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Ask HN: How To Get Users?

11 points by rukshn ↗ HN
I'm thinking of making an app but for that to work i need users close to the user using the app (in location not next to them), if there are not enough users near by it won't work,it's easy for a company with millions of users to get users, but for a start how can i get enough users to make it function?

17 comments

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Mitchella
This is very hard to answer without more detail on the application.

Contact me on linkedin: Mitchell Abdullah if you don't want to reveal to many details publicly.

itsprofitbaron
For your type of service, I would initially limit the locations available to your users (and build your base from these users) and have a signup form for other locations (and open them up as soon as you have enough ‘seed users’).

How are you going to build up from a base of users?

Get all your friends & family to use the service & leverage existing platforms.

rukshn
Yes that sounds a good idea, but the hardest part is that i'm facing is to get the initial users. It's like launching a messenger, like what's the use of whats app/ snapchat if there you are the only one using it? this is a similar kind of a problem to solve how to get the initial few people using what you make if it need a network effect

Thanks for that answer

itsprofitbaron
Whatsapp grew because it positioned itself as a BBM for All Phones. It was free on its biggest platform (in terms of having to attack) BlackBerry which encouraged people to tell their friends on the iPhone to get it - which they did, and they held promotions giving it away, something they still do. It still is the greatest platform to cross-text, in my opinion (I actually had it initially free on BlackBerry and have since paid for it on the iPhone).

For your initial users you want your friends & family to use it ideally and then encourage them and the users they acquire to import their “graphs” to it & then contacting them to join your service. If you can’t get your friends or family to use the service – go to a local university etc and hand out flyers (if you don’t want to do that, post a job listing on the universities website and get a student to hand them out) Once you’ve done that, ask the local universities when the next “fair” is for freshers and attend it with your ‘service’ giving out flyers, having a stall there etc and acquiring users.

soneca
I think you may try a concierge approach (google it). I mean, found a potential user, one that loved your solution. Meet him in person, not just someone who came through ads. Someone in your broader social circle. Then, offer to help him by pursuing another users.

As you say the location is important, let me create a scenario and you say if this makes sense.

Go, you and your known early adopter, to a particularly crowded Starbucks. Then, go to either of the customers there and say something like "Hi, my friend wanna try this app "X". It happens that I founded the startup that created this app and would love to help him enjoy his first experience, and I hope you will enjoy it too. Do you mind giving me a couple of minutes to try it?" Luckly you will get a few people to use your app. Early feedback. Real life product testing. Iterate, do it again. Iterate, do it again. Maybe you could give enough value so this people would continue to use it. You have some testimonials, some usage. Something to pitch local blogs and news. Then you have social proof, and start to grow from there.

rukshn
Thanks, it's a pretty nice idea indeed, i'm not 100% sure I can spend all my time talking to potential customers with my busy day time work but it's worth giving a try when traveling in subway etc
soneca
Actually you are saying "I'm not 100% sure I want to dedicate myself to this startup" so I kinda feel frustrated right now, like I have spent some minutes trying to help someone who is just fooling around here.
rukshn
Well i'm sorry if you felt that way, i didn't mean i'm not committed 100% to it, i also got my university work to take care of too, but your idea is pretty good, thanks for helping and sorry again
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sherm8n
Can you build off any services that have already solved this problem?

For example, your users must login via Foursquare and then it appears that other users are around. You can then start interacting with them and possibly get them to download your app too.

It's really hard to help without know exactly what you want to do with your app. You can always abuse craigslist too.

rukshn
well let's say what i have in mind is something like local mind,localmind.com :) like users who are already using the app is shown there at a particular location, but with no other users using the app in your area it's pretty much useless.

You can have 1000 users but still it'll fail if the users are from 1000 different places miles apart

xackpot
One more approach that you can follow:

1. Zero out your target location,

2. Go to fiverr.com -> Advertising -> Flyers and Handouts.

3. Choose a person providing a gig at your target location at some school, university or a public place.

4. Make a nice flyer using GIMP or photoshop with your app details and a QR code to download the app.

5. Have him/her use this flyer for distribution.

   I have used it for my app and it has worked to acquire location based app users.
For more details you can contact me. Email address in my profile.
soneca
That's a great idea! I will save this one for later for me.
JimWillTri
I've tried this with 6 different Fiverr people using a unique signup code. Not a single user from it. There is no way they are posting these flyers in 50 locations per the ad on Fiverr. They threw up a couple on bulletin boards flooded with flyers.
soneca
I would have guessed that the guys who "distributes" are better than those who "post". Have you tried these?
alexcruz
1. Start small say with a university or highschool or office 2. Build in viral loop & provoke users to take actions like tweeting & sharing on FB or Linkedin 3. Use gamificiation : Say Univ B, C, D, E are your next targets. Start a competition, let people of these Universities signup for your app and Univ with maxi. signup will be the winner and will get your app.