Hello Blinders, I'm starting an online service aimed at people who like to shop, browse and write reviews. I won't go into too many details now, but it's got some cool, unique features and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm looking for advice on how to get beta testers, then get the word out, acquire users and build a community. Aside from paid advertising (AdWords, etc) does anyone have advice on how to get more traction organically? Are there services that can facilitate connecting beta testers with services? Thanks!
Sounds like something Bezos might have experience with. Ask him.
Start with people in your network. Put a post out on your social media platforms, if you use them, requesting beta testers. Join FB groups where your end users hang out and put the call out there.
Will do...
Post here!
Do you think I could just post a request asking for beta testers? People would be receptive to that? Or would it come across as spammy?
Run a contest with a cool prize for the person that attracts the most users.... (there was some article about jet.com doing that and some guy got rich off it when they got bought because the prize was equity......)
Awesome idea, I'll try this!
Astroturfing social media such as Reddit, for example. Example: post a question on AskReddit that says “what are some cool new websites?” And then with a different account saying X and Y where Y is your product. Then on your server you can check the referrer header to see how many visitors came from that link. Doesn’t have to be Reddit, just used it as an example because it has a lot of traffic. This is sometimes referred to as non paid Internet marketing
Interesting idea! I didn't know that was a thing...
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The folks on hacker news might be able to help you out with your question. Lots of knowledgeable people on there who have started their own service/business/start up.
Thanks, I'll check it out