
Ask HN: What's the best way to reach niche audiences with a budget of $30? - habibalamin
I&#x27;m working on a fiction writing software, an idea which a few different fiction writers have independently identified as something that would really help them when writing their stories.<p>However, before I commit to building it, I want to reach a wider base of fiction writers to figure out whether this is something that would sell, and also to get feedback on early mockups and beta versions so that I&#x27;m building the right thing.<p>Communities generally have an anti-advertising policy, which is great, but obviously inconvenient for me.<p>If anyone here is a fiction writer, you can check it out at https:&#x2F;&#x2F;tapestryhq.com. You can reach me at my first name (habib) at the domain. Get in touch if you&#x27;d like to be an early user; I&#x27;m willing to give a large discount in exchange for feedback (although pricing is undecided at this point).
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ethiclub
Here are some immediate thoughts:

\- $0: Sign up for Bing and Google free adwords credit - There is usually some
promotion or other that gives you $$$s. Research SEO, long tail keywords etc.
and forming a comprehensive list of keywords to test (before rinsing the
credit). Target the early adopters for a beta program with it.

\- $0: Give 6 months free to Youtubers that are willing to give an unbiased
review - I.e. 'influencers'. Repeat for any specific bloggers you can find.
They often have valuable feedback.

\- $0: Create examples yourself with the platform (or convince other people to
test it out). You can engage people a) by showing the value of the system or
b) with the story itself. You need to get some high-quality content generated
on that platform to entice people in. The people that will stick with you and
provide constant feedback will also be your first customers and your biggest
fans.

\- $0: Find all of the literature and writing subreddits and communities.
Message the administrators asking if you can a) ask for feedback and b) self-
promote. If a and b is ok, then promote in that subreddit. If only a is ok,
then use that subreddit first for gathering feedback before self-promoting
elsewhere.

\- $0: Find all of the 'promotion' subreddits (e.g. /r/shameless plug),
websites etc. This might net you one or two users, but it is not the most
valuable avenue

\- $0: Stay active in as many relevant communities as possible, just being a
valuable part of the conversation. This might result in leads or other
valuable stakeholders being found

\- $0: Write articles (genuinely insightful content, not blog spam) on the
theory behind the software, share on social media, ask for feedback.

\- $~~: Attend meetup.com meetups for literature and writing in your city, and
exchange ideas. This may result in improvement suggestions, or actual
customers.

\- $30: Donate it to a literacy or eyesight charity

~~~
habibalamin
Thank you.

