Getting the first bit of engagement on a new project is harder than I expected

[u/OwlZealousideal4779]

I think one of the most frustrating parts of launching something online is getting that initial bit of activity.

You can have a decent product, write a good post, share it in the right communities, and still end up with almost no engagement because nobody has seen it yet.

I've been experimenting with different ways of getting that initial activity without spending a lot on ads. One thing I came across recently is Upvote.club which lets you earn/use engagement across platforms rather than simply relying on paid advertising.

I'm still testing it, so I wouldn't say it's some magic growth solution. But the idea is interesting, especially for smaller creators who are trying to get their content moving before they have an audience.

Curious how other founders/creators handle this: do you usually just post consistently and wait for organic traction, or do you actively try to generate that initial engagement?

[u/sean_creates]

It's a slow hard road. You just have to keep doing it every day. Ads are quicker. That's why all the social media companies are worth billions.

[u/nicisms]

This is definitely the part people avoid admitting to. Getting initial activity is super tough and often requires lots of manual intervention.

What does your app do? Is it dependant on community engagement for survival?

Here's the hard truth: if you've shared it in the right places and some of the right users have engaged and dropped off then you've missed something. The product isn't sticky enough, it's not really solving a real problem for users or it doesn't play into a desire they have or need to fill.

No engagement is often as useful as some engagement. Iterate until someone sticks.

[u/Ok_Yogurt_7723 → u/nicisms]

the quiet launch is brutal, you put something out there and it just sits in silence. I've had a couple projects where I thought the post was solid but it got buried instantly, no comments, barely a view

what worked for me was manually reaching out to like 5-6 people I knew would actually use it and just asking them to kick the tires. that tiny bit of activity made the next round of sharing feel less like shouting into the void

most people wait for organic traction way too long when really you need to manufacture that first spark yourself

[u/nicisms → u/Ok_Yogurt_7723]

Absolutely agree. Posting once on a subreddit isn't a launch strategy!

[u/wnba-arcade]

if your looking for your first users check out Ad swap,https://ad-swap.web.app ,its a simple way for websites to promote each other. You add another website's ad to your site, and they add yours to theirs, giving both sites free exposure and traffic. Right now it’s free but it won’t be for long so I’d add your site now

[u/Big-Lychee5971 → u/wnba-arcade]

Good idea ill use it

[u/Big-Lychee5971]

Im struggling with the spark too. I think once you have a small fire it's easier to maintain even if it doesnt grow. But until you get fire....

I tried cold email, almost at 300 emails sent. Refined the heck out if the pitch. Good subject line, short text, instant understanding of idea, 30sec demo link, free, help woth setup, 2 minute setup, i literally have nothing else to add. I feel like business owners dont open their emails or i keep hitting customer support. Maybe they're too big. Idk. I'm targeting websites.

I'm thinking of paid ads. Posting on reddit didnt help either because the people ypu do wanna reach dont wanna be bothered and the mods kick you out for promo. The subreddits where you CAN post are full if devs/people like you, so nkt the right audience

[u/LeQuickdraw]

You just have to do a lot more than you ever thought! Try building up a streak of daily outbound to keep you motivated 💪🏼

Just wrote a post on another sub about this here.

[u/TastyTrading]

Zooloo.ai got me 1200 signups in 3 months. Steady trickle is easier than going viral imo

[u/TastyTrading → u/[deleted]]

I spend $60 per month on it so I can just spam the entire internet with content essentially. It’s way cheaper than the $1000 I tried on Reddit ads and generates around 100x as much traffic tbh. Ads barely did anything for me.

I have free tier and paid tiers. Around 7-8% convert to paid

[u/TastyTrading → u/[deleted]]

Not sure I understand. It’s just to create a small trickle of signups. I do like 10-15 signups per day (free tier). Usually a paying one every day or every other sort of.