

Ask HN: How to do a pre-beta invite promotion - pjoter7

I'm working on a web app. It's not even in the beta stage, but I would like to get people interested, get some emails, so when I launch I'll have a base of beta users. Or more generally, how do you star a web app promotion?<p>Obviously a need to have a blog and a signup page,  but how do you promote those? Email bloggers, journalists or what? I'm interested in opinions of people who've done this before. Thanks.
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learnalist
I too am in this process. (almost)

My plan will be as follows:

Build a simple system to offer an invite code.

I add them to the system, and see if they take up the offer.

"The invite code" will be going in emails specifically written to them.

Who is them?

Family and friends, but not everyone. People who have a specific link to the
web app in one form or other.

ie, They work in that field, they have an opinion on that field, They have
knowledge of that field.

Once there, my next attack will be to "research" ( more than just google ),
low and high level bloggers on the internet who might fit the initial
requirements. ( In the area, opinion etc )

Build up a short term relationship ( if need be ) and write them a personal
email. ( Not generic ) Further to that, if any of the people I research have a
post address, I do plan on paying and sending them a letter. ( written by my
own hand, not one of these email to mail apps )

When I finally start this process. I will do my best to keep records of it and
then maybe one day convert it into a blog post.

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jsean
It's very hard to get people interested without actually having something
tangible. Make sure you produce an alpha version to which you invite a couple
of feedback generators. Friends, family or perhaps a couple of hardcore
believers. Next step is to get a decent beta and make it open. How open is up
to you to decide. But this is nonetheless the step where people you don't know
of actually tries your app. (be sure to make it easy easy easy to give
feedback, generally people find wasting time on noble causes boring)

