A shared map of the skills, knowledge and behaviours professional copywriters need — 68 competencies across 10 categories in the core discipline, each with three levels of progression. This is the reference document; Pro+ members can measure themselves against it with the interactive self-assessment tool.
Threshold competencies are essential for all copywriters. Contextual competencies may be more or less relevant depending on your work.
How the framework works
Core
68 core competencies every professional copywriter shares — shown below. This is the foundation.
+
10 specialisms
Optional add-ons for specific fields (UX writing, SEO, technical…). Open one from View a specialism above, or the cards below.
The foundational competencies that underpin all professional copywriting work. These skills apply whether you're a generalist copywriter or developing a specialism.
Behavioural economics
Contextual
Understands how people make predictably irrational decisions, applying insights like framing, social proof, and loss aversion ethically.
Developing
Understands that decisions are influenced by emotion, context, and framing—not just information.
Avoids messaging that inadvertently triggers loss, uncertainty, or distrust.
Identifies simple behavioural concepts such as reciprocity, social proof, or scarcity.
Asks for guidance when unsure how behavioural insights should shape messaging.
Practising
Uses concepts such as anchoring, choice architecture, loss aversion, commitment bias, or nudges to influence outcomes.
Frames information to make the desired action feel easier, safer, or more rewarding.
Avoids messaging that inadvertently encourages inaction, perceived risk, or overchoice.
Justifies behavioural decisions using customer insight or performance data.
Expert
Integrates behavioural economics into messaging frameworks, brand narratives, or product experiences.
Predicts how framing, sequencing, and context influence decisions across journey stages.
Anticipates ethical risks of behavioural triggers (e.g. fear, shame, false urgency) and designs safeguards.
Coaches others to apply behavioural insights responsibly and effectively.
Cognitive load theory
Contextual
Designs and structures copy to minimise mental effort, managing intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load.
Developing
Avoids long, dense sentences, unnecessary jargon, or irrelevant information.
Breaks content into digestible chunks when prompted (e.g. bullets, subheadings, shorter paragraphs).
Identifies when too much information is presented at once and asks for support on prioritisation.
Understands that users can't hold multiple ideas in memory simultaneously and adjusts writing after feedback.
Practising
Structures content logically to support scanning, memory, and decision flow (e.g. one idea per sentence, clear hierarchy of information).
Removes redundant or competing messages that distract from the core action or idea.
Reduces choice paralysis by limiting options or clarifying which option is recommended.
Designs copy that helps readers understand, believe, and decide with minimal effort.
Expert
Anticipates cognitive pain points and restructures messaging at a systemic level (across pages, screens, campaigns, or funnels).
Shapes editorial and UX language standards that reduce user effort and drive clarity at scale.
Coaches others to recognise when copy introduces unnecessary complexity and how to fix it.
Balances simplicity with nuance—ensuring clarity without infantilising or oversimplifying.
Heuristics and mental shortcuts
Contextual
Understands and integrates the mental shortcuts people use when processing information, structuring content to align with natural thinking patterns.
Developing
Identifies simple mental shortcuts such as preference for simplicity, familiarity, and clarity.
Writes copy that avoids overwhelming the audience with excessive choice, information, or complexity.
Understands that readers skim, scan, and decide quickly, and adapts writing accordingly with guidance.
Spots when copy burdens the reader (too many options, unclear structure) and seeks direction.
Practising
Uses cognitive shortcuts such as social proof, anchoring, loss aversion, or authority to strengthen messaging.
Structures information to support effortless decision-making (e.g. highlight the best option, sequence benefits, remove irrelevant detail).
Anticipates likely objections or confusion points and resolves them proactively in the copy.
Explains how and why specific heuristics support messaging goals.
Expert
Integrates heuristics into broader communication frameworks, brand narratives, or persuasion systems.
Anticipates ethical considerations—avoiding manipulative, fear-based, or exploitative applications of psychological triggers.
Coaches others to recognise when cognitive shortcuts aid decisions and when they create bias or risk.
Shapes messaging that aligns organisational intent with human decision-making behaviours across channels and journeys.
Accessibility, inclusion and emotional safety
Threshold
Follows accessibility guidelines so content can be used by diverse audiences with a variety of access needs, minimising stress and contributing to emotional safety.
Developing
Writes in plain, understandable language without unnecessary jargon.
Avoids stereotypes, biased framing, or exclusionary expressions when flagged.
Replaces jargon, idioms, or metaphors that may exclude or confuse audiences.
Asks questions when unsure whether language or phrasing may cause misunderstanding or discomfort.
Practising
Designs messaging that anticipates diverse user experiences, identities, and access needs.
Applies accessibility and readability standards (e.g. WCAG-aligned content patterns, clear CTAs, descriptive link text).
Identifies and mitigates emotional triggers, manipulative phrasing, or fear-based tactics.
Ensures tone and content welcome rather than gatekeep — avoiding assumptions about knowledge, identity, or circumstance.
Expert
Develops or contributes to accessibility, language, and inclusion standards used across teams.
Identifies systemic patterns of exclusion in messaging and redesigns them at concept or strategy level.
Balances persuasion and commercial goals with ethical responsibility — rejecting tactics that exploit fear, shame, or bias.
Coaches teams on inclusive language, cognitive accessibility, and user emotion, demonstrating how language shapes lived experience.
Conversion copywriting
Threshold
Writes copy that motivates audiences to take a specific action, such as signing up, downloading, purchasing, clicking, booking, or completing a form.
See also: Conversion copywriting (specialism)
Developing
Writes clear calls to action that reflect what the user will do next.
Uses straightforward benefit-led language when prompted (e.g. “Save time” vs. “Our platform has automation features”).
Removes obvious friction words (e.g. “submit,” “complete”) when instructed and replaces them with more user-friendly alternatives.
Recognises when copy may confuse or delay action and seeks direction.
Practising
Structures messaging to build desire and reduce resistance (e.g. problem → value → proof → action).
Applies audience insights, objections, and motivational triggers to refine copy.
Tests and iterates CTAs, headlines, or offer framing to optimise performance.
Differentiates between micro-conversions (e.g. click, scroll, trial start) and macro-conversions (e.g. purchase, subscription) and writes accordingly.
Expert
Defines value propositions, messaging hierarchies, and objection-handling frameworks that drive conversion across audiences or segments.
Anticipates psychological barriers (e.g. risk, decision fatigue, loss aversion) and neutralises them through structure, wording, and sequencing.
Ensures conversion tactics align with brand trust, legal constraints, and ethical standards.
Coaches teams on how to build and test persuasive journeys rather than single touchpoints.
Copywriting processes
Threshold
Follow and refines structured methods to plan, draft, review, and optimise copy. Professional copywriters use defined processes to produce consistently effective messaging.
Developing
Follows documented steps such as briefing, outlining, drafting, revising and finalising copy.
Refers to brand guidelines, tone frameworks, or templates rather than starting from scratch.
Incorporates stakeholder or reviewer feedback in an organised, traceable manner.
Recognises the value of research and planning before writing and asks for guidance when unclear.
Practising
Plans copy before drafting, using tools such as outlines, messaging hierarchies, customer journeys, or narrative frameworks.
Iterates based on data, feedback, and testing rather than opinion or preference.
Identifies process gaps and introduces improvements (e.g. better briefing questions, more effective review loops).
Balances creativity with workflow discipline, ensuring deadlines and quality are both met
Expert
Creates or refines systematised workflows, editorial standards, and review checkpoints used by others.
Anticipates process bottlenecks (e.g. late feedback, unclear briefs, conflicting priorities) and introduces structural fixes.
Coaches others on systematic approaches to ideation, drafting, testing, and optimisation.
Ensures process discipline supports—rather than stifles—creativity, brand integrity, and measurable outcomes.
Copywriting tactics
Threshold
Draws upon a repertoire of proven techniques, rhetorical devices, and structural approaches to strengthen communication and improve outcomes. Copywriting tactics help writers grab attention, build momentum, emphasise meaning, increase persuasion, and guide behaviour. a wide range of proven copywriting techniques and tactics.
Developing
Uses simple tactics such as calls to action, benefit-led framing, or concise headlines when instructed.
Can identify examples of techniques like social proof, urgency, or contrast.
Experiments with common devices (e.g. rhetorical questions, repetition, parallelism).
Applies basic persuasive and structural tactics without overusing or misapplying them.
Practising
Selects techniques intentionally (e.g. scarcity, authority, narrative hooks, problem–solution framing) to achieve specific outcomes.
Understands trade-offs between tactics (e.g. urgency vs. trust, emotion vs. clarity) and chooses appropriately.
Combines multiple techniques within one message or journey without overwhelming the reader.
Evaluates which tactics resonate based on feedback, performance metrics, or research insight.
Expert
Designs or refines tactical playbooks (e.g. CTA logic, persuasive frameworks, narrative sequencing, heuristic-led messaging) others can use.
Anticipates when tactics may cause ethical, tonal, or strategic conflict and introduces safer or more effective alternatives.
Coaches others on tactical decision-making, explaining why specific techniques work in certain contexts.
Integrates copywriting tactics into broader communication systems, brand messaging, or campaign strategy.
Customer-first
Threshold
The ability to write copy that centres the audience’s needs, goals, motivations, and self-interest, rather than the organisation’s priorities or internal language. Customer-first copy demonstrates empathy, relevance, and value from the reader’s point of view.
Developing
Rewrites copy to focus on user benefit instead of internal features when prompted.
Avoids internal jargon and reframes messages in terms the audience uses.
Identifies when a message feels too self-promotional or irrelevant and seeks direction.
Demonstrates basic empathy by acknowledging customer goals, pain points, or motivations.
Practising
Frames messages around user motivations, desired outcomes, and emotional drivers.
Uses the audience’s vocabulary—not internal jargon—to build trust and comprehension.
Prioritises information based on what matters most to the user at each stage of the journey.
Removes organisational ego from copy and shifts the narrative to how users benefit, what changes for them, or what they gain.
Expert
Defines audience-centred messaging principles, frameworks, or templates used by others.
Challenges stakeholder requests that put organisational ego ahead of user value and reframes them effectively.
Advocates for customer empathy in product, marketing, and brand decisions.
Coaches colleagues to identify and overcome internal bias, assumptions, or self-referential language.
Effective communication
Threshold
Conveys information, ideas, and intent in a way that is understood, trusted, and acted upon by the intended audience. Effective communication combines clarity, empathy, structure, and purpose to ensure messages land as intended.
Developing
Writes messages that convey a single, understandable point without confusion.
Chooses basic structures that the audience can follow, even if not optimised.
Responds to feedback to remove ambiguity, tighten meaning, or clarify intent.
Understands the purpose of the message and aligns communication accordingly when prompted.
Practising
Structures information to guide attention logically toward a desired conclusion or action.
Adjusts messaging for audience expectations, knowledge level, and emotional context.
Selects tone, format, and level of detail based on communication goals.
Synthesises complex information into clear, impactful messages that reduce cognitive effort.
Expert
Defines communication frameworks, principles, or messaging systems for others to use.
Anticipates misunderstandings, resistance, or audience concerns and resolves them proactively through language.
Aligns multiple stakeholders around shared narratives, reducing misalignment and message drift.
Coaches others to communicate with precision, empathy, and strategic intent.
Features and benefits
Threshold
Identifies and articulates the difference between features (factual attributes of a product, service, or idea) and benefits (the outcomes, value, or change those features deliver for the audience), and to use both intentionally in messaging.
Developing
Identifies product features from briefs or source materials and labels them correctly.
Writes simple benefit statements when guided (e.g. “X saves time,” “Y helps you stay organised”).
Avoids repeating features without explaining their relevance.
Practising
Prioritises benefits based on audience needs, pain points, and motivations.
Connects features logically to their emotional or functional payoff (e.g. “24-hour support” → peace of mind).
Chooses when to emphasise features (credibility, differentiation) and when to emphasise benefits (persuasion, value).
Creates messaging hierarchies that move from feature → benefit → proof.
Expert
Defines or refines the core value proposition that links product truth to audience desire.
Identifies the benefits that differentiate a brand or offering in crowded or commoditised markets.
Coaches teams on when to use feature-led messaging (expertise, innovation, specifics) versus benefit-led messaging (emotion, transformation, motivation).
Anticipates gaps in feature–benefit narratives and resolves them at a conceptual level (e.g. repositioning claims, reframing outcomes).
Principles of persuasion
Threshold
Uses techniques to build trust, allay concerns, and encourage action.
Developing
Uses simple persuasive structures (e.g. problem/solution or benefit-led framing).
Includes calls to action that clearly signal what the audience should do next.
Recognises emotional triggers (e.g. fear, excitement, curiosity) but avoids overuse or inappropriate deployment.
Adapts language to reduce friction or uncertainty when prompted.
Practising
Selects persuasive strategies based on audience insight, context, or stage in the decision journey.
Applies psychological drivers such as social proof, loss aversion, exclusivity, or authority appropriately.
Balances rational (features, logic) and emotional (identity, aspiration, reassurance) appeals.
Evaluates what persuades different audiences and iterates messaging based on performance or feedback.
Expert
Chooses and combines persuasive levers with strategic intent, avoiding tactics that undermine trust or brand safety.
Anticipates resistance, objections, or cognitive barriers and builds language that neutralises them.
Coaches teams in ethical persuasion, helping others understand why certain approaches work.
Defines persuasive frameworks aligned with brand values, regulatory constraints, and user experience.
Creates persuasive messaging models or playbooks that are used across teams.
Tone of voice
Threshold
Applies a brand’s tone of voice consistently and appropriately across messages, channels, and contexts, while adapting nuance to audience needs, emotional states, and communication goals.
Developing
Writes copy that reflects documented tone of voice examples and brand personality traits.
Identifies when tone feels inconsistent or inappropriate and seeks clarification.
Follows tonal rules (e.g. level of formality, humour, directness) rather than inventing new ones.
Adjusts tone when prompted (e.g. more confident, more empathetic) and understands the reason behind the change.
Practising
Adjusts tone to fit situational context, such as urgency in email, reassurance in onboarding, or authority in thought leadership.
Explains tonal decisions using brand values, audience insight, or communication intent.
Creates tonal variations for testing, concepting, or presenting alternative directions.
Spots and resolves tonal drift across multi-author content, maintaining consistency without losing nuance.
Expert
Contributes to or leads tone-of-voice frameworks, principles, or brand language systems.
Defines guidelines, examples, and rules that help others apply tone consistently and confidently.
Anticipates tonal risks (e.g. cultural sensitivity, emotional safety, power dynamics) and mitigates them across channels.
Coaches teams on how tone influences brand perception, behaviour, and trust.
AI ethics
Threshold
Uses generative AI tools responsibly by verifying outputs, ensuring accuracy, mitigating bias, and maintaining transparency.
Developing
Understands that AI-generated copy may be incorrect, biased, or emotionally unsafe.
Edits and fact-checks AI output rather than publishing it verbatim.
Avoids prompts or uses of AI that could generate discriminatory, harmful, or deceptive content.
Flags uncertainty about whether AI is permitted for a task or how output should be disclosed
Practising
Identifies and mitigates issues such as hallucination, bias, stereotyping, discriminatory phrasing, or emotional manipulation.
Knows when disclosure of AI use is required (internal or external) and communicates it appropriately.
Designs prompts and review practices that reduce ethical risk (e.g. neutral framing, unbiased datasets, safe personas).
Balances efficiency gains with responsibility, ensuring AI never overrides brand values, safety, or accuracy.
Expert
Defines standards for acceptable AI use, disclosure, training data considerations, and review requirements.
Audits AI-influenced messaging to detect systemic risks (e.g. cultural erasure, exclusionary defaults, harmful patterns).
Anticipates reputational, regulatory, and psychological implications of AI-assisted language and mitigates them proactively.
Coaches teams to think critically about AI’s influence on truth, identity, attribution, trust, and emotional impact.
Claims and substantiation
Threshold
Ensures all statements are accurate, verifiable, and supported by evidence.
Developing
Identifies when copy asserts a factual claim rather than an opinion or tone-based statement.
Flags statements that may require evidence or clarification.
Uses approved sources, statistics, or language provided by stakeholders without embellishing or overstating.
Flags uncertainty about rights when reusing or adapting existing materials.
Practising
Confirms ownership, licenses, or usage rights before publishing content.
Understands fair use, attribution requirements, stock asset licensing, and brand IP rules.
Ensures that reused or adapted copy does not infringe on competitors’ slogans, claims, or distinctive phrasing.
Manages rights across multiple channels or territories, considering duration, context, and exclusivity.
Expert
Defines copyright guidelines, IP-safe sourcing practices, and asset attribution standards.
Partners with legal teams to assess risk in slogans, campaign concepts, AI-assisted content, or derivative works.
Anticipates emerging issues—such as AI-generated content ownership, public domain transitions, and jurisdiction conflicts.
Coaches teams on protecting brand IP and avoiding infringement in messaging and creative concepts.
Data and privacy awareness
Threshold
Understands how data protection, privacy laws, consent requirements, and user rights affect messaging, particularly where copy explains, requests, or references personal data, tracking, cookies, preferences, or personalised services.
Developing
Identifies words or phrases that imply data collection, tracking, or personalised recommendations.
Uses approved privacy language (e.g. consent requests, cookie notifications) without modification.
Avoids overpromising how data will be used or suggesting data is optional when it isn’t.
Flags uncertainty when user information, opt-ins, or permissions are mentioned.
Practising
Explains data practices in plain language without undermining required legal meaning or protections.
Supports privacy-first design by crafting opt-in messaging, consent flows, cookie banners, and preference settings that are unambiguous and user-centric.
Distinguishes between optional and mandatory data fields and communicates the difference accurately.
Collaborates with legal, UX, and product teams to ensure privacy messaging is accurate, timely, and proportionate.
Expert
Defines patterns, templates, and narratives for explaining data usage, consent, rights, retention, and opt-out mechanisms.
Advises stakeholders on the behavioural implications of privacy messaging (e.g. fear, trust, coercion, dark patterns).
Ensures messaging adheres to regional laws and frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy, HIPAA, or other jurisdictional standards.
Coaches writers and designers on ethical, accessible, and transparent privacy communication that avoids manipulation.
Ethical persuasion
Threshold
Persuades audiences in ways that respect autonomy, dignity, and informed choice, ensuring messaging influences behaviour without deception, coercion, emotional harm, or exploitation.
Developing
Avoids misleading, exaggerated, or fear-based language.
Recognises the difference between providing compelling reasons and making unsubstantiated promises.
Does not exploit user vulnerabilities, insecurities, or urgency without justification.
Raises questions when asked to use tactics that feel uncomfortable or unclear.
Practising
Uses behavioural triggers (e.g. social proof, scarcity, identity, reciprocity) without distorting facts or pressuring users.
Balances organisational goals with user needs, presenting choices transparently rather than hiding alternatives or consequences.
Identifies when persuasion risks becoming a dark pattern and proposes ethical alternatives.
Tailors persuasion to audience motivations without exploiting sensitive demographics.
Expert
Defines principles and boundaries for persuasive messaging aligned with brand values, legal obligations, and user rights.
Audits existing communication for coercive patterns (e.g. guilt framing, false scarcity, obstructive opt-outs, emotional manipulation).
Coaches teams on ethical influence, helping them replace pressure tactics with clarity, relevance, and meaningful value articulation.
Anticipates reputational, psychological, and regulatory risks associated with persuasive choices and mitigates them proactively.
Regulatory awareness
Threshold
Recognises when content falls under specific regulations and escalates appropriately.
Developing
Understands that certain industries (e.g. finance, healthcare, legal, energy, sustainability, insurance, pharmaceuticals, education) have regulated language requirements.
Applies pre-approved terminology and phrasing without modification.
Flags uncertainty when content could be construed as advice, guarantee, or regulated claim.
Avoids making assumptions about what is legally permissible.
Practising
Identifies when content triggers regulatory oversight (e.g. investment returns, safety outcomes, medical effects, sustainability claims).
Collaborates with legal or compliance specialists to ensure copy meets jurisdictional, sector, or platform requirements.
Integrates regulatory constraints into messaging without compromising user clarity or experience.
Defines language rules, approved claims, and red-line phrases for regulated categories.
Advises leadership and cross-functional teams on regulatory risk in messaging strategy and brand positioning.
Monitors regulatory changes and updates content systems accordingly (e.g. ASA, FTC, GDPR, FCA rules depending on jurisdiction).
Coaches writers to recognise regulatory triggers and avoid creating implied advice or unintended legal promises.
Sustainability and environmental claims
Threshold
Writes environmental and sustainability claims that are accurate, substantiated, and compliant with evolving regulations, avoiding greenwashing while communicating genuine environmental credentials.
Developing
Understands that environmental claims are increasingly regulated and scrutinised.
• Writes environmental claims based on verified information and approved messaging.
• Flags sustainability claims that seem unsubstantiated or potentially misleading.
Practising
Writes environmental claims that are specific, substantiated, and compliant with current guidance (CMA Green Claims Code, ASA rulings).
• Translates technical sustainability information into accessible claims without overstating or misleading.
• Advises on claim construction that is both compelling and defensible.
• Stays current with evolving sustainability communication regulations and best practices.
Expert
Develops sustainability messaging frameworks that enable consistent, compliant environmental communication.
• Coaches teams on environmental claim best practices and emerging regulatory requirements.
• Advises organisations on sustainability communication strategy, balancing ambition with accuracy.
• Anticipates regulatory evolution and prepares messaging approaches that remain compliant as standards tighten.
Commercial awareness
Contextual
Understands the commercial context in which we operate, including revenue goals, market realities, competitive pressures, customer value, and organisational priorities.
Developing
Identifies the stated commercial goal of a brief (e.g. acquire leads, retain users, reduce churn).
Recognises basic business metrics relevant to copy (e.g. conversion rate, sign-ups, engagement).
Asks clarifying questions to understand what success looks like.
Avoids writing copy that prioritises creative preference over business purpose.
Practising
Tailors messaging to maximise desired business results without compromising audience trust.
Anticipates how tone, framing, or messaging can influence cost, revenue, or brand perception.
Identifies opportunities where stronger messaging could improve commercial performance.
Uses data and insight to prioritise messaging decisions (e.g. what to emphasise, simplify, or test).
Expert
Connects narrative and value proposition decisions to pricing, positioning, monetisation, or business model considerations.
Challenges commercially ineffective briefs or assumptions and reframes them toward achievable outcomes.
Advises stakeholders on how language impacts revenue, perception, and long-term brand equity.
Mentors others in evaluating copy not only for clarity or craft, but for commercial effect.
Content marketing
Contextual
Creates compelling content for a variety of audiences and channels throughout buying journey.
See also: Content Marketing specialism
Developing
Writes content aligned to a provided brief, strategy, or editorial calendar.
Differentiates between content designed to educate, entertain, or inspire, versus content meant to convert or sell.
Avoids creating content that is interesting but not relevant to audience needs or business goals.
Recognises how tone, structure, and format influence audience engagement.
Practising
Crafts content that addresses audience questions, pain points, and motivations at specific touchpoints.
Chooses content formats (e.g. blog, email series, white paper, video script, case study) based on objective and channel.
Organises messaging into narratives or series that build momentum over time.
Uses performance feedback (e.g. engagement, dwell time, scroll depth, email metrics) to refine content.
Expert
Defines or refines content pillars, narratives, or editorial systems aligned to brand and commercial priorities.
Anticipates content gaps, audience objections, or informational needs and designs content to resolve them.
Integrates content marketing with broader brand, SEO, demand generation, or lifecycle strategies.
Coaches others on content intent, quality standards, and how content supports both user and business outcomes.
Customer journeys
Contextual
Understands and creates maps identifying buying experience stages and how marketing helps convert customers at each stage.
Developing
Identifies where a piece of copy sits in the customer journey when explained (e.g. awareness vs. conversion).
Adjusts language to match the user’s level of knowledge, intent, or readiness when prompted.
Avoids asking for actions that are premature for the user’s stage.
Recognises gaps where users might need more information but seeks support to address them.
Practising
Structures copy so each interaction logically supports the next, reducing friction and unanswered questions.
Tailors tone, proof points, calls to action, and emotional triggers to journey stage.
Collaborates with designers, marketers, or product teams to align copy with touchpoints across channels.
Identifies journey pain points and messaging gaps and proposes copy-led solutions.
Expert
Defines messaging systems that align value propositions, objections, emotions, and CTAs across complex journeys.
Anticipates decision triggers, psychological barriers, and post-purchase behaviours unique to each stage.
Ensures consistency and narrative coherence across channels, teams, and business functions.
Coaches teams on journey-first communication, preventing isolated or contradictory messaging.
Marketing channels
Contextual
Understands merits of different marketing channels and how to adapt content, style, and tone to each platform.
Developing
Identifies key differences between major channels (e.g. email vs. social vs. web vs. print).
Adjusts length, tone, or structure when prompted (e.g. shorter headlines for digital, clearer CTAs in email).
Recognises when copy written for one channel does not suit another.
Follows channel-specific guidelines or examples provided by stakeholders.
Practising
Writes platform-appropriate copy that reflects how audiences consume content in that channel.
Chooses tone, format, structure, and CTA placement based on channel norms (e.g. urgency in paid search, narrative in landing pages, brevity in social).
Tailors messaging to reflect funnel stage and desired behavioural outcome in each channel.
Identifies when multiple channels require cohesive but differentiated executions.
Expert
Advises teams on how channel choice affects message interpretation, credibility, and behaviour.
Shapes channel strategies, aligning messaging with media planning, user journeys, and brand experience.
Anticipates emerging channels and adapts tonal, structural, or narrative approaches accordingly.
Marketing fundamentals
Contextual
Understands core marketing principles, strategies, and tactics so that copy supports commercial goals, audience needs, and brand positioning.
Developing
Identifies where copy sits within a campaign, funnel, or customer journey when explained.
Recognises the purpose of different content types (e.g. awareness vs. conversion vs. retention).
Writes copy that reflects the marketing goal provided in the brief.
Tailors copy based on audience segment, funnel stage, and desired behavioural outcome.
Connects messaging to value propositions, brand positioning, competitive differentiation, or customer insight.
Recognises when marketing goals conflict with audience needs and resolves tension in the copy.
Uses input from marketing data (e.g. engagement metrics, audience research, performance reports) to refine messaging.
Expert
Collaborates with marketers to develop campaign concepts, audience strategies, and narrative direction.
Anticipates how messaging decisions impact brand perception, acquisition, retention, and loyalty.
Challenges marketing assumptions that lack audience value or narrative clarity.
Coaches others on integrating copy into marketing systems such as funnels, journeys, product launches, and brand architectures.
Measuring performance
Contextual
Understands importance of measuring marketing outcomes, interprets reports and KPIs, writes copy designed to improve performance. Measuring performance allows writers to validate decisions, iterate intentionally, and demonstrate the value of their work.
Connects messaging performance to broader commercial or brand outcomes.
Coaches teams to adopt evidence-led writing practices and avoid intuition-driven decisions.
Segmentation and targeting
Contextual
Adjusts language, tone, value emphasis, and content structure to match the priorities and psychology of each customer segment, ensuring communication feels personally relevant and drives action.
Developing
Identifies key audience characteristics provided in briefs (e.g. job role, age group, problem space).
Avoids one-size-fits-all messaging when instructed.
Rewrites copy to address the needs or motivations of a specific segment when directed.
Demonstrates awareness that people in different segments may require different information or tone.
Practising
Chooses messaging, tone, examples, and benefits relevant to specific segments.
Writes variant messages for segment types (e.g. decision makers vs. users, new prospects vs. existing customers).
Prioritises information based on audience needs and funnel position (e.g. awareness vs. evaluation).
Uses available data, personas, or research to inform messaging decisions.
Expert
Defines or refines messaging architectures that align segments to propositions, benefits, objections, and tone.
Anticipates segment-specific needs, barriers, cultural nuances, and emotional triggers.
Challenges briefs that ignore segment complexity and reframes them for real user groups.
Coaches teams on how to adapt messages without creating fragmentation or brand drift.
Value proposition (differentiation)
Contextual
Identifies, articulates, and communicates the unique value a product, service, idea, or organisation offers to a specific audience
Developing
Identifies basic value elements from a brief (e.g. benefits, differentiators, audience needs).
Avoids messaging that focuses solely on organisational features without linking them to customer value.
Rewrites copy to express how an offering helps the customer.
Recognises when messaging lacks a clear reason to choose the product or service.
Practising
Distils product or brand benefits into concise statements grounded in audience insight.
Connects features to outcomes and differentiators that matter to the target customer.
Adapts a core value proposition into messaging suitable for different touchpoints without diluting intent.
Challenges assumptions or stakeholder requests that weaken value clarity or credibility.
Expert
Defines or refines the core narrative that positions an offering in the market and differentiates it sustainably.
Anticipates competitive, cultural, or emotional factors that strengthen or weaken a value proposition.
Integrates value messaging into broader brand narratives, pricing justifications, or go-to-market strategies.
Coaches teams in maintaining value clarity across campaigns, product areas, and organisational silos.
Client and stakeholder education
Threshold
Helps clients and stakeholders understand copywriting value, process, and best practices, building informed relationships that enable better collaboration and outcomes.
Developing
Explains copywriting decisions and recommendations in accessible terms.
• Answers client questions about process, timing, and approach clearly and patiently.
• Recognises when client expectations are based on misunderstanding and raises concerns with senior colleagues.
• Shares relevant resources (articles, examples, guidelines) that help clients understand the discipline.
Practising
Proactively educates clients on what makes copywriting effective and how to work with copywriters productively.
Pushes back constructively on poor briefs, unrealistic expectations, or counterproductive feedback, explaining why.
Builds client capability over time, helping them become better commissioners of copywriting work.
Expert
Designs client education programmes that systematically improve the quality of briefs, feedback, and collaboration.
• Creates thought leadership content that positions the team as experts and educates the market.
• Coaches teams on client communication approaches that build trust while maintaining professional standards.
• Advocates for copywriting value at senior stakeholder level, influencing how organisations think about language.
Design collaboration
Threshold
Works effectively with designers, understanding how copy and visual design interact, and contributing to integrated creative development rather than isolated text production.
Developing
Understands that copy exists within visual contexts that affect meaning and impact.
• Adapts copy length and structure based on design constraints when directed.
• Provides copy in formats that designers can work with easily.
• Participates in design reviews and provides feedback on how copy is presented.
Practising
Collaborates with designers from project start, developing copy and visual concepts together.
• Writes copy that works with visual hierarchy, whitespace, and design rhythm.
• Uses design tools (Figma, Sketch) to prototype copy in context rather than isolated documents.
• Advocates for copy needs in design discussions while respecting visual design expertise.
Expert
Establishes design-copy collaboration models that produce better integrated work.
• Coaches copywriters on working effectively with designers and understanding visual communication principles.
• Creates frameworks for copy-design handoff that preserve intent while enabling creative development.
• Influences design systems and component libraries to accommodate copy needs and variability.
Pitching and proposal writing
Contextual
Responds to briefs, writes proposals, and presents capabilities in ways that win work, demonstrating understanding of client needs and ability to deliver value.
Developing
Contributes to proposal sections (methodology, relevant experience, team bios) when asked.
• Follows established proposal templates and processes.
• Researches prospective clients to inform proposal content.
• Understands that proposals are sales documents that must demonstrate value, not just describe services.
Practising
Writes compelling proposals that address client needs, demonstrate relevant capability, and differentiate from competitors.
• Develops proposal content strategies that balance thoroughness with readability.
• Tailors proposal tone, structure, and emphasis based on client type, project scale, and competitive context.
• Participates effectively in pitch presentations, answering questions and building client confidence.
Expert
Leads proposal development for major opportunities, coordinating input and ensuring strategic coherence.
• Develops proposal frameworks and templates that enable consistent, high-quality responses.
• Coaches teams on proposal writing, pitch presentation, and converting opportunities to wins.
• Analyses win/loss patterns to improve proposal effectiveness over time.
Portfolio and case study development
Contextual
Documents and presents work effectively for career development, business development, and professional recognition, creating compelling narratives around project outcomes.
Developing
Saves and organises work samples systematically as projects conclude.
• Documents project context (brief, objectives, constraints) while details are fresh.
• Requests permission to use work in portfolios and follows client confidentiality requirements.
• Identifies which projects demonstrate skills and outcomes worth highlighting.
Practising
Creates portfolio presentations that demonstrate range, quality, and strategic thinking.
• Writes case studies that articulate the problem, approach, solution, and results compellingly.
• Tailors portfolio presentation to different audiences (potential clients, employers, awards).
• Uses metrics and outcomes to substantiate impact claims where available.
Expert
Develops portfolio and case study frameworks that teams can use to document work consistently.
• Coaches others on presenting their work effectively and identifying what makes projects compelling.
• Creates award-entry narratives that position work for industry recognition.
• Builds body of work documentation practices into team processes and project workflows.
Briefing and scoping
Threshold
Defines the objectives, requirements, constraints, audience understanding, deliverables, and success criteria of a writing task or project. Skilled copywriters ensure that everyone involved understands what is needed, what is in scope, what is not, and how decisions will be made.
Developing
Reads and interprets briefs and instructions without deviating from requirements.
Identifies unclear, missing, or contradictory information and asks for clarification.
Recognises when goals, audience, or deliverables are not defined but cannot yet resolve the gaps alone.
Uses provided scoping information to plan writing tasks (e.g. deadlines, length, channels).
Practising
Defines project requirements, audiences, deliverables, and timelines based on stakeholder goals.
Identifies dependencies, constraints, or missing information and resolves them proactively.
Challenges unrealistic scope or unclear objectives and reframes them toward achievable outcomes.
Communicates what will be delivered, when, and why—reducing ambiguity and rework.
Expert
Develops templates, frameworks, or briefing processes used by others across the organisation.
Helps stakeholders articulate objectives they can’t yet express by translating business needs into communication goals.
Anticipates risks (e.g. unclear ownership, shifting scope, missing research) and mitigates them before they become issues.
Coaches teams on how briefing and scoping influence creativity, quality, timelines, and business value.
Collaboration
Threshold
The ability to work effectively with designers, researchers, product teams, stakeholders, and other writers to achieve project goals.
Developing
Shares drafts, ideas, and questions openly with teammates.
Listens to feedback without becoming defensive and seeks clarification when needed.
Respects roles, responsibilities, and boundaries in the content process.
Contributes to meetings or workshops when prompted rather than working in isolation.
Practising
Works proactively with designers, marketers, SMEs, legal teams, and product partners to align messaging and resolve content issues.
Anticipates information needs and shares updates, blockers, and rationale without being asked.
Negotiates conflicting perspectives constructively using evidence and audience needs as decision criteria.
Facilitates working sessions (e.g. pair writing, review workshops) to accelerate progress.
Expert
Establishes collaboration norms, rituals, and working agreements that reduce friction and align expectations.
Facilitates cross-functional alignment between brand, product, marketing, and leadership.
Coaches others to collaborate effectively, resolving communication breakdowns or power-dynamic issues.
Advocates for audience-centred decision-making when opinions conflict.
Consistency
Threshold
Maintains consistency within all contributions and may define processes for ensuring consistency between different contributors.
Developing
References and adheres to style guides, voice guidelines, glossaries, and templates.
Applies terminology, tone, and formatting consistently within their own drafts.
Adjusts copy after review to match existing content patterns or conventions.
Recognises inconsistencies but relies on others to propose solutions.
Practising
Identifies and addresses inconsistencies in messaging, terminology, tone, structure, or formatting across documents or channels.
Maintains shared assets (style guides, messaging frameworks, terminology lists) and ensures others use them.
Collaborates with writers, editors, SMEs, and stakeholders to align interpretations of standards.
Helps prevent fragmentation by clarifying rules and reducing ambiguity during production.
Anticipates points where inconsistency threatens brand clarity or user comprehension and mitigates them structurally.
Establishes feedback loops and editorial workflows that maintain consistency as teams grow and change.
Coaches others on how consistency influences brand trust, cognitive load, and content performance.
Editorial review / quality assurance
Threshold
Evaluates and refines copy to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, compliance, and readiness for delivery. Skilled copywriters go beyond surface-level proofreading and verify facts, align messaging with strategy, uphold brand standards, and ensure that the final language supports user and business goals.
Developing
Checks spelling, grammar, and basic clarity before submitting work.
Uses style guides, tone guidelines, and brand rules when reviewing copy.
Identifies obvious errors, inconsistencies, or missing information.
Accepts editorial feedback and corrects issues without changing intended meaning.
Verifies claims, facts, numbers, and references for accuracy.
Ensures consistency across contributors, channels, and content types.
Identifies potential risks—legal, ethical, accessibility, brand—and resolves them proactively.
Expert
Creates or refines editorial frameworks, checklists, and quality criteria used across teams.
Defines what “good” looks like and trains others to recognise and deliver it.
Aligns editorial practices with brand, legal, and accessibility requirements.
Audits content at the system level, identifying structural faults rather than just surface issues.
Planning
Threshold
Structures, schedules, and prioritises writing tasks and dependencies to deliver high-quality work on time.
Developing
Breaks briefs into manageable tasks
Estimates time required for simple copy tasks (e.g. first draft, revisions).
Organises work in line with provided timelines and project priorities.
Flags blockers, unclear instructions, or timeline risks early.
Practising
Creates realistic schedules that account for drafting, reviews, iteration, research, approvals, and dependencies.
Prioritises tasks based on business value, audience need, and project constraints.
Balances multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.
Adjusts plans proactively when scope, requirements, or priorities shift.
Expert
Defines or refines planning frameworks, estimation models, and workflows used by others.
Anticipates resourcing needs, review bottlenecks, and approval cycles before they impact delivery.
Coaches teams on sequencing work, managing dependencies, and balancing creative time with operational constraints.
Aligns planning processes with organisational priorities, budgets, and strategic outcomes.
Review cycles
Threshold
Accepts feedback from others and contributes to content reviews. Manages review processes to ensure deadlines are met.
Developing
Accepts feedback professionally and asks clarifying questions when unclear.
Implements changes accurately without losing the intent or voice of the copy.
Uses tracked changes, comments, or version control as instructed.
Recognises the difference between subjective opinion and objective requirements when guided.
Practising
Identifies which feedback is essential, which is optional, and which contradicts project goals or brand guidelines.
Resolves conflicting feedback by clarifying goals, presenting rationale, or negotiating compromises.
Plans review rounds, sets expectations, and communicates timelines to stakeholders.
Consolidates multiple feedback sources into a single, coherent set of revisions.
Expert
Establishes review protocols that specify who reviews what, when, and why.
Anticipates misunderstandings, personal preferences, and authority conflicts and neutralises them with criteria, standards, or evidence.
Coaches stakeholders on giving useful, actionable feedback that supports messaging goals.
Ensures review cycles support creativity, timelines, governance, and audience outcomes rather than becoming bottlenecks.
Version control and document management
Contextual
Organises, tracks, manages, retrieves, and protects copy assets throughout their lifecycle, ensuring that contributors work from the correct versions, changes are traceable, and documentation remains accurate and accessible.
Developing
Saves work according to agreed naming conventions and folder structures.
Uses version history, tracked changes and comments in line with established processes.
Avoids overwriting others’ work and confirms which document is the current version before editing.
Uploads assets to the correct location and removes duplicates.
Practising
Establishes and enforces document naming conventions, version numbering, and status labels (e.g. Draft, In Review, Final).
Coordinates document access, permissions, and roles to avoid accidental edits.
Maintains a single source of truth for projects across platforms (e.g. CMS, shared drives, DAM, tickets).
Merges, resolves, or reconciles conflicting edits without losing approved decisions.
Expert
Selects or configures document platforms, workflows, and metadata structures to support long-term governance.
Defines archival, versioning, and retrieval policies to ensure compliance, continuity, and traceability.
Coaches teams on best practice and embeds document discipline in onboarding and production processes.
Workflow management
Contextual
Manages and optimises the flow of copy through the stages of creation, review, approval, and deployment. Workflow management ensures that the right people provide input at the right time, that tasks move smoothly between stakeholders, and that process bottlenecks are identified and resolved
Developing
Uses specified tools (e.g. docs, CMS, ticketing systems) to submit drafts, track changes, and complete tasks.
Follows review and approval steps without bypassing required stakeholders.
Recognises when the workflow is unclear or stalled and seeks assistance.
Maintains version control and document hygiene when instructed.
Practising
Defines and sequences workflow stages for projects involving multiple writers, reviewers, or SMEs.
Identifies bottlenecks or approval risks and resolves them proactively.
Ensures the right subject-matter experts, designers, legal reviewers, or stakeholders are involved at the right moment.
Maintains visibility of project status across tools and channels, communicating progress confidently.
Expert
Creates or improves workflow models, governance structures, and editorial operations used by others.
Chooses or configures workflow platforms (e.g. CMS, DAM, project boards, collaboration tools) to support content production.
Anticipates systemic workflow risks—such as ambiguous ownership, approval bottlenecks, or platform limitations—and addresses them before they impact delivery.
Coaches teams on efficient workflow practices and embeds standards into onboarding and production processes.
Creative thinking
Contextual
Thinks imaginatively, explores novel ideas, maintains an open mind and a willingness to listen.
Developing
Suggests alternative phrases, angles, or headlines.
Tries different ways to solve a communication problem rather than sticking to the first idea.
Draws inspiration from examples, prompts, or references without copying them.
Generates multiple headline or concept options rather than stopping at the first idea.
Shows curiosity about what makes ideas effective, surprising, or memorable.
Practising
Generates creative routes independently and justifies why they work.
Demonstrates perspective and adaptability, focusing on outcomes rather than ego.
Empathy
Threshold
Understands and anticipate the feelings, motivations, needs, anxieties, and expectations of audiences, and to use that understanding to shape messages that resonate, reassure, and support decision-making.
Developing
Identifies who the audience is and what they need to know.
Avoids dismissive, condescending, or self-centred language.
Considers how copy might be interpreted emotionally.
Makes revisions based on feedback about tone, sensitivity, or audience fit.
Practising
Frames messages around audience motivations, concerns, and self-interest—not organisational priorities alone.
Anticipates objections, confusion points, and emotional triggers and addresses them proactively.
Chooses structure, tone, and pacing that reduce cognitive load and build trust.
Uses inclusive language that welcomes, rather than excludes, diverse audiences.
Expert
Advocates for the user when business priorities conflict with audience needs.
Defines audience insights, emotional drivers, and communication principles that guide others.
Coaches teams on understanding behavioural context, psychological drivers, and unmet needs.
Identifies when communication risks emotional harm, stigma, or exclusion and prevents it.
Interpersonal skills
Threshold
Collaborates effectively and constructively with stakeholders, clients and peers, adapting personal style to suit different environments.
Developing
Communicates respectfully in meetings, reviews, and feedback exchanges.
Responds to emails, messages, and requests in a timely manner.
Adapts communication tone based on audience, context, and relationship.
Listens without interrupting and avoids taking feedback personally.
Practising
Reads verbal and non-verbal cues to adjust messaging or approach.
Navigates conflict, disagreement, or pushback without escalation.
Nurtures collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders (creative directors, brand managers, legal reviewers, subject matter experts).
Builds alignment among stakeholders with different goals or perspectives.
Communicates rationale calmly, turning subjective debates into objective discussions.
Expert
Creates psychologically safe environments where ideas and risks can be shared without fear.
Builds cross-functional relationships that position copywriting as a strategic capability, not just a service function.
Mentors others on communication behaviours, diplomacy, and stakeholder navigation.
Anticipates interpersonal risks (ego, power imbalance, unclear ownership) and mitigates them proactively.
Serves as a trusted advisor, evidenced by being formally consulted on high-stakes communication decisions and demonstrating measurable improvements in cross-functional project success rates.
Problem-solving
Threshold
Synthesises project goals, opportunities and risks to find novel solutions to commercial and creative challenges.
Developing
Asks clarifying questions to understand the issue before drafting.
Identifies obvious communication barriers (e.g. unclear CTA, confusing language).
Considers alternative approaches when the first solution doesn't work.
Uses feedback loops to refine or correct early assumptions.
Practising
Identifies root causes rather than treating symptoms (e.g. low engagement due to poor value framing, not headline length).
Tests alternative messaging approaches based on audience insight, behavioural data, or journey friction.
Balances constraints (brand, regulatory, technical) with creative solutions.
Communicates reasoning and recommendations clearly to stakeholders.
Expert
Reframes briefs to expose hidden assumptions and reveal the real challenge to be solved.
Identifies cross-functional or structural issues affecting messaging outcomes and collaborates to resolve them.
Designs frameworks, models, or principles that guide others in solving similar problems.
Coaches teams to evaluate problems critically rather than defaulting to familiar solutions.
Time management
Threshold
Adheres to schedules and deadlines and organises tasks in order to achieve agreed goals.
Developing
Completes tasks by agreed deadlines when expectations are clear.
Uses checklists, calendars, or task lists to stay organised.
Communicates early when blocked or behind schedule rather than hiding delays.
Breaks tasks into steps when instructed rather than treating assignments as single units of effort.
Practising
Estimates time required for tasks based on complexity, review loops, and dependencies.
Prioritises tasks based on impact, urgency, and resource constraints.
Builds buffer time for reviews, revisions, and unexpected changes.
Manages multiple deadlines without compromising quality or creating bottlenecks for others.
Expert
Designs or improves processes that reduce wasted effort and repetition.
Helps stakeholders set realistic timelines and pushes back diplomatically on unreasonable deadlines.
Identifies systemic time drains (e.g. unclear briefs, inefficient review cycles) and implements solutions.
Mentors others in workload management, estimation, and prioritisation techniques.
Verbal and written communication
Threshold
Communicates ideas, concepts and plans with clarity and conviction; helps stakeholders understand the creative.
Developing
Shares ideas, questions, and updates without unnecessary jargon
Provides written explanations that are concise and easy to follow
Conveys intent of copy decisions when asked, even if briefly
Participates in discussions respectfully, listening before responding
Practising
Explains the reasoning behind copy choices using evidence, insight, or audience considerations.
Structures presentations, walkthroughs, or messaging narratives so others understand the logic and implications.
Tailors communication style to stakeholders with different priorities (e.g. product, brand, legal, leadership).
Provides actionable written feedback to peers without ambiguity or personal judgment.
Expert
Facilitates workshops, reviews, and critique sessions that surface assumptions and reach shared decisions.
Influences direction by expressing complex ideas in simple, resonant language.
Coaches others on communication patterns that reduce friction and misunderstanding.
Serves as a trusted voice where clarity accelerates decision-making and unlocks momentum.
Brand voice
Contextual
Defines, articulates, and stewards a brand’s verbal identity, ensuring that language consistently reflects its values, positioning, personality, and intent across all touchpoints.
See also: Tone of voice
Developing
Reads and references brand voice guidelines when writing.
Identifies when copy aligns with or drifts away from established brand voice attributes.
Asks for clarification when uncertain how to apply voice characteristics.
Demonstrates growing awareness that brand voice reflects brand values, not personal style.
Coaches teams on how voice influences perception, trust, and behaviour.
Anticipates risks (e.g. voice inconsistency, cultural mismatch, market shifts) and updates voice strategy accordingly.
Competitor analysis
Contextual
Reviews, assesses, and interprets competitor messaging, brand positioning, tone, and value claims in order to identify opportunities, gaps, and differentiators.
Developing
Reviews competitor websites, ads, or campaigns to evaluate their approach and their offering.
Notices obvious similarities or differences in tone, value propositions, or claims.
Avoids replicating competitor phrasing or positioning once made aware of it.
Recognises when competitor messaging might create confusion or comparison issues.
Practising
Analyses competitors’ value propositions, objections handled, and promises made.
Identifies messaging gaps or opportunities where the organisation can stand apart.
Recognises category tropes and avoids reinforcing them.
Proposes messaging angles and content structures that distinguish the brand.
Expert
Builds competitor messaging matrices or frameworks that reveal strategic whitespace.
Predicts competitive messaging responses and pre-empts them in positioning.
Guides teams on how to avoid commoditised messaging and claims.
Aligns messaging strategy with competitive movements and evolving category language.
Data analysis
Contextual
Interpret qualitative and quantitative data to guide messaging decisions, validate assumptions, and improve copy effectiveness.
Developing
Reviews simple metrics (e.g. clicks, opens, engagement) when explained.
Recognises when copy is underperforming and accepts guidance on how to improve it.
Uses feedback patterns (e.g. repeated confusion points) to refine messaging.
Understands that data reflects user behaviour rather than personal preference.
Practising
Identifies which metrics matter for different copy types (e.g. conversion for landing pages, scroll depth for blogs, error reduction for UX copy).
Connects patterns in data to messaging issues (e.g. low click-through = unclear value; high bounce = weak hook or mismatch).
Tests and iterates copy based on data, not subjective preference.
Distinguishes between vanity metrics and meaningful behavioural indicators.
Expert
Defines success criteria and measurement approaches for messaging initiatives.
Synthesises data from multiple sources (analytics, user research, sales input, feedback loops) into strategic direction.
Identifies hidden barriers or opportunities suggested by behavioural patterns.
Coaches others to interpret data critically and avoid misinterpretation, correlation traps, or bias.
Developing insights
Threshold
Draws upon multiple information sources to develop insights into customer needs, market opportunities and competitor weaknesses.
Developing
Identifies key takeaways from briefs, research summaries, or stakeholder feedback.
Uses insights provided by others to inform tone, structure, or value emphasis.
Distinguishes between facts (“what is happening”) and insights (“why it matters”).
Avoids writing based on assumptions once an insight is clarified.
Practising
Synthesises information from multiple sources (user feedback, analytics, journey data, competitor messaging) to identify patterns.
Explains the implications of insights—what they mean for messaging, tone, structure, or emotional framing.
Identifies audience motivations, objections, and mental models that influence communication decisions.
Prioritises insights that have strategic value rather than accumulating data.
Expert
Identifies underlying beliefs, emotions, and cultural forces that shape behaviour—not just user feedback.
Reframes business problems into insight-led opportunities that clarify what the brand should say and why.
Challenges assumptions by uncovering invisible drivers (e.g. identity, status, risk perception, time scarcity).
Coaches others to distinguish trivial data from transformative insight.
Experimentation
Contextual
Designs and runs experiments to test content approaches.
Developing
Produces copy variants for tests based on a defined hypothesis.
Understands that experiments require controlled differences (e.g. changing one element at a time).
Accepts results even when they contradict personal preference.
Avoids arbitrary edits once a test framework is agreed.
Practising
Identifies testable elements (e.g. headline framing, CTA language, value sequencing, tone shifts).
Anticipates second-order impacts of changes (e.g. improved conversion but reduced trust) and mitigates risks.
Coaches others to see iteration as a strategic cycle: test → learn → refine → scale.
Localisation and transcreation awareness
Threshold
Understands that copy may need to work across markets and languages, and writes with localisation in mind while recognising when specialist transcreation is required.
Developing
Recognises that direct translation often fails to preserve meaning, tone, and impact.
• Identifies copy elements that may be difficult to localise (idioms, cultural references, wordplay, humour).
• Provides context to translators that helps them make better adaptation decisions.
• Understands the difference between translation, localisation, and transcreation.
Practising
Writes with localisation in mind, avoiding unnecessarily culture-specific content where global use is planned.
• Creates localisation briefs that guide adaptation beyond literal translation.
• Reviews localised copy for strategic and tonal alignment, not just linguistic accuracy.
• Identifies when copy requires transcreation (creative adaptation) versus localisation (cultural adjustment).
Expert
Designs content architectures that support efficient, effective localisation across markets.
• Develops transcreation guidelines that preserve creative intent while enabling cultural adaptation.
• Coaches teams on writing for global audiences and managing localisation processes.
• Establishes quality standards for localised content that balance efficiency with effectiveness.
Research
Threshold
Uses research to understand audiences, markets, competitors, products, and context, ensuring that their work is grounded in evidence rather than opinion.
Developing
Finds and reviews credible source material (e.g. briefs, product docs, websites, competitor examples).
Extracts key facts and terminology without overwhelming the copy.
Identifies gaps in understanding and asks clarifying questions.
Avoids inventing details or claims when information is missing.
Practising
Prioritises research sources based on project needs (e.g. customer insight, performance data, competitor positioning, brand history).
Identifies patterns, motivations, objections, and audience language from research inputs.
Uses research insights to inform value propositions, tone, and messaging direction.
Validates claims before writing and distinguishes between assumptions and evidence.
Expert
Identifies what research is required to solve a communication problem and designs an approach to gather it.
Synthesises complex or conflicting research into clear strategic direction.
Challenges stakeholder assumptions using evidence and reframes briefs based on insight.
Coaches others on how to separate useful signal from irrelevant noise.
Content management systems (CMS)
Contextual
Uses content management systems to create, publish and manage content for clients.
Developing
Logs into the CMS and navigates content areas confidently.
Creates and edits content using predefined templates and fields.
Adds or updates basic metadata (titles, descriptions, slugs) when instructed.
Understands publishing workflows (draft → review → approved → live) and follows them correctly.
Practising
Structures content using components, modules, or blocks to maintain consistency and scalability.
Ensures metadata, taxonomies, tagging, and internal linking support SEO, navigation, and findability.
Identifies outdated or duplicate content and plans updates or retirements.
Collaborates with designers, developers, or product teams to resolve CMS constraints or content dependencies.
Expert
Defines CMS content models, taxonomies, workflows, and governance standards.
Advises on CMS configuration to support content quality, scalability, and compliance.
Anticipates risks such as content sprawl, broken ownership, or metadata decay and implements prevention systems.
Coaches teams on content lifecycle management: creation → iteration → governance → retirement.
Generative AI
Contextual
Uses generative AI tools to support the research, ideation, drafting, and refinement of copy while maintaining professional standards of accuracy, originality, ethics, and brand alignment.
Developing
Generates ideas, outlines, or rough drafts using predefined prompts.
Edits and improves AI output rather than accepting it verbatim.
Recognises AI limitations (e.g. hallucination, bias, outdated information) and checks facts before use.
Flags uncertainty when AI output seems incorrect, generic, or misaligned with brand standards.
Practising
Designs prompts tailored to project needs, audience insights, or brand constraints.
Uses AI for structured tasks such as variant generation, message testing, research synthesis, tone exploration, or content transformation.
Evaluates AI output critically for tone, accuracy, ethics, readability, and brand alignment.
Balances AI acceleration with human oversight to ensure originality and quality.
Expert
Establishes guidelines for ethical, brand-safe, and bias-aware AI usage across teams.
Anticipates risks in AI-generated content (legal, emotional safety, accessibility, misinformation) and implements controls.
Uses AI to prototype messaging frameworks, identify patterns, or test hypotheses at scale.
Coaches others on prompt engineering, evaluation criteria, and human-in-the-loop practices.
Text editors
Contextual
Uses text editing tools to create, edit, save and share copy.
Developing
Creates, formats, and revises documents using core editor functions (copy/paste, headers, comments, track changes).
Applies templates and style presets rather than manually styling content.
Uses comments and suggested edits instead of replacing text silently.
Saves files in the correct location and maintains basic document hygiene.
Practising
Selects the most appropriate editor for the task (e.g. CMS for web copy, collaborative docs for briefs or concepting).
Uses advanced features such as version history, outline mode, formatting rules, search/replace, and accessibility checks.
Structures documents to support clarity and review (e.g. logical sections, tables, annotation layers, embedded references).
Collaborates with stakeholders in real time and maintains a single authoritative version.
Expert
Evaluates and recommends editing tools based on organisational needs, workflows, and compliance requirements.
Defines conventions for templates, metadata, formatting rules, and review processes across teams.
Integrates text editors with broader systems (CMS, DAMs, repositories) to ensure content continuity.
Trains others to use editors effectively and standardises best practices to reduce friction and errors.
Adaptable tone
Threshold
Adjusts tone to suit different audiences, contexts, channels, and objectives while remaining aligned with the brand’s voice. Adaptable tone enables copywriters to express the same core message in multiple ways—formal or playful, authoritative or empathetic, urgent or reassuring—without losing clarity, credibility, or intent.
Developing
Writes in a tone consistent with brand guidelines or provided reference samples.
Identifies when tone feels inappropriate for the audience or context and seeks direction.
Adjusts tone when prompted (e.g. more friendly, more direct, less formal) and understands why the change improves the message.
Avoids tonal mismatches such as humour in serious contexts or formality in casual channels.
Practising
Adapts tone proactively based on purpose (e.g. reassure, excite, inform, persuade), audience mindset, or funnel stage.
Adjusts tone for channel conventions (e.g. concise and punchy in social, consultative in email, task-focused in UX flows).
Delivers multiple tonal routes for the same proposition and explains the strategic rationale behind each.
Spots and resolves tonal inconsistencies within journeys, campaigns, or multi-author outputs.
Expert
Creates or refines tone frameworks, guardrails, and examples that others use to maintain consistency.
Applies tone intentionally to shape emotional response, brand distinctiveness, or organisational trust.
Anticipates tonal risks (e.g. cultural resonance, emotional safety, power dynamics) and prevents misinterpretation or harm.
Coaches teams in tonal nuance, enabling others to adapt tone confidently across channels and scenarios.
Advanced writing ability
Threshold
Crafts clear, persuasive, and strategically aligned copy that influences perception, communicates value, and drives the desired action across multiple formats, audiences, and channels.
Developing
Produces clear, grammatical copy aligned with an existing brief, tone of voice, or template.
Responds constructively to feedback and incorporates revisions accurately.
Identifies when copy lacks clarity, correctness, or brand alignment and asks for support.
Uses language appropriate to the intended audience.
Practising
Writes copy that clearly expresses a value proposition, idea, or narrative, with minimal need for rewriting.
Chooses structure, tone, and messaging appropriate to the channel, audience, and business objective.
Justifies content decisions using insight, research, or strategy rather than personal preference.
Edits work for concision, clarity, and resonance, improving both meaning and impact.
Expert
Creates distinctive, memorable language assets (e.g. slogans, campaign lines, brand pillars) that influence perception and extend across executions.
Mentors others in improving their writing, explaining decision-making and linguistic nuance with clarity.
Innovates with tone, format, and storytelling while protecting clarity, accessibility, and brand integrity.
Identifies and resolves complex communication problems—conceptual, strategic, or linguistic—across teams or channels.
Work adopted as brand canon (e.g. headlines, voice principles, messaging frameworks)
Maintains interest
Threshold
Sustains audience engagement by structuring messages, pacing information, and using language, tone, and narrative techniques that encourage continued reading, viewing, listening, or interaction.
Developing
Starts with a clear value or point that signals why the message matters.
Avoids overly long openings, filler phrases, or irrelevant tangents.
Uses simple hooks (e.g. a question, benefit, problem statement).
Recognises when copy feels flat or overly dense and seeks feedback on how to improve rhythm or flow.
Practising
Opens with a compelling hook, idea, or emotional anchor appropriate to the audience and channel.
Uses rhythm, sentence variety, scannable layouts, and narrative momentum to sustain engagement.
Organises content so that each line, section, or frame earns the next—removing anything that does not serve purpose.
Incorporates curiosity, tension, surprise, or insight to maintain interest without clickbait or manipulation.
Writes copy and content that improves dwell time, scroll depth, engagement, or completion rates.
Expert
Creates conceptual or narrative structures that reward continued attention (e.g. idea progression, emotional arcs, layered meaning).
Anticipates where interest may drop and restructures content, format, or delivery to re-engage audiences.
Coaches teams on maintaining attention in different formats (long-form, scripts, storytelling, UX journeys).
Balances novelty and familiarity, ensuring interest is sustained without compromising clarity, trust, or purpose.
Plain language writing
Threshold
Writes clearly without ambiguity when plain language is required in advertising, marketing and communications.
Developing
Avoids jargon, buzzwords, or unnecessary formality when prompted.
Uses short sentences, concrete verbs, and familiar words to explain ideas.
Structures information so the main point is easy to find and understand.
Recognises when copy feels complicated or overloaded and seeks support to simplify it.
Practising
Explains complex ideas, processes, or propositions without sacrificing accuracy.
Prioritises key information and removes content that does not serve user understanding.
Chooses wording and structure that help audiences act confidently and quickly.
Tailors plain language approaches to different audiences, contexts, and reading levels.
Expert
Designs or refines plain language standards and editorial systems others use to maintain clarity.
Anticipates where meaning may be misunderstood or misused and simplifies communication without diluting nuance or intent.
Coaches others on how to remove complexity while protecting tone, voice, and legal or technical accuracy.
Demonstrates how plain language strengthens trust, inclusion, and brand integrity.
Pragmatics (meaning in context)
Threshold
Understands how language is interpreted in real situations, considering tone, intent, cultural context, and user expectations.
Developing
Identifies when wording may be interpreted differently by different audiences.
Adjusts tone and phrasing when asked, based on audience, format, or purpose.
Avoids language that contradicts situational expectations (e.g. formal tone in a playful channel).
Seeks clarification when unsure how much context the reader has.
Practising
Chooses language that anticipates user state, emotion, intent, and level of knowledge.
Tailors messaging to platform norms and audience behaviours (e.g. urgency in email, brevity in social, clarity in UX flows).
Identifies and resolves unintended implications, tone shifts, or interpretive risks before review.
Uses contextual cues—voice, format, sequence, hierarchy—to guide interpretation.
Expert
Predicts how phrasing will be interpreted by different audiences, cultures, or scenarios—and shapes language accordingly.
Designs messaging architectures or tone frameworks that ensure consistent interpretation across touchpoints.
Identifies strategic or ethical risks arising from context (e.g. implied consent, emotional manipulation, cultural misreadings) and mitigates them proactively.
Coaches teams on pragmatic nuance, helping others write for real audiences—not hypothetical ones.
Creates messaging playbooks or tone frameworks in active organisational use
Work avoids misinterpretation pitfalls and builds trust through contextual sensitivity
Readability
Threshold
Structures and phrases copy so users can process it quickly with minimal effort through clear sentences, appropriate pacing, and supportive formatting.
Developing
Uses straightforward sentence structures and avoids unnecessary complexity.
Breaks information into digestible pieces (e.g. paragraphs, bullets) when prompted.
Eliminates unnecessary adjectives, jargon, or filler language when asked.
Recognises when copy feels dense or confusing, and flags it for review.
Revised drafts showing improved clarity after feedback.
Practising
Structures copy to match how readers scan and make decisions (e.g. hierarchy, signposting, ordering).
Chooses wording, sequence, and rhythm that reduce effort and increase understanding.
Applies readability techniques independently, such as chunking, active voice, parallel structure, and meaningful headings.
Adjusts complexity for different audiences and contexts without diluting meaning.
Expert
Creates or refines readability guidelines, tone frameworks, or editorial standards used across teams.
Resolves structural, conceptual, or linguistic complexity in cross-channel narratives, product journeys, or brand messaging.
Anticipates where readers may struggle and redesigns information architecture, hierarchy, or language accordingly.
Coaches others in techniques that improve comprehension and reduce cognitive load.
Contributes to readability improvements that measurably impact behaviour, trust, or conversion
Organisational standards or frameworks authored or influenced by the writer
Semantics (meaning and word choice)
Threshold
Chooses words, phrases, and linguistic structures deliberately to convey precise meaning, evoke the intended response, and avoid ambiguity, misinterpretation, or unintended connotations. Skilled copywriters use semantics intentionally; understanding not only what words mean, but how meaning shifts depending on context, audience, and objective.
Developing
Selects words that convey the basic intended meaning without jargon or unnecessary complexity.
Revises copy to fix incorrect or unclear wording when feedback identifies an issue.
Recognises when terminology feels inconsistent or confusing and seeks clarification.
Uses words that match the intended audience, brand tone, and purpose when provided with direction.
Practising
Chooses wording that reflects audience mindset, product positioning, and strategic messaging.
Identifies subtle meaning issues (e.g. unintended bias, tone mismatch, emotional triggers) and corrects them proactively.
Uses linguistic precision to differentiate concepts, clarify propositions, or position the brand.
Adjusts word choice depending on context (e.g. legal, emotional, technical, persuasive) without losing clarity.
Expert
Selects or invents language that becomes part of the brand’s vocabulary—names, metaphors, slogans, narratives, or conceptual frames.
Anticipates misinterpretation, cultural nuance, or linguistic sensitivity before issues arise and designs language that avoids them.
Coaches others on semantic precision, explaining why one word works better than another in a given context.
Uses language to create, reinforce, or evolve brand meaning, shaping how audiences perceive value over time.
Creates messaging frameworks, naming systems, or slogans that are adopted widely across a brand.
Storytelling
Threshold
Structures information and ideas into compelling narratives that capture attention, build connection, and move audiences toward understanding, belief, or action. Storytelling in copywriting is not about creative writing, it's the strategic organisation of meaning, emotion, and relevance so that messages resonate, differentiate, and endure.
Developing
Organises messages in a logical sequence with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Identifies the central message or value and keeps it visible throughout the piece.
Uses examples, metaphors, or simple devices to make ideas resonate with readers.
Recognises when writing lacks flow or emotional coherence and seeks guidance.
Practising
Structures stories to position a brand, product, or idea in a way that differentiates it meaningfully.
Uses narrative devices (e.g. tension, contrast, metaphor, hero journeys, stakes) to heighten relevance and engagement.
Tailors narrative style to audience expectations, emotional state, and channel format.
Connects disparate messages into a coherent narrative that leads audiences toward a desired understanding or decision.
Expert
Creates overarching brand or campaign narratives that inspire multiple executions and creative platforms.
Anticipates emotional and cultural interpretation of story elements and designs narratives that resonate across audiences.
Evolves or repositions narratives over time to reflect changing contexts, offerings, or brand maturity.
Coaches teams in storytelling craft, ensuring narrative consistency and strategic relevance across touchpoints.
Develops story systems, messaging architectures, or brand narratives adopted across teams or markets
Explore the 10 specialisms
Specialisms build on the core framework. Pick the areas that match your work to see the competencies specific to each.
Develop creative concepts and campaigns that build brands and drive commercial results.
Campaign measurement awareness
Contextual
Understands how advertising effectiveness is measured and crafts ideas and messages that contribute to measurable outcomes. This competency covers awareness of brand and performance metrics, comprehension of how creative work is evaluated, and the ability to connect copy decisions to campaign goals.
Developing
Identifies the primary objective of a campaign (e.g. awareness, consideration, action) and tailors tone and messaging appropriately.
Recognises the difference between brand-building and sales-driving creative.
Avoids copy that contradicts the intended response (e.g. urgency in a brand-story ad).
Takes feedback referencing campaign performance and applies it to future work.
Practising
Understands key advertising metrics (e.g. recall, brand lift, engagement, CTR, conversions) and how messaging influences them.
Proposes creative variations designed to improve campaign performance (e.g. stronger CTA, tighter message hierarchy).
Interprets high-level learnings from campaign reports and applies insights to optimise messaging.
Collaborates with planners, analysts, and media teams to ensure language aligns with channel objectives and audience behaviours.
Updates campaign copy when data indicates underperformance
Expert
Anticipates how creative decisions may impact effectiveness metrics and advises teams early in development.
Evaluates whether a big idea is designed for long-term brand growth, short-term activation, or both—and shapes copy accordingly.
Advocates for creative approaches that support brand equity, user trust, or differentiated memory structures—not just short-term clicks.
Mentors others in understanding why effectiveness matters and how language contributes to campaign success.
Campaign thinking
Contextual
Creates and develops ideas that extend beyond a single execution, forming a cohesive creative platform that can express itself across channels, formats, media, and moments in culture. Campaign thinking involves identifying a powerful central idea, articulating it in language and expression, and evolving it into a system of messages that remain recognisable, flexible, and strategically effective at every touchpoint.
Developing
Understands the core idea or campaign territory and adapts copy to fit it, rather than inventing unrelated concepts.
Produces variations of taglines, headlines, and messaging that work across different media under guidance.
Maintains consistency in tone, theme, and proposition across executions.
Recognises when an idea does not align with the overarching campaign narrative and seeks direction.
Practising
Generates big ideas that can live beyond a single asset, channel, or format.
Builds messaging hierarchies and conceptual frameworks that connect individual executions into a unified campaign.
Adapts campaign language to suit platform behaviours (e.g. broadcast, social, experiential, digital, audio) without losing the core idea.
Anticipates campaign evolution across phases (e.g. tease → launch → sustain) and writes accordingly.
Expert
Creates central creative territories that brands can own and build equity in over time.
Identifies and articulates a unifying idea that inspires designers, art directors, and teams to produce diverse, coherent executions.
Evolves campaigns to respond to cultural moments, new media opportunities, or shifting brand strategy without losing coherence.
Mentors others in idea development, ensuring executions reinforce the campaign platform rather than fragmenting it.
Campaign platforms adopted across markets or extended across multiple brand initiatives.
Award-winning or commercially successful campaigns rooted in a single, durable creative idea.
Media/channel insights
Contextual
Creates advertising suited to different media channels including radio, TV, digital, out-of-home and experiential.
Developing
Recognises the difference between channels designed for reach (e.g. TV, OOH) and those for engagement or action (e.g. social, digital).
Adapts copy length, tone, or structure based on format requirements (e.g. headline vs. script vs. caption).
Identifies when copy written for one channel will not translate well to another.
Accepts feedback referencing channel requirements and applies it in future drafts.
Practising
Translates a single campaign idea into multiple channel executions without diluting the core concept.
Understands how people interact with channels (e.g. scroll behaviour, dwell time, sound-off video viewing, attention constraints).
Modifies messaging hierarchy, CTA placement, tone, and visual rhythm based on media strengths.
Collaborates with creative teams, strategists, or media planners to ensure ideas suit the audience’s mindset in each space.
Expert
Identifies which channels best amplify an idea, not just where it can appear.
Creates creative territories that can flex across brand platforms, formats, and cultural moments without losing coherence.
Mentors others in channel nuance, ensuring every execution feels intentional rather than repurposed.
Achieves exceptional campaign performance by crafting the work around the specific needs or demands of that channel
Conceptual thinking
Contextual
Generates original, strategic, and meaningful ideas that express a brand’s value in surprising, memorable, and relevant ways. Conceptual thinking enables advertising copywriters to move beyond words on a page and create ideas that audiences can feel, remember, and act on.
Developing
Produces alternative headlines, campaign lines, or conceptual routes based on briefs and existing strategies.
Explores different creative angles rather than settling on the first workable thought.
Identifies the core message in the brief and expresses it in simple, creatively interesting ways.
Recognises when an idea lacks uniqueness or strategic relevance and asks for guidance.
Practising
Creates concepts that communicate a single, clear thought that can live across multiple media formats.
Builds narratives, metaphors, or creative devices that elevate product features into compelling brand stories.
Demonstrates the ability to articulate why an idea works and how it aligns with audience insight and strategy.
Iterates concepts based on feedback without losing the core idea.
Expert
Generates ideas with distinctive creative territories – ideas others can immediately recognise as belonging to a brand.
Shapes conceptual platforms that inspire designers, art directors, producers, and stakeholders to generate further executions.
Challenges weak or derivative ideas and guides teams toward more original, strategically robust concepts.
Identifies when an idea has cultural legs, brand longevity, and cross-channel scalability.
Campaign platforms or territories used across multiple markets, phases, or product lines
Cultural and trend fluency
Contextual
Understands and responds to cultural conversations, social behaviours, emerging trends, and audience vernacular in a way that makes creative work feel current, relevant, and connected to real-world moments. Advertising copywriters apply cultural insight to shape ideas, references, tone, and humour, without appropriating, stereotyping, alienating, or misusing cultural signals.
Developing
Identifies when work feels out of step with current language or tone.
Spotlights obvious clichés, stereotypes, or references that may no longer land well.
Tracks popular phrases, formats (e.g. memes, hooks, challenges), and shared cultural moments relevant to briefs.
Asks when unsure whether a reference is appropriate or comprehensible for the target audience.
Practising
Tailors language, humour, and references to audience expectations, subcultures, and media behaviours.
Identifies cultural or social shifts that create opportunities or constraints for the idea.
Adapts concepts or campaign language based on real-time trends without losing brand integrity.
Avoids appropriation, misrepresentation, or superficial use of cultural symbols.
Expert
Anticipates emerging cultural behaviours, visual codes, or conversational patterns that can inform campaign platforms.
Evaluates cultural risks, sensitivities, and reputational implications before ideas leave the room.
Guides teams in using cultural signals authentically, ensuring relevance without opportunism or harm.
Helps brands develop distinctive cultural territory, becoming part of the conversation rather than commenting on it.
Partnering with Creative Directors
Contextual
Works in close partnership with Art Directors and Creative Directors to create concepts uniting visual and textual elements.
Developing
Works with Art Directors to align headlines, scripts, and messaging with visual concepts.
Accepts feedback constructively and iterates copy based on direction from CDs and ADs.
Brings ideas that complement visual execution rather than relying solely on language.
Shows awareness of how copy and visuals combine to express a single idea.
Practising
Co-develops campaign ideas with ADs, ensuring verbal and visual elements reinforce the same creative intent.
Presents work confidently to CDs, articulating rationale and showing awareness of design implications.
Iterates ideas collaboratively, balancing creative ambition with brand and channel strategy.
Identifies when visual and verbal components are misaligned and proposes solutions.
Expert
Inspires and challenges ADs and CDs with original conceptual thinking that unlocks new creative directions.
Provides clear, strategic feedback that strengthens visual and verbal cohesion across teams and executions.
Facilitates productive creative discussions and resolves disagreements through idea quality, not personal opinion.
Mentors junior teams on how to partner effectively, fostering a culture where ideas improve through collaboration.
Presenting and defending ideas
Contextual
Presents creative concepts compellingly to clients and stakeholders, articulating strategic rationale, defending creative choices, and navigating feedback constructively.
Developing
Explains the thinking behind creative choices clearly.
• Participates in presentations by supporting senior team members and answering questions within scope.
• Accepts feedback professionally and incorporates it accurately.
• Understands that presenting work is part of the creative process, not separate from it.
Practising
Presents creative concepts with clarity, energy, and strategic context that helps clients understand and buy the work.
• Defends creative choices with reasoned argument while remaining open to legitimate concerns.
• Reads client reactions and adapts presentation approach in real time.
• Navigates feedback sessions constructively, distinguishing between feedback that improves work and feedback that dilutes it.
Expert
Leads high-stakes presentations that win pitches, secure approvals, and build client confidence.
• Coaches teams on presentation skills, helping them articulate and defend their creative thinking.
• Develops presentation frameworks and storytelling approaches that increase creative buy-through.
• Builds client relationships through presentation excellence that positions the team as trusted creative partners.
Leverage AI tools effectively while maintaining quality, ethics, and human oversight.
AI oversight
Threshold
Supervises, evaluates, and governs the use of AI in content creation, ensuring that humans—not algorithms—retain responsibility for accuracy, safety, tone, and compliance
Developing
Reviews AI-generated content before use, never publishing raw output.
Recognises when AI responses seem incorrect, biased, misaligned, or incomplete.
Follows organisational rules on where and how AI can be used.
Escalates concerns rather than overriding judgment with AI suggestions.
Practising
Implements structured review processes ensuring every AI contribution is checked for accuracy, tone, ethics, safety, brand standards, and legal risk.
Detects subtle model issues (e.g. fabricated sources, persuasive bias, cultural erasure, emotional manipulation).
Modifies prompts, workflows, or review criteria to reduce recurring issues.
Documents oversight decisions, including when and why content was adjusted or rejected.
Expert
Defines oversight models such as human-in-the-loop, risk-weighted review paths, and approval thresholds.
Establishes standards for safe deployment of generative AI across teams, channels, and content types.
Audits AI performance and escalates systemic issues (e.g. bias in training data, hallucination patterns, tone drift).
Guides leadership through trade-offs between efficiency, accuracy, and reputational risk.
Compliance
Threshold
Ensures AI-generated or AI-assisted copy adheres to legal frameworks, platform policies, brand standards, and organisational guidelines.
Developing
Uses AI only in approved contexts, tools, and workflows.
Avoids generating content that makes regulated claims (e.g. financial, medical, legal) without verification.
Applies mandatory disclosures or disclaimers when instructed.
Flags uncertainty when AI output appears to conflict with brand, legal, or privacy requirements
Practising
Verifies that AI outputs comply with relevant laws, policies, and sector-specific regulations (e.g. GDPR, ASA/FTC advertising standards, FCA/FINRA rules depending on sector).
Uses model outputs responsibly, respecting IP rights, data privacy, consent, and training-data implications.
Documents compliance rationale and decisions when using AI in higher-risk contexts.
Expert
Defines policies for AI deployment, oversight, disclosure, and acceptable use across teams.
Anticipates compliance risks related to emerging AI rules (AI Act, copyright law shifts, model provenance requirements, etc.).
Partners with legal, security, and brand governance functions to integrate AI usage into enterprise controls.
Trains others to spot compliance triggers and establishes escalation or audit processes.
Risk assessment
Threshold
Identifies risks associated with automation, misinformation, and brand trust; implements review processes and mitigations.
Developing
Identifies when AI-generated content may be incorrect, misleading, biased, or emotionally unsafe.
Flags claims or statements that appear unverifiable or exaggerated.
Avoids publishing AI output without review.
Asks for clarification when output touches on regulated, sensitive, or high-impact topics.
Practising
Applies checklists or frameworks to assess risks such as hallucination, bias, misinformation, IP infringement, emotional harm, or persona manipulation.
Distinguishes between acceptable creative variation and dangerous inaccuracy.
Escalates high-impact risks (e.g. legal claims, health advice) while resolving lower-level risks independently.
Adjusts prompts, tone, or constraints to reduce future risk.
Expert
Defines risk categories (legal, ethical, brand, emotional, data privacy, reputational) and ensures teams understand their thresholds.
Audits AI workflows for hidden or downstream risks, including misuse, hallucination propagation, bias escalation, and cultural harm.
Implements processes that prevent known risks (e.g. embedded disclaimers, fact-verification steps, persona controls).
Trains teams to identify and think critically about emerging risks as models evolve.
Humanising content
Contextual
Infuses AI-generated or AI-assisted copy with human nuance, intent, emotional intelligence, and brand personality.
Developing
Identifies when copy feels generic, overly formal, stiff, or emotionally flat.
Checks for language that feels repetitive, unnatural, or out of sync with audience expectations.
Revises copy to reflect human priorities, not AI assumptions.
Practising
Enhances relatability through storytelling devices, context setting, and real audience language.
Makes deliberate decisions about emotion, pacing, rhythm, and voice to improve connection.
Removes AI artefacts such as overly symmetrical phrasing, false certainty, clichéd sentiment, or unnatural transitions.
Embeds brand personality and nuance rather than polishing generic AI tone.
Expert
Defines human-centric tone frameworks, voice patterns, and emotional guardrails for AI-assisted messaging.
Coaches others to recognise and correct AI linguistic fingerprints and emotional disconnects.
Anticipates where AI-generated tone may misfire (e.g. in sensitive situations, complex emotions, crisis communication) and prevents harm.
Audits AI language for psychological resonance, cultural appropriateness, and emotional safety.
Prompt management
Contextual
Writes, tests and documents prompts for reproducibility and compliance while protecting confidential data.
Developing
Writes simple prompts that clearly state the task, audience, and tone.
Iterates prompts based on output quality rather than accepting first responses.
Recognises when prompts are vague, biased, or missing context.
Documents working prompts when asked, rather than starting from scratch each time.
Practising
Crafts multi-step or role-based prompts that guide AI behaviour (e.g. “Act as a UX writer…”).
Tailors prompts for different purposes, such as ideation, rewriting, user testing, SEO optimisation, or localisation.
Evaluates AI output critically—checking for tone, ethics, accuracy, bias, and brand fit—and adjusts prompts accordingly.
Maintains a prompt library organised by task type, channel, or audience.
Expert
Designs modular prompt frameworks that teams can apply across products, brands, or workflows.
Anticipates risks such as hallucinations, bias, and emotional safety implications and embeds mitigations into prompts.
Coaches teams in advanced prompt design, evaluation, and lifecycle management.
Integrates prompts into toolsets, repositories, or CMS workflows to support repeatable AI output at scale.
Software skills
Contextual
Uses AI-driven writing tools, content platforms, and supporting software effectively and responsibly. This includes understanding how to operate AI systems, configure prompts, manage outputs, and integrate tools into a professional workflow.
Developing
Operates approved AI writing platforms to produce drafts, options, or variations based on provided prompts.
Applies basic editing and formatting tools to refine AI outputs
Follows defined workflows, governance rules, and naming conventions
Understands that AI-generated content requires human review and checks outputs for obvious errors
Practising
Chooses appropriate AI tools or features based on the task (e.g. ideation, tone adjustment, summarisation).
Designs effective prompts and iteration strategies to improve AI output quality.
Integrates AI tools with other systems (e.g. CMS, analytics, design platforms) to support content workflows.
Identifies tool limitations and adapts workflows to mitigate inaccuracies, bias, or compliance risks
Expert
Evaluates and recommends AI platforms, plugins, and automation tools based on organisational needs, risks, and capabilities.
Defines usage guidelines, prompt libraries, and workflow integrations that support consistent, scalable AI-assisted writing.
Coaches others in advanced tool use, optimisation, and troubleshooting.
Works with legal, compliance, or tech partners to ensure AI usage aligns with accessibility, privacy, and ethical requirements.
Define and develop distinctive brand voices that create recognition, consistency, and emotional connection.
Voice adaptation for audiences
Threshold
Maintains brand voice consistency while flexing appropriately for different audiences, contexts, and emotional states, ensuring voice feels relevant and resonant rather than rigid or tone-deaf.
Developing
Recognises that different audiences may require different emphasis, vocabulary, or tone within the same brand voice.
• Adapts formality, complexity, and cultural references based on audience characteristics when directed.
• Identifies when voice choices feel inappropriate for an audience (too casual, too corporate, too technical).
• Follows guidance on voice adaptation for specific segments or markets.
Practising
Creates voice adaptation frameworks that define how brand voice flexes for B2B vs B2C, different demographics, or emotional contexts.
• Develops segment-specific language guidance that maintains voice coherence while improving relevance.
• Balances consistency (recognisable brand) with adaptation (resonant with specific audiences).
• Tests adapted voice with target audiences to validate that flexes improve rather than dilute brand perception.
Expert
Designs voice architecture that accommodates diverse audiences, markets, and contexts within a coherent system.
• Creates principles for voice adaptation that enable local teams to flex appropriately without fragmenting brand identity.
• Anticipates tension between global consistency and local relevance and builds frameworks that resolve it.
• Coaches teams on the art of adaptation—when to flex, how much, and where the boundaries lie.
Applying tone of voice
Threshold
Develops resources and initiatives to embed organisation's tone of voice, ensuring consistent interactions across touchpoints.
Developing
Writes in the brand’s tone when examples or rules are provided.
Makes basic tone adjustments (e.g. more formal or more conversational) based on guidance.
Avoids injecting personal writing preferences that dilute tone consistency.
Recognises when copy drifts away from brand tone but may need help correcting it.
Practising
Writes tone-appropriate messaging without requiring examples for every task
Adjusts tone based on journey stage, emotional context, audience literacy, or platform conventions
Uses linguistic devices (syntax, rhythm, vocabulary, metaphor, narrative structure) to express tone intentionally
Helps others apply tone guidelines by providing examples, critiques, and rationale
Expert
Coaches writers, agencies, and partner teams in applying tone consistently.
Audits language across channels to identify systemic tone drift or inconsistency.
Evolves tone applications when the brand, culture, or competitive landscape shifts.
Ensures tone expression aligns with accessibility, ethics, and inclusivity requirements.
Defining tone of voice
Threshold
Creates a consistent, recognisable, and strategically aligned tone of voice that reflects a brand’s personality, values, and purpose.
Developing
Describes the difference between voice (consistent character) and tone (situational variation).
Identifies when copy aligns or misaligns with documented tone guidelines.
Adapts messaging based on emotional context (e.g. helpful, reassuring, celebratory) using provided examples.
Recognises tone shifts needed across touchpoints (e.g. onboarding vs. error messages).
Practising
Translates brand personality, values, and positioning into tone principles and linguistic behaviours.
Creates tone frameworks that guide writers across multiple channels and contexts.
Develops examples, before/after transformations, and rules for tone shifts across user journeys.
Collaborates with designers, strategists, and leadership to ensure tone supports brand and business objectives.
Expert
Establishes governance structures that ensure tone consistency across departments, agencies, and regions.
Anticipates brand risks (e.g. tone that sounds exclusive, infantilising, or culturally insensitive) and mitigates them proactively.
Leads tone discovery workshops and linguistic identity programmes at brand or enterprise scale.
Iterates tone frameworks based on audience feedback, cultural shifts, and brand evolution.
Voice evolution and refresh
Threshold
Recognises when brand voice needs to evolve and manages voice refresh programmes that update language for changing contexts while preserving brand equity and recognition.
Developing
Identifies when voice feels dated, inconsistent with brand positioning, or misaligned with audience expectations.
• Researches how audience language, cultural context, and category conventions have shifted.
• Documents voice drift (how voice has changed informally over time) to inform refresh decisions.
• Understands that voice evolution requires strategic rationale, not just creative restlessness.
Practising
Assesses when voice refresh is warranted versus when consistency should be maintained.
• Develops voice evolution proposals that identify what should change, what should stay, and why.
• Manages voice transition programmes that update guidelines, assets, and training without creating chaos.
• Creates migration plans that phase in evolved voice across touchpoints while maintaining coherence.
Expert
Designs voice evolution frameworks that allow brands to refresh without losing recognition or equity.
• Balances brand heritage with contemporary relevance, knowing when evolution protects equity and when it erodes it.
• Creates governance for voice evolution that involves appropriate stakeholders without creating paralysis.
• Coaches teams on reading signals that indicate voice evolution is needed and managing change effectively.
Voice governance and standards
Threshold
Creates, maintains, and enforces systems that ensure a brand’s tone of voice is applied consistently, accurately, and responsibly across all communications, channels, and contributors.
Developing
Uses tone guides, libraries, and templates as instructed.
Identifies when copy deviates from tone standards and flags inconsistencies.
Understands the purpose of voice rules and avoids personal reinterpretations.
Applies feedback to ensure compliance with tone requirements.
Practising
Maintains and updates tone guidelines, examples, and usage rules as brand needs evolve.
Helps teams adopt tone frameworks by providing training, reviews, and feedback.
Identifies inconsistencies in messaging across channels and recommends corrective action.
Ensures tone aligns with legal, ethical, and accessibility standards.
Expert
Defines tone ownership, approval flows, and governance structures for cross-functional teams and external partners.
Integrates tone into content design systems, editorial workflows, brand playbooks, and platform-specific patterns.
Audits language across markets, products, and regions to identify systemic risks such as tone drift, misalignment, or cultural misfires.
Evolves the voice strategically based on brand shifts, market realities, or audience insight—without losing recognisability.
Voice measurement and fidelity
Contextual
Assesses, monitors, and validates the consistency, effectiveness, and brand alignment of language across touchpoints.
Developing
Compares content against tone guidelines to check alignment.
Identifies obvious deviations (e.g. in formality, vocabulary, emotional tone).
Collects examples of content that feels “on brand” vs. not, even if unable to articulate why.
Applies feedback to improve tone consistency in their own work.
Practising
Audits content for tone accuracy using scoring rubrics, heuristics, or defined criteria.
Identifies patterns of tone drift and recommends corrective action.
Uses user feedback, sentiment analysis, testing results, or performance data to determine tone effectiveness.
Communicates tone performance insights to stakeholders in actionable terms.
Expert
Defines tone measurement frameworks, KPIs, and success indicators across journeys and business units.
Integrates tone fidelity evaluation into editorial workflows, QA processes, or content design systems.
Identifies tone misalignment caused by structural factors (org silos, agency handoffs, unclear ownership) and resolves them.
Advises leadership on the brand and reputational impact of tone performance.
Manage corporate, internal, and stakeholder communications that inform and align audiences.
Multi-audience messaging
Contextual
Develops communications that reach multiple audiences simultaneously (employees, customers, media, partners) while maintaining coherence and managing the different needs and sensitivities of each group.
Developing
Recognises when a message will reach multiple audiences and flags potential conflicts or sensitivities.
• Writes core messages that can be adapted for different audiences without contradicting each other.
• Understands that employees often see customer-facing communications and vice versa.
• Follows guidance on messaging sequencing (who hears what, when).
Practising
Creates messaging architectures that allow consistent core narratives with appropriate audience-specific emphasis.
• Sequences communications across audiences to prevent confusion, leaks, or perceived inconsistency.
• Develops FAQs and reactive statements that address audience-specific concerns while maintaining overall coherence.
• Identifies where audience interests align and where they conflict, and crafts messaging that navigates both.
Expert
Designs multi-stakeholder communication strategies for complex announcements (M&A, leadership changes, crises, major launches).
• Creates governance frameworks for multi-audience messaging that ensure consistency without creating bottlenecks.
• Coaches teams on anticipating audience cross-pollination and crafting messaging that withstands scrutiny from unintended readers.
• Develops messaging principles that enable decentralised teams to communicate consistently across touchpoints.
Stakeholder mapping and engagement
Threshold
Developing
Creates basic stakeholder maps identifying key groups and their interests
• Researches stakeholder needs and preferences to inform communications
• Maintains stakeholder contact lists and relationship records
• Tailors communications tone and content for different stakeholder groups
• Escalates stakeholder concerns appropriately
Practising
Develops sophisticated stakeholder analysis including influence, interest, and engagement matrices
• Creates differentiated engagement strategies for priority stakeholders
• Builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders over time
• Anticipates stakeholder reactions and prepares appropriate responses
• Manages stakeholder expectations proactively
Expert
Shapes organisational stakeholder engagement strategy and governance
• Develops stakeholder frameworks and methodologies for enterprise use
• Manages relationships with most senior and complex stakeholders
• Coaches others in stakeholder management techniques
• Integrates stakeholder insights into organisational decision-making
Tone of voice and messaging governance
Contextual
Developing
Applies existing tone of voice guidelines consistently in own work
• Creates key messages aligned with approved messaging frameworks
• Identifies when communications deviate from guidelines and flags for review
• Maintains message libraries and governance documentation
• Supports colleagues in applying tone and messaging standards
Practising
Develops tone of voice guidelines and messaging frameworks for campaigns or products
• Reviews and approves communications against governance standards
• Trains colleagues on tone of voice and messaging principles
• Adapts governance frameworks for different contexts while maintaining consistency
• Identifies gaps in existing guidelines and proposes improvements
Expert
Shapes enterprise-wide tone of voice and messaging governance strategy
• Develops master brand voice architecture across sub-brands and audiences
• Creates governance systems that scale across large, complex organisations
• Arbitrates complex tone and messaging decisions at senior level
Writing for non-consumers
Contextual
Conveys information responsibly, supporting organisational goals, and maintaining trust through clarity, transparency, and relevance rather than persuasion.
Developing
Writes straightforward, factual copy based on supplied briefs and key messages.
Adapts tone and terminology with help from peers or managers, ensuring content is appropriate for internal or stakeholder audiences.
Checks information for accuracy and consistency, seeking clarification when needed.
Begins to understand the purpose, context, and sensitivities of non-consumer communications
Practising
Structures complex information into coherent narratives tailored to specific non-consumer groups (e.g. staff, partners, boards, regulators).
Balances organisational voice, transparency, and legal or compliance constraints without supervision.
Collaborates with subject-matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Anticipates audience questions, comprehension challenges, and sensitivities, adjusting messaging accordingly
Expert
Defines tone, messaging frameworks, and communication principles for non-consumer audiences across channels.
Handles high-stakes, sensitive, or ambiguous topics with confidence—such as organisational change, policy updates, risk disclosures, or leadership messaging.
Coaches others in conveying complex or potentially contentious information clearly and responsibly.
Ensures communications build trust, reinforce organisational credibility, and meet legal, ethical, and strategic requirements.
Executive and leadership communications
Contextual
Developing
Drafts speeches, presentations, and talking points for senior leaders
• Researches topics and gathers supporting data for executive communications
• Adapts content to match individual leaders' communication styles
• Prepares briefing materials and Q&A documents
• Incorporates feedback to refine executive communications
Practising
Develops compelling executive communications that require minimal revision
• Captures and authentically represents leaders' voices and perspectives
• Creates thought leadership content that positions leaders as industry experts
• Prepares leaders for high-stakes communications (media interviews, investor presentations)
• Manages executive communications calendar and content pipeline
Expert
Serves as trusted communications advisor to C-suite and board members
• Shapes executive communications strategy and positioning
• Develops distinctive executive voices that differentiate leaders in their field
• Manages communications for the CEO or equivalent during critical moments
• Creates executive communications frameworks and standards for the organisation
Internal communications
Contextual
Creates clear, engaging communications for employees and internal stakeholders that inform, align, and motivate. Internal communications include change management messaging, executive announcements, employee newsletters, intranet content, and organisational updates that build culture and drive engagement.
Developing
Writes clear internal announcements, updates, and employee-facing content following established templates and tone.
Adapts messaging for different internal channels (email, intranet, Slack, town halls) when directed.
Identifies when internal messaging may cause confusion or concern and escalates to senior colleagues.
Recognises the difference between informing employees and persuading customers.
Practising
Crafts internal communications that balance transparency with appropriate discretion, particularly during change or uncertainty.
• Structures communications for different employee audiences (frontline, managers, executives) with appropriate detail and framing.
• Creates messaging that acknowledges employee concerns while supporting organisational direction.
• Develops communication sequences for complex initiatives such as restructures, policy changes, or cultural programmes.
Expert
Designs internal communication strategies that build trust, reduce uncertainty, and support organisational transformation.
• Coaches leaders on communication approaches that authentically connect with employees at all levels.
• Creates frameworks for cascading messages through management layers while maintaining consistency and intent.
• Measures internal communication effectiveness and recommends improvements based on employee feedback and engagement data.
Media relations and PR skills
Contextual
Crafts clear, accurate, and strategically aligned communications for external media channels, stakeholders, and public audiences.
Developing
Writes basic press release content, quotes, or background notes.
Recognises the difference between marketing messages and newsworthy information.
Avoids promotional language that diminishes credibility in media contexts.
Applies brand messaging correctly when referencing organisational facts or announcements.
Practising
Crafts press releases, pitches, statements, fact sheets, and executive quotes tailored to journalist needs.
Identifies news angles, hooks, and proof points that make a story relevant to external audiences.
Tailors messaging for different media channels (broadcast, print, trade publications, digital outlets).
Coordinates with PR or comms leads to ensure messages are timely, accurate, and strategically aligned.
Anticipates common media questions and prepares supporting content accordingly.
Expert
Develops messaging frameworks and story architectures for campaigns, executives, or corporate initiatives.
Coaches leaders and spokespeople in message delivery, tone calibration, and issue framing.
Anticipates reputational implications and recommends proactive messaging strategies.
Partners with PR teams to manage media cycles, journalist relationships, and strategic announcements.
Drafts crisis communications quickly under pressure while maintaining accuracy and appropriate tone.
Developing
Follows approved messaging and tone guidance without improvising.
Avoids speculative, emotive, or defensive language.
Verifies facts before writing or sharing information.
Recognises when issues carry reputational risk and escalates appropriately.
Practising
Frames information transparently without fuelling panic or denial.
Distinguishes between what must be said now and what can wait for confirmation.
Tailors messaging for different stakeholders (media, employees, partners, customers) while maintaining consistency.
Supports leadership with holding statements, FAQs, and scenario-based responses.
Expert
Anticipates reputational threats before they become crises and prepares proactive messaging frameworks.
Crafts master narratives that align legal, leadership, and operational perspectives under pressure.
Coaches spokespeople and executives on language choices, tone, and timing.
Conducts post-crisis communication audits to identify lessons and strengthen future responses.
Channel selection and management
Threshold
Assesses whether communications achieve their intended purpose by defining success criteria, tracking relevant metrics, and gathering feedback that informs continuous improvement.
Developing
Understands the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of major communications channels
• Selects appropriate channels for specific audiences and message types
• Follows channel guidelines and best practices consistently
• Monitors basic channel performance metrics
• Adapts content format and length for different channels
Practising
Develops integrated channel strategies that maximise reach and impact
• Optimises channel selection based on performance data and audience insights
• Manages channel mix to balance efficiency with effectiveness
• Identifies emerging channels and evaluates their potential
• Coordinates messaging across channels for consistency and reinforcement
Expert
Shapes organisational channel strategy and investment decisions
• Anticipates channel evolution and prepares organisation for change
• Develops proprietary channel frameworks and evaluation methodologies
• Builds strategic relationships with platform providers and partners
• Influences industry thinking on channel effectiveness
Communications measurement
Contextual
Assesses whether communications achieve their intended purpose by defining success criteria, tracking relevant metrics, and gathering feedback that informs continuous improvement.
Developing
Understands that communication effectiveness can and should be measured, not assumed.
• Tracks basic metrics such as open rates, read times, and engagement when tools provide them.
• Gathers informal feedback on communications and reports patterns to senior colleagues.
• Recognises when communications appear to have missed their mark (confusion, follow-up questions, inaction).
Practising
Defines success criteria for communications before they are sent (awareness, understanding, action, sentiment shift).
• Designs feedback mechanisms appropriate to the communication type (surveys, pulse checks, manager feedback).
• Interprets engagement data and qualitative feedback to recommend messaging improvements.
• Distinguishes between vanity metrics (opens, views) and meaningful outcomes (comprehension, behaviour change, sentiment).
Expert
Establishes communication measurement frameworks that connect messaging to organisational outcomes.
• Designs longitudinal measurement approaches that track trust, engagement, and communication effectiveness over time.
• Uses measurement insights to influence communication strategy, resource allocation, and channel investment.
• Coaches teams on setting realistic communication objectives and measuring what matters.
Communications strategy and planning
Threshold
Develops strategic communications plans that define objectives, identify key messages, select appropriate channels, and align communications activity with broader organisational goals and stakeholder needs.
Developing
Creates basic communications plans with clear objectives, audiences, and timelines
• Identifies key messages that support campaign or project goals
• Researches audience needs and preferences to inform planning
• Follows established templates and frameworks for communications planning
• Seeks input from senior colleagues on strategic alignment
Practising
Develops comprehensive communications strategies that integrate with business objectives
• Creates messaging frameworks that guide consistent communications across campaigns
• Anticipates communications needs and plans proactively rather than reactively
• Balances competing priorities and stakeholder needs in planning decisions
• Adapts strategies based on performance data and changing circumstances
Expert
Shapes organisational communications strategy at senior level
• Integrates communications planning with business strategy, risk management, and stakeholder relations
• Develops planning frameworks and methodologies used across the organisation
• Mentors others in strategic communications thinking
• Influences organisational decision-making through strategic communications counsel
Design content that helps users complete tasks and achieve goals, often in service and government contexts.
Agile and iterative practice
Contextual
Works effectively in agile environments, contributing to sprints, standups and iterative delivery cycles while maintaining content quality.
Developing
Participates in sprint planning and standups.
• Breaks content work into deliverable chunks.
• Responds to changing requirements within a sprint.
• Understands why content can't always be 'done' in one pass.
Practising
Plans content work that fits sprint cadences.
• Prioritises ruthlessly based on user need and delivery constraints.
• Works collaboratively with developers and designers to iterate content in short cycles.
• Knows when to push back on unrealistic sprint commitments.
Expert
Shapes how agile teams work with content.
• Advocates for appropriate content time in sprint planning.
• Helps teams understand content as a design material, not a late-stage addition.
• Coaches others in balancing speed with quality.
Collaboration and pair writing
Contextual
Works with subject matter experts, designers, developers to co-create content; uses pair writing to maintain quality.
Developing
Works alongside peers or mentors to draft and refine content.
Accepts feedback constructively and incorporates suggestions into drafts.
Asks relevant questions to understand design and content decisions.
Contributes ideas while respecting established patterns and frameworks.
Practising
Initiates and facilitates pair-writing sessions with designers, SMEs, and stakeholders.
Uses structured collaboration to resolve ambiguity, refine language, and reach shared decisions faster.
Balances different perspectives and negotiates content choices based on evidence.
Documents decisions so they are transparent and repeatable.
Expert
Embeds pair-writing and collaborative decision-making into team processes.
Coaches colleagues and stakeholders in productive co-creation, reducing reliance on isolated drafting.
Uses collaboration to align teams around messaging, patterns, and intent at a strategic level.
Resolves complex or contentious language decisions across teams, products, or services.
Multidisciplinary team working
Contextual
Works effectively embedded in teams with user researchers, interaction designers, developers, product managers, policy specialists, and others. Contributes to shared goals rather than just delivering content.
Developing
Participates in team ceremonies (standups, retros, planning).
• Communicates content progress and dependencies.
• Asks for help from other disciplines when needed.
• Respects different specialisms and working styles.
Practising
Contributes content expertise to cross-functional problem-solving.
• Understands enough about other disciplines to collaborate effectively.
• Challenges decisions that impact content quality.
• Helps teams understand content as a design material, not a delivery task.
Expert
Shapes how multidisciplinary teams work with content.
• Advocates for content designers' involvement from discovery.
• Establishes working agreements that prevent content being treated as polish or afterthought.
• Coaches others in effective cross-discipline collaboration.
Stakeholder management
Threshold
Navigates complex stakeholder environments, building consensus and managing expectations while maintaining user focus.
Developing
Identifies key stakeholders for content decisions.
• Communicates progress and blockers clearly.
• Incorporates feedback appropriately.
• Escalates conflicts or unrealistic demands.
Practising
Facilitates stakeholder alignment sessions.
• Translates organisational or policy requirements into user-centred content.
• Pushes back on stakeholder preferences that harm user experience, using evidence.
• Manages competing demands from legal, compliance, marketing, and product teams.
Expert
Establishes stakeholder engagement approaches that work across teams.
• Educates stakeholders about content design principles.
• Builds trust so that content decisions are respected.
• Resolves high-level conflicts between organisational goals and user needs.
Content prototyping
Contextual
Creates testable content prototypes to validate approaches before committing to final copy. Uses lo-fi and hi-fi prototyping methods appropriate to the stage of work.
Developing
Creates simple content prototypes using Google Docs, paper, or basic tools.
• Tests options with colleagues before formal review.
• Understands that content can be prototyped, not just designed interfaces.
Practising
Chooses appropriate fidelity for prototypes (sketches, wireframes, coded prototypes).
• Tests content with users to validate comprehension, tone and structure.
• Iterates based on testing outcomes.
• Works with designers to prototype content in realistic contexts.
Expert
Establishes prototyping approaches for teams.
• Facilitates content testing sessions.
• Knows when lo-fi is sufficient and when hi-fi is necessary.
• Advocates for content testing as standard practice, not an optional extra.
Design thinking
Contextual
Applies design thinking principles to solve content problems; balances user needs with business and policy goals.
Developing
Participates in discovery activities to understand user needs and context.
Contributes ideas during workshops, sketching sessions, or brainstorming activities.
Iterates content based on feedback and testing results, acknowledging that drafts evolve.
Begins to understand the importance of evidence over personal preference
Practising
Plans and runs content-focused ideation, prototyping, or iteration sessions.
Frames content problems clearly and explores multiple options before deciding.
Seeks and evaluates research insights, analytics, and testing outcomes to guide decisions.
Communicates design rationale clearly to stakeholders, showing why a content approach works for users
Expert
Embeds design thinking practices into team rituals and project workflows.
Facilitates complex problem-framing sessions and helps teams align on outcomes.
Anticipates organisational or service-level impacts of content decisions and steers cross-functional groups toward user-centred solutions.
Mentors others in iterative thinking and creates environments where experimentation and learning are supported.
Designing for technical constraints
Contextual
Creates content that works within system limitations including character limits, CMS capabilities, API restrictions, and dynamic content requirements. Balances technical feasibility with user experience.
Developing
Works within character limits for specific components or channels.
• Understands basic CMS constraints and how they affect content options.
• Asks developers or technical colleagues about limitations before designing content.
• Adapts content when technical constraints prevent the ideal approach.
Practising
Designs content that accounts for dynamic elements, personalisation, and conditional logic.
• Understands how content models, APIs, and data structures affect what's possible.
• Collaborates with developers to find solutions when technical and content needs conflict.
• Creates content specifications that developers can implement accurately.
• Tests content in actual systems, not just documents.
Expert
Influences technical architecture decisions to support better content experiences.
• Identifies when technical constraints are unnecessarily limiting content quality and advocates for change.
• Establishes content requirements that inform system design from the start.
• Coaches others in understanding technical constraints without being limited by them.
• Bridges content design and engineering disciplines effectively.
Information architecture
Contextual
Organises information logically to support intuitive navigation and comprehension through hierarchy, signposting and labelling.
Developing
Uses existing patterns, navigation structures, and taxonomies to place content correctly.
Organises information into clear, logical sequences when drafting pages, screens, or messages.
Identifies when content feels confusing, duplicated, or misplaced and escalates concerns appropriately.
Follows team conventions for headings, labels, and metadata.
Practising
Maps user journeys and content flows to determine what information goes where and why.
Creates or adapts taxonomies, naming conventions, and hierarchies to support user goals.
Identifies structural issues (e.g. deep navigation, unclear labels, content sprawl) and proposes solutions.
Works with designers, product teams, and sometimes information architects to validate IA through research, analytics, or navigation testing.
Expert
Defines content models, principles, and IA standards that scale across journeys, products, or channels.
Guides others in organising information logically and consistently, mentoring teams in IA thinking.
Ensures IA decisions are evidence-based, accessible, and aligned with organisational and user goals.
Accessibility as a design practice
Contextual
Designs content that works for users with diverse needs, including cognitive, visual, auditory and motor differences. Goes beyond compliance to inclusive design.
Developing
Writes content that meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements.
• Uses headings correctly.
• Writes meaningful link text.
• Avoids relying solely on colour or sensory characteristics.
• Understands why alt text matters.
Practising
Designs content for users with cognitive differences (learning disabilities, anxiety, autism).
• Tests content with screen readers.
• Writes clear error messages.
• Structures content for keyboard navigation.
• Considers how content works when magnified, read aloud, or translated.
Expert
Establishes accessibility standards and testing approaches for content.
• Advocates for inclusive design from discovery onwards.
• Coaches teams in accessible content practice.
• Challenges decisions that exclude users.
• Ensures content works across assistive technologies.
Public sector service standards
Contextual
Applies relevant public sector standards to content work, including the GDS Service Standard, NHS Service Standard, Scottish Government Digital Standards, and local government frameworks. Understands obligations around accessibility, plain language and user-centred design in government contexts.
Developing
Follows GDS style guide, NHS content guidelines, or local government standards as appropriate.
• Uses GOV.UK patterns when relevant.
• Understands why public sector content has different obligations from commercial copywriting.
• Knows where to find relevant standards and guidance.
Practising
Interprets and applies service standards to content decisions.
• Knows when to follow patterns and when to adapt them.
• Contributes to content reviews and assessments.
• Works within government approval processes while maintaining user focus.
• Understands how different standards apply in different contexts (central government, NHS, devolved administrations, local authorities).
Expert
Shapes how public sector standards are interpreted and applied.
• Contributes to standards development.
• Assesses services against standards.
• Mentors others in meeting public sector obligations.
• Advocates for standards that improve user outcomes.
Trauma-informed content practice
Contextual
Designs content for users who may be experiencing trauma, crisis, or extreme stress. Recognises how language and structure affect people in vulnerable states.
Developing
Recognises that users may be frightened, overwhelmed, or traumatised.
• Avoids language that could trigger or minimise.
• Provides clear next steps and safety information.
• Asks for guidance when unsure.
Practising
Designs content that acknowledges difficulty without false reassurance.
• Uses plain language when users are under stress.
• Provides exit routes and support information.
• Tests content with people with lived experience.
• Handles research data about sensitive topics appropriately.
Expert
Establishes trauma-informed content principles for services.
• Works with safeguarding, clinical, and support teams to ensure content is safe.
• Advocates for testing with vulnerable users.
• Coaches others in designing content for crisis situations.
• Challenges approaches that could cause harm.
Evidence of success
Contextual
Measures, interprets, and communicates the impact of content decisions using qualitative and quantitative evidence.
Developing
Identifies basic success metrics such as task completion, error reduction, or decreased support queries.
Reviews data or feedback provided by others and understands what it implies.
Makes small improvements based on user feedback or performance trends.
Knows the difference between opinion-based feedback and evidence-based insight.
Practising
Identifies appropriate measures for success (e.g. completion rates, satisfaction scores, dwell time, abandonment, help-centre deflection, accessibility scores).
Proposes and prioritises content changes based on data or user behaviour patterns.
Runs and interprets qualitative and quantitative tests (A/B tests, usability studies, surveys, analytics).
Communicates results clearly to stakeholders, showing how content decisions affect user experience and business metrics.
Expert
Establishes frameworks for defining and measuring content success across journeys, products, or teams.
Anticipates what success should look like before projects begin and aligns stakeholders around those measures.
Coaches teams on selecting metrics that reflect real user outcomes rather than vanity indicators.
Identifies systemic content issues through performance patterns and drives cross-functional solutions.
Plain language and readability
Threshold
Applies specific techniques to make content easier to read, understand and act on. Goes beyond general clarity to use evidence-based approaches to readability.
Developing
Writes to appropriate reading levels for the audience.
• Uses readability tools (Hemingway, Readable, or similar) to assess and improve content.
• Front-loads important information so users get what they need quickly.
• Formats content for scannability using headings, short paragraphs, and clear structure.
Practising
Chooses readability targets based on audience research and context.
• Simplifies complex information without losing accuracy or meaning.
• Tests content comprehension with users and iterates based on findings.
• Balances readability with tone, brand voice, and regulatory requirements.
• Knows when to break readability 'rules' for good reason.
Expert
Establishes readability standards and measurement approaches for teams and organisations.
• Coaches others in plain language techniques and challenges unnecessarily complex content.
• Advocates for readability as a core accessibility and inclusion practice.
• Adapts readability approaches for different contexts (crisis communications, technical documentation, legal requirements).
User research
Contextual
Engages with user research to ensure content decisions are evidence-based, collaborating with researchers to understand user needs.
Developing
Reviews research findings, personas, and user journeys to understand audience needs.
Observes usability tests, interviews, or workshops to see how users interact with content.
Identifies obvious content issues (e.g. confusion, misinterpretation) and updates drafts based on guidance.
Asks relevant questions to clarify user needs and ensure content aligns with evidence
Practising
Chooses appropriate research inputs (e.g. analytics, usability testing insights, search queries) to inform content structure and messaging.
Identifies content patterns, blockers, and unmet user needs from research evidence.
Collaborates with user researchers to plan or refine research questions related to content.
Iterates content based on user feedback and can justify decisions using research findings
Expert
Integrates research from multiple sources to shape content approaches, frameworks, and standards.
Identifies high-risk assumptions or gaps in knowledge and advocates for research to address them.
Mentors others in using research effectively and ensuring content decisions are defensible and user-centred.
Uses research insights to influence broader product or service design, ensuring content aligns with user intent, accessibility needs, and organisational outcomes.
Content design systems
Contextual
Uses and contributes to design systems including component libraries, voice guidelines, and pattern documentation.
Developing
Applies established content patterns, style guidelines, and tone-of-voice rules to their work.
Flags inconsistencies or gaps in the content system but does not yet resolve them independently.
Contributes minor updates (e.g. language tweaks, examples, or documentation) with supervision.
Understands why consistency matters for user experience and brand trust.
Practising
Creates or adapts reusable content patterns, naming conventions, and components.
Identifies when inconsistencies, duplication, or gaps in the system are creating user or workflow problems and proposes improvements.
Works with designers, product peers, and accessibility specialists to ensure content patterns scale across journeys and contexts.
Documents rationale, usage guidance, and examples so others can apply patterns correctly.
Expert
Establishes or influences system-wide standards, content models, and governance rules that ensure long-term consistency and sustainability.
Resolves complex or cross-team content-pattern conflicts and creates shared approaches that multiple teams can adopt.
Mentors others in system thinking, helping them understand how local content decisions impact the ecosystem.
Ensures content systems support accessibility, clarity, and organisational strategy at scale.
Content governance
Threshold
Plans how content is created, reviewed, published, maintained, updated, and retired. Ensures content doesn't become outdated, inaccurate, or abandoned.
Developing
Follows established review cycles and update schedules.
• Flags content that's outdated or inaccurate.
• Understands that content requires ongoing maintenance, not just initial creation.
Practising
Establishes review schedules for different content types.
• Plans how content will be maintained after launch.
• Creates ownership models so it's clear who's responsible for updates.
• Retires content that's no longer needed.
• Considers lifecycle from the start, not as an afterthought.
Expert
Designs content operations and governance models that scale.
• Ensures content has clear owners.
• Establishes audit processes.
• Plans for content sustainability.
• Coaches teams in treating content as a product that requires ongoing investment.
Service/product lifecycle awareness
Threshold
Understands where content fits in service design phases (discovery, alpha, beta, live) and adapts approach accordingly. Knows what 'good' content looks like at each stage.
Developing
Understands the difference between discovery, alpha, beta, and live.
• Knows that content in alpha is experimental, beta is tested, live is maintained.
• Adapts level of polish to the phase.
Practising
Plans appropriate content work for each phase.
• In discovery, focuses on understanding needs.
• In alpha, prototypes and tests options.
• In beta, refines based on testing.
• In live, maintains and iterates.
• Knows when content is 'good enough for now' vs 'ready for launch'.
Expert
Shapes how teams think about content across the lifecycle.
• Advocates for content involvement from discovery.
• Establishes what 'done' means at each phase.
• Ensures content doesn't get left until beta or treated as polish.
Strategic content thinking
Contextual
Understands how content contributes to user journeys, service outcomes, and organisational goals. Makes content decisions that support broader strategy, not just immediate tasks.
Developing
Understands where their content fits within a wider user journey or service.
• Asks questions about business goals and success measures before writing.
• Recognises when content requests conflict with user needs or organisational objectives.
• Considers what happens before and after users encounter their content.
Practising
Aligns content decisions with defined user outcomes and business objectives.
• Identifies content gaps, overlaps, or conflicts across a service or product.
• Uses data and research to prioritise content work based on impact.
• Challenges briefs that focus on outputs rather than outcomes.
• Contributes to content strategy discussions even when not leading them.
Expert
Shapes content approaches that connect user needs to organisational strategy.
• Identifies strategic content opportunities and risks that others miss.
• Influences product and service decisions through content expertise.
• Mentors others in thinking strategically about content, not just tactically.
• Bridges content design and content strategy disciplines effectively.
Create valuable content that attracts, engages, and retains audiences to drive profitable action.
Content lifecycle management
Contextual
Plans, maintains, updates, and retires content assets over time so they remain accurate, relevant, and effective.
Developing
Updates or corrects content when instructed (e.g. replacing outdated stats or links).
Recognises when content is no longer accurate, aligned, or useful.
Avoids creating duplicate assets when an existing one can be improved.
Practising
Audits content to identify outdated, underperforming, or redundant assets.
Prioritises updates based on performance, demand, seasonality, and relevance.
Maintains evergreen assets, ensuring they continue to rank, convert, and reflect brand evolution.
Determines when content should be repurposed, refreshed, or retired.
Expert
Establishes review cadences, ownership models, and triggers for update, removal, or expansion of marketing assets.
Aligns lifecycle plans with product releases, brand updates, search trends, or regulatory shifts.
Builds frameworks for evergreen content optimisation, content audits, and repurposing workflows.
Anticipates lifecycle needs for emerging channels, markets, and narratives.
Content localisation
Contextual
Adapts content marketing for different markets, languages, and cultural contexts, ensuring content resonates locally while maintaining brand coherence and strategic alignment.
Developing
Understands that translation is not the same as localisation, and that effective adaptation requires cultural understanding.
• Identifies content elements that may not translate well (idioms, cultural references, examples, humour).
• Works with translators and local teams to provide context that enables better adaptation.
• Flags potential cultural sensitivities or misalignments when reviewing localised content.
Practising
Develops localisation briefs that guide adaptation beyond literal translation.
• Creates content with localisation in mind, avoiding unnecessarily culture-specific references where global use is intended.
• Manages localisation workflows that balance quality, speed, and cost effectively.
• Evaluates localised content for cultural resonance, not just linguistic accuracy.
Expert
Designs localisation strategies that balance global efficiency with local relevance.
• Creates governance frameworks for localisation that enable local teams while maintaining brand coherence.
• Builds content architectures that support efficient localisation (modular content, cultural adaptation guides).
• Measures localisation effectiveness across markets and optimises approach based on performance.
Content repurposing systems
Contextual
Maximises content value through strategic repurposing and lifecycle management.
Developing
Extracts individual elements (quotes, stats, findings) to create smaller content pieces such as posts, emails, or snippets.
Maintains accuracy when translating content into new formats.
Understands which formats suit different stages (e.g. awareness versus consideration).
Avoids duplication by checking whether similar content already exists.
Practising
Identifies which content should be repurposed based on performance, evergreen potential, and strategic themes.
Plans content with repurposing in mind, structuring messages so they fragment cleanly across formats.
Tailors repurposed content to channel expectations, journey stages, and user motivations.
Minimises production overhead by leveraging templates, systems, and asset reuse.
Expert
Establishes governance for modular content, thematic pillars, and message hierarchies that enable systematic repurposing.
Builds frameworks for evergreen assets that can be continually refreshed, atomised, and redistributed.
Integrates repurposing into planning, lifecycle management, and demand-generation systems.
Evaluates content ops maturity and identifies operational gaps in reuse potential.
Lead generation content development
Contextual
Creates content that attracts the right audience, builds trust, captures contact information or intent signals, and moves prospects closer to becoming qualified leads.
Developing
Writes content that aligns with campaign goals and target audiences.
Includes basic calls to action (CTAs) where instructed.
Understands what a lead magnet is and why someone would exchange information for it.
Recognises the difference between informational content and lead-generating content.
Practising
Creates lead magnets, landing pages, and nurture assets based on audience needs and funnel stages (e.g. guides, webinars, calculators, templates).
Uses messaging to remove friction and articulate what prospects gain from sharing details.
Tailors CTAs, proof elements, and value propositions to maximise conversion.
Collaborates with sales, growth, or demand-gen teams to align content with qualification criteria.
Expert
Designs multi-step content journeys that attract, segment, and nurture prospects over time.
Defines content formats that support lead scoring, segmentation, and behavioural triggers.
Identifies gaps between audience intent, offer relevance, and conversion behaviour — and closes them using content.
Aligns lead gen programmes with revenue strategy, product positioning, and lifecycle marketing.
Thought leadership and authority building
Contextual
Creates content that shapes opinions, establishes credibility, and positions the brand or its representatives as trusted authorities within a market, category, or domain
Developing
Translates subject-matter-expert (SME) or leadership insights into accessible content (e.g. articles, posts, scripts).
Avoids generic or derivative content by highlighting a clear point of view when directed.
Recognises topics where authority can be earned vs. those already saturated.
Supports content that educates rather than hard-sells.
Practising
Identifies thought leadership themes based on audience needs, competitive gaps, and brand strengths.
Crafts narratives that challenge assumptions, offer frameworks, or provide new mental models.
Uses appropriate channels (events, long-form content, social platforms, PR) to amplify ideas.
Ensures topics align with long-term strategic positioning, not vanity content.
Expert
Leads big-idea development that defines or evolves the brand’s category narrative.
Establishes thought leadership programmes with measurable influence, not just content volume.
Identifies emerging ideas and defends brand positioning against competitors and imitators.
Coaches leaders and SMEs in delivering persuasive, differentiated ideas at scale.
Content distribution strategy
Contextual
Plans and executes how content reaches its intended audience, understanding that creation without distribution is wasted effort, and that distribution strategy should inform content development.
Developing
Understands that publishing content is not the same as ensuring it reaches the audience.
• Follows established distribution processes (social sharing, email inclusion, paid promotion).
• Tracks basic distribution metrics (reach, clicks, shares) and reports on performance.
• Recognises when content is underperforming due to distribution rather than quality issues.
Practising
Develops distribution plans alongside content plans, ensuring distribution strategy informs content format, timing, and focus.
• Selects distribution channels and tactics based on audience behaviour, content type, and business objectives.
• Optimises distribution based on performance data, reallocating effort toward what works.
• Coordinates distribution across owned, earned, and paid channels for maximum reach and efficiency.
Expert
Designs distribution ecosystems that systematically connect content with audiences across the customer journey.
• Creates distribution playbooks that enable consistent, effective promotion without ad hoc effort.
• Measures distribution effectiveness at portfolio level and invests in channels that deliver results.
• Coaches teams on thinking distribution-first, ensuring content is designed for discoverability and shareability.
Influencer and creator collaboration
Contextual
Works effectively with external voices (influencers, creators, industry experts, customers) to create or amplify content, managing relationships, briefs, and brand safety.
Developing
Understands the role of external voices in content marketing and how they differ from brand-created content.
• Prepares clear briefs for influencer or creator collaborations following established templates.
• Reviews influencer content for brand alignment and flags concerns to senior colleagues.
• Recognises that authentic collaboration requires flexibility, not rigid brand control.
Practising
Identifies influencers and creators whose audiences and values align with brand objectives.
• Develops collaboration briefs that balance brand requirements with creator authenticity.
• Manages creator relationships professionally, providing feedback that improves output without stifling voice.
Proposes improvements based on data, not assumptions — such as changing messaging, format, frequency, or channel usage.
Presents insights in a way that influences planning, prioritisation, or resource allocation.
Expert
Defines KPIs and measurement approaches aligned with business goals, customer journeys, and content strategy.
Identifies not just what happened, but why, and predicts what will happen next.
Connects content performance to revenue, demand, retention, or brand metrics.
Coaches teams on measurement literacy and data-driven decision-making.
Research and insight synthesis
Contextual
Gathers and synthesises research to inform content strategy.
Developing
Reads and applies audience research, personas, briefs, and data summaries.
Identifies recurring themes or questions users ask and reflects them in content.
Distinguishes between fact-finding (research) and idea-generation (insight).
Avoids inventing assumptions when data is unclear; asks for clarification.
Practising
Gathers research from multiple sources (analytics, social listening, voice of customer, internal SMEs, competitor audits).
Identifies patterns, motivations, objections, and unmet needs that influence messaging.
Summarises research into clear, actionable insights and recommendations.
Prioritises content opportunities based on evidence, not intuition.
Expert
Conducts or interprets keyword, SERP, and competitor landscape research.
Identifies searcher motivations, question clusters, and related topics to structure content assets.
Aligns content formats and CTAs with search intent and funnel stage.
Optimises content architecture (internal linking, headings, metadata, schema) to improve visibility and authority.
SEO and search behaviour insight (applied)
Contextual
Understands how audiences search and optimises content for discovery.
Developing
Identifies relevant keywords and applies them naturally in headings, body copy, and metadata.
Recognises differences between informational, navigational, and transactional search intent.
Ensures content answers clear user queries rather than stuffing terms for ranking.
Uses provided research to avoid jargon and match user search language.
Practising
Conducts or interprets keyword, SERP, and competitor landscape research.
Identifies searcher motivations, question clusters, and related topics to structure content assets.
Aligns content formats and CTAs with search intent and funnel stage.
Optimises content architecture (internal linking, headings, metadata, schema) to improve visibility and authority.
Expert
Predicts emerging search trends and builds content portfolios that target future demand.
Integrates search behaviour insights with brand storytelling, product strategy, and editorial calendars.
Influences cross-functional decisions on content architecture, topic clusters, and content lifecycle.
Uses SEO intelligence to position the brand as a recognised expert or category authority.
Audience and customer journey insight
Contextual
Understands audiences and where they are in their customer journey to create relevant, timely content.
Developing
Reads and interprets simple audience personas and briefs.
Recognises differences between awareness, consideration, and decision-stage content.
Identifies when content is mismatched to audience needs or journey stage.
Tailors tone and messaging when instructed (e.g. more educational in early stages).
Practising
Creates or refines personas and journey maps using data, research, and analytics.
Identifies content gaps and opportunities across journey stages.
Tailors messaging, content formats, and calls-to-action based on audience motivation, barriers, and readiness.
Aligns content plans with both audience needs and commercial goals.
Expert
Leads research programmes to identify new audience segments, behaviours, or motivations.
Designs multi-channel content ecosystems that guide audiences from awareness to advocacy.
Influences product, brand, and leadership decisions based on audience insight.
Predicts audience behaviour change and plans content strategies ahead of market shifts.
Content planning and editorial calendars
Contextual
Plans, prioritises, and schedules content in a structured, intentional way, ensuring that content production supports strategic goals, audience needs, seasonal opportunities, and channel realities.
Developing
Works to an editorial calendar, meeting deadlines and format requirements.
Understands how content themes, campaigns, and dates align to broader initiatives.
Prioritises assigned tasks based on planning guidance.
Flags potential scheduling or resource conflicts early.
Practising
Creates content plans based on audience insights, SEO data, and campaign priorities.
Sequences content logically across channels and journey stages.
Balances evergreen and timely content, ensuring long-term value as well as responsiveness.
Coordinates contributors, SMEs, and stakeholders to deliver assets on schedule.
Uses insight, performance data, and forecasting to evolve content plans and resourcing.
Aligns content planning with product roadmaps, seasonal cycles, and organisational priorities.
Ensures planning supports governance, brand consistency, localisation, and lifecycle management.
Content strategy alignment
Contextual
Aligns all content creation with overarching business and marketing strategy.
Developing
Reads and applies strategic guidance, tone rules, brand messaging, and content priorities.
Ensures content does not contradict or duplicate other brand or product initiatives.
Recognises when proposed content does not align with strategic goals and escalates inconsistencies.
Uses approved tools, templates, content types, and brand frameworks.
Practising
Converts high-level strategy into actionable content plans that support user journeys and commercial goals.
Collaborates across teams (brand, product, comms, content design, sales, demand gen) to avoid content duplication and ensure message cohesion.
Identifies misalignments and proposes adjustments to campaigns or messaging.
Uses strategic frameworks to prioritise which content should be created, retired, or improved.
Expert
Influences content strategy by bringing audience, market, and performance insights to leadership.
Ensures long-term marketing programmes align with brand narrative, product positioning, and ecosystem goals.
Leads cross-functional planning sessions to unify campaigns across regions, channels, and customer journeys.
Identifies strategic disconnects and resolves structural issues that impact content quality or coherence.
Plan, govern, and optimise content across organisations to meet business and user needs at scale.
Content modelling
Contextual
Structures content as modular, reusable components using schema, metadata, taxonomies, and structured content models. Ensures content is scalable, future-proof, and channel-agnostic.
Developing
Recognises content types, fields, metadata, and components.
Follows model requirements when creating or editing content.
Flags inconsistencies or missing fields but may not solve them.
Practising
Defines content types, attributes, relationships, and metadata schemas.
Collaborates with designers, engineers, and CMS partners to structure content.
Ensures models support reuse, localisation, personalisation, and governance.
Resolves issues with structure, duplication, and lifecycle.
Expert
Creates multi-level models supporting omnichannel content, automation, and AI.
Leads cross-functional workshops and technical alignment.
Ensures model decisions help teams ship content faster with fewer errors.
Information architecture
Contextual
Organises, structures, and connects content across platforms, channels, and journeys so users can find what they need efficiently and understand where they are within an information environment.
Developing
Uses predefined taxonomies, navigation models, and content structures correctly.
Recognises when information is hard to find, duplicated, or miscategorised.
Identifies gaps or inconsistencies in navigation, labelling, or hierarchy and raises them with senior team members.
Understands that IA is based on user mental models, not internal organisational language.
Practising
Creates or refines navigation, labelling systems, taxonomy rules, and hierarchical structures.
Conducts or interprets IA research methods (e.g. card sorting, tree testing, search log analysis).
Aligns IA decisions with user language, behaviour, and task flows—not organisational assumptions.
Ensures information relationships support cross-channel consistency and reduce content duplication.
Expert
Designs IA frameworks spanning multiple products, services, languages, markets, or business units.
Anticipates the long-term implications of IA decisions on content lifecycle, governance, and scalability.
Reconciles competing stakeholder perspectives and maintains clarity when content ownership spans silos.
Leads research and modelling activities that evolve IA for organisational growth, personalisation, or localisation.
Structured thinking and systems literacy
Contextual
Understands, models, and works within complex systems, seeing content not as isolated artefacts, but as interconnected components with relationships, dependencies, rules, and lifecycle implications.
Developing
Recognises that content decisions affect other touchpoints, teams, or users.
Follows existing structures and workflows instead of creating individual one-off content solutions.
Understands basic concepts like hierarchy, relationships, metadata, or reuse.
Collaborates with engineering, UX, product, data, and AI teams to create shared systems and vocabularies.
Leads adoption of systemic thinking across the organisation, shifting teams from asset-based to architecture-based content approaches.
Content governance
Contextual
Creates and maintains the rules, standards, workflows, and decision-making structures that ensure content is consistent, compliant, and sustainable across teams and channels.
Developing
Follows editorial standards, workflows, and approval processes.
Identifies when content deviates from defined standards.
Escalates governance or ownership issues instead of improvising.
Uses templates and guidelines accurately.
Practising
Defines editorial rules, decision flows, and content responsibilities
Aligns stakeholders on approval paths, ownership, and governance boundaries
Updates governance systems based on content performance or organisational needs
Trains writers, designers, and SMEs to work within governance models
Expert
Establishes cross-organisational content governance frameworks and policies.
Manages governance for complex ecosystems (multi-region, multi-brand, regulated).
Anticipates governance risks and implements scalable solutions.
Ensures governance supports—not restricts—velocity, clarity, and brand coherence.
Content lifecycle management
Contextual
Plans, manages, and maintains content across all stages: creation, publication, maintenance, localisation, archival, and retirement.
Developing
Tags content appropriately for lifecycle tracking.
Flags outdated, duplicated, or conflicting content.
Performs maintenance tasks under supervision.
Understands why content lifecycle management matters: that outdated content erodes trust, wastes resources, and creates governance risk.
Practising
Defines and schedules lifecycle phases (review cycles, expiry, retirement).
Prioritises content updates based on risk, user need, and business value.
Collaborates with SMEs to maintain accuracy and compliance.
Reduces content debt and prevents content sprawl.
Expert
Implements automated lifecycle rules and governance (expiry logic, versioning).
Leads large-scale audits and restructures entire content libraries.
Establishes content ROI models and maintenance cost frameworks.
Ensures lifecycle plans align with enterprise strategy.
Content operations
Contextual
Designs and optimises the processes, tools, workflows, and governance models that enable teams to create, maintain, and deliver content efficiently at scale.
Developing
Uses established workflows, CMS tools, and templates.
Communicates blockers early to maintain workflow integrity.
Understands the purpose of roles and handoffs.
Practising
Designs workflows balancing efficiency, risk, and quality.
Reduces friction in content production (e.g. unclear briefs, review loops).
Creates documentation, SOPs, templates, and repeatable processes.
Coordinates capacity and resource planning for content-heavy programmes.
Expert
Builds operational systems supporting multi-product, multi-region content.
Unblocks systemic inefficiencies and restructures workflows accordingly.
Advises leaders on team structures, resourcing, and operational design.
Embeds measurement and continuous improvement into operations.
Content measurement
Contextual
Defines, tracks, and interprets metrics that evaluate how well content supports user needs and organisational goals across products, journeys, and channels.
Developing
Interprets simple content performance indicators such as views, clicks, task completion rates, or support deflection.
Recognises when metrics signal a content problem (e.g. high abandonment, repeated errors, duplicate visits).
Applies feedback or findings from others to update or improve content.
Understands the difference between vanity metrics and metrics linked to outcomes.
Practising
Identifies KPIs aligned to user journeys and business objectives (e.g. resolution rate, activation, retention, cost-to-serve reduction).
Selects appropriate data sources and tools (analytics platforms, heatmaps, search logs, sentiment analysis, CMS metadata).
Conducts audits, analyses trends, and proposes systemic improvements across content sets—not just pages.
Communicates insights in a way that drives prioritisation and content investment decisions.
Expert
Defines enterprise-wide content KPIs, taxonomies, dashboards, and reporting cadences.
Establishes measurement systems that distinguish between individual performance signals and systemic content issues.
Advocates for investment based on evidence—linking content improvements to revenue, cost savings, or user satisfaction.
Builds consensus among cross-functional teams, subject-matter experts, leaders, and decision-makers (on content direction, priorities, governance, and success criteria).
Developing
Communicates clearly with stakeholders and asks clarifying questions.
Recognises when priorities or requirements conflict and flags issues early.
Supports meetings or workshops by documenting decisions and actions.
Understands that alignment is not consensus, but shared direction.
Runs alignment activities such as workshops, prioritisation sessions, or roadmap discussions.
Negotiates solutions that protect user needs while addressing organisational goals.
Establishes decision-making criteria to avoid repetitive debates.
Expert
Anticipates alignment risks before projects begin and designs structures to prevent them.
Influences leaders and cross-functional groups to adopt shared principles and governance models.
Brokers decisions between departments with competing agendas (e.g. marketing vs. product vs. compliance).
Aligns teams globally or across markets while maintaining a unified content ecosystem.
Channel and ecosystem strategy
Contextual
Defines the role, purpose, and behavioural rules of content across channels (web, app, email, service comms, search, social, docs, etc.) and ensure coherence across the ecosystem.
Developing
Recognises differences between channels (e.g. website vs. email vs. support docs).
Follows established guidance on what type of content belongs in which channel.
Flags inconsistencies or duplicated content across channels.
Understands that users may arrive from multiple entry points.
Practising
Determines which content belongs in which channel and why.
Maps user journeys across channels and identifies where content supports tasks, decisions, or emotional needs.
Ensures channels reinforce (and don't contradict) each other through consistent purpose, tone, and governance.
Documents rules for channel usage, ownership, handovers, and lifecycle implications.
Expert
Defines how channels relate, sequence, and hand off to each other across products, markets, and services.
Aligns content across marketing, product, service, and support spheres to prevent silos and narrative fragmentation.
Anticipates new channels, deprecates obsolete ones, and ensures the ecosystem evolves responsibly.
Establishes ecosystem governance that integrates tone, metadata, localisation, accessibility, and lifecycle management.
Content requirements and mapping
Contextual
Identifies what content is needed, where, why, and how it supports user journeys, product flows, and business goals.
Developing
Recognises missing, duplicated, or unclear content in journeys.
Understands content needs provided in briefs or research findings.
Follows established content requirement documentation formats and templates.
Asks clarifying questions when content purpose, audience, or requirements are unclear.
Practising
Maps content to user journeys, product flows, and service touchpoints.
Designs email sequences with intentional progression—each email building on previous messages and moving toward conversion.
• Writes subject lines, preview text, and body copy optimised for email-specific reading behaviours.
• Segments messaging based on subscriber behaviour, engagement level, or journey stage.
• Tests sequence elements (timing, frequency, message order, content focus) and optimises based on results.
Expert
Creates email sequence frameworks and templates that teams can deploy across campaigns and segments.
• Designs sophisticated branching sequences that adapt based on subscriber behaviour and signals.
• Integrates email sequences with broader marketing automation and personalisation strategies.
• Coaches teams on email sequence strategy, balancing conversion pressure with subscriber experience and deliverability.
Form and checkout optimisation
Contextual
Designs and writes form and checkout experiences that minimise friction, reduce cognitive load, and reinforce user confidence.
Developing
Writes clear field labels, helper text, and error messages.
Removes unnecessary words and avoids confusing terminology.
Ensures forms or checkout steps include a clear primary action.
Recognises when requests for information feel excessive or poorly explained.
Practising
Identifies and removes fields or steps that add unnecessary effort or anxiety.
Adds reassurance messaging near high-friction elements (e.g. payment fields, personal data requests).
Writes microcopy that sets expectations (e.g. Takes 60 seconds, Cancel anytime, No credit card required).
Tests variations in field order, CTA wording, error handling, and progress indicators.
Aligns transactional messaging with audience motivations and risk perceptions.
Expert
Builds frameworks for form logic, progressive profiling, and data minimisation based on user readiness.
Integrates copy, incentives, and expectation management into the checkout architecture.
Anticipates trust, compliance, accessibility, and localisation issues and resolves them proactively.
Designs messaging for contingencies and recovery (e.g. abandoned checkout follow-ups).
Partners with product, UX, and revenue teams to ensure the business collects necessary data without harming conversion.
Funnel /journey messaging
Contextual
Crafts and orchestrates messaging across all stages of the customer journey (awareness, evaluation, decision, and post-purchase) so that each touchpoint strengthens belief, reduces friction, and advances users toward a desired action.
Developing
Differentiates between top-, mid-, and bottom-of-funnel messaging.
Avoids premature selling or overly complex messaging for early-stage audiences.
Includes appropriate CTAs based on intent and readiness.
Ensures tone and claims match user awareness (problem-aware vs. solution-aware).
Practising
Writes messaging sequences that logically advance user belief through the funnel.
Aligns landing pages, emails, ads, and nurture flows so they reinforce each other.
Anticipates objections and information needs at each journey stage.
Uses behavioural and performance data to refine narrative progression.
Expert
Creates modular message systems that scale across personas, products, markets, and acquisition channels.
Predicts journey detours, drop-off points, and emotional shifts—and resolves them proactively through messaging.
Defines how offers evolve across time (intro → core → expansion) to maximise lifetime value.
Aligns journey messaging with CRM, personalisation, sales enablement, and retention programmes.
Landing page optimisation
Contextual
Structures, writes, and refines landing pages so they convert visitors by aligning message hierarchy, user motivation, proof, and action triggers
Developing
Writes or edits landing page sections based on an existing structure.
Uses a single CTA and avoids mixed objectives that distract visitors.
Applies clear headlines, concise copy, and scannable sections.
Recognises the importance of matching landing page messaging to the originating traffic source.
Tailors messaging to awareness stage, traffic source, and user intent.
Applies behavioural triggers such as urgency, reassurance, specificity, and risk reversal.
Tests headlines, CTAs, layout order, and proof elements to improve conversion.
Collaborates with design, product, and marketing to ensure alignment of copy, visual hierarchy, and interaction.
Expert
Engineers multi-variant landing page architectures aligned to personas, acquisition channels, and offer types.
Predicts conversion bottlenecks and resolves them at structural level before testing.
Develops page templates, messaging frameworks, and testing roadmaps for repeatable optimisation.
Integrates landing pages into broader funnel ecosystems, lifecycle messaging, and experimentation systems.
Microcopy for conversion moments
Contextual
Writes concise, context-aware microcopy that guides users through critical decision points, reduces uncertainty, and reinforces motivation at moments of action
Developing
Produces short, actionable text such as button labels, form instructions, or tooltip explanations.
Avoids ambiguity and jargon; prioritises clarity over cleverness.
Recognises when microcopy is missing or confusing.
Supports consistency in tone and terminology.
Practising
Writes context-specific microcopy that addresses anxieties (e.g. privacy reassurance near email fields, cost clarity near pricing).
Produces microcopy that reinforces value and timing (e.g. Get it today, Start free, Takes 2 minutes).
Designs copy patterns informed by behavioural triggers like loss aversion, effort perception, and trust signals.
Tests variations for impact on micro-conversion points (e.g. clicks, form completion, step progression).
Expert
Builds microcopy libraries and standards that scale across journeys, channels, or products.
Anticipates psychological friction (fear, doubt, effort, mistrust) and designs microcopy to neutralise it proactively.
Integrates microcopy with UX patterns, product flows, personalisation, and experimentation programmes.
Coaches teams in the strategic function of microcopy beyond wording—its role in confidence, clarity, and conversion efficiency.
Objection handling and sequencing
Contextual
uncover audience objections, anxieties, and hesitations and address them in the right order, at the right moment, using persuasive proof, clarity, and reassurance.
Developing
Identifies common user objections (e.g. price, credibility, complexity, time).
Adds clarifying statements, FAQs, or proof elements when asked.
Understands that objections exist and must be resolved before conversion.
Avoids ignoring objections or countering them with empty claims.
Practising
Conducts or interprets voice-of-customer research, reviews, support logs, or interviews to identify objections.
Distinguishes between primary objections (deal-breakers) and secondary ones (hesitations).
Places objection resolution strategically in the user journey, rather than clustering responses at the end.
Uses evidence—such as social proof, guarantees, comparisons, or specificity—to counter objections.
Expert
Maps objection taxonomies by awareness stage, persona, or behavioural context.
Predicts hidden objections that audiences may not verbalise but still act on.
Creates frameworks and templates that guide teams on objection placement, escalation, and neutralisation.
Moves objection handling from reactive (fixing problems) to proactive (removing obstacles before they occur).
Voice of customer mining
Contextual
Identifies, extracts, and interprets customer language, motivations, objections, emotions, and decision triggers from real sources of user feedback, then translates those insights into persuasive messaging.
Developing
Incorporates customer phrases, questions, and pain points into copy when instructed.
Understands the difference between brand language and user language.
Recognises when messaging does not reflect customer reality.
Avoids making assumptions without evidence.
Practising
Mines customer reviews, support tickets, testimonials, chat transcripts, surveys, competitor reviews, and social platforms for patterns.
Identifies recurring desires, anxieties, myths, unmet needs, and reasons for switching or hesitating.
Distils qualitative data into messaging opportunities, objection lists, and value drivers.
Prioritises which insights to use based on awareness stage and conversion potential.
Differentiates what customers say from what they mean.
Expert
Builds scalable VoC mining methodologies, taxonomies, and repositories.
Integrates VoC insight into offer architecture, funnel sequencing, proposition design, and experimentation plans.
Identifies latent desires or future-state motivations that open new market, positioning, or pricing opportunities.
Coaches teams on how to interpret and use VoC without bias.
A/B and multivariate testing
Contextual
Designs, executes, and interprets copy tests that isolate variables and produce statistically meaningful results. This includes understanding sample sizes, statistical significance, and how to structure hypotheses that lead to actionable insights.
Developing
Writes test variants as directed (e.g. headlines, CTAs, hooks, email subject lines).
Understands the difference between A/B testing (single-variable) and multivariate testing (multiple-variable combinations).
Adjusts copy based on test outcomes when briefed.
Recognises that performance differences must be measured, not assumed.
Practising
Identifies what variables to test and formulates clear hypotheses.
Chooses appropriate KPIs and sample sizes to ensure reliable results.
Interprets test data and translates findings into actionable recommendations.
Iterates content systematically rather than randomly experimenting.
Expert
Designs experimentation roadmaps aligned with marketing and business goals.
Determines when A/B testing, multivariate testing, or alternative methods (e.g. holdout tests, sequential testing) are appropriate.
Coaches teams on testing literacy and prevents biased or misinterpreted results.
Uses testing insights to influence channel strategy, brand messaging, and product decisions.
Call-to-action optimisation
Contextual
Writes, positions, and tests calls to action that drive measurable user behaviour. This includes understanding how button copy, placement, colour, and surrounding context influence click-through and conversion rates.
Developing
Uses direct, action-oriented language (e.g. Download, Get Started).
Includes CTAs where appropriate rather than leaving content without a clear next step.
Matches CTAs to message intent (e.g. learn vs. buy vs. explore).
Avoids vague or generic CTAs when given alternatives.
Practising
Tailors CTAs to user motivation, awareness level, and perceived effort.
Tests variants in language, placement, hierarchy, and value framing (e.g. See pricing vs. Compare plans).
Reduces friction by addressing anxieties or perceived risk near the CTA.
Uses microcopy around CTAs (e.g. reassurance, proof, urgency) to increase action likelihood.
Aligns CTAs across channels to support funnel progression.
Expert
Establishes CTA taxonomies, patterns, and frameworks that align with brand, product, and funnel stages.
Predicts behavioural blockers and solves them before testing reveals the issue.
Uses advanced tactics like value sequencing, multi-CTA structures, and contextual triggers.
Coaches teams on CTA psychology, risk perception, and placement strategy.
Integrates CTA strategy with personalisation, segmentation, lifecycle messaging, and experimentation frameworks.
Heat map and session analysis
Contextual
Interprets user interaction data such as heatmaps, scroll maps, click tracking, and session recordings to understand real behaviour, diagnose friction points, and inform copy decisions
Developing
Recognises what heatmaps and session recordings reveal (attention patterns, engagement, confusion points).
Identifies when users scroll past key messages, abandon forms, or ignore CTAs.
Updates copy based on documented behavioural feedback from more senior team members.
Avoids making assertions without supporting data.
Practising
Reviews heatmaps, scroll maps, and session recordings independently to identify friction, confusion, or opportunity.
Identifies patterns such as hesitation zones, CTA blindness, or messaging gaps.
Prioritises copy changes based on observed user behaviour rather than internal opinions.
Communicates insights clearly to designers, product teams, or stakeholders.
Expert
Defines when and why heatmaps and session recordings should be captured and what success signals to monitor.
Identifies deeper behaviour drivers (hesitation, confusion, mistrust) and solves them systematically through messaging, structure, and UX alignment.
Integrates behavioural analysis into testing roadmaps, prioritisation models, and stakeholder decision-making.
Coaches teams on interpreting behavioural signals and avoiding false positives or vanity metrics.
Offer architecture and value framing
Contextual
Structures, articulates, and positions offers so prospects perceive the value as significantly outweighing the cost, effort, or risk involved.
Developing
Communicates what the offer is and what it includes without ambiguity.
Differentiates between features and benefits with guidance.
Avoids misalignment between offer messaging and audience needs.
Uses price or value points as provided, without reframing.
Practising
Uses messaging techniques such as contrast, anchoring, social proof, bonuses, guarantees, and scarcity to strengthen perceived value.
Positions the offer relative to alternatives (competitors, status quo, DIY approaches).
Aligns offer narrative with audience awareness, motivations, objections, and readiness.
Communicates price contextually (e.g. cost vs. outcome, risk vs. reward, investment vs. expense).
Creates tiered or choice architectures that guide users toward the desired option.
Expert
Engineers multi-layered offers, bundles, pricing narratives, or experiential value ladders.
Anticipates psychological drivers and competitive context to position the offer as the most rational choice.
Shapes how offers evolve across the customer journey (intro → core → expansion → retention).
Integrates offer messaging with retention, upsell, and cross-sell strategies.
Builds frameworks that non-experts can implement without diluting value framing.
Create content optimised for search visibility while maintaining quality and reader value.
Content strategy for search
Threshold
Plans and develops content around topic clusters, pillar pages, and content gaps to build topical authority and capture search demand systematically across the customer journey.
Developing
Understands the concept of topic clusters and pillar content
• Identifies content gaps through basic competitor analysis
• Maps content to different stages of the customer journey
• Contributes to content planning discussions with SEO perspective
• Documents content opportunities and recommendations
Practising
Develops comprehensive topic cluster strategies with pillar and supporting content
• Conducts systematic content gap analysis against competitors and search demand
• Creates content roadmaps that build topical authority progressively
• Balances new content creation with optimisation of existing assets
• Integrates search strategy with broader content marketing objectives
Expert
Shapes enterprise content strategy for search across multiple markets
• Develops proprietary frameworks for building topical authority at scale
• Anticipates content trends and search demand shifts
• Integrates content strategy with product, brand, and business strategy
• Mentors others in strategic content planning for search
Creating linkable content
Threshold
Develops content specifically designed to attract backlinks through original research, data, tools, comprehensive resources, or other link-worthy assets that provide genuine value to other publishers and audiences.
Developing
Understands what makes content link-worthy (originality, utility, comprehensiveness)
• Identifies opportunities to create linkable assets within content briefs
• Researches what content attracts links in target sectors
• Incorporates data, research, or unique angles that increase link potential
• Supports link-building efforts with appropriate content
Practising
Develops content strategies specifically designed to attract links
• Creates original research, data studies, and tools that generate links naturally
• Collaborates with PR and outreach teams on link-building campaigns
• Analyses competitor link profiles to identify content opportunities
• Balances link potential with other content objectives
Expert
Shapes organisational strategy for link-worthy content at scale
• Develops innovative formats and approaches for attracting links
• Integrates link-building content with broader content and SEO strategy
• Builds relationships with publishers and journalists for link opportunities
• Mentors others in creating link-worthy content
On-page optimisation
Threshold
Applies SEO best practices to content elements including meta titles, meta descriptions, header structures, internal linking, image optimisation, and content structure to maximise search visibility while maintaining quality user experience.
Developing
Writes effective meta titles and descriptions within character limits
• Structures content with appropriate header hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
• Incorporates target keywords naturally into content
• Adds alt text to images and optimises file names
• Follows on-page SEO checklists and guidelines consistently
Practising
Optimises content holistically for both search engines and user experience
• Creates internal linking strategies that support site architecture and topic authority
• Implements schema markup and structured data where appropriate
• Balances keyword optimisation with readability and engagement
• Identifies and resolves on-page issues affecting existing content
Expert
Develops on-page optimisation standards and guidelines for organisations
• Anticipates search engine algorithm changes and adapts strategies proactively
• Creates scalable on-page optimisation processes for large content volumes
• Integrates on-page SEO with technical SEO and content strategy
• Advises on site architecture and information hierarchy for SEO
Algorithm awareness and adaptation
Threshold
Stays current with search engine algorithm changes, understands their implications for content and SEO strategy, and adapts approaches to maintain and improve search performance.
Developing
Follows SEO news sources and algorithm update announcements
• Understands major ranking factors and how they affect content
• Recognises when algorithm changes may have impacted performance
• Asks questions and seeks guidance on algorithm implications
• Applies updated best practices as directed
Practising
Analyses algorithm updates to understand implications for content strategy
• Identifies content at risk from algorithm changes and prioritises updates
• Adapts SEO strategies proactively based on algorithm direction
• Communicates algorithm implications to stakeholders clearly
• Tests and validates assumptions about algorithm changes
Expert
Anticipates algorithm direction based on search engine communications and industry analysis
• Develops organisational strategies for algorithm resilience
• Shapes content and SEO practices to align with long-term algorithm trajectory
• Advises senior stakeholders on algorithm risk and opportunity
• Contributes to industry understanding of algorithm changes
Evidence of success
Contextual
Demonstrates that SEO copy delivers measurable results. This includes tracking performance, interpreting relevant metrics, and showing how content changes influenced rankings, visibility, engagement, or conversions.
Developing
Tracks simple performance indicators such as rankings, impressions, and CTR for pages they’ve worked on.
Identifies whether performance improved or declined after updates.
Explains which optimisation actions they took (e.g. improved title, added keywords, updated structure) and why.
Reports results using pre-existing templates or dashboards rather than creating their own.
Saves before-and-after screenshots of SERP positions or CTR.
Creates frameworks, dashboards, or guidance others can use to measure SEO copy performance.
Communicates insights to stakeholders in a way that influences priorities, investment, or roadmap decisions.
Keyword research and search intent
Threshold
Identifies relevant keywords and phrases that target audiences use to find content, understanding the intent behind queries (informational, navigational, transactional, commercial) to inform content strategy and optimisation.
Developing
Conducts basic keyword research using standard tools (Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest)
• Identifies primary and secondary keywords for content briefs
• Recognises the difference between informational and transactional intent
• Documents keyword targets and search volumes for projects
• Follows established keyword research processes and templates
Practising
Conducts comprehensive keyword research across topic clusters and content ecosystems
• Analyses search intent nuances to guide content format and depth decisions
• Identifies keyword gaps and opportunities competitors are missing
• Balances search volume with competition and conversion potential
• Creates keyword strategies that support broader SEO and content goals
Expert
Develops enterprise-level keyword strategies spanning multiple markets and languages
• Anticipates search behaviour shifts and emerging query patterns
• Integrates keyword strategy with broader marketing and business objectives
• Creates proprietary keyword research frameworks and methodologies
• Advises senior stakeholders on search opportunity and competitive positioning
SERP analysis and competitive insight
Threshold
Analyses search engine results pages to understand ranking factors, competitor strategies, and opportunities, including featured snippets, People Also Ask, and other SERP features.
Developing
Reviews SERPs for target keywords to understand competitive landscape
• Identifies which SERP features appear for target queries
• Notes competitor content types, formats, and approaches
• Documents SERP analysis findings to inform content briefs
• Uses basic tools to track ranking positions and changes
Practising
Conducts systematic SERP analysis across keyword portfolios
• Identifies patterns in ranking content to inform optimisation strategies
• Develops strategies to capture featured snippets and SERP features
• Analyses competitor SEO strategies and identifies weaknesses
• Tracks SERP volatility and algorithm impact on rankings
Expert
Develops advanced SERP analysis methodologies and competitive intelligence frameworks
• Anticipates SERP feature changes and algorithm updates
• Integrates SERP analysis with broader market and competitive intelligence
• Advises on strategic positioning relative to competitors in search
• Shapes organisational approach to competitive SEO
SEO data analysis
Threshold
Analyses SEO performance data to identify trends, diagnose issues, measure impact, and inform strategy, translating data into actionable insights and recommendations.
Developing
Interprets basic SEO metrics (rankings, traffic, impressions, clicks, CTR)
• Identifies trends and patterns in performance data
• Creates simple reports on SEO performance for stakeholders
• Asks relevant questions about data anomalies
• Uses data to support content recommendations
Practising
Conducts comprehensive SEO analysis across traffic, rankings, and conversions
• Diagnoses performance issues and identifies root causes
• Develops custom metrics and KPIs for specific business contexts
• Presents data insights compellingly to diverse stakeholders
• Uses statistical approaches to validate findings and measure significance
Expert
Shapes organisational approach to SEO measurement and analytics
• Develops advanced attribution and forecasting models for SEO
• Integrates SEO analytics with broader business intelligence
• Advises senior leadership on SEO performance and opportunity
• Contributes to industry thinking on SEO measurement
SEO tools proficiency
Threshold
Demonstrates proficiency with SEO tools and platforms including keyword research tools, rank tracking, site auditing, analytics, and search console, using them effectively to inform strategy and measure performance.
Developing
Uses core SEO tools competently (Google Search Console, Google Analytics, keyword tools)
• Extracts relevant data to inform content decisions
• Follows established processes for tool-based research and reporting
• Learns new tools as required for role
• Documents findings from tool analysis clearly
Practising
Masters advanced features across multiple SEO platforms (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, etc.)
• Creates custom reports and dashboards for stakeholders
• Integrates data from multiple tools for comprehensive analysis
• Evaluates new tools and makes recommendations for adoption
• Trains colleagues on effective tool usage
Expert
Shapes organisational SEO tool stack and investment decisions
• Develops proprietary workflows and methodologies using SEO tools
• Builds relationships with tool vendors for early access and influence
• Integrates SEO tools with broader marketing technology stack
• Creates training programmes for SEO tool proficiency
Technical SEO knowledge
Contextual
Understands technical SEO factors that affect content performance including site speed, mobile optimisation, crawlability, indexation, and structured data, enabling effective collaboration with technical teams.
Developing
Understands core technical SEO concepts (crawling, indexing, site speed, mobile-first)
• Identifies basic technical issues that may affect content performance
• Communicates effectively with technical SEO specialists
• Follows technical guidelines when creating and formatting content
• Uses basic tools to check technical SEO status of pages
Practising
Diagnoses technical SEO issues affecting content performance
• Implements structured data and schema markup for content
• Optimises content for Core Web Vitals and page experience signals
• Prioritises technical fixes based on impact on content visibility
• Bridges communication between content and technical teams
Expert
Shapes technical SEO strategy in collaboration with engineering teams
• Develops technical SEO standards and guidelines for content teams
• Anticipates technical SEO changes and prepares organisation
• Integrates technical SEO with content architecture and strategy
• Advises on platform and CMS decisions affecting SEO
Craft user interface copy that guides people through digital products with clarity and purpose.
Accessibility and inclusive design
Contextual
Writes content that works for users with disabilities and diverse needs, applying plain language principles, considering assistive technologies, and ensuring content meets accessibility standards.
Developing
Understands core accessibility principles and WCAG guidelines for content
• Writes clear, simple content that reduces cognitive load
• Creates effective alt text and image descriptions
• Considers screen reader experience when writing UI content
• Follows established accessibility guidelines and checklists
Practising
Applies accessibility principles consistently across all content work
• Identifies and resolves accessibility issues in existing content
• Advocates for accessibility in design and product discussions
• Develops accessibility guidelines and resources for content teams
• Tests content with assistive technologies
Expert
Shapes accessibility strategy for content across the organisation
• Develops accessibility standards and governance frameworks
• Mentors others in accessible content practices
• Influences industry thinking on content accessibility
• Builds organisational capability for inclusive content design
Interaction writing and microcopy craft
Threshold
Masters the craft of writing effective microcopy for interactions.
Developing
Writes or edits UI text such as buttons, labels, and helper text using existing tone, patterns, and terminology.
Avoids ambiguity by using clear verbs and direct instructions when guided (e.g. "Upload photo" vs. "Submit").
Identifies confusing or overly complex text in flows and asks for feedback before making changes.
Maintains consistency with existing interaction patterns and naming conventions.
Practising
Creates microcopy that anticipates user questions, clarifies steps, and helps users recover from errors or uncertainty.
Designs content variations to reflect different states (e.g. default, loading, error, success, disabled).
Uses research insights to inform tone, terminology, and messaging hierarchy across journeys.
Balances brevity with clarity, ensuring critical information is visible, accessible, and actionable.
Expert
Defines or evolves microcopy patterns, decision logic, or language frameworks used across features or teams.
Resolves complex interaction challenges (e.g. high-risk steps, consent messaging, failure states) and ensures clarity and trust at critical moments.
Coaches teams in crafting concise, user-focused microcopy and avoiding cognitive overload, bias, or emotional harm.
Aligns interaction copy across channels and journeys, ensuring linguistic and behavioural consistency at scale.
Localisation and internationalisation
Contextual
Writes content that works across languages and cultures, considering string length, cultural context, and translation requirements, and collaborating effectively with localisation teams.
Developing
Understands basic localisation principles (string length, cultural sensitivity, translatability)
• Writes content that avoids idioms and culturally specific references
• Follows established guidelines for internationalisable content
• Collaborates with localisation teams on translation queries
• Documents context to support accurate translation
Practising
Writes content optimised for localisation from the start
• Develops guidelines for internationalisable content
• Identifies and resolves localisation issues proactively
• Builds effective relationships with localisation teams and vendors
Shapes localisation strategy for content across the organisation
• Develops frameworks for scalable, high-quality localised content
• Influences product decisions based on internationalisation expertise
• Mentors others in writing for global audiences
• Builds organisational capability for international content
Content testing and validation
Threshold
Tests language with real or representative users, interpret behavioural evidence, and refine content based on findings.
Developing
Understands why content must be tested and how testing informs product decisions.
Observes moderated or unmoderated usability sessions and notes reactions to language.
Updates copy based on clear, consistent feedback from research teams or stakeholders.
Recognises when copy contributes to confusion, hesitation, or error.
Practising
Identifies what aspects of content need testing (tone, comprehension, labeling, hierarchy, naming, CTA clarity).
Chooses suitable methods such as A/B tests, preference tests, comprehension checks, or prototype-based usability testing.
Synthesises findings into actionable recommendations, prioritising impact on user behaviour.
Iterates content based on evidence rather than stakeholder opinion.
Expert
Designs frameworks for recurring content validation across journeys, not just one-off tests.
Advocates for testing-driven decisions when teams rely on assumptions or personal preferences.
Interprets complex or ambiguous findings and connects them to broader UX or product strategy.
Coaches designers, PMs, and writers on how to test content rigorously and responsibly.
Evidence of success
Contextual
Demonstrates how UX writing contributes to user comprehension, task completion, reduced friction, and improved experience. This includes tracking qualitative and quantitative indicators, interpreting feedback, and showing how content decisions lead to better outcomes for users and the organisation.
Developing
Identifies which aspects of content affect user success (e.g. clarity, tone, terminology, error messages).
Reviews basic user feedback or test results and updates copy accordingly.
Tracks simple indicators such as reduced user confusion, fewer clarification questions, or improved task steps.
Describes content changes made and explains why they improved usability when prompted.
Practising
Defines clear content success criteria aligned with user goals (e.g. fewer drop-offs, faster task completion, improved comprehension)
Reviews analytics, usability testing outcomes, or feedback patterns to evaluate content effectiveness.
Produces before-and-after comparisons showing how content changes improved the user journey.
Prioritises content work based on evidence rather than personal preference or stakeholder opinion.
Expert
Establishes or refines measurement practices for UX writing (e.g. language comprehension tests, content KPIs, content acceptance criteria).
Identifies systemic problems revealed by data (e.g. unclear patterns, repeated terminology issues) and leads content-level solutions.
Communicates insights that influence product decisions, roadmap priorities, or service-wide content patterns.
Coaches teams in using evidence to guide content discussions and reduce subjective decision-making.
Information architecture
Contextual
Uses IA principles to create intuitive journeys, reduce cognitive load, and ensure that language, navigation, and interaction patterns work together to support user goals.
Developing
Organises content in a logical order aligned with existing flows or patterns.
Uses correct headings, labels, and navigation terms provided by others.
Recognises when information feels misplaced, duplicated, or confusing, and raises this with more senior colleagues.
Works within established content hierarchies and does not invent new patterns without support.
Practising
Maps user journeys and content flows to determine where information should live and how users move through tasks.
Creates or updates labels, menus, taxonomies, and microcontent to support clear decision-making.
Identifies IA issues (e.g. competing pathways, unclear terminology, unnecessary steps) and proposes evidence-based improvements.
Collaborates with designers and researchers to validate IA through usability testing or content comprehension checks.
Expert
Defines or evolves shared naming conventions, content hierarchies, and interaction patterns that multiple teams can use.
Resolves structural and language conflicts across journeys or systems, balancing user needs with organisational constraints.
Anticipates how content decisions impact service-wide navigation, comprehension, scalability, and future change.
Coaches designers, writers, and stakeholders in IA concepts, ensuring decisions are user-centred and grounded in evidence.
User research
Threshold
Uses qualitative and quantitative data to understand user behaviours and test comprehension.
Developing
Attends usability tests, interviews, or research sessions and records content-related observations (e.g. where users hesitate, misunderstand, or misinterpret terminology).
Uses vocabulary, tone, and phrasing recommended by research findings rather than personal preference.
Incorporates feedback from research into content revisions when directed.
Identifies obvious friction points in copy (e.g. unclear labels, ambiguous instructions) and asks for guidance before making changes.
Practising
Reviews research findings, analytics, or comprehension testing results and proposes content changes based on evidence.
Frames hypotheses (e.g. “Users might not understand X because…”) and tests alternative wordings through iteration.
Identifies patterns in user language and ensures terminology aligns with how users describe tasks and concepts.
Designs lightweight content tests (e.g. A/B copy variants, comprehension checks) and interprets findings to improve clarity
Expert
Identifies gaps in user understanding or terminology that require research and advocates for studies to address them.
Synthesises insights from multiple research sources (analytics, behavioural data, interviews) to shape system-wide language patterns.
Coaches others in interpreting research findings relevant to content, helping them differentiate personal opinion from evidence.
Anticipates user comprehension issues before they appear in testing and adjusts content or patterns proactively.
Content patterns and component libraries
Threshold
Develops and maintains reusable UX content patterns, standard UI text components, and content documentation that ensures consistency and enables scalable content across products.
Developing
Understands the purpose and structure of content pattern libraries
• Applies existing patterns consistently in own work
• Identifies when new patterns might be needed
• Documents content decisions for future reference
• Contributes suggestions for pattern improvements
Practising
Creates and maintains content patterns for products or features
• Develops pattern documentation that others can apply independently
• Builds content into design system components effectively
• Balances standardisation with flexibility for different contexts
• Trains others on using and contributing to content patterns
Expert
Shapes content pattern strategy across products or organisation
• Develops governance frameworks for pattern libraries
• Creates scalable systems that maintain quality at volume
• Mentors others in pattern thinking and development
• Influences design system strategy through content expertise
Ethical awareness
Threshold
Recognises how language can shape perception, influence behaviour, and impact user wellbeing. Ensures UX content supports informed decision-making without manipulation, exclusion, or harm. UX writers apply ethical judgement when designing interactions, selecting terminology, and framing choices, especially where users may be vulnerable, confused, or constrained.
Developing
Identifies when content could mislead, pressure, or disadvantage users and raises concerns with senior teammates.
Avoids dark patterns (e.g. hidden choices, guilt-tripping microcopy) when provided with examples or direction.
Uses respectful, neutral language and checks tone for unintended emotional impact.
Applies accessibility and inclusivity guidance when instructed.
Practising
Identifies and corrects manipulative patterns, biased language, or exclusionary terminology without being prompted.
Evaluates the ethical impact of design decisions on different user groups, including marginalised or vulnerable users.
Frames content to present balanced options, avoiding nudges that unfairly steer user behaviour.
Provides rationale when recommending ethically safer alternatives (e.g. clearer opt-outs, consent messaging, or privacy explanations).
Expert
Establishes ethical content standards, patterns, or principles—especially around consent, sensitive scenarios, or user vulnerability.
Challenges organisational or stakeholder decisions that risk user harm, reputational damage, or regulatory non-compliance.
Anticipates problematic outcomes (e.g. misuse of behavioural nudges, emotional manipulation, consent fatigue) and designs safeguards.
Coaches teams on ethical writing practices and builds awareness of linguistic, cognitive, cultural, and emotional impacts.
Governance, ethics and AI oversight
Threshold
Uses AI-assisted tools responsibly and ethically, ensuring that generated content is accurate, inclusive, accessible, safe, and aligned with organisational standards.
Developing
Generates draft content only using approved AI tools and follows team guidance or policies.
Reviews AI output and corrects surface-level problems such as tone mismatches, unclear phrasing, or factual errors.
Flags AI-generated content that feels biased, exclusionary, or potentially confusing.
Understands that AI produces suggestions, rather than decisions.
Practising
Crafts prompts that produce relevant, usable outputs while maintaining brand voice and UX intent.
Identifies and corrects issues related to bias, harmful language, accessibility barriers, or unsafe emotional framing.
Documents rationale for decisions and ensures AI-generated copy remains traceable to human oversight.
Educates stakeholders on when AI-assisted content is appropriate, and when a human-first approach is required.
Before-and-after examples demonstrating refinement of AI-generated content
Expert
Defines or contributes to governance rules, editorial standards, and review checkpoints for AI-assisted content.
Anticipates systemic risks such as hallucination, discriminatory outcomes, misinterpretation, or erosion of user trust,and builds safeguards into processes.
Coaches cross-functional teams in ethical AI usage, including prompt patterns, review practices, and escalation thresholds.
Evaluates tooling and workflows and advises on the suitability of AI features for UX content creation.
Systems thinking
Threshold
Thinks beyond individual screens or messages, ensuring that language, patterns, and content models form a coherent, reusable, and maintainable system rather than a collection of disconnected artefacts.
Developing
Uses established content patterns, voice and tone rules, and naming conventions consistently.
Identifies when content does not align with current patterns and seeks clarification before making changes.
Understands that content choices affect other parts of the system and avoids creating one-off solutions unnecessarily.
Documents changes made to copy so they remain traceable and reusable.
Practising
Identifies inconsistencies, redundancies, or inefficiencies in content systems and proposes improvements.
Creates or adapts patterns, templates, or naming conventions that support repeatable, scalable UX writing.
Understands dependencies between content, design components, user flows, and organisational processes, and adjusts copy accordingly.
Ensures new solutions are reusable and align with broader system intent, not just the needs of one feature.
Creates content patterns or templates that other team members adopt
Expert
Defines or governs shared content frameworks, taxonomy, and naming systems adopted across teams or products.
Identifies systemic language problems (e.g. duplicated terms, inconsistent patterns, siloed decisions) and leads initiatives to resolve them.
Collaborates with design ops, product, and engineering teams to embed content processes into wider organisational workflows.
Coaches others in systems thinking, helping teams make content decisions that are durable, consistent, and scalable.
Collaboration and cross-functional working
Threshold
Works effectively with designers, developers, product managers, researchers, and other disciplines, influencing decisions, giving and receiving feedback, and contributing to team success.
Developing
Builds productive working relationships with immediate team members
• Participates constructively in cross-functional meetings and reviews
• Gives and receives feedback on content openly and professionally
• Communicates content decisions and rationale clearly
• Adapts communication style for different audiences
Practising
Influences product and design decisions through effective collaboration
• Navigates disagreements constructively and finds workable solutions
• Builds strong relationships across multiple teams and disciplines
• Facilitates content discussions and workshops with cross-functional groups
• Advocates for content effectively without authority
Expert
Shapes how content collaborates with other disciplines organisationally
• Develops frameworks for cross-functional content engagement
• Resolves complex cross-team challenges and conflicts
• Mentors others in collaboration and influencing skills
• Builds bridges between content and other disciplines at leadership level
Design process awareness
Threshold
Participates effectively in the product design lifecycle, including discovery, ideation, prototyping, testing, iteration, and delivery. UX writers use this awareness to contribute content at the right time, anticipate dependencies, align language with design intent, and ensure copy evolves alongside product decisions
Developing
Identifies where UX writing fits within key stages such as research, design, testing, and release.
Provides copy when asked, based on existing frameworks, and responds to feedback within expected timelines.
Joins relevant design ceremonies (e.g. stand-ups, critiques, reviews) and understands their purpose.
Recognises when decisions affecting content are being made and seeks clarification rather than working in isolation.
Practising
Anticipates content needs for upcoming sprints or phases and provides early input into flows, patterns, and user journeys.
Collaborates with designers and product managers to refine problem statements, user outcomes, and acceptance criteria.
Iterates copy through prototyping and testing cycles, using feedback to refine language and intent.
Communicates content implications of design changes (e.g. localisation, character limits, tone shifts) before they become blockers.
Creates roadmaps or content plans aligned to sprint cycles
Expert
Advocates for content-first or content-parity approaches and ensures content is included in discovery, planning, and testing stages.
Identifies process gaps that hinder content quality (e.g. late-stage content requests) and introduces improvements adopted by teams.
Guides stakeholders to consider language implications early, reducing rework and aligning decisions to user needs.
Mentors others in navigating design processes and helps cross-functional teams understand the value of UX writing throughout the lifecycle.
Improves processes to reduce content bottlenecks
Design tool fluency
Threshold
Works in Figma, Sketch or similar to prototype and test content within live designs.
Developing
Navigates shared design files (e.g. Figma, Sketch, XD) to locate copy and make edits or suggestions.
Uses basic features such as comments, annotations, or text layers without disrupting design structures.
Follows naming conventions and file-management rules set by the team.
Understands that content sits within a system of components and does not modify layout elements without guidance.
Practising
Edits copy directly in design environments and ensures changes reflect interaction patterns, responsive states, and component constraints.
Creates or updates content variants in component libraries and ensures consistency across instances.
Uses prototyping, preview, or flow features to test language within real user journeys.
Works alongside designers to explore options quickly, using the tool to compare alternatives and support decision-making.
Expert
Defines conventions for content layers, naming, and annotations within design tools to improve team efficiency.
Coaches colleagues in best practices for content integration, ensuring content decisions are reflected accurately in the design system.
Works with design ops, product, or engineering partners to ensure tools support scalable, content-first workflows.
Anticipates tooling constraints and advocates for features or configurations that support effective UX writing.
Domain knowledge and product literacy
Threshold
Understands the product, service, industry, and organisational context well enough to write accurately, confidently, and credibly. UX writers apply domain knowledge to use terminology correctly, frame decisions appropriately, and anticipate user expectations, constraints, and needs.
Developing
Uses product terminology consistently and accurately once provided with definitions.
Identifies gaps in understanding and asks clarifying questions before drafting content.
Demonstrates awareness of the core user groups, their goals, and typical tasks.
Reads foundational product or industry materials and reflects knowledge in straightforward copy.
Practising
Understands product dependencies, constraints, and workflows, and reflects them in interfaces and user journeys
Adapts language and structures based on the domain’s norms (e.g. regulatory, financial, medical, technical environments).
Identifies incorrect, ambiguous, or misleading terminology and proposes accurate alternatives.
Anticipates user misconceptions based on domain patterns and addresses them proactively in copy.
Expert
Defines or refines product terminology, naming conventions, and linguistic frameworks adopted across teams.
Identifies domain-specific risks (e.g. compliance issues, accessibility challenges, user misconceptions) and guides teams in mitigating them.
Translates complex industry or technical concepts into user-friendly language without oversimplifying or misrepresenting meaning.
Coaches others in understanding and applying domain knowledge, strengthening the organisation’s content maturity.
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