Why this comes first: Every other department — content, design, campaign — depends on research. What are competitors saying? What language do clients use? What content gaps exist? Without answers to these, everything else is guesswork. Build your research foundation in Week 1.
Tool Stack for Research
The best research workflow combines two tools in sequence. Do not use only one.
| Tool |
What it does best |
When to use it |
| Perplexity (free) |
Gathers real-time facts, citations, competitive data from the web in under 3 minutes |
First pass — gather raw intelligence |
| Claude Research mode |
Deep synthesis, weighing contradictory evidence, structured long-form reports |
Second pass — synthesize and apply to your context |
| Claude (standard) |
Apply findings to your specific situation, generate battlecards, write briefs |
Final pass — turn research into usable output |
The master sequence: Perplexity → gather facts → paste into Claude → synthesize → paste into Claude Project → apply to your context and generate deliverable.
Workflow 1 — Competitor CA Firm Analysis
Run this once per quarter. Understand exactly what other CA firms in your market are saying, where they're weak, and where the positioning gap is.
1
Gather raw data on each competitor
For each CA firm you want to analyze: copy their homepage copy, their services page, their LinkedIn about section, and paste 10-15 Google/Justdial reviews into a text doc. Also copy 5 of their recent LinkedIn posts if they have them.
2
Run the per-competitor analysis prompt (below)
Paste everything you gathered into Claude with the prompt. Do this separately for each competitor — one analysis per firm.
3
Run the cross-competitor synthesis prompt (below)
After analyzing 3+ competitors, paste all findings together and run the synthesis prompt. This reveals the positioning whitespace — what no one is saying that you could own.
Prompt 1A — Per-Competitor Analysis
You are a competitive intelligence analyst. Analyze this CA firm based on the content I've pasted below.
Identify:
1) Their primary value proposition — who are they talking to and what's the main promise?
2) Top 3 reasons clients choose them (from reviews and messaging)
3) Top 3 recurring complaints or weaknesses (from negative reviews)
4) What clients say they wish was better
5) Their positioning — who specifically are they targeting?
6) Content and distribution strategy (what do they post, how often, what topics?)
7) Tone of voice — how do they sound? (formal/casual, jargon-heavy/plain English)
8) What type of client they attract vs. what type we want to attract
[PASTE COMPETITOR HOMEPAGE + REVIEWS + LINKEDIN CONTENT HERE]
Prompt 1B — Cross-Competitor Synthesis (run after 3+ individual analyses)
I've analyzed [X] CA firms in our market. Here are my findings for each:
[PASTE INDIVIDUAL ANALYSES HERE]
Now identify:
1) Which positioning territories are most crowded — what are ALL of them saying?
2) Where is there whitespace — what is NO ONE saying that clients actually care about?
3) Which client segments appear underserved across all competitors?
4) What content topics are they all covering vs. what topics are completely absent?
5) Where is our strongest differentiation opportunity?
6) The 3 most actionable insights for our marketing and positioning
Cross-reference with our brand block [reference brand-block.md in Project Knowledge].
Workflow 2 — Client Sentiment & Language Mining
The language your clients use to describe their problems is the most powerful input you can give to any marketing copy. This workflow mines it systematically.
1
Collect raw client language
Sources: WhatsApp messages from clients asking questions, email threads with clients, Google/Justdial reviews, any forum posts (CA Club India, Reddit IndiaInvests) where your target clients discuss their CA-related problems. Copy-paste 20-30 examples into a text doc.
2
Run the pain language extraction prompt
The goal is to surface the exact phrases and words clients use — not what a CA thinks clients care about, but what clients themselves say.
3
Save output as pain-vocabulary.md in Project Knowledge
Every piece of marketing copy you write going forward should pull from this vocabulary. Ad headlines, LinkedIn posts, WhatsApp broadcasts — all of it.
Prompt 2 — Pain Language Extraction
Analyze the following real messages, reviews, and forum posts from CA firm clients and potential clients.
Extract:
1) The exact phrases and words people use to describe their problem (not paraphrased — actual language)
2) The emotions behind the language (fear / frustration / confusion / urgency)
3) The top 5 recurring pain points, ranked by frequency
4) What "success" looks like in their language — how do they describe what they want?
5) Questions they repeatedly ask (these are content ideas)
6) What they say about experiences with their current or past CA firm (positive and negative)
Format as a vocabulary reference document with direct quotes. These phrases should be used verbatim in our marketing copy.
[PASTE CLIENT MESSAGES / REVIEWS / FORUM POSTS HERE]
Workflow 3 — Regulatory & Industry Intelligence (The Highest-Leverage Research)
Every Budget, GST Council meeting, MCA circular, or SEBI notification is a research and content opportunity. This workflow turns any regulatory update into structured intelligence within 30 minutes.
1
Get the source document
Budget speech PDF, CBDT circular, GST notification, MCA amendment — any official document. Download it and paste the relevant sections (or the full text for shorter circulars) into Claude.
2
Run the regulatory intelligence prompt
This converts the official document into: a structured summary, impact analysis by client segment, and ready-to-use content angles — all in one run.
3
Use the output to feed the Content Department
The research output becomes the input for your content team. One regulatory event → one research brief → multiple content pieces across LinkedIn, WhatsApp, email.
Prompt 3 — Regulatory Update Intelligence Brief
You are a CA firm's research analyst. Analyze the following regulatory update/circular/budget amendment.
Produce a structured intelligence brief covering:
SUMMARY
- What changed in plain English (3-4 sentences, no jargon)
- Effective date
IMPACT BY CLIENT SEGMENT
- Impact on startups/early-stage companies
- Impact on established SMEs
- Impact on HNI individuals (if applicable)
- Impact on specific industries we serve: [list your focus industries]
URGENCY ASSESSMENT
- Who needs to take action immediately?
- What action do they need to take?
- What's the consequence of inaction?
OPPORTUNITIES
- Are there planning opportunities this creates?
- Are there services we should be proactively offering?
CONTENT ANGLES
- 3 LinkedIn post angles with suggested hooks
- 1 WhatsApp broadcast message (plain language, 3 sentences max)
- 1 client email subject line
- 1 FAQ this will generate from clients
[PASTE REGULATORY DOCUMENT / CIRCULAR / NOTIFICATION TEXT HERE]
This is the foundational workflow. Run it every time a significant notification drops. Being the first CA firm to publish a clear plain-English explainer is how you build authority.
Workflow 4 — Deep Research Mode (Claude Max)
For larger research projects — market sizing, sector analysis, competitor deep-dives — use Claude's Research mode. Toggle it in Claude.ai before sending your prompt. Standard mode runs 5-15 minutes. Advanced mode can run up to 45 minutes and checks hundreds of sources.
Prompt 4 — Deep Research: Sector Intelligence for CA Marketing
Deep research task: I am a CA firm in India targeting [specific segment — e.g., early-stage tech startups in Bangalore].
Research and produce a structured sector intelligence report covering:
1) Market size and growth: How many [segment] businesses exist in India / [city]? How fast is the segment growing?
2) Compliance complexity: What are the top regulatory challenges specific to [segment] in FY26? (funding-related FEMA compliance / ESOP taxation / GST for SaaS / transfer pricing)
3) Content gaps: What compliance/tax questions is this segment asking online but not finding good answers to? (Check Reddit IndiaInvests, Startup India community, CA Club India forums)
4) Content opportunity: What topics are no CA firms currently covering well for this segment?
5) Competitive landscape: Which CA firms or services are specifically marketing to this segment? What are they saying?
6) Marketing channels: Where does this segment spend time online? (Which communities, newsletters, LinkedIn groups, Slack groups?)
Format as an executive brief with a comparison table and 5 actionable insights.
Return all sources.
Skills to Use
/competitor-alternatives
/marketing-ideas
/marketing-psychology
/content-strategy
Inputs Needed → Expected Output
What You Provide
- Competitor firm names + their URLs
- Raw client messages / reviews (20-30 samples)
- Official regulatory documents (PDFs / text)
- Your target segment description
- The decision you're trying to make
What Claude Produces
- Competitor positioning map with whitespace analysis
- Pain vocabulary document (client's own words)
- Regulatory intelligence brief with content angles
- Sector report with content gap analysis
- Weekly monitoring digest (if automated)
Step 0 — Train Claude on the Founder's Voice (Do Once)
The most important content setup. Without this, everything sounds like generic AI. With it, Claude writes in the founder's voice with 70%+ publishable output on the first draft.
1
Gather 5-10 voice samples
Collect: 3-5 emails the founder has written to clients, 2-3 WhatsApp explanations of complex topics, any LinkedIn posts if they exist, the founder's way of explaining a common CA concept verbally. Minimum 2,000 words total. Raw and unpolished is better than polished.
2
Run the voice analysis prompt
Paste all samples into Claude and run the analysis. This produces a style guide document.
3
Upload style guide to Project Knowledge
Save the output as voice-profile.md and upload to the Claude Project. Add a short refresh prompt (100-150 words of the key rules) to the Project's Custom Instructions so it's always active.
Voice Analysis Prompt
You are an expert writing coach. Analyze the following writing samples from a CA firm founder.
Identify the unique patterns that make their writing distinctive:
1) Sentence structure — average length, variation, use of short punchy sentences vs. longer explanation
2) Vocabulary — formality level, words they use that others don't, words they never use
3) How they open (emails, explanations, posts)
4) How they use numbers and data
5) How they explain complex concepts — analogies, examples, step-by-step?
6) Tone — formal or conversational? Direct or hedged?
7) 5-8 signature phrases or expressions they repeat
8) What they never say — jargon, corporate speak, anything that feels unnatural for them
Then produce:
A) A 600-word style guide with explicit DO and DON'T examples
B) A 100-word refresh prompt (for pasting at the start of future writing sessions)
[PASTE WRITING SAMPLES HERE]
Workflow 1 — Regulatory Moment → Multi-Format Content
When a Budget, GST update, or CBDT circular drops — this workflow produces 5 content pieces in under 20 minutes. Being first with clear content is a CA firm's biggest content advantage.
1
Run the Research brief first
Use Research Workflow 3 (regulatory intelligence brief) to extract the substance. This becomes the input for all content.
2
Run the multi-format content prompt
Paste the research brief into Claude with the prompt below. One run produces all formats simultaneously.
3
Intern reviews and publishes within 2 hours of the news
Founder does a 5-minute read-through to check facts and voice. Intern publishes LinkedIn, sends WhatsApp broadcast, schedules email.
Multi-Format Content Prompt
Using my brand voice profile and the research brief below, create the following content pieces:
1) LINKEDIN POST
Hook-driven post (max 1,300 characters). Open with one line that makes a CA's client stop scrolling. Explain what changed in plain English. 3 bullet points on who it affects and how. End with one question. No hashtag spam — 2-3 max.
2) LINKEDIN CAROUSEL (5 slides)
Slide 1: Hook headline
Slides 2-4: One key point per slide, plain language
Slide 5: CTA / what to do next
Give slide-by-slide copy only (text content, not design)
3) WHATSAPP BROADCAST (90 words max)
3 short paragraphs. Plain English. What changed, who it affects, one action to take. Sound like a message from a friend, not a corporate announcement.
4) EMAIL SUBJECT LINE
3 options: one curiosity-driven, one urgency-driven, one specific (with numbers/dates)
5) INSTAGRAM CAPTION (for a carousel or reel)
Punchy opening line. 3-4 lines of explanation. Simple CTA.
RESEARCH BRIEF: [paste from Research Workflow 3]
VOICE PROFILE: [reference voice-profile.md in Project Knowledge]
Workflow 2 — Content Repurposing Pipeline
One piece of original content → 8-10 platform-ready pieces. This is how you produce at volume with minimal effort.
Repurposing Prompt — Blog / Article → Multiple Formats
Read this article/post I've written. Using my brand voice profile, create:
1) LinkedIn post — under 1,300 characters, hook opening, 3 key takeaways, one CTA
2) Twitter/X thread — 6 tweets in a narrative arc. Each tweet standalone-readable.
3) Newsletter intro — 3-sentence teaser + subject line (give 3 subject line options)
4) WhatsApp broadcast — 80 words, plain English, one clear action
5) Instagram caption — punchy, personal, CTA at end
6) 5 LinkedIn post IDEAS (not written out) from different angles in this article
ARTICLE: [paste article]
VOICE: [reference voice-profile.md]
Angle Extractor — Before Writing a LinkedIn Post
I want to write a LinkedIn post about [topic]. Here are my rough thoughts:
[PASTE ROUGH NOTES / VOICE MEMO TRANSCRIPT]
Give me 3 different angles I could take on this topic for LinkedIn:
- Contrarian angle (challenges conventional wisdom)
- Specific angle (built around a number, case, or example)
- Personal angle (story from my practice)
For each angle, give me: the hook line (opening sentence), the core argument in 2 sentences, and whether it fits awareness / consideration / conversion intent.
Audience: [your ICP]
Voice: [reference voice-profile.md]
Skills to Use
/content-strategy
/copywriting
/copy-editing
/social-content
/humanizer
Inputs Needed → Expected Output
What You Provide
- 5-10 writing samples for voice training
- Regulatory document or topic brief
- Rough notes / voice memo / bullet points
- Brand voice file (one-time setup)
What Claude Produces
- LinkedIn posts, carousels, threads
- WhatsApp broadcast copy
- Email subject lines + newsletter intro
- Instagram captions
- 10+ pieces from one input
Step 0 — Build Your Design Brand Block (Do Once)
Like the brand voice file, this is a one-time reference file that gets pasted at the start of every design brief prompt. Consistency comes from the inputs, not the AI.
Design Brand Block Template
BRAND DESIGN REFERENCE
Firm: [Name]
COLORS
Primary: [Hex code] — used for: [backgrounds / headlines]
Secondary: [Hex code] — used for: [accents / CTAs]
Neutral: [Hex code] — used for: [body text / borders]
White: #FFFFFF
Background: [Hex code]
TYPOGRAPHY
Heading font: [Font name] [weight e.g. Bold 700]
Body font: [Font name] [weight e.g. Regular 400]
Accent font: [if any]
VISUAL STYLE (describe in 8 adjectives)
e.g.: Clean, minimal, trustworthy, warm, professional, approachable, data-forward, high whitespace
DO NOT INCLUDE
[e.g. Neon colors, drop shadows, clip art, stock photo people shaking hands, red color for anything except alerts]
REFERENCE BRANDS (visual direction only)
[e.g. "Similar visual feel to Zerodha or ClearTax — clean fintech aesthetic"]
PLATFORM DIMENSIONS
Instagram: 1080x1080 (square), 1080x1350 (portrait)
LinkedIn: 1200x627 (landscape post), 1080x1080 (square)
WhatsApp: 800x800 minimum
Stories: 1080x1920
Workflow 1 — Content → Canva Brief
For every piece of content the Content Department produces, this workflow generates a matching design brief. The intern takes the brief directly into Canva — no interpretation needed.
Canva Brief Prompt — LinkedIn Carousel
You are a creative director writing a Canva execution brief for a designer.
BRAND REFERENCE: [paste design brand block above]
DELIVERABLE: LinkedIn carousel, [X] slides, 1080x1080
CONTENT TO DESIGN: [paste the carousel copy from Content Workflow]
Produce a slide-by-slide design brief. For each slide include:
- Slide purpose (cover / explanation / example / CTA)
- Text content (exact words — do not change)
- Layout direction (e.g., "text left, graphic element right" / "full bleed color block with centered text")
- Background color (use hex from brand block)
- Text color and hierarchy (which font for what text, approximate sizing)
- Visual element (icon / illustration direction / chart type / no visual)
- Mood for this slide (e.g., "urgent", "reassuring", "factual")
End with:
- Overall visual concept in 2 sentences (what should the full carousel FEEL like?)
- 3 things the designer must NOT do
No follow-up questions should be needed after this brief.
Canva Brief Prompt — Single Graphic (Announcement / Tip)
Write a Canva design brief for a single-image [Instagram / LinkedIn] post.
BRAND REFERENCE: [paste design brand block]
PLATFORM: [Instagram square 1080x1080 / LinkedIn landscape 1200x627]
CONTENT: [paste the copy — headline, subtext, CTA]
The brief must specify:
1) Background treatment (solid color / gradient / textured — with exact hex)
2) Text layout and hierarchy (headline size vs. body size, position on canvas)
3) Visual element (if any — describe style: flat icon, minimal illustration, data visualization, none)
4) Color usage map (which hex goes where)
5) Whitespace usage (generous / tight — and where)
6) One visual "anchor" — the element the eye goes to first
7) What to avoid (specific to this piece)
Brand: [paste design block]
Content: [paste copy]
Workflow 2 — Campaign Visual Direction (Before Any Design Starts)
Before a major content push or campaign, use this to establish visual direction. Get alignment on the look and feel before executing 10 pieces in the wrong direction.
Visual Territory Prompt
Create 3 different visual direction territories for our [ITR season campaign / client acquisition campaign / [topic] campaign].
For each territory:
- Territory name (2-3 words)
- Color palette (3-4 hex codes with brief rationale for each)
- Typography direction (what personality the fonts should convey — e.g., authoritative, approachable, minimal)
- Photography/illustration direction (real documentary-style photos / clean flat illustration / icon-forward / data visualization / no photos — text only)
- One reference brand that uses this visual territory (for the intern to look up)
- Why this territory would OR would not fit our CA firm audience
After presenting 3, recommend which one to use and why.
Our brand reference: [paste design brand block]
Campaign context: [1-2 sentences about the campaign]
Audience: [ICP]
Skills to Use
/canvas-design
/ad-creative
Inputs Needed → Expected Output
What You Provide
- Brand colors (hex codes)
- Font names and weights
- Style adjectives + negative cues
- Content copy (from Content Dept.)
- Platform and dimensions
What Claude Produces
- Slide-by-slide Canva brief
- Color usage map per asset
- Typography hierarchy instructions
- Visual element direction
- Campaign mood board territories
Step 0 — Context Loading (Do Once Per Campaign)
Before any campaign prompt, load Claude's context with what it needs. This is the "brain" for the campaign. Run this as the first message in any new campaign chat.
Campaign Context Block
You are working as a senior marketing strategist for [FIRM NAME], a CA consultancy.
From Project Knowledge: [reference brand-block.md]
CAMPAIGN-SPECIFIC CONTEXT:
Campaign type: [LAUNCH / SEASONAL / LEAD-GEN / REFERRAL / AWARENESS]
Objective: [One sentence — e.g., "Generate 20 qualified discovery calls in 30 days"]
Timeline: [Start date → End date]
Budget: [Total / per channel if known — or "no paid budget, organic only"]
Channels available: [LinkedIn / WhatsApp / Email / Instagram / Referral / Events]
AUDIENCE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN:
[Be specific — not "SME owners" but "Startup founders who recently raised their first round and need compliance setup"]
OFFER / ANGLE:
[What are we offering? e.g., "Free 30-min compliance audit call" / "Advance tax planning consultation" / "GST notice response support"]
PAST PERFORMANCE (if any):
[Any open rates, conversion rates, response rates from past campaigns]
For every output in this session, maintain this context.
Workflow 1 — Full Campaign Brief (GACCS Framework)
One prompt produces the complete campaign document. Use it as the brief you hand to the intern for execution.
Campaign Brief Prompt
Based on the context above, write a full campaign brief using the GACCS framework:
G — GOALS
Primary objective (one sentence)
3 supporting KPIs with: what we're measuring, baseline (if known), and target
What success looks like at Day 14 and Day 30
A — AUDIENCE
Primary segment (role, company type, stage, specific pain for this campaign)
How they currently find CA firms
What they care about most right now (seasonal urgency if applicable)
C — CREATIVE
Core narrative: one sentence that ties the campaign together
Messaging hierarchy: primary claim → 3 supporting proof points → one-liner for direct outreach
Tone for this campaign (may differ from default brand tone)
What we never say in this campaign
C — CHANNELS
Channel mix with role for each (awareness / consideration / conversion)
Sequencing: what fires first, what follows, at what intervals
Cadence per channel
4-week calendar (what goes out when)
S — STRUCTURE
Asset list (what content needs to be produced)
Who owns what (founder / intern)
Review checkpoints
End with a one-paragraph answer to: "Why will this campaign work?"
Workflow 2 — Messaging Hierarchy + Copy Variants
After the brief, build the message matrix. This document becomes the source of truth for every piece of copy the intern produces — so all assets feel coherent across channels.
Messaging Hierarchy Prompt
Using the campaign brief above, build a messaging hierarchy:
1) PRIMARY MESSAGE: One sentence that works across all channels
2) PROOF POINTS: 3 supporting statements (each addressing one buyer objection or fear)
3) PERSONA VARIANTS:
- Rewrite the primary message for [Persona A — e.g., startup founder] (emphasize [compliance peace of mind])
- Rewrite for [Persona B — e.g., established SME owner] (emphasize [tax savings])
4) COPY BY LENGTH:
- 6-8 words: for LinkedIn headline / banner
- 15-20 words: for email subject / WhatsApp opening
- 50 words: for ad body / LinkedIn hook
- 150 words: for email body / LinkedIn post
5) CTA VARIANTS:
- Low commitment: [e.g., "Download the guide"]
- Medium commitment: [e.g., "Book a free 20-min call"]
- High commitment: [e.g., "Start your compliance review today"]
6) WHAT NOT TO SAY: 3 phrases to avoid and why
Copy Variants Prompt (A/B/C Testing)
Generate copy variants for this campaign. For each asset, give 3 versions testing different angles:
EMAIL SUBJECT LINES (9 total):
- 3 testing curiosity angle
- 3 testing urgency angle (seasonal / deadline-driven)
- 3 testing social proof / authority
LINKEDIN OPENING HOOKS (6 total):
- 3 for startup founders
- 3 for SME owners
WHATSAPP OPENING LINES (3 total):
- 1 story-driven
- 1 question-driven
- 1 data/number-driven
For each variant, note the psychological trigger: curiosity / urgency / authority / loss aversion / social proof.
Voice: [reference voice-profile.md]
Campaign context: [reference campaign brief above]
Skills to Use
/paid-ads
/launch-strategy
/marketing-psychology
/email-sequence
/analytics-tracking
/referral-program
Workflow 3 — Measurement Framework + Iteration Loop
The campaign doesn't end at launch. Feed real performance data back in weekly and Claude tells you what to change.
Measurement Framework Prompt
Build a measurement framework for this campaign:
1) North Star metric: the ONE number that determines if this campaign worked
2) Leading indicators: 3-4 metrics to check weekly that signal early success or failure
3) Channel KPIs: one primary metric per channel (LinkedIn: [what], Email: [what], WhatsApp: [what])
4) Weekly review checklist: what to look at, what thresholds trigger a pivot
5) What "good" looks like at Day 7 / Day 14 / Day 30
6) Failure conditions: which metrics tell us to stop or change approach
Weekly Optimization Prompt (Run Every Monday)
Here are the results from the past week of the campaign:
LinkedIn: [impressions / reach / engagement rate / clicks]
Email: [open rate / click rate / replies]
WhatsApp: [delivery rate / response rate]
Conversions: [calls booked / leads captured]
Any qualitative feedback: [paste any replies or responses you received]
Based on this:
1) What is working better than expected?
2) What is underperforming? What's the most likely reason?
3) Which copy angle (A/B/C) is winning?
4) What 2-3 specific changes should we make this week?
5) What hypothesis should we test next week?
Inputs Needed → Expected Output
What You Provide
- Campaign objective (one sentence)
- Audience description (specific)
- Offer or angle
- Budget and channels available
- Weekly performance data
What Claude Produces
- Full GACCS campaign brief
- Messaging hierarchy with copy sizes
- A/B/C copy variants per asset
- 4-week execution calendar
- Weekly optimization recommendations