Where to find your first customers: Creators & digital goods
64 channels fit this audience, 43 of them free. Start with the first one in the list, read its guide, and try it for two weeks before you judge it.
- UneedLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Curated daily launches with a lasting directory page.
- r/SideProjectCommunities · Free · effort ●○○
Friendly place to show a project and collect first reactions.
- Search Console and Bing WebmasterSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●○○
Set up on day one so you can see which queries bring people in.
- Figma CommunityStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○
Publish templates and plugins to a design audience.
- Gumroad and Lemon SqueezyStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●○○
Sell templates, courses and software with checkout handled. Fees come out of each sale.
- itch.ioStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●○○
Low-friction home for small games and tools.
- Relaunch on every big releaseLaunch boards · Free · effort ●●○
Several boards allow a new listing after a major update. Treat each version as a fresh announcement, and check each board's rules.
- Indie HackersCommunities · Free · effort ●●○
Home of bootstrapped founders. Milestone and revenue write-ups travel further than announcements.
- Discord and Slack groupsCommunities · Free · effort ●●○
Niche servers full of your users. Be useful in a channel for weeks before sharing anything.
- Templates and checklists as lead magnetsSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Give away something useful in exchange for an email, then follow up.
- Get added to 'best X tools' roundupsSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●○
Find articles that list your competitors and ask the author to include you, with a short reason.
- WordPress plugin directoryStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○
Huge install base. A free plugin can lead to a paid version.
- Answering questions where they are askedDirect outreach · Free · effort ●●○
Search Reddit, forums and X for questions your product answers. Help properly and mention the product only when it fits.
- Customer interviews that lead to referralsDirect outreach · Free · effort ●●○
End each call by asking who else has this problem.
- In-product sharing loopsPartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●○
Public pages, templates and a 'made with' link bring new users from existing ones.
- Newsletter swaps and cross-promotionPartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●○
Trade a mention with a maker who has a similar-sized list and a nearby audience.
- Pitching niche bloggers and newsletter writersPress & PR · Free · effort ●●○
Small writers in your category often reply and are glad to cover a useful new tool.
- Product HuntLaunch boards · Free · effort ●●●
Biggest daily launch stage. Gives you a badge and a day of traffic. Competition is heavy, so line up supporters first.
- Niche subredditsCommunities · Free · effort ●●●
Find where your users already complain. Read the rules, contribute first, and expect plain self-promotion to be removed.
- Build in public on XSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●
Slow to start. The audience you build carries over from one product to the next.
- YouTubeSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●
Tutorials and demos can rank in search for years.
- Short video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts)Social & content · Free · effort ●●●
Fits products that look good in ten seconds. Needs a steady posting habit.
- Your own newsletterSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●
The one audience nobody can take away. Even a small list converts well at launch.
- FazierLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
A newer Product Hunt alternative. A cheap extra launch day.
- MicroLaunchLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○
Small launch board built for indie makers.
- Tiny StartupsLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Directory and launch list for small, early products.
- TinyLaunchLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○
Launch board for indie makers and small projects.
- PeerPushLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Launch platform with lasting product pages. Check its current visibility rules.
- Obsidian community pluginsStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○
Plugin directory for a loyal note-taking community.
- Notion template galleryStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○
Sell or share templates with people already living in Notion.
- AMAs and live Q&AsEvents · Free · effort ●○○
Host a question session in a community you already belong to.
- Local founder and coworking meetupsEvents · Free · effort ●○○
In-person trust brings referrals and honest feedback.
- Launching NextLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Daily showcase of new startups.
- StartupBaseLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○
Launch and discover new products every day.
- beehiiv BoostsPartnerships & loops · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Newsletter recommendation network on beehiiv. Free or paid.
- SparkLoopPartnerships & loops · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Paid and free newsletter recommendations network.
- r/indiehackersCommunities · Free · effort ●○○
Subreddit for indie hackers. Feedback and peer attention.
- Facebook groupsCommunities · Free · effort ●●○
Active groups exist for almost every hobby and trade. Helpful answers beat links.
- QuoraCommunities · Free · effort ●●○
Long answers to questions your buyers ask can keep sending traffic for years.
- Podcast guestingSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Pitch shows your buyers listen to with a specific story, not a product plug.
- PinterestSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Pins keep getting found for months. Strong for visual products, templates and planners.
- Medium and Substack NotesSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Borrow an existing readership for essays about the problem you solve.
- Etsy (digital downloads)Stores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Shoppers search here for planners, printables and templates.
- Unity Asset StoreStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Sell tools and assets to game developers.
- Affiliate and referral programPartnerships & loops · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Pay a share to people who already have your audience.
- Maker bundles and swapsPartnerships & loops · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Join other indie makers in a bundle or shared launch week.
- Creator and influencer dealsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○
Pay for a demo in front of an audience that fits. Start with a small test.
- Apple PodcastsSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Podcast directory. Free to list a show. Listeners build slowly.
- Spotify for CreatorsSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○
Podcast hosting and distribution on Spotify. Free tools; listeners build slowly.
- Webflow TemplatesStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Marketplace for Webflow site templates. Reviewed listings and a revenue share on sales.
- Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram)Paid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○
Ads across Facebook and Instagram. Strong for consumer products with proven creative.
- Framer MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●○
Marketplace for free and premium Framer website templates.
- Discord App DirectoryStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○
Directory of apps and bots for Discord servers.
- Guest posts on niche sitesPress & PR · Free · effort ●●○
Write for blogs your buyers read, with a byline and a link.
- Run your own communityCommunities · Free · effort ●●●
A small Discord or forum for your users. It turns customers into support, feedback and referrals.
- Twitch and live buildingSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●
Stream your build. Viewers become testers and early users.
- Instagram (Reels and posts)Social & content · Free · effort ●●●
Reels and posts reach people beyond your followers. Growth is slow and depends on posting every week.
- TikTokSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●
Short video reaches new people fast. Follower growth needs a steady habit in one niche.
- Canva Apps MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●●
Apps and integrations that run inside Canva.
- SideProjectorsCommunities · Free · effort ●○○
Marketplace and community to show, buy and sell side projects.
- twelve.toolsLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○
Daily list of twelve tools.
- Podcast sponsorshipsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○
Host-read ads work when the show fits your buyers closely.
- SetappStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●●
Subscription bundle of Mac apps. Selective, but it brings a ready audience if you get in.
- KickstarterStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●●
Pre-sell a game, book or gadget. Needs an audience before the campaign starts.
Each channel links to its own guide. Check each platform's current rules before you post. Browse every channel.