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Where to promote your product
Most founders can't name a single promotion channel. Here's the complete map — what each channel is for, what it costs, and what actually compounds.
The short answer
The best places to promote a product are permanent directories (OnlyFoundrs, There's An AI For That), launch events (Product Hunt, Show HN), and the niche communities where your buyers already gather — subreddits, Discord servers, and X. Start with a free permanent listing so every later promotion has somewhere compounding to point.
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13/15
founders in our survey with no promotion channel
0
channels the average founder can name
3
layers a real promotion strategy needs
13 of 15 founders can't name a promotion channel
In OnlyFoundrs' own founder survey, 13 of 15 founders answered 'where do you promote your product?' with a blank or 'nowhere yet.' Most products don't fail on quality — they die unseen. Promotion isn't one channel; it's a stack: a permanent base that compounds, launch events for spikes, and the communities where your specific buyers actually talk.
The three layers of product promotion
Every working strategy combines a permanent base, launch events, and community presence. Skip the base and every spike decays to zero within a week.
Permanent directories — the base
OnlyFoundrs (free, verified-live, permanent), There's An AI For That for AI tools, AlternativeTo for SaaS. This is what every other channel points back to.
Launch events — the spike
Product Hunt, Show HN, BetaList. A one-day surge that converts far better when a permanent listing exists underneath to catch the long tail.
Communities — the compounding
The subreddits, Discords, Slack groups, and X circles where your buyers discuss the problem. Contribute for weeks before you share.
Outreach & content — the push
Cold DMs to named users get replies when the problem is specific. Founder-written answers rank on Google and get cited by AI assistants.
Spike vs stack
| Elsewhere | OnlyFoundrs | |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion model | One launch event, then archived | Permanent listing + events on top |
| Cost | Ads, or launch-day luck | Free listing; $5/mo boost optional |
| After launch day | Traffic decays to zero | Listing keeps ranking and routing to buyers |
| Audience | Whoever happened to see the spike | Buyers browsing your category every day |
Who it's for
Solo founder, zero audience
Free permanent listing + one community you genuinely join — no follower count required
Pre-launch
Waitlist page + BetaList-style queue, then directories the day you open
Post-launch flatline
Directories + communities — not another launch event chasing the same spike
AI tool
AI-specific directories (OnlyFoundrs, TAAFT) where agent-era buyers actually browse
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Stop shouting into the void.
The buyers are already here. Launch free today — your product goes live instantly and gets routed to the communities looking for it.
FAQ
Where can I promote my product for free?
Free promotion channels: permanent directories (OnlyFoundrs, AlternativeTo), launch communities (Show HN, Product Hunt), relevant subreddits and Discord servers, Indie Hackers, and your own X account. Paid promotion amplifies a base — it rarely substitutes for one.
Where do founders actually promote their startups?
Mostly nowhere — in OnlyFoundrs' founder survey, 13 of 15 had no promotion channel. The ones who do combine a permanent directory listing, an occasional launch event, and presence in the communities where their buyers talk.
Is Product Hunt enough to promote a product?
No — it's a 24-hour spike. Without a permanent listing and community presence underneath, launch-day traffic decays to zero within a week. Use it as an event, not a strategy.
How do I promote a product with no audience?
Borrow audiences. Directories and communities exist precisely so unknown founders can reach buyers on day one — a free listing on OnlyFoundrs puts you in front of buyers already browsing, and one genuine community presence beats a hundred cold posts.
What is the best website to promote a SaaS?
For ongoing discovery, a permanent directory (OnlyFoundrs is free); for a one-day spike, Product Hunt or Hacker News. The honest answer is a stack — a permanent base plus events on top — not a single site.