sales-collabstr

What this skill does

# Collabstr Platform Help

Helps the user set up and get the most out of Collabstr — the influencer and UGC creator marketplace where brands search for vetted creators, purchase content packages directly, or post campaigns for creators to apply. Covers creator search, campaigns, orders, payments, analytics, and team management.

## Step 1 — Gather context


If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. **What do you need help with?**
   - A) Finding influencers or UGC creators
   - B) Posting a campaign
   - C) Placing an order with a creator
   - D) Managing content submissions and revisions
   - E) Tracking campaign analytics
   - F) Understanding pricing/plans
   - G) Bringing external creators onto Collabstr
   - H) Something else — describe it

2. **What's your business type?**
   - A) Ecommerce / Shopify store
   - B) DTC brand
   - C) Agency
   - D) Other — describe it

3. **What's your current Collabstr plan?**
   - A) Basic (free search, 10% fee)
   - B) Pro ($299/mo)
   - C) Premium ($399/mo)
   - D) Not sure / haven't signed up yet

**If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.** Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to another skill, route:
- Influencer marketing strategy (not Collabstr-specific) → `/sales-influencer-marketing`
- Affiliate program design → `/sales-affiliate-program`
- Ad retargeting strategy → `/sales-retargeting`
- Email marketing → `/sales-email-marketing`
- Product review collection → `/sales-customer-reviews`

Otherwise, answer directly from the platform reference below.

## Step 3 — Collabstr platform reference

### How Collabstr works

Collabstr is a **self-serve creator marketplace** — different from discovery-first platforms like Modash or CreatorIQ:

1. **Brands search creators** — browse 250K+ vetted influencers and UGC creators filtered by niche, platform, location, and follower count
2. **View transparent pricing** — every creator lists upfront pricing for content packages (posts, reels, videos, UGC)
3. **Purchase directly** — place an order for a specific package or negotiate a custom offer
4. **Escrow protection** — payment is held safely until you approve the deliverables
5. **OR post campaigns** — create campaign briefs and let creators apply with their pricing

This **marketplace + campaign model** means you can either browse and buy directly (fastest for one-off needs) or post campaigns for inbound applications (better for larger projects).

### Creator search and discovery

Browse and filter Collabstr's vetted creator network:

- **Platform filter** — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
- **Content type** — sponsored posts, UGC, reels, stories, videos
- **Niche/category** — beauty, fitness, tech, food, fashion, lifestyle, gaming, and more
- **Location** — filter by country or region
- **Follower count** — nano, micro, mid-tier, macro
- **Pricing** — sort and filter by content package price
- **Creator profiles** — portfolio, social stats, past work, verified status

Every creator is vetted by the Collabstr team — identity verified and social media audited for fake followers and engagement quality.

### Campaign posting

Post a campaign brief visible to Collabstr's 700K+ creator network:

- **Campaign brief** — describe what you need, brand requirements, content expectations
- **Targeting** — specify demographics including niche, location, and follower count
- **Creator applications** — targeted creators submit their pricing for you to choose
- **Centralized assets** — upload images and brand guidelines in the campaign brief
- **Multiple campaigns** — Pro and Premium plans allow unlimited campaigns

### Orders and transactions

- **Placing an order** — purchase a creator's preset package or request a custom offer
- **Order modifications** — adjust price or deadline after order creation
- **Content submissions** — review deliverables, request revisions
- **Cancellation** — request cancellations with escrow protection (funds returned if work not started)
- **Escrow payment** — money held until you approve the creator's work

### Performance tracking

- **Analytics dashboard** — track Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube content in real time
- **Metrics** — impressions, engagement, reach tracked from a single dashboard
- **Content performance** — analyze performance over time across campaigns

### Team management

- **Team members** — invite team members to your Collabstr account
- **Workspace permissions** — manage access levels for different team members

### Bring Your Own Creators

- Onboard external creators you already work with through Collabstr's streamlined signup
- Centralizes payment processing and content management for all your creators

### Pricing tiers

| Feature | Basic (free) | Pro ($299/mo) | Premium ($399/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search creators | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Place orders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marketplace fee | 10% | Reduced | 5% |
| Post campaigns | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Advanced filters | No | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics dashboard | Basic | Full | Full |
| Priority support | No | No | Yes |
| Team members | No | Yes | Yes |

*Pricing is best-effort from research — verify current plans at collabstr.com/pricing.*

### Supported payment methods

- Secure Stripe processing
- Escrow system — funds held until work approved
- Account balance — use credits for future orders

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Based on the user's specific question:

1. **Creator search** — how to use filters effectively to find the right creators for your niche and budget
2. **Campaign setup** — how to write a campaign brief that attracts quality applications
3. **Order management** — placing orders, requesting revisions, approving deliverables
4. **Budget optimization** — choosing between direct orders vs campaigns, Basic vs Pro vs Premium
5. **UGC strategy** — how to brief UGC creators for ad-ready content
6. **Team workflow** — setting up team access and managing multiple campaigns

## Gotchas

*Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and pricing that may be outdated.*

- **10% marketplace fee on Basic plan adds up fast.** If you're spending $3K+/mo on creators, the Pro plan ($299/mo with reduced fees) or Premium ($399/mo at 5%) pays for itself. Calculate your breakeven before committing to a plan.
- **No native Shopify or ecommerce integration.** Unlike Modash or Afluencer, Collabstr doesn't sync with your Shopify store for product gifting. All product coordination happens outside the platform.
- **No API.** There's no public API for programmatic access, bulk operations, or CRM integration. Everything is done through the UI.
- **No built-in affiliate tracking.** Collabstr is transactional (pay per deliverable), not performance-based. If you want affiliate/commission-based creator partnerships, use Modash, LTK, or Creator.co instead.
- **Creator pool is smaller than discovery platforms.** 250K+ vetted creators vs Modash (350M+) or Influencity (200M+). The tradeoff is curation quality vs volume — Collabstr creators are vetted, but your niche may have limited options.
- **Limited analytics compared to dedicated platforms.** No EMV calculation, no ROAS tracking, no fake follower scoring beyond initial vetting. For deep campaign analytics, you'll need to supplement with another tool.
- **Regional coverage gaps.** Some users report limited creator availability outside the US. Check creator availability in your target market before committing.
- **Some creators may underdeliver.** Trustpilot reviews mention cases of paid influencers delivering zero clicks. Always review a creator's portfolio and past work carefully. Start with a small test order before committing to larger campaigns.
- **UI c