![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/producthunt-ar21-300x150.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is Product Hunt?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Product Hunt<\/a> is a platform where tech creators and enthusiasts share their favorite new products, websites, apps, and features with a community. Members publish listings, which appear in chronological order each day. Other members can upvote, comment, and share these listings. The most popular product listings get awards and extra visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Launching on Product Hunt (PH) can bring different types of value to your product team and the business at large. We know this from experience. In the early days of ProdPad, we posted on Product Hunt. It took off! We got loads of trial signups and even hit the #1 product of the month. Product Hunt is not a guarantee of your product\u2019s success, nor a diagnosis of its failure. It\u2019s really just a practice run with a potential bonus \u2013 a chance to test out a product launch and hopefully see some uplift while you\u2019re at it. With expectations managed, you can set out to launch a fantastic product on the platform!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are 7 steps to launch on Product Hunt, from planning to execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, you\u2019ll let the product team know. But you also want to inform other teams, in the same way, you do when there\u2019s any other product launch<\/a> or release planning<\/a>. Hunting a product is only possible from a personal account. Decide who will be the \u201chunter\u201d of the product and create an account for them. If you need to create a new account, be sure to complete PH onboarding before the launch day! Decide ahead of time how you want to attribute new traffic and leads that are related to the Product Hunt launch. Some companies design and build a separate login flow or landing page, then they track that cohort specifically to see how they perform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Timing is tricky on Product Hunt, and there\u2019s no magical answer that\u2019s always right. In fact, there are pros and cons to any time you choose. Here\u2019s an example of posting early in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Observe what others in your market and niche have done on Product Hunt lately, then take a leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prepare all the necessary info and materials for the actual post. Several images and bits of copy need to be ready to go \u2013 and you\u2019ll likely need to pull in marketing and design to keep it top-notch and on-brand. It\u2019s launch time! Get the post live. Be ready for a surge in traffic on your company site or app. Be ready to reply to all questions and comments, whether on PH or elsewhere. If your product takes off after launch, this can be an all-day thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Share a direct link to the post on social media to let others know about the product. Makers should share the link, too. Of course, you want to get in front of people who will give you positive reviews, add comments, and engage with the post. But don\u2019t request upvotes or reviews! This is generally frowned upon and may <\/em>have adverse effects on your post\u2019s performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re wondering how to launch on Product Hunt, you\u2019re also wondering how to knock it out of the park! You want to make the best impression possible and see some ROI. For that, we\u2019ve put together our advice from using PH over the years. Best practices and trends are always changing. Sometimes they change so fast, you\u2019ve completely missed a round or two. So, you should always research what the recent top-performing PH posts have done. How have they optimized their listing? It\u2019s copywriting, folks! Great copy will catch people and entice them to try or buy. Pay close attention to the title and tagline. Make it clear and compelling. As for the description, write it so that people can scan the information easily. Dense, detailed text won\u2019t work too well \u2013 break it up and simplify! But on that note, and the tip above, follow the style guide of the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take advantage of that top first comment and add some special context and personality to the product launch. This is valuable extra real estate for all your great marketing copy. Provide extra insight about why you did this, why you\u2019re excited, how you\u2019re proud of the team, and what value it brings to the world. Throw some emojis in there as well! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always include a CTA in a Product Hunt post. Sure, comment or upvote is great \u2013 but you really want people to get on your website and try your product. You could encourage them to book a demo, start a free trial, or even use a discount code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another somewhat common practice is to have someone else \u2013 someone with PH clout \u2013 \u201chunt\u201d your product for you. When someone influential posts the product, all of their followers can see it and interact with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An example of who\u2019s great at Product Hunt has to be Softr.io, a no-code app, and website-building software. Now granted, this is a tech product for tech-interested (but perhaps not tech-savvy) folks, so PH is exactly their prime audience \u2013 but check out the number of badges Softr has earned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n [https:\/\/www.producthunt.com\/products\/softr<\/a>] Like any other product launch or sprint release, do a retrospective on it! Learn from this Product Hunt launch. Evaluate why it went well or perhaps why it flopped. If the launch didn\u2019t go well, figure out if that was out of your control or due to a lack of preparation\/responsiveness on your side. At the end of the day, when you flop on Product Hunt, no one cares. Like most everything on social platforms, it\u2019s wiped from memory in short order. Don\u2019t take it too hard. Instead, move forward and focus on building a great product. <\/p>\n\n\nWhat is the value of launching on Product Hunt?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lots of attention on the platform can bring high amounts of traffic, new leads, and more sales and reviews. All of this is great, provided it\u2019s coming from your target audience! (More on that in the next section.)
Product Hunt can also bring extra buzz and clout to your brand. If you have one of the highest-performing listings and earn a top title, you get a badge that you can add to your website. Such great reception or results could help if you\u2019re looking for investment or trying to hire competitive talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat NOT to expect from Product Hunt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are many reasons why \u201chunting your product\u201d might not have much impact. One is that these sites and audiences are fickle. Timing and other platform activity can affect how much visibility your listing actually gets. Even the products with the most votes don\u2019t necessarily make it to the top of the list.
Another reason is that folks on Product Hunt aren\u2019t necessarily your target user. They\u2019re on PH because they like tech, not because they\u2019re looking for a solution to the same specific pain point you\u2019re building for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/no-contacts-watch-1-300x268.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to launch on Product Hunt: Step by step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1. Inform the team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a quick list of who and why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
2. Create Product Hunt accounts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can also add teammates to the PH listing as \u201cmakers.\u201d Create the necessary profiles, and these profiles will be linked to the post once it’s live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Make a plan for Product Hunt leads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Choose the timing of the launch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. Prepare the actual post<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What you need for the actual Product Hunt post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
6. Publish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Spread the word! <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tips on how to stand out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here are 5 tips on how to stand out on Product Hunt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Research recent top-performing posts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For example, there have been trends around using GIFs in the thumbnail logo section. The light animation can be eye-catching, but don\u2019t overdo it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCraft the copy carefully<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Add the first comment to kick things off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Include a Call to Action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Have an influencer \u201chunt\u201d your product<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Example of who is using Product Hunt well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/softr-screenshot-1024x433.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
11 badges for 9 launches? They must be doing something right. If you take a look at the listing for the launch of Softr 2.0<\/a>, you\u2019ll see these best practices and many more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
What to do next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Look into questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"Access](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/sandbox-banner_Blogs-1280x300-1-1024x240.png\")
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