Direct outreach

Answering questions where they are asked

Search Reddit, forums and X for questions your product answers. Help properly and mention the product only when it fits.

Cost
Free

Free to use. No paid tier is needed to list or post.

Verdict
works

Works: helpful answers build trust and bring steady visits.

Difficulty
Medium

Needs preparation, a review, or a steady habit before results.

Effort
Medium

About 5 to 10 hours a month.

First result
2 to 6 weeks

A rough range for one person working on it part-time.

Payoff
Steady

a trickle that lasts while you run it.

Best for

Products that answer questions people already ask.

Not for

Founders who only want to promote.

Pros

  • Builds trust
  • Answers keep sending visits

Cons

  • Slow
  • Promotional answers get removed

The full guide

Last verified 2026-10-30

Links checked 2026-10-30 · No website to check: this channel works by word of mouth or offline

01What it is and who is there

This means finding questions your product answers on Reddit, forums, X, Quora and Stack Overflow, and answering them properly. A good answer helps the asker and everyone who finds the thread later. Founders on X describe the pattern: answer first, mention the product only when it fits, and disclose that you built it. Each platform has its own rules.

02Cost and what you actually pay for

It is free. The cost is time to search and write.

03Is it right for you?

It fits products that answer questions people already ask. It fits poorly for founders who only want to promote. If your answers are mostly links, they will be removed.

04Before you start

  • A list of search terms for the problem.
  • Accounts on the platforms where questions appear, with some genuine history.
  • The rules of each community on self-promotion.

05Step-by-step: how to distribute here

  1. Search daily for new questions.
  2. Answer the question fully, even if your product never appears.
  3. Mention the product only when it truly solves the problem, and say you built it.
  4. Keep the ratio of helpful answers far higher than product mentions.
  5. Track which threads send visitors.

06What to post or submit

Answer template:

[Direct answer].
[Steps or explanation].
If you want a tool for this: I built [product], which [does job]. Biased, obviously.

07Common mistakes and do-nots

  • Do not paste the same answer across threads.
  • Do not use extra accounts to upvote or "recommend" your product.
  • Do not hide your affiliation.

08How to measure it

  • Track visits from each platform with UTM links.
  • Track sign-ups from answers.
  • A realistic test: a month of daily answers.

09Time budget

  • Ongoing: 20 to 40 minutes a day.

10Pair it with

11Sources

Sources