# Directory listing ads Human Guide

## What This Is For
Guides paid promotions within directories and marketplaces: Taaft, Shopify App Store, G2, Capterra. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for paid media: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Directory listing ads agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for directory listing ads.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Directory listing ads guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Traffic**: 80M+ users; 46K+ AI tools; 11K+ categories
- **Ad options**: Banner ads; sponsored listings at top of pages; marketing campaigns (listing + newsletter + ads + social)
- **Listing first**: Submit via taaft.com/submit or theresanaiforthat.com; 700–10K+ visitors per listing
- **Early launch bonus**: Up to $300 PPC credits for launching on Taaft first
- **UTM**: Use `utm_source=taaft_feat&utm_medium=referral` for PPC ads
- **Ad types**: Search ads (in results when merchants search); homepage ads; category page ads
- **Model**: Cost-per-click; set daily budget; Shopify auto-generates ad appearance
- **Placement**: ~60% of installs from search—search ads critical for discovery
- **Credit**: New eligible app developers receive $100 USD ad credit
- **Management**: Partner Dashboard—edit budget, device/geo targeting, keywords; monitor CTR, install rate, cost per install
- **Limitation**: App, placement, plan-based targeting cannot change after creation; stop and create new campaign to change
- **Paid Promotions**: Quarterly campaigns; ads appear between 2nd and 3rd organic listing on category/competitor pages

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Platform Overview, Taaft (There's An AI For That), Shopify App Store, G2, Capterra, Strategy, Pre-Launch Checklist, Related Skills.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Starting without a clear audience or goal.
- Asking for a final artifact before sharing examples or constraints.
- Accepting a generic first draft without checking it against the intended use.

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Directory listing ads human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the kostja94/marketing-skills skill entry for `directory-listing-ads`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Paid Ads: Directory / Marketplace Listing Ads

Guides paid promotions within directories and marketplaces: Taaft, Shopify App Store, G2, Capterra. Use when you have a listing and want to boost visibility with paid placements. **Listing first**: Ensure product is submitted—see **directory-submission** for listing prep and submission workflow.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Platform Overview

| Platform | Ad type | Model | Best for |
|----------|---------|-------|----------|
| **Taaft** | Banners, sponsored listings, campaigns | Paid placements; listing + newsletter + ads + social bundles | AI tools; 80M+ users; 46K+ tools |
| **Shopify App Store** | Search ads, homepage ads, category ads | CPC; daily budget | Shopify app developers; merchant discovery |
| **G2** | Paid Promotions, G2 Clicks | Quarterly or PPC | B2B SaaS; category/competitor pages |
| **Capterra** | Sponsored listings | PPC | B2B software; 50M+ annual visitors |

## Taaft (There's An AI For That)

- **Traffic**: 80M+ users; 46K+ AI tools; 11K+ categories
- **Ad options**: Banner ads; sponsored listings at top of pages; marketing campaigns (listing + newsletter + ads + social)
- **Listing first**: Submit via taaft.com/submit or theresanaiforthat.com; 700–10K+ visitors per listing
- **Early launch bonus**: Up to $300 PPC credits for launching on Taaft first
- **UTM**: Use `utm_source=taaft_feat&utm_medium=referral` for PPC ads

## Shopify App Store

- **Ad types**: Search ads (in results when merchants search); homepage ads; category page ads
- **Model**: Cost-per-click; set daily budget; Shopify auto-generates ad appearance
- **Placement**: ~60% of installs from search—search ads critical for discovery
- **Credit**: New eligible app developers receive $100 USD ad credit
- **Management**: Partner Dashboard—edit budget, device/geo targeting, keywords; monitor CTR, install rate, cost per install
- **Limitation**: App, placement, plan-based targeting cannot change after creation; stop and create new campaign to change

## G2

- **Paid Promotions**: Quarterly campaigns; ads appear between 2nd and 3rd organic listing on category/competitor pages
- **Inventory**: 3 products per page; ~1/3 of visitors see ads
- **G2 Clicks**: PPC option; organic + sponsored placements; no subscription
- **Design**: Standardized ad design converts ~50% better than custom

## Capterra

- **Model**: PPC; reach software buyers actively comparing solutions
- **Audience**: 50M+ annual visitors
- **Options**: Free basic listing; paid advertising for increased visibility

## Strategy

1. **Listing first**: Submit to directory before buying ads—see **directory-submission**
2. **Test organic**: Measure baseline traffic before paid
3. **Layer paid**: Add ads when organic underperforms or for launch push
4. **UTM**: Tag all ad links (`utm_medium=paid`, `utm_source=taaft` or `shopify` or `g2` or `capterra`)

## Pre-Launch Checklist

- [ ] Product listed in directory (directory-submission)
- [ ] Listing optimized (copy, screenshots, category)
- [ ] Budget aligned with CPC/CPM expectations
- [ ] UTM parameters set for attribution
- [ ] Conversion tracking (GA4, platform analytics)

## Related Skills

- **directory-submission**: Listing prep; submission workflow; platform-specific copy
- **paid-ads-strategy**: Ad formats by medium; when to use directory ads
- **traffic-analysis**: UTM for directory ads; attribution
- **analytics-tracking**: Conversion tracking