1. brand (where your people are)

• show up on x, linkedin, or niche forums like indie hackers where your audience lives.
• share raw, helpful insights, think quick tips or stories from your journey, not polished fluff.
• reply to comments, join threads, and be human. i’ve had dm convos on x turn into paid users.
• post consistently (2-3 times a week) to stay top of mind without spamming.

2. traction channels (get creative)

• try low-cost experiments like guest posts on relevant blogs or newsletters in your niche.
• affiliate programs are hot, offer 50% commissions to bloggers or micro-influencers who vibe with your tool.
• tap into communities like discord or slack groups; i’ve seen founders drop value bombs in general chats and get signups.
• test one channel at a time, track clicks, and double down when you see conversions.

3. seo (where the gold is)

• focus on long-tail keywords your users actually search, like "best crm for solopreneurs 2025."
• write in-depth blog posts (1500+ words) that answer questions better than competitors. i rank #1 for a niche term just by being thorough.
• use tools like ahrefs or ubersuggest to find low-competition keywords, and optimize with clear headers and meta descriptions.
• link internally to your signup page to drive conversions without being salesy.

4. product (make it shareable)

• build a product so good that users rave about it. one happy customer tweeting about my saas brought 10 signups.
• add a “refer a friend” feature with a small discount or perk, it’s low effort, high reward.
• ask for testimonials right after a user sees value (like after a key feature clicks for them).
• make your onboarding smooth as butter so users stick around and tell others.

5. bonus tip: partnerships

• team up with tools that complement yours for co-marketing like a zapier integration or a joint webinar.
• reach out to niche newsletters for a shoutout; i got 50 signups from a $200 sponsorship.
• find micro-influencers (5k-20k followers) who align with your vibe and offer them free access for an honest review.
• start small, build trust, and scale to bigger collabs as you grow.

good luck.