Optimize skill files for AI agent use with progressive disclosure

- Fix marketplace.json: add 2 missing skills (content-strategy, product-marketing-context)
- Refactor 10 skills over 500 lines to use references/ folders:
  - email-sequence: 926 → 291 lines
  - social-content: 809 → 276 lines
  - competitor-alternatives: 750 → 253 lines
  - pricing-strategy: 712 → 226 lines
  - programmatic-seo: 628 → 235 lines
  - referral-program: 604 → 239 lines
  - schema-markup: 598 → 175 lines
  - free-tool-strategy: 576 → 176 lines
  - paywall-upgrade-cro: 572 → 224 lines
  - marketing-ideas: 566 → 165 lines

Each skill now has core workflow in SKILL.md (<500 lines) with detailed
content in references/ folder for progressive disclosure.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Corey Haines
2026-01-26 16:39:45 -08:00
parent becdd54cf9
commit c29ee7e6db
28 changed files with 4381 additions and 5100 deletions

View File

@@ -107,675 +107,104 @@ Consider:
---
## Sequence Templates
## Sequence Types Overview
### Welcome Sequence (Post-Signup)
**Length**: 5-7 emails over 12-14 days
**Goal**: Activate, build trust, convert
**Email 1: Welcome (Immediate)**
- Subject: Welcome to [Product] — here's your first step
- Deliver what was promised (lead magnet, access, etc.)
- Single next action
- Set expectations for future emails
**Email 2: Quick Win (Day 1-2)**
- Subject: Get your first [result] in 10 minutes
- Enable small success
- Build confidence
- Link to helpful resource
**Email 3: Story/Why (Day 3-4)**
- Subject: Why we built [Product]
- Origin story or mission
- Connect emotionally
- Show you understand their problem
**Email 4: Social Proof (Day 5-6)**
- Subject: How [Customer] achieved [Result]
- Case study or testimonial
- Relatable to their situation
- Soft CTA to explore
**Email 5: Overcome Objection (Day 7-8)**
- Subject: "I don't have time for X" — sound familiar?
- Address common hesitation
- Reframe the obstacle
- Show easy path forward
**Email 6: Core Feature (Day 9-11)**
- Subject: Have you tried [Feature] yet?
- Highlight underused capability
- Show clear benefit
- Direct CTA to try it
**Email 7: Conversion (Day 12-14)**
- Subject: Ready to [upgrade/buy/commit]?
- Summarize value
- Clear offer
- Urgency if appropriate
- Risk reversal (guarantee, trial)
---
Key emails:
1. Welcome + deliver promised value (immediate)
2. Quick win (day 1-2)
3. Story/Why (day 3-4)
4. Social proof (day 5-6)
5. Overcome objection (day 7-8)
6. Core feature highlight (day 9-11)
7. Conversion (day 12-14)
### Lead Nurture Sequence (Pre-Sale)
**Length**: 6-8 emails over 2-3 weeks
**Goal**: Build trust, demonstrate expertise, convert
**Email 1: Deliver + Introduce (Immediate)**
- Deliver the lead magnet
- Brief intro to who you are
- Preview what's coming
**Email 2: Expand on Topic (Day 2-3)**
- Related insight to lead magnet
- Establish expertise
- Light CTA to content
**Email 3: Problem Deep-Dive (Day 4-5)**
- Articulate their problem deeply
- Show you understand
- Hint at solution
**Email 4: Solution Framework (Day 6-8)**
- Your approach/methodology
- Educational, not salesy
- Builds toward your product
**Email 5: Case Study (Day 9-11)**
- Real results from real customer
- Specific and relatable
- Soft CTA
**Email 6: Differentiation (Day 12-14)**
- Why your approach is different
- Address alternatives
- Build preference
**Email 7: Objection Handler (Day 15-18)**
- Common concern addressed
- FAQ or myth-busting
- Reduce friction
**Email 8: Direct Offer (Day 19-21)**
- Clear pitch
- Strong value proposition
- Specific CTA
- Urgency if available
---
Key emails:
1. Deliver lead magnet + intro (immediate)
2. Expand on topic (day 2-3)
3. Problem deep-dive (day 4-5)
4. Solution framework (day 6-8)
5. Case study (day 9-11)
6. Differentiation (day 12-14)
7. Objection handler (day 15-18)
8. Direct offer (day 19-21)
### Re-Engagement Sequence
**Length**: 3-4 emails over 2 weeks
**Trigger**: 30-60 days of inactivity
**Goal**: Win back or clean list
**Email 1: Check-In (Day 30-60 of inactivity)**
- Subject: Is everything okay, [Name]?
- Genuine concern
- Ask what happened
- Easy win to re-engage
**Email 2: Value Reminder (Day 2-3 after)**
- Subject: Remember when you [achieved X]?
- Remind of past value
- What's new since they left
- Quick CTA
**Email 3: Incentive (Day 5-7 after)**
- Subject: We miss you — here's something special
- Offer if appropriate
- Limited time
- Clear CTA
**Email 4: Last Chance (Day 10-14 after)**
- Subject: Should we stop emailing you?
- Honest and direct
- One-click to stay or go
- Clean the list if no response
---
Key emails:
1. Check-in (genuine concern)
2. Value reminder (what's new)
3. Incentive (special offer)
4. Last chance (stay or unsubscribe)
### Onboarding Sequence (Product Users)
**Length**: 5-7 emails over 14 days
**Goal**: Activate, drive to aha moment, upgrade
**Note**: Coordinate with in-app onboarding—email supports, doesn't duplicate
Coordinate with in-app onboarding. Email supports, doesn't duplicate.
Key emails:
1. Welcome + first step (immediate)
2. Getting started help (day 1)
3. Feature highlight (day 2-3)
4. Success story (day 4-5)
5. Check-in (day 7)
6. Advanced tip (day 10-12)
7. Upgrade/expand (day 14+)
**Email 1: Welcome + First Step (Immediate)**
- Confirm signup
- One critical action
- Link directly to that action
**Email 2: Getting Started Help (Day 1)**
- If they haven't completed step 1
- Quick tip or video
- Support option
**Email 3: Feature Highlight (Day 2-3)**
- Key feature they should know
- Specific use case
- In-app link
**Email 4: Success Story (Day 4-5)**
- Customer who succeeded
- Relatable journey
- Motivational
**Email 5: Check-In (Day 7)**
- How's it going?
- Ask for feedback
- Offer help
**Email 6: Advanced Tip (Day 10-12)**
- Power feature
- For engaged users
- Level-up content
**Email 7: Upgrade/Expand (Day 14+)**
- For trial users: conversion push
- For free users: upgrade prompt
- For paid: expansion opportunity
**For detailed templates**: See [references/sequence-templates.md](references/sequence-templates.md)
---
## Email Types Reference
A comprehensive guide to lifecycle and campaign emails. Use this as an audit checklist and implementation reference.
## Email Types by Category
### Onboarding Emails
#### New Users Series
**Trigger**: User signs up (free or trial)
**Goal**: Activate user, drive to aha moment
**Typical sequence**: 5-7 emails over 14 days
- Email 1: Welcome + single next step (immediate)
- Email 2: Quick win / getting started (day 1)
- Email 3: Key feature highlight (day 3)
- Email 4: Success story / social proof (day 5)
- Email 5: Check-in + offer help (day 7)
- Email 6: Advanced tip (day 10)
- Email 7: Upgrade prompt or next milestone (day 14)
**Key metrics**: Activation rate, feature adoption
---
#### New Customers Series
**Trigger**: User converts to paid
**Goal**: Reinforce purchase decision, drive adoption, reduce early churn
**Typical sequence**: 3-5 emails over 14 days
- Email 1: Thank you + what's next (immediate)
- Email 2: Getting full value — setup checklist (day 2)
- Email 3: Pro tips for paid features (day 5)
- Email 4: Success story from similar customer (day 7)
- Email 5: Check-in + introduce support resources (day 14)
**Key point**: Different from new user series—they've committed. Focus on reinforcement and expansion, not conversion.
---
#### Key Onboarding Step Reminder
**Trigger**: User hasn't completed critical setup step after X time
**Goal**: Nudge completion of high-value action
**Format**: Single email or 2-3 email mini-sequence
**Example triggers**:
- Hasn't connected integration after 48 hours
- Hasn't invited team member after 3 days
- Hasn't completed profile after 24 hours
**Copy approach**:
- Remind them what they started
- Explain why this step matters
- Make it easy (direct link to complete)
- Offer help if stuck
---
#### New User Invite
**Trigger**: Existing user invites teammate
**Goal**: Activate the invited user
**Recipient**: The person being invited
- Email 1: You've been invited (immediate)
- Email 2: Reminder if not accepted (day 2)
- Email 3: Final reminder (day 5)
**Copy approach**:
- Personalize with inviter's name
- Explain what they're joining
- Single CTA to accept invite
- Social proof optional
---
- New users series
- New customers series
- Key onboarding step reminders
- New user invites
### Retention Emails
#### Upgrade to Paid
**Trigger**: Free user shows engagement, or trial ending
**Goal**: Convert free to paid
**Typical sequence**: 3-5 emails
**Trigger options**:
- Time-based (trial day 10, 12, 14)
- Behavior-based (hit usage limit, used premium feature)
- Engagement-based (highly active free user)
**Sequence structure**:
- Value summary: What they've accomplished
- Feature comparison: What they're missing
- Social proof: Who else upgraded
- Urgency: Trial ending, limited offer
- Final: Last chance + easy path
---
#### Upgrade to Higher Plan
**Trigger**: User approaching plan limits or using features available on higher tier
**Goal**: Upsell to next tier
**Format**: Single email or 2-3 email sequence
**Trigger examples**:
- 80% of seat limit reached
- 90% of storage/usage limit
- Tried to use higher-tier feature
- Power user behavior patterns
**Copy approach**:
- Acknowledge their growth (positive framing)
- Show what next tier unlocks
- Quantify value vs. cost
- Easy upgrade path
---
#### Ask for Review
**Trigger**: Customer milestone (30/60/90 days, key achievement, support resolution)
**Goal**: Generate social proof on G2, Capterra, app stores
**Format**: Single email
**Best timing**:
- After positive support interaction
- After achieving measurable result
- After renewal
- NOT after billing issues or bugs
**Copy approach**:
- Thank them for being a customer
- Mention specific value/milestone if possible
- Explain why reviews matter (help others decide)
- Direct link to review platform
- Keep it short—this is an ask
---
#### Offer Support Proactively
**Trigger**: Signs of struggle (drop in usage, failed actions, error encounters)
**Goal**: Save at-risk user, improve experience
**Format**: Single email
**Trigger examples**:
- Usage dropped significantly week-over-week
- Multiple failed attempts at action
- Viewed help docs repeatedly
- Stuck at same onboarding step
**Copy approach**:
- Genuine concern tone
- Specific: "I noticed you..." (if data allows)
- Offer direct help (not just link to docs)
- Personal from support or CSM
- No sales pitch—pure help
---
#### Product Usage Report
**Trigger**: Time-based (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
**Goal**: Demonstrate value, drive engagement, reduce churn
**Format**: Single email, recurring
**What to include**:
- Key metrics/activity summary
- Comparison to previous period
- Achievements/milestones
- Suggestions for improvement
- Light CTA to explore more
**Examples**:
- "You saved X hours this month"
- "Your team completed X projects"
- "You're in the top X% of users"
**Key point**: Make them feel good and remind them of value delivered.
---
#### NPS Survey
**Trigger**: Time-based (quarterly) or event-based (post-milestone)
**Goal**: Measure satisfaction, identify promoters and detractors
**Format**: Single email
**Best practices**:
- Keep it simple: Just the NPS question initially
- Follow-up form for "why" based on score
- Personal sender (CEO, founder, CSM)
- Tell them how you'll use feedback
**Follow-up based on score**:
- Promoters (9-10): Thank + ask for review/referral
- Passives (7-8): Ask what would make it a 10
- Detractors (0-6): Personal outreach to understand issues
---
#### Referral Program
**Trigger**: Customer milestone, promoter NPS score, or campaign
**Goal**: Generate referrals
**Format**: Single email or periodic reminders
**Good timing**:
- After positive NPS response
- After customer achieves result
- After renewal
- Seasonal campaigns
**Copy approach**:
- Remind them of their success
- Explain the referral offer clearly
- Make sharing easy (unique link)
- Show what's in it for them AND referee
---
- Upgrade to paid
- Upgrade to higher plan
- Ask for review
- Proactive support offers
- Product usage reports
- NPS survey
- Referral program
### Billing Emails
#### Switch to Annual
**Trigger**: Monthly subscriber at renewal time or campaign
**Goal**: Convert monthly to annual (improve LTV, reduce churn)
**Format**: Single email or 2-email sequence
**Value proposition**:
- Calculate exact savings
- Additional benefits (if any)
- Lock in current price messaging
- Easy one-click switch
**Best timing**:
- Around monthly renewal date
- End of year / new year
- After 3-6 months of loyalty
- Price increase announcement (lock in old rate)
---
#### Failed Payment Recovery
**Trigger**: Payment fails
**Goal**: Recover revenue, retain customer
**Typical sequence**: 3-4 emails over 7-14 days
**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 0): Friendly notice, update payment link
- Email 2 (Day 3): Reminder, service may be interrupted
- Email 3 (Day 7): Urgent, account will be suspended
- Email 4 (Day 10-14): Final notice, what they'll lose
**Copy approach**:
- Assume it's an accident (card expired, etc.)
- Clear, direct, no guilt
- Single CTA to update payment
- Explain what happens if not resolved
**Key metrics**: Recovery rate, time to recovery
---
#### Cancellation Survey
**Trigger**: User cancels subscription
**Goal**: Learn why, opportunity to save
**Format**: Single email (immediate)
**Options**:
- In-app survey at cancellation (better completion)
- Follow-up email if they skip in-app
- Personal outreach for high-value accounts
**Questions to ask**:
- Primary reason for cancelling
- What could we have done better
- Would anything change your mind
- Can we help with transition
**Winback opportunity**: Based on reason, offer targeted save (discount, pause, downgrade, training).
---
#### Upcoming Renewal Reminder
**Trigger**: X days before renewal (14 or 30 days typical)
**Goal**: No surprise charges, opportunity to expand
**Format**: Single email
**What to include**:
- Renewal date and amount
- What's included in renewal
- How to update payment/plan
- Changes to pricing/features (if any)
- Optional: Upsell opportunity
**Required for**: Annual subscriptions, high-value contracts
---
- Switch to annual
- Failed payment recovery
- Cancellation survey
- Upcoming renewal reminders
### Usage Emails
#### Daily/Weekly/Monthly Summary
**Trigger**: Time-based
**Goal**: Drive engagement, demonstrate value
**Format**: Single email, recurring
**Content by frequency**:
- **Daily**: Notifications, quick stats (for high-engagement products)
- **Weekly**: Activity summary, highlights, suggestions
- **Monthly**: Comprehensive report, achievements, ROI if calculable
**Structure**:
- Key metrics at a glance
- Notable achievements
- Activity breakdown
- Suggestions / what to try next
- CTA to dive deeper
**Personalization**: Must be relevant to their actual usage. Empty reports are worse than no report.
---
#### Key Event or Milestone Notifications
**Trigger**: Specific achievement or event
**Goal**: Celebrate, drive continued engagement
**Format**: Single email per event
**Milestone examples**:
- First [action] completed
- 10th/100th [thing] created
- Goal achieved
- Team collaboration milestone
- Usage streak
**Copy approach**:
- Celebration tone
- Specific achievement
- Context (compared to others, compared to before)
- What's next / next milestone
---
- Daily/weekly/monthly summaries
- Key event notifications
- Milestone celebrations
### Win-Back Emails
#### Expired Trials
**Trigger**: Trial ended without conversion
**Goal**: Convert or re-engage
**Typical sequence**: 3-4 emails over 30 days
**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 1 post-expiry): Trial ended, here's what you're missing
- Email 2 (Day 7): What held you back? (gather feedback)
- Email 3 (Day 14): Incentive offer (discount, extended trial)
- Email 4 (Day 30): Final reach-out, door is open
**Segmentation**: Different approach based on trial engagement level:
- High engagement: Focus on removing friction to convert
- Low engagement: Offer fresh start, more onboarding help
- No engagement: Ask what happened, offer demo/call
---
#### Cancelled Customers
**Trigger**: Time after cancellation (30, 60, 90 days)
**Goal**: Win back churned customers
**Typical sequence**: 2-3 emails spread over 90 days
**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 30): What's new since you left
- Email 2 (Day 60): We've addressed [common reason]
- Email 3 (Day 90): Special offer to return
**Copy approach**:
- No guilt, no desperation
- Genuine updates and improvements
- Personalize based on cancellation reason if known
- Make return easy
**Key point**: They're more likely to return if their reason was addressed.
---
- Expired trials
- Cancelled customers
### Campaign Emails
- Monthly roundup / newsletter
- Seasonal promotions
- Product updates
- Industry news roundup
- Pricing updates
#### Monthly Roundup / Newsletter
**Trigger**: Time-based (monthly)
**Goal**: Engagement, brand presence, content distribution
**Format**: Single email, recurring
**Content mix**:
- Product updates and tips
- Customer stories
- Educational content
- Company news
- Industry insights
**Best practices**:
- Consistent send day/time
- Scannable format
- Mix of content types
- One primary CTA focus
- Unsubscribe is okay—keeps list healthy
---
#### Seasonal Promotions
**Trigger**: Calendar events (Black Friday, New Year, etc.)
**Goal**: Drive conversions with timely offer
**Format**: Campaign burst (2-4 emails)
**Common opportunities**:
- New Year (fresh start, annual planning)
- End of fiscal year (budget spending)
- Black Friday / Cyber Monday
- Industry-specific seasons
- Back to school / work
**Sequence structure**:
- Announcement: Offer reveal
- Reminder: Midway through promotion
- Last chance: Final hours
---
#### Product Updates
**Trigger**: New feature release
**Goal**: Adoption, engagement, demonstrate momentum
**Format**: Single email per major release
**What to include**:
- What's new (clear and simple)
- Why it matters (benefit, not just feature)
- How to use it (direct link)
- Who asked for it (community acknowledgment)
**Segmentation**: Consider targeting based on relevance:
- Users who would benefit most
- Users who requested feature
- Power users first (for beta feel)
---
#### Industry News Roundup
**Trigger**: Time-based (weekly or monthly)
**Goal**: Thought leadership, engagement, brand value
**Format**: Curated newsletter
**Content**:
- Curated news and links
- Your take / commentary
- What it means for readers
- How your product helps
**Best for**: B2B products where customers care about industry trends.
---
#### Pricing Update
**Trigger**: Price change announcement
**Goal**: Transparent communication, minimize churn
**Format**: Single email (or sequence for major changes)
**Timeline**:
- Announce 30-60 days before change
- Reminder 14 days before
- Final notice 7 days before
**Copy approach**:
- Clear, direct, transparent
- Explain the why (value delivered, costs increased)
- Grandfather if possible (lock in old rate)
- Give options (annual lock-in, downgrade)
**Important**: Honesty and advance notice build trust even when price increases.
---
## Email Audit Checklist
Use this to audit your current email program:
### Onboarding
- [ ] New users series
- [ ] New customers series
- [ ] Key onboarding step reminders
- [ ] New user invite sequence
### Retention
- [ ] Upgrade to paid sequence
- [ ] Upgrade to higher plan triggers
- [ ] Ask for review (timed properly)
- [ ] Proactive support outreach
- [ ] Product usage reports
- [ ] NPS survey
- [ ] Referral program emails
### Billing
- [ ] Switch to annual campaign
- [ ] Failed payment recovery sequence
- [ ] Cancellation survey
- [ ] Upcoming renewal reminders
### Usage
- [ ] Daily/weekly/monthly summaries
- [ ] Key event notifications
- [ ] Milestone celebrations
### Win-Back
- [ ] Expired trial sequence
- [ ] Cancelled customer sequence
### Campaigns
- [ ] Monthly roundup / newsletter
- [ ] Seasonal promotion calendar
- [ ] Product update announcements
- [ ] Pricing update communications
**For detailed email type reference**: See [references/email-types.md](references/email-types.md)
---
@@ -799,84 +228,20 @@ Use this to audit your current email program:
- Conversational, not formal
- First-person (I/we) and second-person (you)
- Active voice
- Match your brand but lean friendly
- Read it out loud—does it sound human?
### Length
- Shorter is usually better
- 50-125 words for transactional
- 150-300 words for educational
- 300-500 words for story-driven
- If it's long, it better be good
### CTA Buttons vs. Links
- Buttons: Primary actions, high-visibility
- Links: Secondary actions, in-text
### CTA Guidelines
- Buttons for primary actions
- Links for secondary actions
- One clear primary CTA per email
- Button text: Action + outcome
---
## Personalization
### Merge Fields
- First name (fallback to "there" or "friend")
- Company name (B2B)
- Relevant data (usage, plan, etc.)
### Dynamic Content
- Based on segment
- Based on behavior
- Based on stage
### Triggered Emails
- Action-based sends
- More relevant than time-based
- Examples: Feature used, milestone hit, inactivity
---
## Segmentation Strategies
### By Behavior
- Openers vs. non-openers
- Clickers vs. non-clickers
- Active vs. inactive
### By Stage
- Trial vs. paid
- New vs. long-term
- Engaged vs. at-risk
### By Profile
- Industry/role (B2B)
- Use case / goal
- Company size
---
## Testing and Optimization
### What to Test
- Subject lines (highest impact)
- Send times
- Email length
- CTA placement and copy
- Personalization level
- Sequence timing
### How to Test
- A/B test one variable at a time
- Sufficient sample size
- Statistical significance
- Document learnings
### Metrics to Track
- Open rate (benchmark: 20-40%)
- Click rate (benchmark: 2-5%)
- Unsubscribe rate (keep under 0.5%)
- Conversion rate (specific to sequence goal)
- Revenue per email (if applicable)
**For detailed copy, personalization, and testing guidelines**: See [references/copy-guidelines.md](references/copy-guidelines.md)
---