5 Platforms For Developers To Market Side-Projects To Get Users Fast, Make Money, And Quit Your 9-5

Developers abandon most side-projects when it comes to marketing because they don’t know what to do.

“Build it and they will come” right? Wrong!

Marketing is a must if you want your product to succeed. Here are 5 platforms on which you can promote and how to start on each:

1. Twitter (Build in Public)

The #buildinpublic community is very popular nowadays.

It is a community where people build side projects to earn extra income or help them quit their 9-5. Members document the whole process from getting their first $1 online to getting to 1000 users.

Post frequently about your progress, struggles, tech stack, etc., and people will engage with you.

2. IndieHackers

The IndieHackers community and the #buildinpublic community are related and members overlap.

IndieHackers is a forum for tech entrepreneurs to document their journey of bootstrapping their business. It is a great place to be active as you'll most likely find your users, new friends, and great resources.

You don't need to post product updates all the time, you can also start insightful discussions about the current state of indie hacking and related topics.

3. ProductHunt

ProductHunt is a platform to showcase new products in tech.

The target is to create a launch and have as many people as possible vote for your product to achieve Product of the Day. This can easily give your app a spike of 2000 new users. However, it is not easy to achieve and some teams spend months in preparation for their launch.

To have a successful launch, follow people, engage in discussions and connect with people. They will vote for your product when the time comes.

4. AppSumo

AppSumo is a marketplace for lifetime deals on subscription-based software.

Example: If an e-mail automation tool costs $14 monthly, you can find a lifetime deal for a similar product at just $90.

AppSumo is a great place to get some initial cash, feedback from paying users, and visibility as the platform is very popular.

5. HackerNews

HackerNews is just that—news for hackers. If you can make a blog post or presentation for your app/product to reach the first page, you are guaranteed at least 1k new users.

Don't get distracted if your first try didn't work, try again as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Successful marketing is consistency and doubling down on the platforms that work. Keep posting every day and soon enough you will see results.