# Directory Submissions > Directory Submissions - Skill: `matteotitta/directory-submissions` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add matteotitta/directory-submissions` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/matteotitta/directory-submissions/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: matteotitta (https://skillmd.com/u/matteotitta) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/matteotitta/directory-submissions --- # /directory-submissions — 13-tier launch + listing playbook Plan and execute systematic product listings across directories, review platforms, and AI-citation surfaces with the right sequence and positioning per tier. Closes the launch loop alongside `/product-launch` and `/aeo-content`. --- ## When to invoke - A product is launching (new or major refresh) and needs a directory rollout plan. - A client's directory presence is sparse and a structured audit + sequenced fill-in is needed. - A Product Hunt launch is on the calendar and the 3-week warm-up needs scoping. - G2 / Capterra reviews are absent or stalled and the 10-in-30 protocol needs deploying. Do NOT invoke when: - The destination pages aren't ready (comparison pages, alternative pages, ROI calculator) — get foundations in place first. - The product hasn't hit its first 100 users — directory submissions before product-market signal wastes the launch window. --- ## The 3 hard rules 1. **Foundation before submission.** Destination pages (comparison, alternative, "vs.", ROI calculator, case studies) must exist before directories link to them. Otherwise link equity flows to a generic homepage that doesn't convert. 2. **Destination pages before directories.** Build the page the directory links to first; submit second. Reversed order leaves directory traffic landing on stub pages. 3. **Positioning varies by directory type.** What sells on Product Hunt (founder story + visual demo) does not sell on G2 (peer validation + feature depth) or on AI-engine citation pages (factual + comparison-honest). One positioning copy doesn't fit all. --- ## The 13-tier submission taxonomy Submit in tier order. Each tier has different audience, mechanics, and positioning needs. | Tier | Examples | Audience | Positioning angle | |---|---|---|---| | 1 — Flagship launch | Product Hunt, BetaList | Early adopters, makers | Founder story + 60-sec demo + community-relevant hook | | 2 — General SaaS directories | SaaSHub, AlternativeTo, GetApp | Tool researchers | Feature-by-feature comparison + screenshots | | 3 — Review platforms | G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, Software Advice | Buyers in evaluation | Peer reviews-first; 10-in-30 protocol applies | | 4 — Comparison hubs | AlternativeTo, Slant, StackShare | Buyers comparing options | "How we differ from X" angles | | 5 — Investor / startup databases | Crunchbase, F6S, AngelList | Investors, partner-seekers | Traction + funding-friendly positioning | | 6 — Tech newsletter directories | TLDR, Indie Hackers, Hacker News listings | Niche operators | Founder voice + community participation | | 7 — AI-engine citation surfaces | Perplexity-cited domains, ChatGPT-cited resources | AI-search audience | Honest comparison + structured data + GEO-optimized content | | 8 — Industry-specific directories | (e.g., FinTech: Finovate, FintechWeekly; AdTech: AdAge tool lists) | Vertical operators | Industry-specific use case + integrations | | 9 — Geographic directories | LocalBusiness directories, country-specific (e.g., StartupBlink UK, France Digitale) | Local market entrants | Local language + regulatory compliance | | 10 — Maker / no-code platforms | Bubble showcase, Webflow showcase, Notion templates | Builder community | Behind-the-scenes build + remix angle | | 11 — Integration ecosystem | Zapier App Directory, Make Integromat, Slack App Directory | Workflow-builders | Integration value + use case | | 12 — Conference / event directories | Sponsorship logos, attendee directories | In-person network | Event-relevant offer | | 13 — Niche vertical directories | Targeted to client niche (e.g., for FinTech: AdviserTech directories like AdviserSoftware.com) | Niche buyers | Niche-specific value prop | --- ## Sharp numbers (cite-verified from source, MIT) | Metric | Number | |---|---| | Product Hunt: video uplift vs. no-video posts | 2.7× more upvotes | | Product Hunt: optimal launch window | 12:01 AM Pacific Tuesday–Thursday only | | Comparison / alternative page conversion rate | 5–15% vs. 0.5–2% generic content | | AI-referred traffic conversion uplift vs. traditional search | 6–27× higher | | Template-gallery LTV potential (e.g., Typeform) | Up to $3M/year | | G2 / Capterra reviews protocol target | 10 reviews from 20 asks in 30 days post-launch | --- ## Product Hunt 3-week warm-up timeline ### Week –3 (3 weeks before launch) - Identify and contact hunter (someone with 100+ followers + history of launching credibly). - Build email list of ~200 "launch supporters" — opt-in commitments to upvote on day-of. - Prepare assets: 240×240 logo, 4–6 product screenshots, 60-sec demo video (with captions). - Draft 4 angle variants for the launch tagline; A/B-test internally. ### Week –2 - Brief launch supporters via email (no early sharing of the link — Product Hunt penalizes). - Build the comments-pack: 6–10 thoughtful, on-topic responses to expected questions. - Schedule social posts for launch day (LinkedIn, X, internal Slack-share with team). - Test the demo video on mobile + desktop; fix any rendering bugs. ### Week –1 - Final hunter call — confirm timing, agree on the post title. - Get 3 advance "first commenters" lined up (founders, advisors, customers) for the first hour. - Schedule the launch post draft for 11:50 PM Pacific the night before. ### Day 0 — Launch day - 12:01 AM Pacific (Tue–Thu only). Hunter posts the product. - 12:05 AM — first commenter posts the lead comment. - 12:10 AM — share to email list + Slack + Twitter + LinkedIn. - 1:00 AM – 4:00 AM PT — respond to every comment within 15 minutes. - 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT — follow-up wave to email list ("we're at #X — final push"). - 11:59 PM PT — post a thank-you comment on the listing. ### Day +1 / +2 — Post-launch - DM new followers (genuine, not template). - Convert top commenters to G2 / Capterra reviewers (start the 10-in-30 protocol). - Repurpose launch content into LinkedIn carousel + newsletter. --- ## The 10-in-30 reviews framework Goal: 10 published reviews within 30 days of launch from 20 review-asks. Mechanics: 1. **Identify 20 customers.** Tenure ≥ 60 days, NPS ≥ 8, recent positive interaction. Mix sizes/segments. 2. **One-week cadence.** 5 asks/week × 4 weeks. Don't bulk-ask. 3. **Personal ask format.** Founder or CS owner messages 1:1 (email or LinkedIn). Template ≠ personal — write each. 4. **Include the link.** Pre-filled review URL (G2 supports direct review URLs). 5. **Offer reciprocity.** Small thank-you (swag, Amazon gift card under $25 — within G2 policy). 6. **Follow up at day 4.** One nudge max. Expected conversion: 50% asks → reviews (10/20). If under 5/20 after week 1, the ask copy is wrong — rewrite. --- ## GEO / AI-citation optimization (Tier 7) AI engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI Overviews) cite domains they find authoritative and structurally rich. To improve citation eligibility: - Single `

` per page (matches `/schema-markup` rule). - FAQ schema on every product / comparison / pricing page (per `/schema-markup`). - Comparison tables in markdown / HTML format (parseable, not screenshots). - Honest "Who it's for" sections on comparison pages (the `/aeo-content` pattern absorbed from I11). - Track AI-engine citations weekly via Brand Radar / Profound / AirOps (per `/aeo-strategy`). --- ## {Product / Client} directory submissions — phase 1 ### Readiness check - Destination pages: ✅ / ⚠️ / ❌ (which gaps to fill first) - Product-market signal: ✅ / ⚠️ (≥100 users / not yet) - Positioning + messaging locked: ✅ / ⚠️ ### Tier selection - Tier 1 (flagship): Product Hunt, BetaList — yes/no, with reasoning - Tier 2–13: per-tier yes/no with rationale ### Phased schedule (weekly) - Week 1: {tiers, with deadlines} - Week 2: … - Week N: … ### Per-tier positioning variants - Product Hunt: {60-word pitch} - G2: {feature-anchored description} - AlternativeTo: {comparison angle} - AI-citation surfaces: {honest-comparison pattern} ### Product Hunt prep (if Tier 1) - 3-week timeline checklist (as above) - Asset list with status ### Reviews protocol (if Tier 3) - 20-customer asks list - Weekly cadence + ask template ### KPIs - Launch-day target: top-N of day on PH - 30-day target: 10 G2/Capterra reviews - 90-day target: N AI-engine citations (via Brand Radar tracking) ``` --- ## Integration with other skills - **Upstream:** `/positioning` + `/product-messaging` provide the per-tier positioning variants; `/aeo-content` provides destination pages (comparison, "vs.", alternative); `/schema-markup` ensures structured-data eligibility for Tier 7. - **Downstream:** Feeds `/product-launch` orchestration; reviews protocol feeds `/lifecycle-marketing` (the customer-reviewer relationship continues post-review). - **Companion:** `/aeo-strategy` plans which citation surfaces to target; this skill executes against them. --- ## Anti-patterns - ❌ Submit before destination pages exist. - ❌ Same positioning copy across all 13 tiers. - ❌ Product Hunt launch with no warm-up — typical result: <50 upvotes, lost launch window. - ❌ Bulk-ask 20 customers for G2 reviews on the same day. Reads as a campaign; conversion tanks. - ❌ Hidden / paid reviews. G2 and Capterra enforce. Manual-action territory. - ❌ Submit to every tier on day 1 — exhaust attention budget; later tiers get half-prepped submissions. --- ## Attribution This skill adapts patterns from [`coreyhaines31/marketingskills/directory-submissions/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/directory-submissions/SKILL.md) (MIT license, © Corey Haines / Conversion Factory). Adapted to Genesys operator voice and integrated with our existing launch chain. --- ## Final ship gate Run `/premortem --output` before ship. See [`/premortem` skill](../../../../meta/orchestration/premortem/SKILL.md) for the 5 execution domains (will-it-resonate / will-it-convert / will-it-stay-on-brand / will-stakeholder-push-back / will-it-degrade-over-time) and output template. Trivial-case escape: `## Premortem\nNo failure modes — trivial change` satisfies the contract for genuinely trivial outputs. --- ## Persuasion & stickiness pass Output complies with [persuasion-and-stickiness.md](../../../../../rules/persuasion-and-stickiness.md) — Cialdini's 7 persuasion levers + Heath's SUCCESs. Deploy the 1-2 Cialdini levers that fit the reader's barrier (never all seven; every lever must be TRUE), run the SUCCESs diagnostic (Simple / Unexpected / Concrete / Credible / Emotional / Stories) over the near-final draft, then the rule's pre-ship gate. ---