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Use this for any short-form writing that runs on a channel: an ad, an email, a subject line, a social caption, an SMS. For long-form, use write an article instead.

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Before you start

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The path

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1. Fill in the copy brief

Copy the copy brief and fill in the strategic core: objective, reader action, customer profile and insight, the key message, the proof, and the mandatories.The reasoning behind each section is in copy brief concepts.
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2. Pull the message, don't invent it

The key message comes from a pillar in messaging. A campaign where every asset carries a slightly different main message stops reading like one campaign.
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3. Point at the voice section that applies

Brand voice and tone is one document, but a pricing email and a support reply draw on different parts of it. Name the part in the brief rather than restating the rules.
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4. Pick the channel template

The brief holds the strategy. The template holds the character limits and field structure.Meta: static and video, carousel, collection, lead ad. Google: search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, display, YouTube, app. LinkedIn: single image, video, carousel, document, message, conversation, text, follower. TikTok: in-feed, Spark, carousel, video shopping, TopView. Email: email copy template.
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5. Draft inside the limits

Write to the character counts in the template, not to a comfortable length you trim later. Copy written long and cut short usually loses the specific part and keeps the generic part.
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6. Check the claims

Every factual claim has to appear in the approved claims table in messaging. Anything not on the list goes to review before it ships, not after.
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7. Get approvals

Brand approval for voice and claims. Legal review for anything comparative, numeric, or regulated.
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8. Name and file it

Name the copy file with file naming conventions, and name the ad it becomes with ad name conventions. Link the finished copy from the brief.
Last modified on August 10, 2026