How important is social media as an indie dev?
As a college student with a passion for coding and entrepreneurship, I've recently found myself questioning the significance of social media, especially as a solo developer. My journey led me to create a party ticketing platform to compete with others in my area. While the core product is strong, offering a superior experience, I faced a challenge in gaining traction.
Some might suggest that I hadn't yet found the elusive product-market fit. However, I argue that in a niche that has already proven itself profitable (with several party hosting platforms securing VC funding, and one hitting $5 million), there should be a way to succeed. My product also differs from giants like Ticketmaster as it caters to young partygoers organizing house or frat parties for profit. Despite my efforts, including paid ads that didn't convert to sign-ups, I struggled to identify effective marketing strategies.
Moreover, this niche doesn't naturally congregate online, making it exceptionally challenging to reach my target audience. This raises a compelling question: Could a well-executed social media strategy have driven more leads to my platform? 🤔
Speaking of social media I recently joined tech twitter and I would love to connect with my fellow hackers. You can find me here and yes I will follow back:
https://twitter.com/ClarkDoesDev
I think your best bet is to network directly with the promoters to build word of mouth and reputation. Probably includes getting in at some of these events, making sure everything is going well, talking with the door crew and promoters, and then bouncing before it feels like you're overstaying your welcome. White glove it up and build some cred.
You're advertising to an extremely small group of people (event promoters) so I don't expect paid ads to really hit your target.