Project Memory for Marketing

Using CLAUDE.md for Brand Context

Project memory through CLAUDE.md is like giving Claude a persistent briefing document. Every time you work on this project, Claude reads this file first and applies those guidelines to everything it creates.

What You’ll Learn

• Creating a CLAUDE.md file for your marketing project
• What to include for maximum effectiveness
• How Claude uses project memory
• Maintaining consistency across all content

What is CLAUDE.md?

CLAUDE.md is a special file in your project root that Claude reads automatically. It contains:

• Brand guidelines and voice
• Target audience information
• Product/company details
• Messaging frameworks
• Common instructions and preferences

Creating Your Marketing CLAUDE.md

Create a CLAUDE.md file in the project root with:

# Planerio Marketing Project

## Brand Overview
- Product: Planerio - Team productivity coordination tool
- Target: Remote team managers, 25-45, tech/marketing/consulting
- Positioning: "RescueTime for teams" - coordinate focus time across teams
- Tone: Professional but approachable, knowledgeable but not condescending

## Brand Voice
- Use active voice
- Be conversational but not casual
- Lead with benefits, then features
- Use "we" and "you" (not "our customers" or "users")
- Avoid jargon unless necessary

## Key Messages
1. Remote teams struggle to coordinate deep work time
2. Individual focus tools don't solve team coordination problems
3. Planerio syncs focus time across the entire team
4. Better focus = better results for everyone

## Target Personas
- Manager Mark: Team lead managing 10-15 remote people
- Founder Fiona: Startup founder juggling many roles
- Director Dana: Marketing director at mid-size company

## Content Preferences
- Blog posts: 1200-1800 words
- Emails: 150-250 words max
- Social posts: Platform-specific best lengths
- Always include clear CTAs
- Use statistics and data when available

## SEO Keywords
Primary: remote team productivity, focus time coordination
Secondary: team deep work, remote work focus, productivity coordination

## Never
- Don't compare directly to competitors by name in public content
- Don't make claims we can't back up
- Don't use "world-class", "revolutionary", or other hyperbolic terms
- Don't write in passive voice

What to Include in Your CLAUDE.md

Essential Sections

• Company/Product Overview: What you do and for whom
• Brand Voice: How you communicate
• Target Audience: Who you’re talking to
• Key Messages: What you always want to communicate
• Do’s and Don’ts: Specific guidelines

Optional But Helpful

• Competitor context
• Common objections and how to address them
• Approved terminology
• Legal/compliance requirements
• Project-specific workflows

How Claude Uses CLAUDE.md

Once CLAUDE.md exists, Claude automatically:

• Applies brand voice to all content generated
• References target personas
• Follows content guidelines
• Uses approved messaging
• Avoids flagged terms or approaches

You don’t need to remind Claude each time - it’s automatic!

Before and After CLAUDE.md

Before: “Write a blog post about productivity” → Result: Generic content, may not match your brand

After: “Write a blog post about productivity” → Result: Content that automatically matches Planerio’s voice, targets the right personas, includes key messages, and follows all your guidelines

Advanced CLAUDE.md Techniques

Campaign-Specific Instructions

## Current Campaign Context
We're in the middle of Q2 Product Launch (June 1-30).

For this period:
- Emphasize the new team coordination dashboard
- Use launch pricing messaging ($12/user, normally $15)
- Include urgency around launch offer ending June 30
- Link to launch landing page: /launch-2024
- Use hashtag #PlanerioLaunch on social

Review Reminders

## Quality Checks
Before finalizing any content:
- [ ] Matches brand voice
- [ ] Targets specific persona
- [ ] Includes CTA
- [ ] Has SEO keywords
- [ ] No prohibited terms
- [ ] Reviewed by Copy Editor agent

Updating Your CLAUDE.md

Keep it current as your brand evolves:

Review and update CLAUDE.md monthly:

1. Add any new messaging learnings
2. Update campaign context
3. Add successful phrases to "Always Use"
4. Add failed phrases to "Never Use"
5. Update personas based on customer research
6. Refine voice based on what's working

Keep a changelog at bottom of file

Example: Complete Marketing CLAUDE.md

# Markit Agency Project - Planerio

## Product
Planerio: Team productivity coordination tool
- Helps enterprise and large corporations coordinate deep work time
- Integrates with Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace
- $12/user/month, 14-day free trial

## Target Market
B2B SaaS for remote/hybrid teams of 5-50 people
Industries: Tech, marketing, consulting, professional services

## Brand Personality
- Helpful colleague (not a boss or professor)
- Knowledgeable without being condescending
- Enthusiastic but not hype-y
- Data-driven but human

## Writing Style
- Active voice always
- Short sentences and paragraphs
- Bullet points for scannability
- Conversational but professional
- You/we perspective (not third person)

## Messaging Hierarchy
1. Teams need coordinated focus time (problem)
2. Individual tools don't solve team problems (gap)
3. Planerio coordinates across the team (solution)
4. Better focus = better outcomes for everyone (benefit)

## Personas
**Manager Mark**: 35, manages 12 remote developers
- Pain: Can't get team aligned for planning sessions
- Goal: More productive team, less meeting overhead

**Founder Fiona**: 30, startup founder with 8 team members
- Pain: Constantly interrupted, team all working different hours
- Goal: Establish focus culture as company grows

## Content Guidelines
- Blog: 1200-1800 words, SEO optimized
- Email: 150-250 words, single CTA
- Social: Platform best practices
- Ads: Clear value prop, specific CTA

## Always Use
- "Coordinate focus time"
- "Deep work for teams"
- "Team productivity coordination"
- Statistics and data points
- Customer testimonial quotes
- Clear CTAs

## Never Use
- "World-class", "revolutionary", "game-changing"
- Competitor names in public content
- Passive voice
- Jargon without explanation
- Unsupported claims

## SEO Focus
Primary: remote team productivity, focus time, team coordination
Long-tail: how to improve remote team focus, coordinating team schedules

## Campaign: Q2 Launch
Active June 1-30
- New dashboard feature
- Launch pricing: $12 (save $3)
- Urgency: Offer ends June 30
- Landing: /launch-2024

## Changelog
- 2024-05-15: Added Q2 launch details
- 2024-04-01: Refined messaging based on customer interviews
- 2024-03-15: Initial creation

Testing Your CLAUDE.md

After creating CLAUDE.md, test it:

Without mentioning any brand guidelines, ask me to:

1. Write a LinkedIn post about productivity
2. Create an email subject line
3. Draft a blog post introduction

I should automatically apply all CLAUDE.md guidelines.
Check if output matches expectations.

Key Takeaways

• CLAUDE.md gives Claude persistent project context
• Include brand voice, personas, messages, and guidelines
• Claude automatically applies CLAUDE.md to all work
• Update monthly to keep it current
• Saves you from repeating context every time
• Ensures consistency across all content