newsletter-creation-curation

Newsletter Creation & Curation Skill Use this skill to create B2B newsletters that match business context, not generic content templates. Deep strategic guidance is in PLAYBOOK.md . Use this file as the executable operating manual. Mode Detect from context or ask: "Outline only, full edition, or full edition + calendar?" Mode What you get Best for quick Edition outline + 3 lead story angles, no writing Planning, editorial direction standard Full newsletter edition, all sections written Publishing this week deep Full edition + 4-week content calendar + audience segmentation recommendations Launching or systematizing a newsletter Default: standard — use quick if they're still deciding what to write. Use deep if they're building a newsletter from scratch or scaling. Context Loading Gates Before generating any newsletter content, collect: Company context: What product/service? Who is the ICP? Newsletter goal: Lead gen / thought leadership / personal brand / category ownership Industry vertical: Sales Tech / HR Tech / Fintech / Operations Tech Company stage: Series A / Series B / Series C+ Role: Founder / VP-Director / PMM-Content / Enterprise employee Geography: US-first / India-first Prior issues: Any existing issues to maintain consistency and voice? Approval constraints: Does this need legal/brand/manager review? Structured intake — answer all 5 dimensions before proceeding: Goal: [lead_gen | thought_leadership | personal_brand | category_ownership] Industry: [sales_tech | hr_tech | fintech | ops_tech] Stage: [series_a | series_b | series_c_plus] Role: [founder | vp_director | pmm_content | enterprise_employee] Geography: [us_first | india_first] Phase 1: Context Analysis Before drafting, reason through: Template match: Which industry template best fits? (Sales Tech = data-heavy; HR Tech = research-led; Fintech = compliance-aware; Ops Tech = practical) Cadence match: Series A = weekly/bi-weekly for simplicity; Series B = weekly with process; Series C+ = media-grade weekly with pillars Role constraints: Founder = direct POV allowed; Employee = approval checkpoint required before final draft Geography adjustments: India-first = IST timing + local examples; US-first = EST/PST + US benchmarks Goal-content alignment: Lead gen needs a clear conversion CTA; thought leadership needs original insight, not general content Output one-line strategy statement: For [ICP], we publish [cadence] to achieve [goal] with [format]. Phase 2: Issue Blueprint Before writing full draft, produce an issue blueprint:

Issue Blueprint

**

Strategy:

**

For [ICP], [cadence] to achieve [goal].

**

Industry tone:

**

[tactical/research-led/compliance-aware/practical]

**

Approval required:

**

[yes/no — who]

**

Sections:

**

1.

Subject lines (3 options) — [

~

words each]

2. Hook — [target

~

75 words]

3.

Core insight — [target

~

200 words]

4. Actionable playbook — [target

~

150 words, 3-5 steps]

5.

CTA — [1 sentence, singular action]

Get confirmation or proceed to draft.

Phase 3: Full Issue Draft

Generate complete publish-ready draft. Required structure — every issue:

Subject Line Options (3 required)

Produce 3 distinct angles:

A: Curiosity/open loop ("The metric most [ICP] ignore")

B: Specific + benefit ("How [Company type] achieves [X] in [timeframe]")

C: Contrarian/bold ("Stop [common behavior]. Do this instead.")

Hook

First 2 sentences must earn the read

Lead with the problem + stakes

Target: busy reader can extract the point in 60 seconds

Core Insight

One primary takeaway per issue — not three

Support with: data, framework, or named pattern

Include specific numbers or named examples wherever possible

Actionable Playbook

3-5 steps or checklist items

Each step must be implementable, not just conceptual

Series A = simpler steps; Series C+ = more sophisticated process

CTA

ONE measurable action only

Options: reply with [X], click [link], share [asset], book [demo]

Never use vague CTAs ("Learn more")

Phase 4: Refinement Checklist

Run before delivering:

Clarity

Can a busy reader extract value in 60 seconds?

Specificity

Does each section include concrete guidance or evidence?

Relevance

Does tone match industry and role constraints?

Compliance

For fintech/employee-led, is a legal/manager review step included?

Consistency

Does voice align with prior issues (if any were provided)?

CTA

Is there exactly ONE measurable CTA — not two, not zero? Phase 5: Self-Critique Pass (REQUIRED) After completing the draft, evaluate: Does the subject line A option create genuine curiosity without being clickbait? Does the hook deliver a problem + stakes in the first 2 sentences? Is the core insight something subscribers couldn't get from a generic AI prompt? Does the playbook have steps that are specific to this audience, not generic "tips"? Is the CTA actually measurable — i.e., can they track whether it worked? For fintech/employee contexts: is there an explicit approval checkpoint? Flag any issue: "The playbook steps are too generic for a Series B SaaS audience — they read as beginner content. Revised to assume existing process maturity." Iteration Protocol After delivering the draft: Ask: "Does the hook earn the read? Does the playbook feel actionable for your audience?" If hook is weak → rewrite using a different angle (data-led, story-led, or contrarian) If playbook is too generic → ask for a specific example from their own experience to ground it For next issue: "Want me to save these content themes so the next issue builds on this one?" Output Structure

Newsletter Issue: [Name] — Issue #[X] — [Date] ** Strategy: ** For [ICP], [cadence] to achieve [goal].

Subject Line Options A) [Curiosity/open loop] B) [Specific + benefit] C) [Contrarian/bold] ** Recommended: ** [A/B/C] — [reason]

Hook [2-3 sentences — problem + stakes]

Core Insight [200-300 words — data, framework, or named pattern]

Actionable Playbook 1. [Step] 2. [Step] 3. [Step]

CTA [Single measurable action]

Distribution Plan

** Send time: ** [Day, Time, Timezone] - ** LinkedIn amplification: ** [Post angle / hook] - ** Secondary channel: ** [Platform + angle]

KPI Targets

Open rate goal: [%]

CTR goal: [%]

Primary metric: [SQLs / subscribers / replies]

Approval Required [Yes — [who] | No]

Self-Critique Notes [Issues flagged + revisions made] Playbook Map (Deep Dives in PLAYBOOK.md ) Sales Tech strategy: SECTION A HR Tech strategy: SECTION B Fintech strategy: SECTION C Operations Tech strategy: SECTION D Role approvals and geography tactics: CROSS-CUTTING: UNIVERSAL FRAMEWORKS Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com