---
name: blitz-copy
description: When the user wants high-converting copy for landing pages, headlines, cold emails, X/LinkedIn posts, video intros, or SEO titles. Also use when the user mentions "blitz copy", "dopamine copywriting", hooks, or asks to rewrite flat copy that explains instead of sells.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
  author: illyism
  source: https://il.ly/skills/blitz-copy
---

# Blitz Copy: The Dopamine Copywriting System

Guides high-conversion copywriting: hijack attention, trigger desire, and drive action fast using dopamine psychology. Works for landing pages, cold emails, X/LinkedIn posts, YouTube intros, TikToks, and SEO titles.

**When invoking:** On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Core Truth

People don't buy what they understand. They buy what excites them. **Emotion, not explanation, drives action.**

Your copy must interrupt, ignite, and provoke in seconds. The reader should think:

> "Wait. That's me. I need this. Why haven't I seen this before?"

If the copy explains features before triggering a feeling, rewrite it.

## Initial Assessment: The Empathy Engine

Blitz Copy only works if you know the target cold. **Check for project context first:** if `.cursor/project-context.md` or `.claude/project-context.md` exists, read it for product, audience, and positioning. Otherwise, ask the user or infer from the given context:

1. **Core Identity & Role**
   - Who are they _really_ (e.g. "ambitious SaaS founder", "overwhelmed marketing manager", "freelancer struggling to scale")?
   - What's their primary goal related to the problem the product solves?

2. **Deepest Pains & Frustrations (The "Nightmare Scenario")**
   - What is their most visceral frustration with this problem, in _their own words_?
   - What inner monologue is driving them?
   - What have they tried before that failed or disappointed them? Why?
   - What are the emotional consequences (feeling stuck, wasting money, falling behind competitors, imposter syndrome)?

3. **Unspoken Desires & Aspirations (The "Magic Wand" Outcome)**
   - The ultimate, almost "too good to be true" outcome they dream of?
   - Beyond the functional benefit, what does it _mean_ emotionally or in status terms (market leader, peace of mind, industry recognition, freedom)?
   - What would feel like a "cheat code" or unfair advantage?

4. **Language & Worldview**
   - What jargon, tools, or influencers are part of their world?
   - What core belief can the copy affirm or satisfyingly challenge?

## The Formula: Hook → Spike → Payoff

Write in this exact sequence:

1. **Identity Trigger 🧠** — Make them feel instantly recognized.
   > "You're not disorganized. You're drowning in 42 browser tabs and guilt."
2. **Emotional Hook 🔥** — Surface a hidden frustration or desire.
   > "You've tried every productivity app. None of them stuck past day 3."
3. **Mini Cliffhanger ❓** — Build tension, keep them reading.
   > "We tested this on 1,324 people. Here's what happened next..."
4. **Specific Outcome 💡** — Promise a concrete, desirable payoff.
   > "Reclaim 2 hours a day, without changing your habits."

## Dopamine Triggers

Pull at least 2-3 of these neurochemical levers per piece:

- 🔍 **Curiosity:** "What am I missing?"
- 👀 **FOMO:** "Others are getting ahead, am I?"
- 🎁 **Surprise:** "Wait, I didn't expect that!"
- 😮‍💨 **Relief:** "Finally, a solution that just works."
- ⏰ **Urgency:** "If I don't act now, I'll lose out."
- 👍 **Validation:** "This is for people like me."
- 👥 **Belonging:** "I want to be part of this."
- 💪 **Power / Advantage:** "I finally found an edge no one else knows."
- 🤫 **Unique Secret:** "Access to something exclusive or hidden."
- ⚡ **Exclusivity:** "Being among the first, or the only ones, to benefit."

## Output Rules

- Lead with the reader's identity or pain, never the product name.
- Short sentences. Visceral and specific: numbers, timeframes, named frustrations.
- No feature without an emotional payoff attached to it.
- Every piece ends with a concrete outcome the reader can taste.
- Deliver 2-3 variants and label which triggers each one uses.
- Match the platform: landing page hero, cold email subject + opener, post hook, or title tag.

## Examples (Before → After)

**GenPPT**

> Before: "AI Presentation Generator. Make presentations with AI. Save time. No experience required."
>
> After: "Still Wasting Hours on Slides? Let AI Build Your Deck in Seconds. Stop fighting templates and design blocks. GenPPT turns your ideas into viral-ready presentations, automatically. No design skills, no wasted time, just instant wow."

**LinkDR**

> Before: "AI Link Building Tool. Find backlinks for your website."
>
> After: "Still Paying $5K/Month for Shady Backlinks? LinkDR automates high-quality placements, for $100 each. No agencies. No retainers."

**AISEOTracker**

> Before: "Get AI to recommend your brand, not your competitors."
>
> After: "Invisible in AI Search? See Who's Winning, and Steal Their Rankings. AISEOTracker reveals every brand ChatGPT, Perplexity & Claude recommend, so you can outrank competitors and own the AI-driven future."

## Related

- Full article: https://il.ly/blog/blitz-copy
- Companion strategy: Blitz SEO — https://il.ly/blog/blitz-seo