Claude Code and Agentic Workflows for Marketers: Skills, Subagents, and Commands Explained

Claude Code gives marketers access to agentic workflows that automate content audits, campaign analysis, and multi-step research. The problem: most marketers confuse Skills, Subagents, and Commands. Each serves a different purpose. Using the wrong primitive wastes tokens and produces inconsistent results.

This guide explains the Claude Code architecture for non-technical marketers. You will learn when to use each component, which marketing workflows benefit most, and how to build your first agentic system with concrete folder structures and workflow examples.

TL;DR

Claude Code operates through three primitives: Skills (reusable expertise packages), Subagents (specialized workers with isolated context), and Commands (manual triggers for specific tasks). Skills load automatically when relevant. Subagents run in parallel with their own context windows. Commands execute on demand via slash syntax. Marketing teams should start with 2-3 Skills for common workflows, add Subagents for parallel research tasks, and use Commands for repeatable processes like content briefs. Core Skill instructions port to ChatGPT and Gemini with minimal adaptation.

Key Takeaways

• Skills are folders containing instructions that Claude loads automatically when relevant to a task
• Subagents are independent workers with isolated context windows for parallel execution
• Commands are manual triggers you invoke with slash syntax for predictable workflows
• Marketing teams see 75% time savings on content audits using Subagent orchestration
• Start with Skills for expertise, add Subagents for parallelization, use Commands for repeatability
• Skills compound over time because Claude learns when to apply them without prompting
• The October 2025 Plan Mode update enables strategy formulation before execution
• Core Skill instructions port to ChatGPT and Gemini but execution logic requires adaptation

What Problem Does Claude Code Solve for Marketers?

Claude Code solves the context management problem that breaks long marketing workflows. Traditional AI assistants lose track of instructions mid-task. You paste a brand guide, request a content audit, and by the third page the AI forgets your tone requirements. Claude Code fixes this through structured context loading.

Marketing workflows require multi-step execution. A content audit involves checking meta descriptions, analyzing keyword density, reviewing internal links, validating schema markup, and scoring readability. Each step needs different context. Claude Code’s agentic architecture lets you package that context into reusable components.

The architecture separates what Claude knows (Skills) from what Claude does (Subagents) from how you trigger actions (Commands). This separation enables workflows that traditional prompting cannot achieve.

Action item: List three marketing workflows you repeat weekly. Identify which steps require different context or expertise. These are candidates for agentic automation.

How Do Skills, Subagents, and Commands Differ?

Skills, Subagents, and Commands look similar because they are all markdown files containing instructions. The difference lies in how and when they execute.

Quick Comparison

Skills load automatically when Claude detects relevance. You never invoke them manually. Think of Skills as expertise that Claude applies without being asked.

Subagents are specialists you delegate tasks to. They work in isolated context windows and return results. Think of Subagents as team members handling specific assignments.

Commands execute when you type a slash trigger. They run exactly when you want them. Think of Commands as buttons that launch predefined workflows.

Skills: Automatic Expertise Loading

Skills are folders containing a SKILL.md file plus optional scripts and resources. Claude scans available Skills at startup and loads them automatically when relevant to a task. You do not invoke Skills manually. Claude decides when expertise applies.

Think of Skills as specialized training manuals. A “Brand Voice” Skill contains your tone guidelines, banned words, and example sentences. When you ask Claude to write copy, it loads the Brand Voice Skill without prompting. The expertise compounds because Claude applies it consistently across conversations.

Example Brand Voice Skill Structure:

~/.claude/skills/
└── brand-voice/
    ├── SKILL.md
    ├── examples/
    │   ├── approved-headlines.md
    │   ├── email-samples.md
    │   └── social-posts.md
    └── references/
        ├── banned-words.md
        └── terminology-guide.md

Skills work identically across Claude apps, Claude Code CLI, and the API. Build expertise once, deploy everywhere.

Subagents: Parallel Workers with Isolated Context

Subagents are specialized AI assistants that operate in their own context windows. When Claude encounters a task matching a Subagent’s expertise, it delegates the work. The Subagent completes its task independently and returns results.

Context isolation is the key benefit. A “Keyword Research” Subagent can load competitor data, search volume tools, and SERP analysis without polluting your main conversation. The main agent stays focused on high-level strategy while specialists handle detailed analysis.

Example Subagent Structure:

~/.claude/agents/
├── seo-analyst.md
├── content-auditor.md
├── competitive-researcher.md
├── email-copywriter.md
└── campaign-reporter.md

Sample Subagent Definition (seo-analyst.md):

---
name: seo-analyst
description: Analyzes pages for SEO performance and keyword optimization
tools: Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, WebSearch
---

You are an SEO specialist analyzing content for search optimization.

## Your Responsibilities
- Evaluate keyword density and placement
- Check meta descriptions and title tags
- Assess header hierarchy (H1-H6)
- Identify internal linking opportunities
- Score readability for target audience

## Output Format
Return findings as structured JSON with:
- score (0-100)
- issues (array of problems found)
- recommendations (array of fixes)
- priority (high/medium/low for each item)

Subagents enable parallel execution. Launch a Content Auditor, SEO Analyzer, and Readability Checker simultaneously. Each works independently. Results return to the main context for synthesis.

Commands: Manual Triggers for Predictable Workflows

Commands are markdown files you invoke explicitly with slash syntax. Type /content-brief and Claude executes the instructions in that command file. Commands provide predictable, repeatable execution paths.

Example Command Structure:

~/.claude/commands/
├── content-brief.md
├── campaign-report.md
├── competitor-update.md
├── seo-audit.md
└── weekly-analytics.md

Sample Command Definition (content-brief.md):

---
description: Generate a comprehensive content brief from a topic
allowed-tools: Read, WebSearch, WebFetch
---

# Content Brief Generator

Create a content brief for: $ARGUMENTS

## Research Phase
1. Search for top 10 ranking articles on this topic
2. Identify common subtopics and questions
3. Find content gaps competitors miss

## Brief Structure
Generate a brief with:
- Target keyword and variants
- Search intent analysis
- Recommended word count
- Outline with H2/H3 headers
- Key points to cover per section
- Internal linking opportunities
- CTA recommendations

## Output
Save brief to ./briefs/{topic-slug}-brief.md

Commands can invoke Subagents and Skills. A /campaign-analysis command might spawn three Subagents for parallel research while applying your Analytics Skill for consistent metric interpretation.

Action item: Audit your current Claude usage. Identify which instructions you paste repeatedly. These belong in Skills. Identify which multi-step processes you trigger manually. These belong in Commands.

What Is the Decision Framework for Choosing Primitives?

Use this framework to select the right Claude Code primitive for your workflow.

Choose Skills When

• Expertise applies across multiple conversations
• You want automatic application without manual invocation
• Context should persist and compound over time
• Multiple team members need consistent outputs

Best for: Brand voice, analysis frameworks, output formatting standards

Choose Subagents When

• Tasks can run in parallel without dependencies
• Work requires isolated context to prevent cross-contamination
• You need specialized tool permissions per task type
• Results feed into a synthesis step

Best for: Research tasks, audits, multi-perspective analysis

Choose Commands When

• Workflows require explicit human initiation
• You need predictable, repeatable execution paths
• Parameters change per invocation
• Auditability matters for compliance

Best for: Report generation, brief creation, scheduled workflows

Combination Example

A Content Strategy Command might:

1. Load your Brand Voice Skill (automatic)
2. Load your Analytics Interpretation Skill (automatic)
3. Spawn an SEO Analyst Subagent (parallel)
4. Spawn a Competitive Researcher Subagent (parallel)
5. Synthesize results into a strategy document

Each primitive handles its strength. Skills provide expertise. Subagents provide parallel execution. Commands provide the trigger.

Complete Folder Structure for Marketing Teams

Here is the recommended folder structure for a marketing team implementing Claude Code. This structure scales from solo operators to enterprise teams.

~/.claude/
├── CLAUDE.md                    # Global preferences (always loaded)
├── skills/
│   ├── brand-voice/
│   │   ├── SKILL.md
│   │   ├── examples/
│   │   │   ├── approved-headlines.md
│   │   │   ├── email-samples.md
│   │   │   └── social-templates.md
│   │   └── references/
│   │       ├── banned-words.md
│   │       ├── competitor-phrases.md
│   │       └── terminology.md
│   │
│   ├── content-audit/
│   │   ├── SKILL.md
│   │   ├── scripts/
│   │   │   ├── check-meta.py
│   │   │   ├── analyze-headers.py
│   │   │   └── score-readability.py
│   │   └── references/
│   │       ├── scoring-rubric.md
│   │       └── benchmarks.md
│   │
│   ├── analytics/
│   │   ├── SKILL.md
│   │   └── references/
│   │       ├── kpi-definitions.md
│   │       ├── benchmarks-by-channel.md
│   │       └── seasonality-guide.md
│   │
│   ├── competitive-analysis/
│   │   ├── SKILL.md
│   │   └── references/
│   │       ├── competitor-list.md
│   │       ├── evaluation-criteria.md
│   │       └── tracking-template.md
│   │
│   └── campaign-briefs/
│       ├── SKILL.md
│       └── templates/
│           ├── product-launch.md
│           ├── seasonal-campaign.md
│           └── always-on.md
│
├── agents/
│   ├── seo-analyst.md
│   ├── content-auditor.md
│   ├── competitive-researcher.md
│   ├── email-copywriter.md
│   ├── social-strategist.md
│   ├── ppc-analyst.md
│   └── campaign-reporter.md
│
└── commands/
    ├── content-brief.md
    ├── campaign-report.md
    ├── competitor-update.md
    ├── seo-audit.md
    ├── weekly-analytics.md
    ├── email-sequence.md
    └── landing-page.md

CLAUDE.md: Your Global Configuration

The CLAUDE.md file in your root contains always-on instructions. This context loads for every conversation.

# Marketing Team Configuration

## Company Context
- Company: [Your Company]
- Industry: B2B SaaS
- Primary audience: Marketing directors at mid-market companies
- Tone: Professional but approachable, data-driven

## Output Preferences
- Use metric system for measurements
- Date format: YYYY-MM-DD
- Currency: USD with two decimal places
- Always include source links for statistics

## Workflow Rules
- Flag any claims requiring verification
- Include confidence levels for recommendations
- Separate facts from opinions explicitly

## Tool Preferences
- Primary CRM: HubSpot
- Analytics: GA4 + Mixpanel
- Email: Klaviyo
- Ads: Google Ads + Meta

Marketing Workflow Examples

These workflows show how Skills, Subagents, and Commands combine for real marketing scenarios.

Workflow 1: Content Audit Pipeline

Scenario: Audit 50 blog posts for SEO and content quality before a site migration.

Trigger: /seo-audit sitemap.xml

Workflow Diagram:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    /seo-audit Command                        │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Skills Auto-Load (Parallel)                     │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐         │
│  │Brand Voice  │  │Content Audit│  │ Analytics   │         │
│  │   Skill     │  │   Skill     │  │   Skill     │         │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘         │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Subagents Spawn (Parallel)                      │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐         │
│  │    SEO      │  │  Content    │  │ Technical   │         │
│  │  Analyst    │  │  Auditor    │  │  Checker    │         │
│  │             │  │             │  │             │         │
│  │ - Keywords  │  │ - Quality   │  │ - Schema    │         │
│  │ - Meta tags │  │ - Tone      │  │ - Speed     │         │
│  │ - Headers   │  │ - Structure │  │ - Links     │         │
│  └──────┬──────┘  └──────┬──────┘  └──────┬──────┘         │
└─────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┘
          │                │                │
          └────────────────┼────────────────┘
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Orchestrator Synthesizes                   │
│                                                              │
│  - Combines all Subagent findings                           │
│  - Applies scoring rubric from Content Audit Skill          │
│  - Prioritizes issues by impact                             │
│  - Generates migration recommendations                       │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      Output Files                            │
│                                                              │
│  ./audits/                                                   │
│  ├── full-audit-report.md                                   │
│  ├── issues-by-priority.csv                                 │
│  ├── page-scores.csv                                        │
│  └── migration-checklist.md                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Time savings: 8 hours manual → 1.5 hours automated (81% reduction)

Workflow 2: Competitive Intelligence Report

Scenario: Weekly competitive analysis across 5 competitors covering positioning, content, and pricing.

Trigger: /competitor-update all

Workflow Diagram:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               /competitor-update Command                     │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Competitive Analysis Skill Loads                     │
│                                                              │
│  Provides:                                                   │
│  - Competitor list and URLs                                 │
│  - Evaluation framework                                      │
│  - Historical baseline data                                 │
│  - Output templates                                         │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Subagents Spawn Per Competitor (Parallel)             │
│                                                              │
│  ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐   │
│  │Competitor │ │Competitor │ │Competitor │ │Competitor │   │
│  │    A      │ │    B      │ │    C      │ │    D      │   │
│  │           │ │           │ │           │ │           │   │
│  │- Website  │ │- Website  │ │- Website  │ │- Website  │   │
│  │- Pricing  │ │- Pricing  │ │- Pricing  │ │- Pricing  │   │
│  │- Content  │ │- Content  │ │- Content  │ │- Content  │   │
│  │- Social   │ │- Social   │ │- Social   │ │- Social   │   │
│  └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘   │
└────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼──────────┘
         │             │             │             │
         └─────────────┴──────┬──────┴─────────────┘
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Synthesis Phase                             │
│                                                              │
│  - Compare against last week's baseline                     │
│  - Flag significant changes                                 │
│  - Identify positioning shifts                              │
│  - Generate strategic recommendations                       │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      Output Files                            │
│                                                              │
│  ./competitive/                                              │
│  ├── weekly-report-2026-01-06.md                            │
│  ├── pricing-comparison.csv                                 │
│  ├── content-gap-analysis.md                                │
│  ├── change-log.md                                          │
│  └── action-items.md                                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Time savings: 6 hours manual → 45 minutes automated (87% reduction)

Workflow 3: Campaign Launch Preparation

Scenario: Prepare all assets and tracking for a product launch campaign.

Trigger: /campaign-launch "Spring Product Launch" --channels=email,paid,social

Workflow Diagram:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                /campaign-launch Command                      │
│                                                              │
│  Args: "Spring Product Launch"                              │
│  Channels: email, paid, social                              │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Plan Mode Activates                        │
│                                                              │
│  Claude proposes campaign structure:                        │
│  - Timeline with milestones                                 │
│  - Asset requirements per channel                           │
│  - Tracking implementation plan                             │
│  - Budget allocation suggestions                            │
│                                                              │
│  [Human reviews and approves before execution]              │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Skills Load + Subagents Spawn (Parallel)             │
│                                                              │
│  Skills:                    Subagents:                       │
│  ┌─────────────┐           ┌─────────────────┐              │
│  │Brand Voice  │           │Email Copywriter │              │
│  │Campaign     │           │  - Welcome      │              │
│  │  Brief      │           │  - Nurture x3   │              │
│  │Analytics    │           │  - Promo x2     │              │
│  └─────────────┘           └─────────────────┘              │
│                            ┌─────────────────┐              │
│                            │ PPC Analyst     │              │
│                            │  - Ad copy x10  │              │
│                            │  - Headlines    │              │
│                            │  - Descriptions │              │
│                            └─────────────────┘              │
│                            ┌─────────────────┐              │
│                            │Social Strategist│              │
│                            │  - Posts x15    │              │
│                            │  - Stories x5   │              │
│                            │  - Captions     │              │
│                            └─────────────────┘              │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Output Structure                          │
│                                                              │
│  ./campaigns/spring-product-launch/                         │
│  ├── campaign-brief.md                                      │
│  ├── timeline.md                                            │
│  ├── email/                                                 │
│  │   ├── welcome-sequence.md                                │
│  │   ├── nurture-1.md                                       │
│  │   ├── nurture-2.md                                       │
│  │   └── promo-sequence.md                                  │
│  ├── paid/                                                  │
│  │   ├── google-ads/                                        │
│  │   │   ├── headlines.csv                                  │
│  │   │   └── descriptions.csv                               │
│  │   └── meta-ads/                                          │
│  │       ├── primary-text.csv                               │
│  │       └── headlines.csv                                  │
│  ├── social/                                                │
│  │   ├── linkedin-posts.md                                  │
│  │   ├── twitter-posts.md                                   │
│  │   └── instagram-captions.md                              │
│  └── tracking/                                              │
│      ├── utm-parameters.csv                                 │
│      ├── conversion-events.md                               │
│      └── dashboard-specs.md                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Time savings: 2 days manual → 3 hours automated (85% reduction)

Workflow 4: Weekly Analytics Report

Scenario: Generate standardized weekly performance report for stakeholders.

Trigger: /weekly-analytics --period=last-7-days

Workflow Diagram:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               /weekly-analytics Command                      │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Analytics Skill Loads                           │
│                                                              │
│  Provides:                                                   │
│  - KPI definitions for your business                        │
│  - Benchmark thresholds (good/average/poor)                 │
│  - Seasonality context                                      │
│  - Report template structure                                │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Channel Subagents Spawn (Parallel)                   │
│                                                              │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐       │
│  │  Web     │ │  Email   │ │  Paid    │ │  Social  │       │
│  │ Analyst  │ │ Analyst  │ │ Analyst  │ │ Analyst  │       │
│  │          │ │          │ │          │ │          │       │
│  │- Traffic │ │- Opens   │ │- ROAS    │ │- Reach   │       │
│  │- Bounce  │ │- Clicks  │ │- CPA     │ │- Engage  │       │
│  │- Convert │ │- Convert │ │- Spend   │ │- Growth  │       │
│  └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘       │
└───────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┘
        │            │            │            │
        └────────────┴─────┬──────┴────────────┘
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                Executive Summary Generator                   │
│                                                              │
│  - Synthesizes channel findings                             │
│  - Compares to previous period                              │
│  - Flags anomalies requiring attention                      │
│  - Generates recommendations                                │
│  - Creates stakeholder-ready narrative                      │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Output Files                              │
│                                                              │
│  ./reports/weekly/                                           │
│  ├── executive-summary-2026-01-06.md                        │
│  ├── channel-details.md                                     │
│  ├── metrics-table.csv                                      │
│  ├── anomalies.md                                           │
│  └── recommendations.md                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Time savings: 4 hours manual → 30 minutes automated (87% reduction)

Which Marketing Skills Deliver the Highest ROI?

Marketing teams report the highest ROI from Skills addressing these five workflow categories. Each Skill eliminates repeated context-setting that wastes tokens and introduces inconsistency.

Brand Voice and Tone Skill

Brand Voice Skills standardize how Claude writes for your organization. Include your tone guidelines, vocabulary preferences, banned words, and 3-5 example outputs. Claude loads this automatically when writing any marketing content.

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: brand-voice
description: Apply company brand voice and tone guidelines to all content
---

# Brand Voice Guidelines

## Voice Attributes
- Confident but not arrogant
- Technical but accessible
- Helpful without being condescending
- Direct without being blunt

## Sentence Structure
- Lead with the benefit or outcome
- Keep sentences under 20 words average
- Use active voice exclusively
- One idea per sentence

## Words to AVOID
Never use: synergy, leverage (as verb), ideate, circle back,
low-hanging fruit, move the needle, boil the ocean, bleeding edge,
disrupt, revolutionize, game-changer, utilize

## Words to PREFER
Use instead: work together, use, brainstorm, follow up,
easy wins, improve results, simplify, leading, change, use

## Example Transformations

Before: "We leverage cutting-edge AI to revolutionize your workflow."
After: "Our AI tools help you finish work in half the time."

Before: "Let's circle back and ideate on some low-hanging fruit."
After: "Let's meet tomorrow to list quick wins."

Marketing teams using Brand Voice Skills report 40% reduction in revision cycles. The Skill eliminates the “that doesn’t sound like us” feedback loop.

Content Audit Methodology Skill

Content Audit Skills encode your analysis framework so Claude applies consistent criteria across all pages. Define what you check, how you score it, and what format results take.

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: content-audit
description: Standardized content quality and SEO audit methodology
---

# Content Audit Framework

## SEO Checklist
- Title tag: 50-60 characters, keyword in first half
- Meta description: 150-160 characters, includes CTA
- H1: Single H1, includes primary keyword
- Headers: Logical H2/H3 hierarchy, no skipped levels
- Keyword density: 1-2% for primary, 0.5-1% for secondary
- Internal links: Minimum 3 per 1000 words
- External links: Minimum 1 authoritative source per 1000 words

## Content Quality Checklist
- Introduction: States value proposition in first 100 words
- Structure: Clear sections with descriptive headers
- Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 8 or below
- Paragraphs: Maximum 4 sentences each
- Lists: Used for 3+ related items
- CTA: Clear next action in conclusion

## Scoring Rubric
- 90-100: Publish ready
- 80-89: Minor revisions needed
- 70-79: Significant revisions needed
- Below 70: Rewrite recommended

## Output Format
Return audit as JSON:
{
  "url": "",
  "score": 0,
  "seo_issues": [],
  "content_issues": [],
  "recommendations": [],
  "priority": "high|medium|low"
}

Analytics Interpretation Skill

Analytics Skills teach Claude how to interpret your specific metrics. Different businesses define engagement, conversion, and success differently. Your Skill encodes those definitions.

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: analytics
description: Interpret marketing metrics using company-specific definitions
---

# Analytics Interpretation Guide

## KPI Definitions

### Website Metrics
- Engaged Session: 2+ pages OR 30+ seconds OR conversion event
- Conversion: Demo request, trial signup, or contact form
- MQL: Lead scoring threshold of 50+ points

### Email Metrics
- Good open rate: >25%
- Good click rate: >3%
- Healthy list: <0.5% unsubscribe per send

### Paid Media Metrics
- Target CAC: <$150 for SMB, <$500 for Enterprise
- Target ROAS: >3x for prospecting, >5x for retargeting
- Acceptable CPM: <$15 for LinkedIn, <$8 for Meta

## Seasonality Context
- Q1: Slowest quarter, budget planning season
- Q2: Ramp-up period, conference season
- Q3: Summer slowdown July-August
- Q4: Peak season September-November, holiday drop December

## Anomaly Thresholds
Flag for investigation when:
- Week-over-week change >20%
- Metric drops below benchmark for 2+ consecutive weeks
- Channel mix shifts >10% without campaign changes

## Recommendation Framework
Always tie recommendations to:
1. Specific metric impact
2. Estimated effort (hours)
3. Confidence level (high/medium/low)
4. Dependencies or blockers

Competitive Analysis Framework Skill

Competitive Analysis Skills standardize how Claude evaluates competitors. Include your framework for assessing positioning, messaging, feature comparison, and market presence.

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: competitive-analysis
description: Framework for evaluating competitors consistently
---

# Competitive Analysis Framework

## Competitor Tiers

### Tier 1: Direct Competitors
- [Competitor A] - enterprise.competitor-a.com
- [Competitor B] - www.competitor-b.com
- [Competitor C] - competitor-c.io

### Tier 2: Adjacent Competitors
- [Adjacent A] - Solves different problem, same buyer
- [Adjacent B] - Solves same problem, different segment

### Tier 3: Aspirational
- [Market Leader] - Where we want to be in 3 years

## Evaluation Dimensions

### Positioning (Score 1-10)
- Clarity of value proposition
- Differentiation from alternatives
- Target audience specificity
- Proof points and social proof

### Content (Score 1-10)
- Blog publishing frequency
- Content depth and quality
- SEO visibility (estimated traffic)
- Thought leadership presence

### Product (Score 1-10)
- Feature breadth
- User experience
- Integration ecosystem
- Pricing competitiveness

### Go-to-Market (Score 1-10)
- Sales motion clarity
- Marketing sophistication
- Channel presence
- Partnership ecosystem

## Change Detection
Flag when competitors:
- Update pricing page
- Launch new features
- Publish major content
- Change positioning language
- Announce funding or acquisition

Campaign Brief Template Skill

Campaign Brief Skills encode your organization’s briefing format. Claude generates briefs matching your exact structure without detailed prompting each time.

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: campaign-brief
description: Generate campaign briefs in company standard format
---

# Campaign Brief Template

## Required Sections

### 1. Campaign Overview
- Campaign name
- Campaign type (launch/seasonal/always-on/event)
- Primary objective (awareness/consideration/conversion)
- Success metrics with targets

### 2. Audience
- Primary segment with persona details
- Secondary segments if applicable
- Exclusions (who this is NOT for)
- Audience size estimates

### 3. Messaging
- Key message (single sentence)
- Supporting messages (3-5 bullets)
- Proof points to include
- Tone guidance for this campaign

### 4. Channels and Tactics
For each channel include:
- Role in campaign (awareness/nurture/convert)
- Asset requirements
- Budget allocation
- Timeline

### 5. Creative Requirements
- Visual direction
- Asset specifications by channel
- Brand guidelines reminders
- Examples or references

### 6. Measurement Plan
- Primary KPIs
- Secondary metrics
- Reporting cadence
- Attribution model

### 7. Timeline
- Key milestones
- Asset deadlines
- Review cycles
- Launch date

### 8. Budget
- Total budget
- Channel allocation
- Creative/production costs
- Contingency

Action item: Create your Brand Voice Skill first. It applies to the widest range of marketing tasks and delivers immediate consistency improvements. Test it across three different content types before building additional Skills.

How Does Plan Mode Change Marketing Workflows?

Plan Mode, introduced in Claude Code v2.0.28 (October 2025), creates a dedicated planning Subagent that formulates strategies without executing changes. Activate by pressing Shift+Tab twice.

Plan Mode addresses a critical marketing need: approval workflows. Marketing teams require stakeholder sign-off before publishing content, launching campaigns, or modifying websites. Plan Mode enables Claude to propose and refine strategies while humans retain execution control.

Strategy Formulation Without Risk

In Plan Mode, Claude analyzes your situation and proposes actions but makes no file modifications, API calls, or content publications. You review the plan, request adjustments, and approve before any execution occurs.

Plan Mode enables:

• Campaign strategy proposals reviewed before budget allocation
• Content calendar recommendations approved before assignment
• Website optimization plans validated before implementation
• Competitive response strategies refined before launch

Plan Mode separates thinking from doing. Claude applies full analytical capability while you maintain control over actions.

Iterative Planning Refinement

Plan Mode supports multi-turn refinement. Claude proposes a campaign strategy. You ask clarifying questions. Claude revises. You request alternatives. Claude generates options. Only after approval does execution begin.

This workflow matches how senior marketers work. Strategy requires iteration before execution. Plan Mode provides a structured environment for that iteration.

Action item: Use Plan Mode for your next campaign strategy. Request Claude propose three alternative approaches. Evaluate trade-offs before selecting an execution path.

What Is the Recommended Skill Stack for Marketing Teams?

Start with five foundational Skills before expanding. These Skills address the workflows every marketing team executes weekly.

Tier 1: Essential Skills (Build First)

Brand Voice Skill: Standardizes all written output. Apply to every content generation task. Build this before any other Skill.

Analytics Interpretation Skill: Ensures consistent metric interpretation. Apply to all performance analysis and reporting workflows.

Content Audit Methodology Skill: Encodes your quality standards. Apply to all content review processes.

Tier 2: Workflow Acceleration Skills (Build Second)

Campaign Brief Template Skill: Accelerates brief creation. Apply when generating any creative or strategic brief.

Competitive Analysis Framework Skill: Standardizes competitor evaluation. Apply to all competitive intelligence workflows.

Tier 3: Specialized Skills (Build As Needed)

Build specialized Skills when specific workflows become bottlenecks:

• Email Copywriting Skill for teams with high email volume
• Social Media Voice Skill for teams with distinct social personas
• Landing Page Optimization Skill for teams running frequent experiments
• PR and Media Relations Skill for teams with active press outreach

Each Skill should solve a specific, repeated workflow. Avoid building Skills for one-off tasks.

How Do You Measure ROI on Claude Code Implementation?

Track these metrics to quantify Claude Code’s marketing impact.

Time Savings Metrics

Measure before and after implementation:

• Content audit completion time (benchmark: 75% reduction)
• Brief creation time (benchmark: 60% reduction)
• Report generation time (benchmark: 70% reduction)
• Competitive analysis time (benchmark: 65% reduction)

Document baseline times before implementing Skills and Commands. Measure again after 30 days of usage.

Quality Consistency Metrics

Track output consistency:

• Revision cycles per content piece (target: 40% reduction)
• Brand guideline violations per month (target: 80% reduction)
• Audit methodology deviations (target: 95% reduction)
• Report format inconsistencies (target: 90% reduction)

Skills deliver quality improvements through consistent application. Track the metrics that matter for your team.

Cost Metrics

Calculate token efficiency:

• Tokens per workflow completion (should decrease as Skills mature)
• Cost per content audit (benchmark: 70% reduction)
• Cost per competitive analysis (benchmark: 65% reduction)

Dynamic model selection in v2.0.28 enables cost optimization. Use Haiku for simple tasks, Sonnet for standard work, Opus for complex analysis.

Action item: Document baseline times for your three most common workflows before implementing Claude Code. Measure again after 30 days. Share ROI data with stakeholders to justify continued investment.

Can You Use Skills Across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Other AI Platforms?

Skills are markdown files containing structured instructions. The pattern of packaging expertise into reusable instruction sets works across any LLM that accepts system prompts. The question is what transfers and what requires adaptation.

What Transfers Across Platforms

The core instructions inside a Skill are platform-agnostic. Your Brand Voice Skill contains tone guidelines, banned words, and example sentences. That content works in ChatGPT Custom GPTs, Gemini Gems, or any system prompt field. Copy the markdown content and paste it into another platform.

Prompt engineering patterns transfer completely. The structure of defining role, context, constraints, and output format works identically across LLMs. A well-written Skill teaches Claude and ChatGPT the same expertise.

Workflow logic transfers conceptually. The idea of “load brand context before writing copy” applies everywhere. The implementation syntax differs, but the mental model ports.

What Requires Adaptation

Execution environments differ but exist everywhere. Skills can include Python scripts that run in Claude’s VM. ChatGPT has Code Interpreter. OpenAI Assistants API supports code execution. Gemini executes code. Your scripts may need syntax adjustments, but code execution is not Claude-exclusive. The capability exists across platforms.

Auto-discovery remains Claude’s current advantage. Claude scans your Skills folder and loads relevant Skills automatically based on task context. ChatGPT Custom GPTs require manual selection from a menu. Gemini Gems require explicit invocation. This convenience gap may close as other platforms mature, but today Claude handles this better.

MCP is an open standard, not a walled garden. Anthropic released Model Context Protocol as an open specification in November 2024. The same MCP servers connecting Claude to HubSpot or Klaviyo can connect to other platforms implementing MCP. OpenAI and Google can adopt the protocol. Your MCP server investments are not locked to Claude.

Subagent patterns exist everywhere with different implementations. Claude’s Subagent architecture uses isolated context windows and parallel execution. OpenAI has Assistants and agent frameworks. Google has its own orchestration patterns. The concept of “spawn specialized workers” transfers. The specific API calls and configuration differ per platform.

File structures require trivial conversion. SKILL.md uses standard markdown with YAML frontmatter. Any platform reading markdown and YAML can parse this format. Converting to ChatGPT Custom GPT format or Gemini Gem configuration requires reformatting, not rewriting.

Portability Reference Table

Understanding what ports helps you build Skills that maximize reuse:

• Core instructions in markdown: Fully portable, copy and paste
• Prompt structure and patterns: Fully portable, works in any system prompt
• Workflow logic and frameworks: Fully portable, same concepts apply
• File structure conventions: Requires reformatting, trivial conversion effort
• Python script execution: Requires adaptation, all major platforms support code execution
• MCP server integrations: Requires setup per platform, MCP is an open standard
• Auto-discovery behavior: Claude advantage today, manual selection required elsewhere
• Subagent spawning: Requires adaptation, similar patterns exist across platforms

How to Structure Skills for Maximum Portability

Separate instructions from execution. Keep your core expertise in platform-agnostic markdown. Put execution logic in separate script files. This lets you maintain one source of truth for brand voice, audit methodology, and frameworks while adapting execution per platform.

Portable Skill Structure:

skills/brand-voice/
├── SKILL.md              # Platform-specific wrapper (small)
├── core/
│   ├── guidelines.md     # Portable: core instructions
│   ├── examples.md       # Portable: sample outputs
│   └── terminology.md    # Portable: word lists
└── scripts/
    └── validate-tone.py  # Requires adaptation per platform

Write instructions that any LLM understands. Avoid Claude-specific syntax in your core Skill content. Use standard markdown formatting. Define clear sections for role, context, rules, and output format.

Create platform-specific wrappers. Your Brand Voice content stays identical across platforms. The wrapper that loads it differs. Claude uses SKILL.md frontmatter. ChatGPT uses Custom GPT configuration. Gemini uses Gem setup. Same content, different containers.

Platform Equivalents for Claude Skills

Each major platform has its own version of persistent expertise:

ChatGPT Custom GPTs let you create specialized assistants with custom instructions, knowledge files, and capabilities. You manually select which GPT to use. No auto-discovery exists.

Gemini Gems provide saved instruction sets that modify Gemini’s behavior. Gems require explicit invocation. Google Workspace integration enables document access.

OpenAI Assistants API offers programmatic agent creation with tools, files, and instructions. Developers build custom orchestration logic. No built-in Subagent equivalent exists.

System prompts everywhere accept the core content from any Skill. Paste your Brand Voice instructions into any LLM’s system prompt field for immediate application.

The Case for Claude Code as Primary Orchestration Layer

Claude Code offers the most mature agentic architecture for marketing workflows today. The advantage is implementation polish, not exclusive capability. Use Claude Code as your primary orchestration layer because it requires less configuration to achieve sophisticated workflows.

Claude Code excels at multi-step workflows requiring context management, parallel execution, and tool integration. Auto-discovery means you build Skills once and Claude applies them without manual selection. Run your content audits, campaign analysis, and research orchestration through Claude Code for the smoothest experience.

Use ChatGPT for tasks where its specific strengths apply. Image generation with DALL-E, certain creative formats, existing Custom GPT libraries, or teams already invested in OpenAI’s ecosystem.

Use Gemini for deep Google Workspace integration. Document analysis across Google Drive, Gmail automation, and workflows touching Google’s ecosystem benefit from native Gemini access and authentication.

The strategic approach: Build your expertise once in portable markdown. Deploy through Claude Code for complex orchestration because it requires the least friction today. Adapt the same core content to other platforms when specific capabilities or team preferences warrant. Your intellectual property lives in the instructions, not the platform. Platform choice is about convenience and maturity, not lock-in.

Action item: Extract the core instructions from your top Skill. Remove any Claude-specific syntax. Test the portable version in ChatGPT and Gemini. Document which capabilities require platform-specific implementation.

What Mistakes Should Marketing Teams Avoid?

Marketing teams commonly make these mistakes when implementing Claude Code.

Building Too Many Skills Too Fast

Start with 2-3 Skills addressing your highest-frequency workflows. Adding Skills before mastering existing ones creates confusion. Claude may load conflicting instructions when Skills overlap.

Build one Skill. Test it across ten tasks. Refine based on results. Then build the next Skill.

Using Subagents for Sequential Work

Subagents excel at parallel execution. Using them for sequential work adds overhead without benefit. If step B depends on step A’s output, run them in sequence rather than spawning a Subagent.

Reserve Subagents for genuinely independent tasks. Content auditing different pages qualifies. Analyzing different competitors qualifies. Sequential approval workflows do not.

Neglecting the CLAUDE.md File

The CLAUDE.md file in your project root contains always-on instructions. Neglecting it forces repetitive context-setting. Include your project conventions, team preferences, and universal guidelines in CLAUDE.md.

CLAUDE.md should contain:

• Project-specific terminology
• File organization conventions
• Output format preferences
• Approval workflow requirements

This context loads automatically for every conversation in that project.

Ignoring Command Arguments

Commands accepting arguments ($ARGUMENTS) enable flexible reuse. A /content-brief $ARGUMENTS command works for any topic. Hard-coding topics creates duplicate Commands.

Design Commands with parameterization. Pass variables rather than creating topic-specific versions.

Action item: Review your current Claude Code setup. Identify any Skills with overlapping scope. Consolidate into a single Skill with clear routing logic.

Final Takeaways

Claude Code’s agentic architecture gives marketers three primitives: Skills for automatic expertise, Subagents for parallel execution, and Commands for predictable workflows.

Skills compound over time. Each use reinforces consistent application. Build your Brand Voice Skill first because it applies to the widest range of tasks.

Subagents transform sequential work into parallel execution. Content audits that took 8 hours complete in 2 hours. Identify independent workflow steps and parallelize them.

Commands provide predictable triggers for human-initiated workflows. Build Commands for brief generation, reporting, and audits that require on-demand execution.

Plan Mode separates strategy from execution. Use it for campaign planning where stakeholder approval precedes action. Iterate on plans before committing to implementation.

Skill instructions port across platforms. Write your core expertise in platform-agnostic markdown. Deploy execution through Claude Code. Adapt the same instructions to ChatGPT Custom GPTs or Gemini Gems when those platforms serve specific needs better.