Marketing Automation

Use this skill as the canonical broad marketing front door when the real job is choosing the right next marketing packet.

The job is not to generate a giant campaign brainstorm. The job is to:

1. classify the ask into one operating mode,
2. choose one primary lane,
3. produce one reusable operator packet,
4. name the owner, dependencies, approvals, and proof stack,
5. route out when the request is actually planning, game-store launch ops, or another narrower specialist workflow.

Read these support docs before finalizing the packet:

• references/operating-modes-and-route-outs.md
• references/routing-heuristics.md
• references/operator-packet-and-proof-stack.md
• references/measurement-handoff.md

When to use this skill

• The user asks for broad marketing help and the right next packet is still ambiguous.
• A product, website, funnel, launch, onboarding flow, or pricing surface needs one structured marketing brief before detailed execution starts.
• The request mixes strategy, surface choice, messaging, content, channels, and measurement.
• The user needs a reusable operator brief, not a pile of disconnected suggestions.

When not to use this skill

• The ask is already clearly Steam/store-page/festival/game launch work → steam-store-launch-ops.
• The real job is backlog shaping, milestone coordination, or cross-functional implementation slicing → task-planning.
• The user wants only one atomic copy rewrite or finished content asset with no broader routing layer → use the narrower writing/execution workflow directly.
• The request is mostly product strategy, UX research, or technical implementation rather than marketing routing → route to the stronger adjacent skill.

Core routing model

Operating modes

Use one primary mode per run:

• launch-orchestration — broad launch, GTM, pricing, or rollout sequencing across multiple surfaces
• conversion-surface — landing page, pricing page, signup flow, paywall, or onboarding conversion friction
• lifecycle-retention — onboarding, activation, retention, churn, lifecycle email, re-engagement, or user education motion
• acquisition-content — SEO, content strategy, comparison pages, organic acquisition, or channel-facing discovery work
• measurement-experiment — analytics setup, attribution, KPI cleanup, campaign readout, or experiment/backlog instrumentation

Primary lanes

After choosing the mode, still choose one primary lane:

• CRO
• Copy & messaging
• SEO & content
• Ads & analytics
• Strategy & growth

The mode explains what kind of situation this is. The lane explains which marketing discipline owns the next packet.

Instructions

Step 1: Normalize the intake into one routing profile

Capture the request in this compact form before choosing the packet:

marketing_router_profile:
  primary_mode: launch-orchestration | conversion-surface | lifecycle-retention | acquisition-content | measurement-experiment
  primary_lane: CRO | Copy & messaging | SEO & content | Ads & analytics | Strategy & growth | unknown
  objective: acquisition | activation | conversion | retention | revenue | awareness | unknown
  audience:
    segment: "who this is for"
    stage: unaware | problem-aware | evaluating | active-user | churn-risk | unknown
  surface_or_channel: landing-page | pricing-page | signup-flow | onboarding | lifecycle-email | seo-page | campaign | dashboard | launch | unknown
  offer_or_motion: "product / feature / campaign / launch motion"
  measurement_maturity: clear | partial | weak
  main_question: "what needs to be decided next?"
  delivery_owner: "who will carry the packet next"
  dependencies_or_approvals:
    - "design / analytics / engineering / legal / partner / none"
  proof_assets_available:
    - "dashboard / baseline export / campaign data / user feedback / none"
  constraints:
    timeline: immediate | this-week | this-month | longer
    brand_or_compliance_notes: "limits or promises"
    domain_specificity: general | specialist | game-store

If detail is missing, proceed with explicit assumptions instead of stalling.

Step 2: Gather the minimum credible evidence

Do not route from vibes alone. Pull the smallest packet that supports a real decision:

• objective and current bottleneck
• audience / segment / funnel stage
• surface, campaign, or lifecycle moment
• available proof points or constraints
• current KPI or best available proxy
• who owns the next move
• which dependencies or approvals can block execution
• what is still missing that could change the lane choice

Step 3: Choose one mode, one lane, one packet

Use references/operating-modes-and-route-outs.md.

Default packet mapping:

• launch-orchestration → usually Strategy & growth → launch/growth brief
• conversion-surface → usually CRO or Copy & messaging → measurement + experiment packet
• lifecycle-retention → usually Strategy & growth or Copy & messaging → channel-ready brief
• acquisition-content → usually SEO & content → channel-ready brief
• measurement-experiment → usually Ads & analytics → measurement + experiment packet

Rules:

• Choose one primary mode.
• Choose one primary lane.
• Return one primary packet.
• Mention secondary handoffs only after the main packet is chosen.

Step 4: Add route-outs before the packet sprawls

Route out instead of absorbing adjacent work when:

• the ask is really Steam wishlists / capsules / Next Fest / store visibility → steam-store-launch-ops
• the ask is really execution slicing / backlog organization / milestone coordination → task-planning
• the ask is already a narrow specialist workflow with a better dedicated skill

A good front door narrows the next move. It does not win by claiming every neighboring job.

Step 5: Build the operator brief

Use references/operator-packet-and-proof-stack.md.

Return this structure:

# Marketing Routing Brief

## Intake summary
- Mode: ...
- Primary lane: ...
- Objective: ...
- Audience / stage: ...
- Surface / channel: ...
- Confidence: high | medium | low

## What matters most now
- 2-4 bullets

## Recommended packet
- Packet type: launch/growth brief | channel-ready brief | copy/messaging packet | measurement + experiment packet | marketing-routing brief
- Why this packet now: ...

## Operator packet
- Primary owner: ...
- Dependencies / approvals: ...
- Required assets or inputs: ...
- Delivery horizon: ...

## Priority decisions
| Decision | Why now | Owner | Risk if delayed |
|----------|---------|-------|-----------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Immediate next steps
1. ...
2. ...
3. ...

## Proof stack
- Primary KPI: ...
- Leading signal: ...
- Baseline or assumption: ...
- Success threshold: ...
- Readout window: ...
- Next owner / workflow: ...

## Secondary handoffs
- Skill / workflow: ...
- Why: ...

## Not yet
- 1-3 bullets that prevent scope drift

Step 6: Keep proof attached to the packet

Every output must name:

• one primary KPI
• one leading signal
• one baseline or explicit assumption
• one success threshold
• one readout window or review checkpoint
• one next owner or downstream workflow

Use references/operator-packet-and-proof-stack.md for the operator packet shape and references/measurement-handoff.md for lane-specific KPI examples.

Output format

Always return a short operator-style Marketing Routing Brief.

Required qualities:

• one primary mode
• one primary lane
• one packet that can actually be handed off
• explicit assumptions when context is thin
• named owner plus dependency/approval visibility
• route-outs when the ask is not really this skill
• proof logic attached to the packet, not bolted on later

Examples

Example 1: broad launch ask

Input

We are launching a new SaaS workflow next month and need help with messaging, landing page copy, onboarding emails, and how to measure whether it worked.

Output sketch

• Mode: launch-orchestration
• Lane: Strategy & growth
• Packet: launch/growth brief
• Secondary handoffs mention copy/messaging and lifecycle execution
• Operator packet names one owner plus likely dependencies or approvals
• Proof stack names one launch KPI and one leading signal

Example 2: pricing-page refresh

Input

Our pricing page gets traffic, but upgrades are weak. We need help with the page and what to test.

Output sketch

• Mode: conversion-surface
• Lane: CRO
• Packet: measurement + experiment packet
• Priority decisions cover offer clarity, CTA hierarchy, proof, and friction

Example 3: lifecycle / onboarding ask

Input

Trial users activate once and disappear. We need onboarding and lifecycle help, plus a sensible KPI.

Output sketch

• Mode: lifecycle-retention
• Lane: Strategy & growth or Copy & messaging
• Packet: channel-ready brief
• Operator packet names the lifecycle owner and any analytics or product dependency
• Proof stack names activation or retained-usage KPI plus a leading signal

Example 4: game-store launch near miss

Input

We need Steam capsule copy and Next Fest marketing help for our game demo.

Output sketch

• Keep the response short
• Route execution to steam-store-launch-ops
• Leave only a concise handoff note instead of a giant generic marketing plan

Best practices

1. Act like a front-door router, not a generic growth advisor.
2. Choose one mode before you choose tactics.
3. Choose one packet before you list channels.
4. Keep owner, approvals, and dependencies visible instead of assuming automation removes them.
5. Keep launch/planning/game-store boundaries explicit.
6. Attach proof and ownership to every packet.

References

• references/operating-modes-and-route-outs.md
• references/routing-heuristics.md
• references/operator-packet-and-proof-stack.md
• references/measurement-handoff.md
• ../marketing-skills-collection/SKILL.md
• ../steam-store-launch-ops/SKILL.md
• ../task-planning/SKILL.md