAYBOOK.md`.
+ ## Playbook Map (Deep Dives in `PLAYBOOK.md`)
+
+ - Sales Tech strategy: `SECTION A`
+ - HR Tech strategy: `SECTION B`
+ - Fintech strategy: `SECTION C`
+ - Operations Tech strategy: `SECTION D`
+ - Role approvals and geography tactics: `CROSS-CUTTING: UNIVERSAL FRAMEWORKS`
+
+ ---
+
+ *Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com*