Free writing app - how to find users?
Hi Guys,
We have been working on distraction free writing app - Difree - https://getdifree.com
I am thinking out loud - how can I find people interested in using Difree
There are several ideas coming to my mind:
- Create valueable articles on the Difree's blog about focus, distraction - reaching users googling something similar
- Contact with authors of articles about writing apps, so they can enrich their content
- Respond on Twitter / Reddit in the subjects about focus / distraction etc. - reaching users with certain issue
- Post information about it on ProductHunt/Hackernews etc.
- Connect with influencers covering this topic
What do you think about it? Maybe you have some suggestions? I would love to hear more about it.
Trending on Indie Hackers
Try finding communities and interact with them and maybe let them know about the product and how it can save them time by keeping the distraction out.
All this if the product works that way (I haven't tested the product).
Use it daily for your need and create guest post and add that it was created using difree.
Hi Rohitlakh,
Thanks for your feedback and ideas! I really appreciate it.
This is a great idea from @Rohitlakh
One thing I would suggest is to experiment a simplest integration that might take this product closer to the user's workflow. The frequency of encountering the problem and need of solution is also a important factor in your case.
The time I thought for a need of distraction free tool is when using twitter since most of the time I would be distracted around before or after posting the tweet, checking random things in feed. Then for the first time I came to hear about typefully for it's distraction free twitter content creation it's seem like a right fit for me.
Based on my experience and what I thought I might need as a solution, it is better to start finding out people where it is easy to get distracted. Mostly it might be social media ( as blogging sites had inbuilt editor ) and build a integration that would let complete their workflow.
I thought to share this point, as I can see I have to write content here and copy & paste to the place I had to post. This is the very place I had a search for solution in my experience. ( I didn't try out installing and sorry if I missed out the final part of this workflow )
Thanks so much for your feedback.
If I understand it correctly, distraction free writing app for writing on tweets on Twitter seems to be the right fit for you?
Yes, it was.
But what I meant to convey is, as I tried the extension first time, it let me to write distraction free. In my case, I sometimes jot down in notion ( it's still a distraction free space for me )
But the key gap I felt is, it doesn't complete my workflow to solve the pain point.
My suggestion would be to go for a integration that would complete this workflow, also it would make this one step better to identify the user's with specific pain.
Thanks, I think I understand it!
Yes, something like that. Write guest post and in the end just write this post was powered distraction free from difree ;-) something like that.
So distraction free writing app can be also used for twitter (if you are targetting twitter) and twitter has a posted on thing which specify from where it was posted. Basically Twitter for mobile, android something like that. So you can add difree there (But need to be posted from difree site, you would need to have twitter integration for that). Keep this on next version.
ad signature and guest posting,
great :-) this sounds like a plan!
ad twitter,
do you mean to integrate Twitter with Difree?
eg.
via Difreelike it goes with the informationvia Tweetdeck?Yes yes that what I am talking about!
Thanks a lot :-)
Did you look into what similar services like ZenPen are doing?
Hi Nina,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I have checked it. ZenPen is a good tool for writing.
I would like Difree to be a bit different.
Nice job launching! Your ideas are a great start.
What is your goal right now? Is it to find early users to get feedback and improve your product? Or are you solid in your problem/solution fit and are trying to ramp up user growth?
In either case, I would suggest setting up your marketing system. By system here I don't mean tools, I mean create the repeatable system that is going to build you continual growth over time. This is going to require experimentation to figure out the right system. Treat it like you treat building your product - try something, iterate, try again.
Start with your user journey
Visually map out your user journey. Map what the experience is like for a new user and a repeat user step by step. From the point that they see you or your product mentioned somewhere to the point, they are a champion user.
Impression ➜ Website visit ➜ Explore ➜ Sign up ➜ Using the product ➜ Pay ➜ Recommend
Map each piece. Imagine a user at each step, what do you want them to be doing next? What do you think they are feeling? What is impeding them from moving to the next step in the journey?
Talk to users
Find some people to talk with and talk with them. If you can't find your first users, try something like usertesting.com to get someone else to view your product. Get feedback and figure out where they get stuck in your funnel.
New sign-up? Ask for a call and ask questions. Be curious about them and what challenges they are facing that led them to you.
Be clear on your target audience
Some people find it helpful to draft a persona that describes the type of person you are trying to reach. Get crystal clear on the precise person that you are trying to reach. Get as specific as you can without being so specific that your audience size is tiny. Focus in before you go broad.
Map your acquisition funnel
Now that you have a clear idea of the user journey, map out your acquisition funnel alongside your user journey. Take that user journey map and your target audience and figure out how you measure three things about each step: volume, conversion, and velocity.
Volume - how many people are moving to each step?
Conversion - at what rate are they moving between each step?
Velocity - how fast are you moving them through each step?
Hit the pavement to grow impressions
This is probably the hardest part that most founders struggle to figure with and end up saying something like "I hate marketing." The perception is that you have to be spammy or pay a bunch in ads to get impressions. That's not true. You can certainly do those things to drive impressions, but it's not the only way. For most founders, side hustlers, bootstrappers, and IndieHackers the better way is to focus on organic impressions.
The simplistic way I describe this is: make friends and be helpful in public places.
Find where your specific audience lives online. Where do they talk with each other, collaborate, and learn from one another? Join those places and help them with their problems. Not just problems that your product solves, but any problem you can help with. Be a trusted advisor. Do this consistently and you will fill the top of your funnel pretty quickly.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your help!
My goal is to validate my product by getting feedback and develop it accordingly.
About growthing strategy, I like the approach you mentioned: make friends and be helpful in public places. It fits me and I feel comfortable doing that.
I'll start, as you suggested, with user journey and meanwhile I'll try to contact people who already use Difree to ask them about their feedback and pain points.