How to Get Your First 100 Users: A Comprehensive Guide

Getting your first 100 users is one of the most exciting and challenging milestones for any startup or new product. These early adopters not only provide valuable feedback, but they can also help you refine your product, build momentum, and turn into ambassadors who spread the word to others.

In this post, we'll explore various strategies, tools, and resources to help you acquire your first 100 users. Whether you're launching a SaaS product, mobile app, or any other startup, these steps will help you attract and engage those initial users.

Why Getting Your First 100 Users Is Important

Before diving into the strategies, let’s understand why your first 100 users are

crucial for your business:

• Validation: They prove that there is a demand for your product.

• Feedback: You can iterate on your product based on their input, improving your chances of success.

• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Early adopters can help spread the word and bring in more users.

• Momentum: Acquiring your first users helps build credibility, and momentum makes it easier to attract investors.

Step 1: Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

Before you can start marketing to your first users, you need to define who they are. Understanding your ideal customer profile (ICP) is crucial, as it helps you focus your efforts on attracting the people who are most likely to benefit from your product and provide valuable feedback.

How to Define Your ICP:

1. Demographics: Age, gender, occupation, location, etc.

2. Psychographics: Interests, behaviors, values, and pain points.

3. Needs and Challenges: What problems does your product solve? What are the main challenges your target audience faces?

Example:

• If you’re launching a task management app for professionals, your ICP might be people aged 25-45, working in tech startups or freelance roles, who need help organizing their work tasks.

Tools to Help with ICP:

• SurveyMonkey – Create surveys to understand potential user needs.

• Typeform – Conduct surveys and gather detailed responses.

Step 2: Build a Pre-launch Email List

A pre-launch email list is an excellent way to build anticipation for your product before it's even launched. Building a strong email list of people interested in your product ensures that you already have potential users lined up by the time your product is ready.

How to Build a Pre-launch List:

1. Create a Landing Page: Set up a simple landing page that explains your product and includes an email signup form.

2. Offer an Incentive: Offer early access, discounts, or special features to people who sign up.

3. Leverage Social Proof: Use testimonials, beta user feedback, or a countdown timer to create urgency and encourage signups.

4. Promote on Social Media: Use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to promote the landing page.

5. Run a Referral Campaign: Reward users who refer others to your email list with exclusive content or access.

Example:

• Airbnb used a simple landing page to collect email addresses before launching. They offered early access to their platform in exchange for email signups, creating anticipation for their launch.

Tools for Building a Pre-launch List:

• Unbounce – Easily create high-converting landing pages.

• ConvertKit – Email marketing and list-building platform.

• Mailchimp – For collecting emails and automating email sequences.

Step 3: Utilize Social Media and Content Marketing

Social media platforms are great tools for attracting your first users. If you know where your target audience hangs out online, use those platforms to engage with them directly and showcase the value your product offers.

How to Utilize Social Media:

1. Build Relationships: Engage in meaningful conversations with your potential users. Answer questions in relevant groups (LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, etc.), join niche communities, and become an active member of online discussions.

2. Content Marketing: Write blog posts, create videos, infographics, and podcasts around topics that interest your target audience.

3. Leverage Influencers: Reach out to influencers in your space and offer them free access to your product in exchange for honest reviews or shoutouts.

Example:

• Buffer, the social media management tool, gained its first users by blogging about social media marketing tips and engaging with the community on Twitter.

Tools for Content Marketing and Social Media:

• Hootsuite – Social media management tool to schedule posts.

• Buzzsumo – Discover popular content in your niche for inspiration.

• Canva – Create visually engaging social media posts, infographics, and ads.

Step 4: Leverage Early-Stage Growth Hacking Tactics

In the early days, growth hacking can provide quick and cost-effective ways to acquire your first users. These tactics often involve using creative, unconventional methods to grow rapidly on a limited budget.

Growth Hacking Ideas:

1. Referral Programs: Offer incentives for users who refer others to your product. For example, give them a discount, additional features, or early access to new tools.

2. Invite-Only Beta: Launch your product as an invite-only beta. This creates exclusivity and makes early users feel special.

3. Partnerships: Partner with other startups or influencers who have a similar target audience. Cross-promote each other to gain exposure.

4. Product Hunt: Launch on Product Hunt to get initial visibility. It’s a community of early adopters, and the exposure can help you gain your first users.

Example:

• Dropbox grew rapidly by implementing a referral program where existing users could earn free storage space for every person they referred.

Tools for Growth Hacking:

• ReferralCandy – Create referral programs for your users.

• Viral Loops – Set up viral marketing and referral campaigns.

• Product Hunt – Launch your product to gain visibility from early adopters.

Step 5: Engage in Direct Outreach (Cold Emails/DMs)

While cold outreach can be time-consuming, it can be an effective way to acquire your first 100 users if done correctly. Reaching out directly to potential users who might benefit from your product increases your chances of acquiring early adopters.

How to Execute Effective Outreach:

1. Research: Look for users who are actively discussing problems that your product can solve. This could be on platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, or Quora.

2. Personalize Your Message: Tailor your outreach messages to the person’s needs and clearly explain how your product can help them. Be concise and respectful.

3. Provide Value: Instead of just asking for a signup, offer value upfront, such as free trials, personalized demos, or exclusive content.

4. Follow Up: Don’t hesitate to follow up. Sometimes, a gentle reminder is all it takes to convert a potential user.

Example:

• Airbnb used cold emails to approach potential hosts and travelers, convincing them to join their platform by emphasizing the unique opportunity.

Tools for Outreach:

• Hunter.io – Find emails for outreach and lead generation.

• Mailshake – Automated email outreach platform.

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator – Advanced LinkedIn search tool for targeted outreach.

Step 6: Engage with Early Adopters and Collect Feedback

Your first 100 users are incredibly valuable, not just for the feedback they provide, but also for their ability to act as brand advocates. Engage with these users, ask for feedback, and continuously improve your product based on their input.

How to Engage with Users:

1. Personalized Communication: Stay in touch with users via email or through the app. Make them feel like they’re part of a community.

2. Collect Feedback: Use surveys, interviews, and user testing to understand how users perceive your product and what they need.

3. Iterate: Use the feedback to quickly improve your product and address any issues.

Example:

• Superhuman, an email app, focused on getting deep feedback from early users. They used this feedback to refine the product and made significant improvements that helped drive their user growth.

Tools for Feedback:

• Typeform – Create interactive surveys for feedback collection.

• UserTesting – Conduct user testing to gain insights on your product’s usability.

Step 7: Track Metrics and Optimize Your Acquisition Strategy

As you acquire your first 100 users, it’s crucial to track your key performance indicators (KPIs) to optimize your acquisition efforts. This will help you understand what’s working and where you can improve.

Key Metrics to Track:

1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): How much it costs you to acquire each user.

2. Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who turn into paying users.

3. Churn Rate