How to Win Your First 100 Users, Even If You Suck at Marketing?
- Jasaro.in
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
You’ve built something amazing, clean code, beautiful design, and a product you believe could change the world. But there’s a problem: no one knows it exists.
The silence isn’t just frustrating, it’s terrifying.
You’re shouting into the void, wondering why no one’s listening. Sound familiar?
If you’re in the early stages of launching a startup, this moment is inevitable. And here’s the truth: building the product is the easy part. The hard part? Getting your first users to actually care. There’s no magic button or a “viral” cheat code. Yet there is a way, and it’s not as complicated as you think.
This is your no-BS guide to landing your first 100 users without a massive marketing budget or an expertise in growth hacking. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being relentless, disciplined.
Why Getting Your First 100 Users Feels So Damn Hard?
The “if you build it, they will come” mentality is the most dangerous myth in entrepreneurship. No one just stumbles upon your product. Visibility must be earned, through consistent action, smart effort, and a lot of sweat equity.
The good news? You don’t need to be a marketing genius. You need grit, perseverance, focus, and a playbook you can actually follow.
How to Get Your First 100 Users?
Let’s dive into 6 battle-tested strategies that will take you from zero to 100 real users.
1. Launch Everywhere: Be Unmissable from Day One
Motto: Visibility Over Perfection.
Forget waiting for the "perfect" launch. Your goal isn’t to impress, rather to get seen by actual users who might use your product. So, cast a wide net.
For an App/SaaS product: Post your product on every relevant launch and discovery platform you can find: Product Hunt, DevHunt, BetaList, Peerlist, AppSumo, Indie Hackers, Dailypings.
For an D2C product: Post your product on every social media platform: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, etc.
Each listing is a new opportunity for someone to stumble upon what you’ve built. Don’t overthink the copy. Just get it out there. Speed and consistency beat perfection.
💡 Schedule Your Listings.
Create a spreadsheet. Track dates, submission statuses, and traction. Launching isn’t a one-time event, it’s a rolling process and needs patience and perseverance.
2. Dominate Social Media with Consistency, Not Virality
Motto: Post Every Day for 100 Days.
Don't forget to "Build in Public" on X and LinkedIn.
A single tweet or LinkedIn post won’t cut it.
To win on social media, you need to show up every day, even when it feels like no one’s watching.
💡Commit to a 100-day posting challenge.
Document your founder journey, your wins, your setbacks, even your bug fixes. People don’t just follow products, they follow stories.
What Should You Post?
Product updates, Behind-the-scenes challenges, User feedback, Industry insights, etc.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Study creators in your niche. Break down what’s working for them, hooks, formats, tone. Then replicate their success with your unique spin.
Copy. Tweak. Repeat. That’s your crash course in social storytelling.
3. Study Your Competitors Like a Digital Detective
Motto: Ethical Stalking = Smart Strategy.
Your competitors have already done some of the legwork for you. Use it to your advantage. Here’s how:
List your top 3-5 competitors
Analyze where they’re getting traffic and attention:
Review sites
Blog mentions
Online directories
Niche communities
Then, go claim your space in those same places.
💡Tools to Speed Things Up
Use tools like SimilarWeb, Ahrefs, or even plain old Google to uncover backlinks, mentions, and active forums. This research doesn’t just give you exposure, it shows you where your audience already lives.
4. Use SEO + AI to Attract Free, Long-Term Traffic
Motto: Let Content Work for You, 24/7.
Imagine waking up to new users finding your product, without lifting a finger. That’s the power of SEO-backed content marketing, and it’s more accessible than ever thanks to AI.
Build a Blog Strategy That Works:
Brainstorm 50 content ideas around the core problem your product solves.
Use tools like ChatGPT to generate draft posts.
Inject your expertise, voice, and value.
Publish consistently.
You’re not just blogging for fun, you’re creating entry points into your product.
Goal: Increase your domain rating to 15+. That’s when Google starts to take you seriously.
Need Topic Ideas?
“[Problem] vs [Problem]: Which One Matters More for [Target Audience]?”
“Why [Your Product] Solves What [Competitor] Can’t”
“Top Tools for [Your Niche] in 2025”
5. Run Paid Ads, But Without Burning Cash
Motto: Small Budget. Big Impact.
Organic growth is a long game. If you want faster traction, it’s time to test the paid waters. But don’t panic, you don’t need thousands of dollars.
How to Start?
Pick one platform: Google, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or even Bing.
Focus on one pain point your product solves.
Write a simple, punchy ad and launch with a small daily budget ($5–$15).
The beauty of ads? You can hyper-target the exact people you want to reach.
💡Once an ad starts performing, let it run.
Optimize the headline or CTA if needed, but don’t tinker endlessly. Give it time to scale.
6. Master the Art of the Non-Spammy DM
Motto: 1-on-1 Outreach That Works.
DMs aren’t dead. But spam is. So, how do you reach out without being annoying?
Here’s the Process:
Identify ideal users on platforms like X, LinkedIn, or niche communities.
Engage with their content genuinely.
Understand their problems.
Send a short, personalized DM that offers a solution.
“Hey [Name], saw your post about struggling with [problem]. I built something that might help, mind if I share it?”
This isn’t selling. It’s solving a pain/problem.
The First 100 Users: A Test of Grit, Not Genius
Let’s be clear, this journey isn’t sexy. It’s not easy. But it is doable.
Getting your first 100 users is a test of your ability to show up. Not once. Not when it’s convenient. Every single day. There’s no silver bullet. There’s only the grind:
Launch everywhere.
Show up on social media.
Learn from competitors.
Write helpful content.
Test small ads.
DM with purpose.
Ready to Start?
Pick one strategy.
Block off the next 30 days.
Execute with tunnel vision.
Your first 100 users are out there. They’re just waiting for you to show up.
Stop building in silence. Start executing in public. The growth begins now.
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