Places to Promote Your Waitlist
Launching a waitlist is all about validating your product and building your community of early users.
But, even the most compelling waitlist won't gain traction without strategic promotion.
We'll show you where and how you can promote your waitlist to reach your target audience.
Before You Start Promoting
Before diving into the promotion channels, let's make sure your waitlist is set up for success. Here are the elements that most successful waitlists have in common.
Your waitlist
First, your waitlist page (of form) has a huge impact on your conversion rate. Make sure it includes:
- A clear value proposition
- An incentive to sign up
- Clear call-to-action
Second, it's recommended to setup a referral system. Offer your subscribers a way to climb up the waitlist by referring their friends. To make this work, either your main value proposition is compelling enough or there are special incentives for being high up on the list.
Check out some of the examples of crazy waitlist performances, like Robinhood's, to learn from their success.
Messaging
Also craft a consistent message that you'll use across different platforms.
What's your core value proposition? What are the benefits to users? Who's the target audience? Are there existing companies doing the same, and what's different in your product if so?
Being clear on these points and communicating them well will make your promotion efforts much more effective.
Major Launch Platforms
These platforms are specifically designed for launching new products and have dedicated communities of early adopters, making them perfect for promotion.
Product Hunt
Product Hunt has one of the largest communities of early adopters and tech enthusiasts. While it's primarily known for product launches, you can also use it to promote your waitlist.
Link → Product Hunt
Traffic → 1.2M monthly visits
Best for → Tech products, SaaS tools, and innovative apps that solve specific problems
Tips
- Use high-quality visuals (screenshots, GIFs, or demo video)
- Launch during US business hours (12:01 AM - 1:00 AM PT)
- Engage actively with commenters and feedback
Hacker News
A highly influential tech community run by Y Combinator, known for sophisticated discussions and early adoption of innovative products.
Link → Hacker News
Traffic → 860K monthly visits
Best for → Developer tools, technical products, and innovative products
Tips
- Use "Show HN:" prefix in your title
- Focus on the technical aspects and problem-solving
- Be prepared for direct feedback adn technical questions
- Launch during US business hours for maximum visibility
BetaList
A platform specifically meant for discovering upcoming startups and products before they launch.
Link → Betalist
Traffic → 5.9K monthly visits
Best for → Pre-launch startups and products looking for early adopters
Tips
- Include high-quality screenshots of your product
- Write a compelling tagline that clearly states your value
Indie Hackers
A supportive community of independent founders and makers, focused on building profitable online businesses.
Link → Indie Hackers
Traffic → 12.6K monthly visits
Best for → Bootstrapped startups, indie makers, and solo founders
Tips
- Share your journey and be transparent about your process
- Include metrics and learnings in your posts
- Be transparent about your stage and goals
Reddit Communities
Reddit hosts several active communities where you can promote your waitlist. Each subreddit has its own culture and rules, so it's important to understand them before posting.
r/startups
One of the most active startup communities on Reddit, focused on startup discussion and founder support.
Link → r/startups
Members → 1.7M
Best for → Early-stage startups, founders looking for feedback, and product validation
Tips
- Use weekly promotional threads for direct promotion
- Share your journey and learnings in regular posts
- Be transparent about metrics and progress
- Always provide value before promoting
r/Entrepreneur
The largest entrepreneurship community on Reddit. It covers all aspects of starting and running a business.
Link → r/Entrepreneur
Members → 4.1M
Best for → General business ideas and entrepreneurship discussion
Tips
- Focus on providing value through detailed posts
- Share case studies and learnings
- Use designated promotional threads
- Engage in community discussions before promoting
r/SaaS
A community specifically focused on Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses.
Link → r/SaaS
Members → 168K
Best for → SaaS products, subscription-based services and B2B tools
Tips
- Share your metrics and growth strategies
- Focus on specific problems you're solving
- Use feedback threads for promotion
- Engage with other founders' posts
r/alphaandbetausers
A subreddit dedicated to connecting early-stage products with potential users and testers.
Link → r/alphaandbetausers
Members → 17K
Best for → Finding early adopters and beta testers for new products
Tips
- Follow the required post format
- Describe what stage your product is in
- Specify what kind of feedback you're looking for
- Stay active in the comments
r/growmybusiness
Community focused on practical business growth strategies and marketing tactics.
Link → r/growmybusiness
Members → 52K
Best for → Growth tactics, marketing strategies, and business development
Tips
- Share growth tactics
- Include metrics and results
- Focus on educational content
- Ask specific questions
r/indiebiz
Community focused on independent business owners and solopreneurs.
Link → r/indiebiz
Members → 19K
Best for → Independent businesses, solo founders, and small projects
Tips
- Share your journey and learnings
- Focus on the indie aspect
- No pure promotion, mention your product naturally in discussions
r/microsaas
Focused on micro-SaaS founders and developers sharing experiences.
Link → r/microsaas
Members → 12K
Best for → Small SaaS products and bootstrapped projects
Tips
- Share your building process
- Discuss technical challenges
- Participate in discussions first
- Focus on small/focused solutions
r/EntrepreneurRideAlong
Community focused on entrepreneurial journey stories and step-by-step business building.
Link → r/EntrepreneurRideAlong
Members → 520K
Best for → Building in public
Tips
- Share your journey and processes
r/advancedentrepreneur
Community for experienced entrepreneurs discussing advanced business strategies.
Link → r/advancedentrepreneur
Members → 51K
Best for → Advanced business strategies and discussions
Tips
- Share learnings and ask specific questions
- Mention your product naturally in discussions
X Communities
X (formerly Twitter) communities offer focused spaces for specific topics and industries. They're newer than traditional promotional channels but can provide great engagement.
Startup Community
Community dedicated to startup news, insights, and advice for entrepreneurs.
Link → Startup Community
Members → 75.6K
Best for → Any startup
Tips
- Share your startup story and progress
- Ask specific questions to start discussions
- No direct self-promotion, mention your product naturally in discussions
Build in Public
Community focused on transparency in building startups and businesses.
Link → Build in Public
Members → 55.3K
Best for → Solo founders, indie hackers and transparent startup building
Tips
- Share metrics and progress
- Post regular updates about your journey
- Link to your product naturally
Indiemakers and SaaS founders
Share tips, encourage and help other indie-makers and early stage SaaS founders grow.
Link → Indiemakers and SaaS founders
Members → 6.8K
Best for → Bootstrapped and SaaS products
Tips
- Share metrics and progress
- Post regular updates about your journey
- Link to your product naturally
Discord & Facebook Communities
These communities can be good places to share your waitlist, especially if you engage meaningfully with them first.
Furlough Community
Active Discord community connecting entrepreneurs, freelancers, and digital professionals.
Link → Furlough
Members → 31.3K
Best for → Digital products, SaaS tools and professional services
Tips
- Introduce yourself in the welcome channel
- Use dedicated promotion channels
- Participate in discussions before promoting
Tech Startup Community
Discord server focused on tech startup discussions and networking.
Link → Tech Startup Community
Members → 12.1K
Best for → Tech startups and software products
Tips
- Use showcase/promotion channels for promotion
- Participate in discussions
- Ask for specific feedback
SaaS Growth Hacking
Facebook community focused on growth strategies for SaaS businesses.
Link → SaaS Growth Hacking
Members → 31K
Best for → SaaS, B2B and subscription products
Tips
- You must apply to join
- Create value-focused posts
- Use case studies when possible
- Engage before promoting
SaaS Warrior
Facebook group for SaaS founders and marketers.
Link → SaaS Warrior
Members → 6.7K
Best for → Early-stage SaaS products and B2B tools
Tips
- You must apply to join
- Share your founder journey
- Focus on providing value first
- Ask specific questions
Professional Networks
These platforms can be great for reaching professional audiences and, at the very least, give you high-quality backlinks.
Dev.to
Developer-focused blogging platform and community with strong content engagement.
Link → Dev.to
Traffic → 880K monthly visits
Best for → Developer tools and technical products
Tips
- Write valuable technical content
- Share your building process
- Add your waitlist link in bio
- Engage with other developers' posts
Peerlist
Tech-focused professional network for connecting with peers and showcasing work.
Link → Peerlist
Traffic → 22K monthly visits
Best for → Tech products, design tools and professional services
Tips
- Share your product in project spotlight
- Network with potential users
StackShare
Platform for discovering and discussing development tools and tech stacks.
Link → StackShare
Traffic → 48.9K monthly visits
Best for → Developer tools and technical products
Tips
- Add your product to relevant categories
- Share your tech stack details
- Participate in tool discussions
- Give clear use cases
Measuring Success
Now, you might be wondering which ones work best. The truth is, it depends on your product and target audience. A developer tool might thrive on Hacker News but struggle on Product Hunt, while a consumer app might see the opposite results.
The key is to experiment with different platforms and measure your results. Start with 2-3 platforms that best match your target audience, then expand based on what's working.
Remember that success isn't necessarily the number of signups. A smaller number of highly engaged users who fit your target audience perfectly is very likely valuable than a large number of users who aren't enthusiastic about your product.
Key Metrics to Watch
Keep an eye on these metrics to understand your promotion efforts.
- Signup conversion rate
- Referral rates from existing waitlist members
- Email engagement rates (opens, clicks)
- Social shares and mentions
For more detailed look into the key metrics, check out this article: Measuring Success: 9 Key Metrics for Your Waitlist
Tools You Need
Ready to start promoting your waitlist? Waitlister gives you everything you need:
- Beautiful, customizable waitlist pages
- Built-in referral system
- Tracking and analytics
- Email automation
- And more...