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Those of you who built public web tools, how did you drive initial traffic?
r/indiehackers
7/8/2025
Content Summary
The post discusses strategies for driving initial traffic to public web tools. Key methods include multi-channel marketing (Reddit, LinkedIn, Discord), SEO through long-tail keywords, community engagement via niche groups, and automation tools. Contributors emphasize non-promotional participation, content marketing, and leveraging existing conversations. Successful tactics include high-frequency LinkedIn posting, karma-building on Reddit, and using tools like Ahrefs/Zapier for SEO/automation.
Opinion Analysis
Mainstream opinions advocate omnichannel marketing and community-driven growth. u/CryptographerOwn5475 emphasizes 'hand-to-hand combat' customer acquisition through direct engagement. u/Individual-Bowl4742 highlights strategic participation in existing conversations. Controversy exists around cold outreach effectiveness - some find it slow while others suggest combining with automation. Debate exists between quantity (3-6 posts/day) vs quality of content. Most agree technical SEO should complement community building rather than replace it.
SAAS TOOLS
| SaaS | URL | Category | Features/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flowglad | http://Flowglad.com | Payments/Billing | Pricing strategy expertise, customer acquisition |
| Refery | https://www.linkedin.com/company/refery-io/ | LinkedIn Marketing | High-frequency posting (3-6 posts/day) |
| Ahrefs | SEO Tools | Keyword research, competitor analysis | |
| Zapier | Automation | Integration with Fathom dashboards | |
| Pulse for Reddit | Social Monitoring | Keyword alerts for Reddit threads |
USER NEEDS
Pain Points:
- Difficulty driving initial traffic to new web tools
- Cold outreach being slow and inefficient
- Time-consuming manual monitoring of relevant conversations
Problems to Solve:
- Finding effective channels for user acquisition
- Identifying underserved keywords for SEO
- Automating community engagement processes
Potential Solutions:
- Multi-channel presence (Reddit, LinkedIn, Discord, Twitter)
- Strategic content marketing with long-tail keywords
- Automation tools for monitoring and engagement
GROWTH FACTORS
Effective Strategies:
- Omnichannel marketing approach
- Community building through Discord and Slack
- Content creation via blogs and changelogs
Marketing & Acquisition:
- Active participation in niche subreddits
- High-frequency LinkedIn posting (3-6/day)
- Leveraging existing conversations through social listening
Monetization & Product:
- Offering free custom reports to convert users
- Sharing expertise in pricing/billing strategies
- Focusing on product-market fit through direct customer feedback
User Engagement:
- Daily LinkedIn/Twitter updates
- Changelog newsletters
- Karma-building through non-promotional Reddit participation