The Only Guide You Will Ever Need for a Successful Product Hunt Launch
If you’re gearing up to launch on Product Hunt, let this be your ultimate guide! Attaining the first 1000 users is a make-or-break moment for any early-stage startup. Attracting initial users who will help you shape your startup’s journey is essential to reach this milestone. Product Hunt (PH) is one such platform that allows you to showcase your product to a community of eager early adopters. It is the go-to platform for discovering and launching innovative products.
As a long-time PH user, you can trust I've seen how impactful it is for product launches!
This guide will uncover how to make the most of the launch, but before that -
Is Product Hunt worth it?
Absolutely! Launching your product on PH can kickstart your startup's journey if done right. This is especially true for founders looking for early users who can validate their product and offer valuable feedback to refine it.
When Loom launched on Product Hunt, an impressive 3,000 people signed up within 24 hours! Today, 21 million people across 200,000 companies use Loom—the makers credit PH for playing a pivotal role in their journey to success.
What can Product Hunt offer?
Product Hunt attracts over 5 million visitors every month! Breaking into the top 5 can bring you close to 10,000 visits. With a conservative 1% conversion rate, that's 100 signups. If 10% of those convert to paying customers at a $50 monthly rate, you could potentially gain $500 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). These are the direct, quantifiable benefits of a Product Hunt launch.
But what about the intangible advantages that can't be measured?
A Product Hunt launch can also provide:
Feedback: The quality of input from the Product Hunt community is top-notch and can significantly shape your product roadmap over the next six months.
Community: PH has the power to nurture your early community and create potential evangelists for your product
Validation: Achieving a top 5 ranking in the daily, monthly, or yearly listings gives you a badge of honor, one that can be embedded on your website. This badge is a tangible sign of validation for potential clients, boosting your landing page conversions.
So, while we've covered what PH can offer, the real question is, how do we secure a spot among the top 5 products?
Prerequisites for a Successful PH Launch
PH receives an average of 20 product listings daily, with only 15 being discoverable and the top 5 gaining prime visibility. It's these top 5 that attract the lion's share of traffic. To make the most of your launch, consider the following steps:
Define your value proposition: Understand how your product addresses customer problems and what differentiates you from competitors.
Leverage your network: Communicate in your WhatsApp groups, newsletter, and LinkedIn, and wisely plan your acquisition channels to get users. Warm them up in advance, perhaps with a 'Coming soon' page to build anticipation.
A detailed distribution strategy is covered in the next section.
Define your product's pricing: Determine your product's pricing in advance to avoid hiccups during the launch phase.
Select a launch date: Product Hunt's advice is simple - Launch on the day you are fully prepared! However, you need to note that weekdays generally have higher traffic but also fiercer competition. Regardless of the day, remember that the Product Hunt cycle lasts 24 hours, starting at 12:01 a.m. PT. Scheduling your product for this time maximizes visibility.
Build Relationships: Connect with fellow hunters or PH power users before your launch. These relationships will prove invaluable in maximizing your impact on launch day.
Goal setting & KPI Tracking: Setting goals in advance will help you know mid-launch if you are on the right track or need to push more. Here are some benchmark metrics to consider:
Targets
350+ upvotes in first 24 - 36 hours
15 - 25 comments in the first 24 hours
6000 - 10,000 visits (If you are in the top 5)
50 signups or any other high-intent activity
KPIs to track
Conversion rate - visitor to signup
Conversion rate - signup to paid user
New user visits
Revisits
PH user journey on the landing page
Preparing your assets and listings: You will need to keep the following handy on the day of the launch:
A compelling tagline (max 60 characters)
First comment from the maker or team – 70% of the top products featured had the maker's comment.
Logo (best products had a GIF logo - to gain attention)
A detailed description (max 260 characters)
A video – Notably, 53% of “Product of the Day” products since 2021 include a video. So, indeed, it's a great choice!
Updates to your website to welcome PH users
A discount/promo code for PH users (optional)
A hunter - this can be the maker or an external hunter. It doesn't matter who
Email and tweet copies to reach your mailing list and request feedback on launch day.
Select 3 relevant topics related to your product
Images to showcase your product (Two required)
Distributing your PH Launch
Promoting and discussing your PH launch is crucial for valuable feedback and maintaining your product's position among the top 5. Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious channels where you can talk about your launch.
Social Media: If your company has a strong presence on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Mastodon, or others with a substantial following, leverage these profiles to your advantage. You can also use your personal social media handles to amplify your launch. Create a 10-day calendar leading up to the launch to engage your audience, make the announcement, and share post-launch results. Don't overlook discussions about PH launches on Twitter or LinkedIn during these 10 days - actively participating and responding can enhance your visibility. You may also explore Facebook groups dedicated to supporting PH launches for additional opportunities to discuss and promote your launch.
Product Hunt community:
Discussions: The Product Hunt community hosts various discussions. Try participating in discussions that are relevant to your product. Try to add value to the readers. This will build your credibility and get people excited about the problem that you are trying to solve with your product.
Respond to launch day comments: You must actively engage in user comments and questions after launching the product. If you are responsive, your product can get more upvotes and visibility.
Coming Soon page: Create a “Coming Soon” page for your launch. This helps generate initial interest and followers for your launch. Having more people click on the “Notify me” can increase your chances of a successful launch. This group of people will be instantly notified when your launch is live. So invest some time before the launch to hype up your “Coming soon” page.
Influencer Outreach: Identify key opinion leaders in your field who have sizable followings and may have used your product. Engage with them and seek their support for your launch. You may also consider targeting influencers who face the problem your product aims to solve. Reach out to them before the launch and try to convert them into users. This way, you can ask them for a launch day shoutout.
Email List: Inform your email subscribers about the launch. This provides insights about your product and grants access to any special PH offers available on launch day.
Create a list of Partners: Every team over its course must have interacted with a lot of people. Create a list of such people who can help & support your launch. Your VCs, partners, listing marketplaces, vendors, etc
Explore less conventional social media channels: Don’t limit yourself to the obvious social media platforms. Numerous niche communities cater to business owners and can offer valuable connections. Consider platforms like Reddit, IndieHacker, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp communities, and such. Reddit, for example, has specific subreddits dedicated to Product Hunt launches, where users support new releases daily. Seek out these communities and share information about your launch.
Participate in Community Platforms: Discover relevant Slack, WhatsApp, and Discord communities related to your product. Many of these communities have channels like 'Shameless Plug,' 'Ask for Help,' or 'Promo Anything.' You can introduce your Product Hunt launch in these channels to gather feedback.
Cold Direct Messaging (DM): While Cold DM is not the most favored approach, it remains a method many teams use to push their launch. Most Product Hunt profiles have a Twitter profile associated with them. By reaching out via Twitter DMs, you can introduce your launch and even request feedback. This may not be the most efficient or personal way to engage, but it can be a viable option if you have a limited email list or followers. If executed right, this method can still be used to rank above other products.
Host an Ask Me Anything (AMA): Engage your audience by hosting an AMA session related to your PH launch. This allows potential users to ask questions, learn more about your product, and build excitement around your launch.
Checklist & Timeline for the Launch
A well-planned timeline is essential to ensure your launch goes smoothly, giving potential users time to prepare and engage without feeling rushed. To simplify the process, here's a general timeline you can follow for an effective PH launch:
30 days to launch (T - 30 days)
Start creating the above-listed assets for the launch.
Start writing content for every touchpoint
Compile a list of places to distribute
Compile a list of Influencers
Compile a list of Partners, VCs, vendors, etc. who could support
Prepare a list of PH users who you can cold DM
Encourage your team to create PH profiles
Start taking part in PH discussions
7 days to launch (T - 7 days)
Go live with the “Coming Soon” page
Shoot the first email
Begin sharing your 'Coming Soon' page across various communities
Encourage your team to double the participation in PH discussions
Plan a social media post. CTA - coming soon page
Initiate outreach to PH power users
Start reaching out to other people on your list
Schedule the official launch
Stage website changes for welcoming PH users (Banner & offers)
Launch day
Start posting across all platforms
Reply to all the comments on your launch
Answer all the queries & gather feedback
Send out launch day emails & social media post
Go live with all website changes
Post Launch
Document your launch journey in a blog post
Start adding your product to collections & alternative lists on PH
Integrate the PH widget to your website.
Measure the results & ROI
Aim to continue distributing the launch to aim for accolades like “Product of the Week” and “Product of the Month”
Continue replying and engaging with comments.
To know more about the timelines & in-depth analysis of various launches, feel free to DM me on X or Linkedin.
Here are a few more guidelines to adhere to
Avoid Creating New or Duplicate Profiles: Do not create new or duplicate profiles solely to upvote your launch.
Profile Age Requirement: Profiles must be at least 7 days old to impact your launch.
Share Mindfully: Try to refrain from sharing direct links to your launch to garner upvotes.
Strategic Timing: Schedule your campaigns and content sharing in specific time slots. The most crucial time slots are from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Encourage Genuine Feedback: Instead of explicitly asking for upvotes, encourage users to show support or provide feedback. Authentic engagement is key.
Avoid Purchasing Upvotes or Paying Hunters: Do not purchase services that promise to deliver upvotes or pay individuals to promote your launch as hunters.
Active Team Engagement: Ensure your team is available online on the launch day to promptly respond to comments and engage with the Product Hunt community.
Avoid Running Contests: Refrain from running contests or promotions that artificially incentivize users to upvote your launch.
With this guide in hand, you have the tools to navigate the launch process effectively. Remember to embrace each upvote, engage with every comment, and cherish the feedback.
It's not merely about metrics. Use the launch as a stepping stone to validate your vision, attain power users, and speed up innovation. Here's to a successful Product Hunt launch, Best of luck!
Feel free to DM me on X or Linkedin for feedback on your next launch.