You built the app. It works. Now you need people to use it, and you have no ad budget, no audience and no idea where to start.
The good news: your first 100 users almost never come from ads anyway. They come from conversations, communities and a lot of unglamorous manual work. This guide covers how to market an app from zero, in the order that actually works, with a 30-day plan at the end.
Before you market anything: be able to say who it’s for in one sentence
“It’s for everyone” means it’s for no one you can find. Write one sentence that names a specific person and a specific problem:
- Weak: “An app that helps people be more productive.”
- Strong: “A planner for salaried professionals who end every day with half their to-do list still open.”
That sentence tells you where to look for users, what words to use and which feedback to ignore. Every step below depends on it.
1. Start before you launch
The best time to start marketing an app is while you’re building it. Two things to do early:
- Set up a waitlist page. One headline, one sentence, one email field. Even 30 signups before launch gives you people to email on day one.
- Build in public. Post what you’re building as you build it: the problem, the decisions, the screenshots, the bugs. People who follow the journey are far more likely to try the product, because they already feel part of it.
Building in public sounds like extra work, but it doesn’t have to be. Every task you finish is a possible post. The hard part is remembering to write it down.
2. Go where your users already are
Don’t try to build an audience from scratch. Borrow one. Make a list of 10 places your target users already spend time:
- Subreddits about their job or problem
- Slack and Discord communities for their role
- LinkedIn, if they’re professionals
- Facebook groups, if they’re consumers or local businesses
- Niche forums and newsletters in their field
Then participate before you promote. Answer questions. Share what you’ve learned. When you do mention your app, do it where it genuinely answers the question being asked. Most communities welcome a builder who’s useful and ban one who only drops links.
3. Do things that don’t scale
Your first users should feel like they have a direct line to the founder, because they do. That’s an advantage big companies can’t copy.
- Message people one by one. Find 50 people who have the problem you solve. Write each a short, personal note. Not a pitch, a question: “I’m building something for X. Would you try it and tell me what’s broken?”
- Onboard people personally. Offer a 15 minute call to set them up. You’ll learn more in five of these calls than from any analytics dashboard.
- Reply to every piece of feedback, and tell people when you fix the thing they reported. That turns users into advocates.
4. Launch in more than one place
A launch is not one day. It’s a series of small launches in different places, each bringing a new wave of users. Good places for a new app:
- Product Hunt. Prepare your page, visuals and first comment in advance, and launch when you can stay online all day to reply.
- Hacker News (Show HN). Best for developer tools and technical products. Be plain and honest in the post.
- Indie Hackers and BetaList. Friendly to early products and founders sharing their story.
- Directories like AlternativeTo and SaaSHub. List your app as an alternative to the tools your users already know.
- Relevant subreddits, where self-promotion is allowed, usually on a specific day or thread.
Space these out over a few weeks. Each one is a reason to post an update, and each gives you a fresh batch of feedback.
5. Create content that answers your users’ questions
Your users search for their problem long before they search for your solution. Write and record content that answers those questions directly. If your app helps freelancers send invoices, a guide on “how to write an invoice” will bring the right people for years.
Pick question-style topics with low competition, answer them better than anyone else, and link to your app where it naturally helps. Short videos work the same way: one question, one clear answer, under a minute.
6. If it’s a mobile app, get the store listing right
For a mobile app, the store page is your landing page. A few things matter most:
- A title and subtitle that include the words people search for
- Screenshots that show the outcome, not just the interface, with a short caption on each
- Asking happy users for a rating at a good moment, like right after they complete something
7. Build sharing into the product
The cheapest user is the one your current users bring. Look for natural reasons to share: a result worth showing off, a team member who needs to join, a link to send to a client. Give users something worth sharing and make it one tap.
8. Measure the right thing
Signups feel good but mislead. Track how many people reach the moment where your app proves its value, and how many come back the next week. If 100 people sign up and 5 return, you don’t have a marketing problem yet. You have an onboarding problem. Fix that first, then market harder.
A 30-day plan to get your first 100 users
- Week 1: Write your one sentence. Set up the waitlist page. List 10 communities and 50 people to contact. Post your first build-in-public update.
- Week 2: Message 10 people a day. Do 5 onboarding calls. Answer questions in 3 communities without promoting.
- Week 3: Launch on one platform. Share the launch in the communities where it’s allowed. Fix the top 3 issues from feedback.
- Week 4: Launch on a second platform. Publish 2 helpful articles or videos. Ask your happiest users for a review or a referral.
None of this is complicated. It just needs time on your calendar. Block it the same way you block time for building, and protect it the same way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I market an app with no money?
Spend time instead of money: personal outreach, community participation, building in public and content that answers your users’ questions. These channels are slower to start but cost nothing and compound.
How long does it take to get the first 100 users?
It varies a lot by product and niche. With consistent daily outreach and a couple of launches, many founders get there within one to three months.
Should I run ads for a new app?
Usually not at first. Until you know who sticks around and why, ads mostly buy signups that leave. Run small tests once your onboarding keeps people coming back.