16
16 Comments

How side-project marketing doubled our website visitors

In the last 3 months, we launched 2 side-projects for our core product - makerbox.club (marketing resources for solopreneurs):

  1. Virtual CMO - free tool to solve marketing problems
  2. User persona generator - free tool to generate user persona for any product

The result: our monthly website visitors for the core product went from 6K to 12K monthly.

Here are 4 steps to launch a free tool that organically promotes your main product:

  1. Find the problem 🔴

— What problem will your side project solve?
— How solving this problem will simplify selling the main product?
— What segment of the target audience has this problem?

  1. Build a simple product 🎁

— Use No-code tools or a simple tech stack
— You shouldn’t spend more than 1 week on building it

  1. Promote your main product 📢

— Include a CTA button on all pages of your side project
— Create a welcome email sequence (if you are collecting emails)
— Present a limited offer for side project users

  1. Distribute it 🔥

— Launch it on ProductHunt (get in top-5, and get featured in AI & tech newsletters for free)
— Share it on Reddit, HackerNews, Indie Hackers, Slack and Discord channels
— Launch it in startup directories

on September 6, 2023
  1. 1

    That's a good strategy. As some are pointing out, these side projects should be in line with the main product you want to funnel people towards.

    I see it mostly as TOFU (top of funnel) content and it should be aligned with proper keyword research. Find related kw that have high search volume and optimize for them.

    I did something similar with toolsparacreators.com to drive traffic to my main product.

  2. 1

    Thanks for sharing. Awesome ideas on how to grow organically. I'm just wondering if managing all these different products (even if this is simple) is not a lot of work. How do you balance your time with user support, technical issues, etc.?

    Another question... did this increase in views also reflect on an increase in revenue for your main project?

    I really appreciate your insights!!

  3. 1

    Congratulations. However, is "get in top-5" really that easy to be included as a tip?

  4. 1

    Congrats for increasing your monthly website visitors for the core product from 6K to 12K monthly.

    BTW, what abt the revenue/profit growth, if any?

  5. 1

    Honesty genius. Because you can also offer the side projects, legitimately, as a free service.

  6. 1

    The visitors count looks impressive, Sveta!

    How does the traffic from these free tools impact conversions / revenue? Are those quality leads?

  7. 1

    Very inspiring! You may have created a new GTM strategy - Side Project Led Growth :D

  8. 1

    Side project for marketing is not really a new thing. Remember side project here can mean a lot of thing, youtube channel, growing social media, creating content, blogging.

    But all of it have one single purpose which is to get the traffic needed and then try funnel it to our main website. So the most important thing when doing side project is to build something that can attract potential costumer.

    If you are attracting software engineers, then creating software tools is better. If finance, maybe writing blog about market condition have better chance of success.

    Nevertheless the basic premise is can whatever I am doing attract my potential buyers. If yes amazing and if no then don't proceed.

    Maybe you can checkout this article to understand this better : Grow Your Product Through Side-Project Marketing

  9. 1

    Do the side projects include technologies, ideas and solutions that relate to your main project? So you can validate them before committing to development?
    Or could they be their own separate entities?

  10. 1

    Very impressive! Will have to try this sometime.

  11. 1

    This article is a testament to the power of creativity and innovation in digital marketing. It's inspiring to see how a strategic approach like side-project marketing can yield such impressive results. Doubling your website visitors is no small feat, and it's clear that your team's dedication and ingenuity played a significant role in achieving this success.

  12. 1

    Marketing a side project effectively can be a game-changer for your website's visibility and audience reach. Here's how we doubled our website visitors through strategic side-project marketing:

    1. Identify a Valuable Side Project:

    Choose a side project that aligns with your website's niche or target audience. It could be a tool, resource, or content piece that offers genuine value. For us, it was a free, user-friendly online tool related to our website's core theme.

    1. High-Quality Development:

    Invest time and resources in creating a top-notch side project. Ensure it's user-friendly, functional, and provides a seamless experience. Quality matters, as it reflects positively on your main website.

    1. Integration with Website:

    Integrate the side project seamlessly with your website. Cross-link between the two, making it easy for users to discover your main site from the side project and vice versa.

    1. SEO Optimization:

    Optimize both the side project and your website for search engines. Use relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions to improve search engine ranking.

    1. Content Marketing:

    Create compelling content around your side project. Write blog posts, tutorials, or case studies that highlight its benefits and how it can solve user problems. Share these on your website and through social media.

    1. Outreach and Collaboration:

    Reach out to influencers or websites in your niche. Collaborate with them to promote your side project. Guest posts, social media mentions, or co-hosted webinars can all be effective strategies.

    1. Email Marketing:

    Leverage your email list. Send newsletters and updates about your side project to your subscribers, driving traffic back to your website.

    1. Social Media Promotion:

    Use your social media channels to promote the side project. Engage with your audience, answer questions, and create buzz.

    1. Analyze and Optimize:

    Monitor the performance of your side project marketing efforts. Use analytics tools to track website visitors, conversions, and user behavior. Adjust your strategy based on the data.

    1. Gather User Feedback:

    Encourage users of the side project to provide feedback. Use this feedback to improve both the side project and your main website.

    1. Long-Term Maintenance:

    Don't abandon the side project once it's launched. Continuously update and maintain it to ensure it remains valuable and functional.

    1. Patience and Persistence:

    Building website traffic takes time. Be patient and persistent with your marketing efforts. Consistency is key to long-term success.

    Through strategic side-project marketing, we were able to not only double our website visitors but also create a valuable resource for our audience. Remember, the key is to provide real value, integrate it effectively with your website, and promote it through various channels to reach a wider audience.

  13. 1

    That's impressive growth! 🚀
    In my experience, launching side projects can really boost your main product.

  14. 0

    There are a number of ways that side-project marketing can double your website visitors. Here are a few of the most effective methods:

    Content marketing: Creating and sharing high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience is a great way to attract new visitors to your website. You can create blog posts, infographics, videos, or other types of content that will interest your target audience.
    Social media marketing: Using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to promote your website is another effective way to reach new visitors. You can share your content, run contests, and engage with your followers to drive traffic to your website.
    Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website for search engines will help it rank higher in search results, which will make it more visible to potential visitors. You can optimize your website by using relevant keywords and phrases in your content, titles, and meta descriptions.
    Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: PPC advertising allows you to place ads on search engines and other websites. When someone clicks on your ad, you will pay a certain amount of money. This can be a great way to quickly reach a large number of people.
    Email marketing: Building an email list and sending regular emails to your subscribers is a great way to stay in touch with potential and existing customers. You can use email marketing to promote your website, announce new products or services, and offer discounts and promotions.
    By using a combination of these methods, you can effectively market your side project and double your website visitors.

    In addition to the above, here are some other things you can do to improve your side project marketing:

    Track your results: It is important to track your results so that you can see what is working and what is not. You can use Google Analytics to track the number of visitors to your website, where they are coming from, and what pages they are visiting.
    Experiment: Don't be afraid to experiment with different marketing methods to see what works best for your side project. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing, so you need to find what works for you.
    Be patient: It takes time to build a successful side project. Don't expect to double your website visitors overnight. Just keep working hard and be patient, and you will eventually see results.

  15. 1

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

Trending on Indie Hackers
From Ideas to a Content Factory: The Rise of SuperMaker AI User Avatar 27 comments Why Early-Stage Founders Should Consider Skipping Prior Art Searches for Their Patent Applications User Avatar 21 comments Codenhack Beta — Full Access + Referral User Avatar 17 comments I built eSIMKitStore — helping travelers stay online with instant QR-based eSIMs 🌍 User Avatar 15 comments Building something...? User Avatar 12 comments Do Patents Really Help Startups Raise Funding? Evidence from the U.S. and Europe User Avatar 11 comments