15 Growth Strategies for Bootstrapping Your SaaS or Side Project
From stuff I read on twitter.
When it comes to launching and scaling your SaaS or side project, getting early traction is crucial. Here are 15 strategies I read about on twitter to help you grow your bootstrapped venture.
1. Reddit Subreddits
Reddit is an amazing platform to share your journey and connect with like-minded individuals. Recommended subreddits include:
- r/entrepreneur
- r/saas
- r/sideproject
- r/bootstrappedsaas
Key tip: Be genuine. Tell your story from the start as if it's a diary entry. Avoid marketing speak—people value authenticity.
2. HackerNoon
HackerNoon allows one branded article per startup. This brings good backlinks and traffic, but don't just promote. Provide value through guides, lessons, and analysis—stories work really well here.
3. Launchpads
List your product on various launchpads:
- Free: DevHunt, Product Hunt, uneed, Micro Launch, Betalist
- Sponsored spots: Consider buying a banner on a launchpad like DevHunt for consistent traffic.
4. Directories
Submit to both free and paid directories:
- Paid: Betalist, 1000tools, Futurepedia
- Free: Betapage, SaaShub
Pro tip: Automate submissions using services like Listing Bott, which can submit your project to 100+ directories from a database of 10,000+.
5. Search for Posts and Reply
Search online forums or social media for posts asking questions relevant to your tool, then offer your solution—but make sure it's relevant. Spam doesn't work. Engaging genuinely with your target audience does.
6. Sponsor Influencers
Look for smaller influencers with 3-10k followers. Real engagement is key, so check their posts and comments to see if their audience is truly interested.
Pricing: Typically around $100, but you can often negotiate to $50. Proceed cautiously, as influencer marketing rarely brings a positive ROI.
7. Sponsor Newsletters
Start with smaller newsletters. They often deliver sales more consistently than larger ones.
8. Sponsor Events
Consider sponsoring hackathons, workshops, or educational programs. These can lead to significant sign-ups.
9. Cold Outreach
Cold emails, LinkedIn, and Telegram DMs can work—but only if you target the right people. Keep the message short, direct, and to the point.
Warning: Avoid cold DMs on X (Twitter) to prevent account bans.
10. Affiliate Partners
Find affiliates through marketplaces or by cold outreach. It takes time, but it can be worth the effort.
11. Channel Traffic from Directories
Build directories for your audience and advertise your product on those directories. It's often easier to rank a directory than a SaaS project.
12. Free Side Projects
Create free tools or side projects to drive traffic. They don't require maintenance and can grow naturally via SEO.
13. Communities
Join relevant communities on Discord, Slack, etc. Introduce yourself and your product organically. Or, build your own community!
14. Partner Up
Find win-win partnerships with other projects or creators in your niche.
15. SEO
Invest in SEO early:
- Earn backlinks to grow your domain rating (DR)
- Publish two articles a week
- Launch micro-tools under subdirectories for better pSEO
Bonus Tip: Daily Outreach
Follow these 3 simple steps to promote your startup:
1. Reach out to 10 new people every day.
2. Have a friendly conversation with those who respond.
3. Tell them about what you're building.
That's 300 people a month or 3,650 people a year!
Additional Resources: Subreddits for Startup Promotion
1. r/internetisbeautiful
2. r/sideproject
3. r/startup
4. r/thesidehustle
5. r/indiebiz
6. r/alphaandbetausers
7. r/entrepreneur
8. r/entrepreneurridealong
9. r/startups
10. r/roastmystartup
11. r/IMadethis
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Remember, the key to successful growth is to start small, iterate, and focus on delivering value to your audience. Good luck with your SaaS or side project journey! All this info was sourced from X / Twitter. Use at your own risk.
Credits: John Rush — This guy did 90% of the work. I just wanted to compile his work and cache it.
Thanks for reading.