sales-inboxreads

What this skill does

# InboxReads Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

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

1. **What are you trying to do?**
   - A) Pick the right InboxReads plan (Free / Lite / Basic / Team)
   - B) Discover newsletters to cross-promote with or sponsor
   - C) List your newsletter and set up a Live Media Kit
   - D) Use the Opportunities Board to find sponsors or cross-promo partners
   - E) Compare InboxReads to Lettergrowth, SparkLoop, Paved, or Reletter
   - F) Buy or sell a newsletter via the acquisition marketplace
   - G) Move InboxReads data into a CRM or pipeline despite no API

2. **Are you the publisher or the advertiser/sponsor?** (Most InboxReads features serve publishers, but the directory and sponsor research tools also work for advertisers.)

3. **What's your subscriber count and niche?** (Drives messaging templates, partner-size targets, and ad price suggestions.)

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Newsletter monetization strategy across all platforms | `/sales-newsletter [question]` |
| Newsletter audience growth strategy across all platforms | `/sales-audience-growth [question]` |
| Lettergrowth specifically (free cross-promo directory) | `/sales-lettergrowth [question]` |
| Collab Match (Web3/tech niche cross-promo) | `/sales-collabmatch [question]` |
| SparkLoop paid/free recommendations | `/sales-sparkloop [question]` |
| Paved (managed sponsorship marketplace) | `/sales-paved [question]` |
| Hecto (self-serve sponsorship marketplace) | `/sales-hecto [question]` |
| Sponsy (sponsorship CRM and ops) | `/sales-sponsy [question]` |
| Reletter (7M+ newsletter search engine with API) | `/sales-reletter [question]` |
| Sponsor This Newsletter (530-newsletter curated database) | `/sales-sponsorthis [question]` |
| Open Rates (sponsor prospecting database) | `/sales-openrates [question]` |

If the question is InboxReads-specific, continue to Step 3.

## Step 3 — InboxReads platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — modules, plan-gated limits, cross-promotion workflow, Opportunities Board, Live Media Kits, comparison with alternatives, and CRM-without-API patterns.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation:

- **First-time user under 2K subs**: Start on Free to validate the directory has partners in your niche. Upgrade to Lite ($8/mo) only when you hit the 10 messages/100 searches/1 alert ceiling.
- **Active swapper / 2K-10K subs**: Basic ($33/mo) unlocks unlimited messages and searches — usually pays for itself in 1-2 successful swap partnerships per month.
- **Multi-person newsletter team**: Team plan ($58/mo) is the only tier with seats and shared collections. Below 5 people, Basic with shared logins is usually cheaper unless you need exports/alerts at unlimited.
- **Sponsor side (advertiser)**: Use directory + Opportunities Board. Pro analytics (open/click rates) matter more here than messaging — pick the plan that unlocks the metrics you need to vet inventory.
- **No-API workflows**: Use CSV exports (Basic+) → pipe into your CRM or outreach tool manually. Pair InboxReads research with your usual outbound sequence in Mailshake/Lemlist/Smartlead.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

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

1. **No API, no webhooks, no Zapier/Make/MCP**: Every feature is UI-only. Exports (CSV, Basic+) are the only way to move data out of InboxReads. Don't plan a programmatic pipeline.
2. **Lite plan caps are tight**: 10 messages/month, 100 searches/month, 1 collection, 1 email alert. Power users blow through this in a week. Jump to Basic if you'll do real volume.
3. **Pro analytics aren't always current**: Subscriber counts and open rates come from creator-submitted or scraped data and can lag reality. Verify before committing a swap or sponsorship.
4. **Opportunities Board overlaps with Paved/Hecto/Passionfroot**: If you're already paying for a marketplace, layering InboxReads adds duplicate inbound work without proportional reach. Pick a primary marketplace and use InboxReads as a discovery layer.
5. **Cross-promotion 1-click swap doesn't replace tracking**: The swap setup is fast, but InboxReads doesn't add UTM parameters automatically — append `?utm_source=inboxreads&utm_medium=crosspromo&utm_campaign={partner}` yourself or you lose attribution.
6. **Newsletter for sale marketplace requires due diligence**: Listings are creator-claimed metrics. Always request screenshot proof of subscriber count, open rate, and revenue before transacting.
7. **Tools directory is reviews + comparisons, not affiliate-free**: The Tools section is a major content surface. Treat it as a curated catalog, not unbiased reviews — InboxReads may have business relationships with listed tools.

## Related skills

- `/sales-newsletter` — Newsletter monetization strategy (paid subs, sponsorships, ad networks across all platforms)
- `/sales-audience-growth` — Newsletter audience growth strategy (cross-promotion, referrals, lead magnets across all platforms)
- `/sales-lettergrowth` — Lettergrowth platform help (free cross-promotion directory, 1,300+ newsletters)
- `/sales-collabmatch` — Collab Match platform help (niche cross-promotion directory, 200+ newsletters, Web3/tech)
- `/sales-sparkloop` — SparkLoop platform help (paid and free recommendations, referral programs)
- `/sales-paved` — Paved platform help (managed newsletter sponsorship marketplace, Ad Network, Booker)
- `/sales-hecto` — Hecto platform help (self-serve newsletter advertising marketplace, transparent pricing)
- `/sales-sponsy` — Sponsy platform help (sponsorship CRM, ad inventory, sponsor portals, reporting)
- `/sales-reletter` — Reletter platform help (7M+ newsletter search engine with API and MCP)
- `/sales-sponsorthis` — Sponsor This Newsletter (530 newsletters, ad pricing, cross-promo/affiliate flags, one-time)
- `/sales-openrates` — Open Rates sponsor prospecting database (10,000+ active sponsors)
- `/sales-passionfroot` — Passionfroot creator marketing platform (Zest AI, storefronts, FrootWallet)
- `/sales-refind` — Refind CPA-based newsletter ad network
- `/sales-megahit` — Megahit subscriber enrichment (find decision-makers in your list)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Picking the right InboxReads plan
**User says**: "I have a 3,500-sub finance newsletter. Should I get Lite or Basic on InboxReads?"
**Skill does**: Notes Lite ($8/mo) caps at 10 messages and 100 searches per month — likely too tight for active outreach to finance partners. Recommends Basic ($33/mo) for unlimited messages/searches plus exports, especially since finance is competitive and discovery needs are higher. Suggests starting on Lite for one month to validate partner density before upgrading.
**Result**: User starts on Lite, hits caps within two weeks, upgrades to Basic with confidence the inventory exists.

### Example 2: Comparing InboxReads to Lettergrowth and SparkLoop
**User says**: "I'm already on Lettergrowth and SparkLoop Free Recs. Is InboxReads worth adding?"
**Skill does**: Explains the overlap (all three solve cross-promotion discovery) and the differentiation: InboxReads has a sponsorship marketplace (Opportunities Board) and Media Kits that the other two don't, but charges $8-58/mo where Lettergrowth is free. Recommends keeping the free layer (Lettergrowth + SparkLoop Free Recs)