Launch day doesn’t bring users. You do.
A first app launches to silence when the builder spends every hour on the app and none on the people. You don’t need an ad budget to fix it. You need to go where your users already are, and tell them.
SEO and app store optimisation are my forte from my years selling online, and search has been great for my apps. But my strongest channel isn’t online at all. It’s speaking. Every time I host a workshop or speak at someone’s event, a wave of new users follows.
Here’s the full route, from your first 10 users to the ones who find you by search. If you want help building and launching your app, here’s where I teach this.
Where do your first users come from?
Your first users come from people you already reach. The best first group is the people you interviewed while validating your idea. They told you about the problem, so show them the fix first.
After them, work outwards:
- People you interviewed or who joined your waitlist
- Your own network and social audience
- The communities your users already belong to
- Events, talks and workshops for your users
- Search: the App Store, Google Play and Google
The first 3 bring users in the first week. The last 2 keep bringing them for years.
How do you set up your store page to bring users?
Your store page is where every channel ends. If it doesn’t explain the app in 3 seconds, the click is wasted.
Set up the name, subtitle, keywords and screenshots first. My app store optimisation guide covers each field and its limits. For a full launch checklist, I built karrot, the marketing checklist for app builders.
Then use the free tools Apple gives you:
- Promotional text. Up to 170 characters at the top of your description. You change it any time without a new app version, so use it for launch news.
- Custom product pages. Up to 70 extra versions of your page, each with its own URL, screenshots and promotional text. Send people from a talk to one page and people from Pinterest to another.
- In-app events. Workshops, challenges or new features shown on your store page and in search. Each event needs App Review approval.
How do you get people interested before launch?
Let them commit before the app is live. A pre-order turns “sounds good” into a download on launch day.
On the App Store, a new app takes pre-orders with a release date 2 to 180 days ahead. Set it up in Pricing and Availability in App Store Connect.
On Google Play, pre-registration runs for up to 90 days, and then you launch. Your app needs a test release first.
Share the pre-order link with everyone from step 1, and put it in your bio.
How does search bring users long after launch?
Search brings people who already want what your app does. It’s slow to start and it keeps working, which makes it the best channel I know.
There are two kinds of search to set up:
- Store search. The App Store and Google Play rank your app by the words on your page and by downloads, ratings and reviews. This is app store optimisation.
- Google search. A simple website for your app, with a page in your users’ words, ranks for searches people make before they open a store. Google Search Console is free and shows how Google sees your site.
Write both in the words your users search for, not the words you’d use to describe your app.
How do Pinterest and social media help?
Pinterest is a search engine with pictures. A pin with a destination link sends people to your site long after you post it. You need a business account and a claimed website to add the link.
Social media works best when you build in public. Show the app getting better, share what users ask for, and post the before and after. People follow a story more than a launch announcement.
Is Product Hunt worth it?
Product Hunt gives you one day of attention from other makers and early adopters. Treat it as a bonus, not the plan.
Product Hunt’s own launch guide says to post from a personal account, schedule for 12:01 AM Pacific, and write a first comment covering what it is, who it’s for, your story and the price. Ask for feedback, not upvotes. New accounts sometimes wait about a week before posting, so sign up early.
Why do talks and workshops bring so many users?
A room of the right people is the fastest channel I’ve found. Every time I host a workshop or speak at someone’s event, a wave of new users follows. Those downloads help my app store ranking too, because ranking follows downloads.
You don’t need a stage. Offer a free 30-minute session to a community your users belong to. Teach the problem your app solves, and show the app as one way to solve it. Put one link or QR code on your last slide, ideally to a custom product page for this audience.
What should you do in the 2 weeks around launch?
Pick one task a day, under 30 minutes. Paste the launch plan prompt below into Claude or ChatGPT for a plan built on your channels.
A simple shape:
- Week before: pre-order link live, store page done, message drafted for your step 1 people, one talk or community post booked.
- Launch day: message your step 1 people one by one. Post your build story.
- Week after: ask your first users what confused them, reply to every review, update your promotional text.
If you’re still finishing the app, start with how to ship your first app. For the whole path from idea to first users, read how to build an app as a non-technical founder.
Store features checked on Apple’s, Google’s and Product Hunt’s own pages on 24 October 2026.
Your 2-week launch plan
Help me plan the 2 weeks around my app launch to get my first users.
My app: [one sentence]
Who it's for: [one kind of person]
Platform: [iPhone / Android / web]
Launch date: [date]
Where my users already spend time: [communities, platforms, events]
Who I already reach: [email list, social audience, people I interviewed]
Build a day-by-day plan for the week before and the week after launch. Each day gets one task, under 30 minutes. Start with people I already reach. Don't suggest paid ads. If a channel doesn't fit my users, leave it out and say why.
Write your Product Hunt first comment
Write my first comment as the maker of my app on Product Hunt.
The app: [one sentence]
Who it's for: [one kind of person]
Why I built it: [the real reason, 2 sentences]
Price: [free / price]
Cover what it does, who it's for, my story and the price. End by asking for feedback, not upvotes. Under 150 words. Plain and specific, no hype words.
Write 5 Pinterest pins for your app
Write 5 Pinterest pin titles and descriptions for my app.
The app: [one sentence]
Who it's for: [one kind of person]
The problem it solves: [in their words]
The page each pin links to: [URL]
Each pin targets a different search someone would type into Pinterest. Titles under 100 characters, descriptions under 300. Use the words my users use, not marketing language.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the first users of a new app come from?
From people you already reach: the people you interviewed, your network, your social audience and the communities your users belong to. Store search and Google search bring more over time, once your page uses the words people search for.
Do I collect sign-ups before my app is live?
Yes. Apple lets a new app take pre-orders with a release date 2 to 180 days ahead. Google Play pre-registration runs for up to 90 days. Both let people commit before launch day.
Do I need a website if my app is in the App Store?
Yes. A simple site gives Google something to rank, gives Pinterest a destination, and gives you one link for talks and bios. Google Search Console is free and shows how Google sees your site.
Is Product Hunt worth it for a first app?
It's one day of attention, so treat it as a bonus, not the plan. Post from a personal account, schedule for 12:01 AM Pacific, and write a first comment asking for feedback rather than upvotes.
How do I change my App Store page without a new app version?
Use promotional text. It's up to 170 characters and you change it any time without submitting a new version. It doesn't affect search ranking, so use it for news and offers.