Business Benefits
Boost the attention that your product receives at its launch.
Check that you have no other activity scheduled for the launch day so that all of your attention will be focused on monitoring the Product Hunt account.
Product Hunt is all about two-way communication. Once you publish your product, you’ll need all your time to respond quickly and thoroughly to comments, reviews, and questions. Simultaneously, spread the word on social media, via newsletters, and to friends and colleagues.
Publish your product on Product Hunt by submitting your primary link, a tagline, thumbnail, description, and other media and information.
To post the product, you need a personal account on Product Hunt, given that you took the time to do that in your preparation for the launch. Now, access the Submit page and post your link:
Add your primary link, whether it links to the product, website, or official blog. Later, you’ll get to post other links, such as links to the App Store or Google Play, if necessary. Then, add a tagline. You get to describe your product in 60 characters or less. The tagline should clearly state what makes your product different and focus on the value it offers your audience.
For example, Sheet2Site blends text and emojis, adding a bit of flair without undermining clarity:
Other things you need:
- A thumbnail picture. A small visual description of your product. It can be a static image or an animated GIF.
- A gallery of images. Visuals that describe your product or show it in action. If you have a video, include it here. It will show up first.
- Media. Add a few links from around the web, if you have them. For example, an early profile of your startup or founders.
- Description. Add a few more phrases to describe your product.
- Topics: Choose 3 or 4 topics for your product.
- Social Links. Add your official Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
For example, here’s the page for the launch of a new version of Sublime, one of the most popular code editors:
Respond to feedback and questions with specific, detailed, positive answers, and avoid being defensive if you receive critical comments.
People who like your product will upvote it. Some will leave comments with questions or suggestions. Others will just congratulate you. You may get negative comments as well. What’s important is how you respond to those comments.
Product Hunt is a community based on trust, where people help each other. Negative comments help you understand what you may have gotten wrong with your product or how you’re marketing it. Here’s an example of a great response from Buffer to a critical comment:
Shout out on social media that you’re on Product Hunt and engage with your followers.
Let everyone following you on social media know of your Product Hunt launch. Explain to followers what Product Hunt is, why you chose it for your official launch, and how they can contribute if they’re not members. Respond to all the comments, questions, and reviews you receive. Here’s an example of a simple social media callout that includes a Product Hunt link, but also solicits feedback on social media:
Don’t ask for upvotes, ask for feedback instead.
Feedback is honest and constructive. Upvotes should come only from those who like your product. The Product Hunt platform itself instructs not to pressure people for upvotes.
Embed a Product Hunt widget on your site to highlight your live launch on Product Hunt.
Some visitors will come to your website without knowing about your launch on Product Hunt. An announcement like this can drive traffic to your launch page and earn more comments, reviews, and upvotes.
If you have an existing community or list of potential clients, send out an email newsletter to announce your launch. Follow up with an update if your product gets featured as Product of the Day or Product of the Week on Product Hunt.
Make sure your email newsletter is worth reading. Include new product information and valuable articles or tips about your tool. Other elements that influence success for any email newsletter apply, too:
- Create a compelling subject line. People receive dozens of emails each day. Most never get opened.
- Show how your product can help them. Tell your audience what problem you’re solving and how. Include a couple of screenshots that show your product in action.
- Give them something in return for their attention. A free subscription for testers can be a good idea. Choose your offers based on your strategy and product.
Gradually send the Product Hunt link to friends, family, and colleagues, so they can help by upvoting and reviewing.
It may seem suspicious to have instant upvotes and reviews from people who’ve never published anything else on Product Hunt. Therefore, invite people gradually over the course of the day.
The initial push, often catalyzed by friends, family, and colleagues, helps make your campaign visible to the larger Product Hunt community. They can:
- Upvote your product.
- Submit a well-written review with pros and cons.
- Leave a comment.
- Upvote comments and mark reviews as Helpful. This is important especially for comments posted by the maker.
- Reply to others’ comments and start a discussion.
Last edited by @hesh_fekry 2023-11-14T15:10:25Z