How to Get Paying Users for Your SaaS Business at the Early Stage

This is a challenge that all startups and SaaS founders face. Below are actionable points to serve as a reminder for all. These tips are also valuable for later-stage founders and sales reps who might be lurking around.

1. Leverage Product Hunt for SEO and backlinks by launching your SaaS product there, aiming for "Featured Product of the Day" to maximize visibility and credibility. You product may get picked up by other listing sites for even more backlinks.

2. Cold email outreach with concise, value-driven messages targeting 1,000+ leads, focusing on booking demos rather than hard sells. Use platforms like The Grid if you can get access to it. This is something with potentially more immediate results.

3. Post daily on Twitter/X with engaging updates, tips, or stories to build momentum, attract early adopters and to show signs that your startup is still alive.

4. Create SEO-optimized blog content that solves problems your audience faces, positioning your product as a solution without overtly selling.

5. Use short-form video platforms (Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) to showcase your product’s value in 15-30 seconds, emphasizing storytelling over ads.

6. Integrate with popular tools like Zapier or Make.com to tap into existing user ecosystems and drive organic discovery.

7. Develop educational content (tutorials, webinars, guides) to teach users how to get the most out of your product.

8. Proactively gather user feedback through surveys or interviews, then iterate quickly to improve the product based on real needs.

9. Adopt the SLC framework (Simple, Lovable, Complete) by Jason Cohen to ensure your product is intuitive, delightful, and fully functional - avoid half-baked launches, you users are not QA testers of your MVP.

10. Share insights on Reddit (avoiding self-promotion-heavy subreddits) by contributing genuinely helpful advice or lessons learned.

11. Post on Hacker News with a compelling story or technical deep-dive, though be prepared for mixed feedback or limited traction. You may get lucky if the post goes virial.

12. Recreate viral TikTok trends (i.e. Tony LC SIGN) to showcase your product’s personality and value in a fun, relatable way.

13. Commit to daily marketing and product refinement, focusing on winning your niche by outperforming competitors in quality and user experience.

These tasks definitely require a lot of hard work - nothing worthwhile ever comes easily - but at least they are actionable steps you can take today.