To get more users, have you tried approaching bloggers in different niches with different article ideas? The use cases for your app are different for different sets of people. Just write a one paragraph abstract about your app and email bloggers and editors to see if they'll cover your just released app.
Some headline and abstract ideas when you approach bloggers:
1) Tech/Business -- Popcorn: The hot new app to network at tech conferences
2) Student Websites/Newspapers -- The messaging app you need when a zombie apocalypse happens at SDSU (insert campus here)
3) Dating Blogs -- The newest app for singles: Popcorn lets you chat with others in high density bar areas
4) General -- When disasters strike, Popcorn lets you talk to others in your vicinity
5) Social media bloggers -- What are young teens using if not Facebook? Apps like Popcorn: hyper-local and addictive
6) Music -- Perfect for Coachella and SXSW: Popcorn lets you chat with others at music festivals
7) City Websites/Local -- New app "Popcorn" lets neighbors stay connected on what's happening on the block
8) Gaming -- Popcorn, the app you need to coordinate your next LAN party
If you get a bunch of these articles and blog posts up in the next week or two, it can help push that 1,000 number up higher.
I think you need a 5th takeaway: write a follow-up blog post about how your HN post got you 1000 users, subsequently getting you another 1000 users that missed the post the day before.
how about a 6th takeaway in a follow up, in which he discusses retention of these initial 1000 users? I think it's great he was able to obtain those numbers early but I think those users are a bit ephemeral.
(Yes, taking the opportunity to also get a little attention on HN. Sorry, this is important.)
Analytics tells us that LinkedIn, in particular didn't have good engagement. A few strategic posts on CraigsList probably did ten times better LinkedIn.
The best results we got have been due to friends, family, neighbors and local teachers making a push to reach to their immediate connections (their friends, family and co-workers) to have them engage. Also some blogs produced results here and there.
In general terms building an audience for just about anything on the internet is really hard these days. Luck can be a factor, but more and more it seems to require a lot of hard work and "street smarts". For example, I contacted every host at a local TV station with slightly different versions of the same story in order to see if anyone would be interested. Call it A/B testing. One was, and that helped a bit (just a bit).
> I've learned Facebook and LinkedIn can produce really disappointing results.
(...)
> The best results we got have been due to friends, family, neighbors and local teachers making a push to reach to their immediate connections (their friends, family and co-workers) to have them engage.
Do you mean facebook ads in your first use of Facebook? Because I would think "organic" use of Facebook would be a contributing factor to "reach ... immediate connections"?
I've never quite understood the idea of Facebook "ads". If you want to do "viral" marketing -- let your product/cause spread via social media via actual human connections. If you want to do advertising, do advertising.
If you log in, and no one is around, the app gets closed pretty quickly. I have checked back multiple times, and always seem to miss everyone chatting. I would love to know if someone close by is online or chatting, so that I don't have to sit there hoping someone sees my tepid 'Hello?'.
I don't know if push notifications are the correct answer, but letting me know that there was activity that I missed, after my last post, would be a good start. Letting me know if other people are active in my region would be nice, but it's mostly that I don't want to have a conversation with myself.
I would love to know if other people are chatting, because I want to join in.
In any case, thanks for the app, have you got a public issue tracker, or anything similar?
Yes, you're absolutely right. I was kickin myself all day yesterday because push notifications weren't working. I couldnt figure out why but my guess was it had to do with the provisioning profile. i resubmitted late last night, and requested expedited review. hopefully itll be out in the next few days. either way, thanks for the constructive feedback!
I like the app idea, but not a huge fan of your methods of attracting users. Because this is a highly localized app, I think the key takeaway is that you need to really push a single (or multiple) locations at once, rather than "everywhere" at once.
The app will do far better with 1000 users in one location than 1 user in each of 1000 locations.
Also, could you onboard users with no registration required to get them using it, then ask them to register if they want to use across multiple devices / retrieve their login?
Absolutely. This app is going to completely rely on network effects. Just like Facebook, once there are a few area "spheres" with a lot of active and concurrent users, this can start to take off.
I predict this may end up being the next big Snapchat-like app within a year. I may be totally wrong, and/or I may just be biased because I've always wanted an app like this (in part because I always enjoyed the local small-region chatting in MMO games, and this is the same thing applied to real life), but I think this has a ton of potential.
Right now it needs to be aggressively marketed and spread around.
Congrats on the success! I'm curious: the condition of <1 mile proximity isn't transitive, so wouldn't users be seeing only one half of a lot of conversations? Like if A was close to B, B was close to C, but A wasn't close to C, then A would only see what B says to C but not what C says back. Or have you divided up space into fixed cells roughly one mile wide to prevent this?
This was probably my most embarrassing oversight. Your first point is the way it's working. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to make that work without segmenting the map into fixed cells... any thoughts?
I have a side project (dmtri.com). It lacks active users right now. I don't mind not having too many registered users as the website doesn't require you to sign up. I just wish that people would visit more and write more. Obviously the problem is that there isn't much going on actively on the site.
However, I detest the thought of spamming every facebook groups and such. I tried organically growing by writing really good content (http://dmtri.com/posts/28/alexis_ohanian_-_%22i_don%27t_regr...), but that in itself is a problem because I have to get visitors for that.
I worked hard on the project but I feel a bit discouraged by lack of interest so far.
The real problem is I'm not quite sure what you're offering that hasn't been done a million times before.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm being curt. What differentiates dmtri? It looks like just another site to post stuff anonymously. Why would I use it over 4chan or reddit etc etc.
These are things to think about if you want it to take off.
As someone with several side projects, I feel your pain.
You probably need to make the site appear more active, until there's enough interesting content to keep visitors there a while and encourage them to post.
I feel like what you did might be considered spam - posting on FB groups, and reposting on HN. It's not adding any value to the community. But hey, what works, works.
there are ways of posting tactfully. i believe in the app thus i think it's useful for those students. i dont continuously post over and over, so far, only once per page. i have students liking and commenting, even friending me telling me they like the app.
Great Article, thank you for sharing. It's interesting to follow a Product Launch and see what works / what doesn't work. I like how you've integrated a specific UX into the Product. Right now the Signup is probably one of the most important aspects to focus on (as you onboard Users). Choosing to skip E-mails (and E-mail verification) for a faster signup lowers the entry point barrier and makes the UX more enjoyable. This is something I'm currently working on with my App (the initial Signup Process). I've performed some customer validation and the results were in line with my assumptions. The preferred experience seems to be minimal time investment, and minimal effort. Following this train of thought, here are few basic options:
1. User manually inputs an E-mail Address and Password (commonly w/ E-mail Verification)
2. User manually inputs a Username/Password (less to type, no Verification needed)
3. User taps twice and uses Social Media Integration (example, Facebook Login)
Of course each of these has Pro's and Cons. I will follow Popcorn and see how it works with the second option. I'm leaning towards the third option (minimal time investment), but I'm concerned about perceptions of the associated Social Network(s) and how that might impact the User's desire to create an account. For example, if a certain Network is "not cool" with the younger generation, and you present the "not cool" Network as the Logon method, would that make the App also "not cool"?
You need to really think about 3. Asking someone to sign in using facebook or twitter is much more than the physical action of tapping twice. you're asking for something emotional, their personal data. It would help others and myself if you posted what your app does. i would only use those as a form of login signup if your app absolutely depends on it - Tinder is a great example of this.
> If your post doesn’t gain traction on Hacker News initially, delete it and try posting another day. This probably holds true for sites like Reddit as well.
FYI, I can't find Popcorn if I search for Popcorn in the App Store. I am able to find it if I search for Popcorn Messaging. I can just imagine many more people will find it if you'd call it Popcorn Chat.
Nice post and always exciting to get a good start going. What I'm really interested in is the geographical dispersion of those 1,000 users (and however many you have now), how many conversations where actually formed, and the retention.
I guess people fire up an app just after installing it, wanting to take it for a spin, and if they can't form even one conversation since nobody's around them, it would greatly affect retention.
An interesting metric would be 'conversations per day' and if technically possible 'potential conversations per day', that is to say how many pairs of people with the app running where in 1 mile proximity to one another.
Also, it would be interesting to see whether users take the conversation elsewhere (facebook, twitter, whatsapp), at what stage (as one is leaving the location or before that), and if they do - how does it affect their app usage. Does it make them use the app more (for example, to seek more connections and friends now that they see it's effective for meeting new people), or less (they took the conversation elsewhere and their social needs were met for now).
Just my $0.02. Hope to see an Android version soon to test if myself!
Good luck!
I think I totally misread this title as "how I got my first 1000 users - in one day" rather than, what I think it means, which is "how I got my first 1000-users-in-1-day"! Still, useful tips, and you obviously have a lot of energy when it comes to getting the word out, which can only be admired.
About 14 years ago I used a chat client called popcorn that ran on local networks while I was at boarding school. It allowed us to chat after hours when outside internet access was cut off (around 10pm). Now I cant find any reference to it. Anyone else here heard of it?
How were you able to get Apple to accept the app when it's locked by a login screen? I suffered with 2 different apps that had been rejected because they required the user to register/login before they can use the app.
I could definitely see this being useful/entertaining at a sporting event in a "join the conversation" kind of way. Everyone plays with their smartphone during breaks in the action anyway.
[+] [-] vineetch|12 years ago|reply
Some headline and abstract ideas when you approach bloggers:
1) Tech/Business -- Popcorn: The hot new app to network at tech conferences
2) Student Websites/Newspapers -- The messaging app you need when a zombie apocalypse happens at SDSU (insert campus here)
3) Dating Blogs -- The newest app for singles: Popcorn lets you chat with others in high density bar areas
4) General -- When disasters strike, Popcorn lets you talk to others in your vicinity
5) Social media bloggers -- What are young teens using if not Facebook? Apps like Popcorn: hyper-local and addictive
6) Music -- Perfect for Coachella and SXSW: Popcorn lets you chat with others at music festivals
7) City Websites/Local -- New app "Popcorn" lets neighbors stay connected on what's happening on the block
8) Gaming -- Popcorn, the app you need to coordinate your next LAN party
If you get a bunch of these articles and blog posts up in the next week or two, it can help push that 1,000 number up higher.
[+] [-] james33|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jpittman|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wellboy|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gridspy|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tzaman|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] algoshift|12 years ago|reply
Over the last couple of weeks we've been pushing hard to develop awareness for a worthy cause (special needs education tools). Details here:
http://www.tommyteaches.com/special-education.php
(Yes, taking the opportunity to also get a little attention on HN. Sorry, this is important.)
Analytics tells us that LinkedIn, in particular didn't have good engagement. A few strategic posts on CraigsList probably did ten times better LinkedIn.
The best results we got have been due to friends, family, neighbors and local teachers making a push to reach to their immediate connections (their friends, family and co-workers) to have them engage. Also some blogs produced results here and there.
In general terms building an audience for just about anything on the internet is really hard these days. Luck can be a factor, but more and more it seems to require a lot of hard work and "street smarts". For example, I contacted every host at a local TV station with slightly different versions of the same story in order to see if anyone would be interested. Call it A/B testing. One was, and that helped a bit (just a bit).
Good luck with your app. It looks interesting.
[+] [-] e12e|12 years ago|reply
(...)
> The best results we got have been due to friends, family, neighbors and local teachers making a push to reach to their immediate connections (their friends, family and co-workers) to have them engage.
Do you mean facebook ads in your first use of Facebook? Because I would think "organic" use of Facebook would be a contributing factor to "reach ... immediate connections"?
I've never quite understood the idea of Facebook "ads". If you want to do "viral" marketing -- let your product/cause spread via social media via actual human connections. If you want to do advertising, do advertising.
[+] [-] Cogito|12 years ago|reply
If you log in, and no one is around, the app gets closed pretty quickly. I have checked back multiple times, and always seem to miss everyone chatting. I would love to know if someone close by is online or chatting, so that I don't have to sit there hoping someone sees my tepid 'Hello?'.
I don't know if push notifications are the correct answer, but letting me know that there was activity that I missed, after my last post, would be a good start. Letting me know if other people are active in my region would be nice, but it's mostly that I don't want to have a conversation with myself.
I would love to know if other people are chatting, because I want to join in.
In any case, thanks for the app, have you got a public issue tracker, or anything similar?
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
if you dont mind please email me: ryan - at - soundtribe.com
[+] [-] qzervaas|12 years ago|reply
The app will do far better with 1000 users in one location than 1 user in each of 1000 locations.
Also, could you onboard users with no registration required to get them using it, then ask them to register if they want to use across multiple devices / retrieve their login?
[+] [-] meowface|12 years ago|reply
I predict this may end up being the next big Snapchat-like app within a year. I may be totally wrong, and/or I may just be biased because I've always wanted an app like this (in part because I always enjoyed the local small-region chatting in MMO games, and this is the same thing applied to real life), but I think this has a ton of potential.
Right now it needs to be aggressively marketed and spread around.
[+] [-] benp84|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jsnk|12 years ago|reply
However, I detest the thought of spamming every facebook groups and such. I tried organically growing by writing really good content (http://dmtri.com/posts/28/alexis_ohanian_-_%22i_don%27t_regr...), but that in itself is a problem because I have to get visitors for that.
I worked hard on the project but I feel a bit discouraged by lack of interest so far.
[+] [-] billmalarky|12 years ago|reply
I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm being curt. What differentiates dmtri? It looks like just another site to post stuff anonymously. Why would I use it over 4chan or reddit etc etc.
These are things to think about if you want it to take off.
[+] [-] kirchhoff|12 years ago|reply
You probably need to make the site appear more active, until there's enough interesting content to keep visitors there a while and encourage them to post.
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] karangoeluw|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shawnreilly|12 years ago|reply
1. User manually inputs an E-mail Address and Password (commonly w/ E-mail Verification) 2. User manually inputs a Username/Password (less to type, no Verification needed) 3. User taps twice and uses Social Media Integration (example, Facebook Login)
Of course each of these has Pro's and Cons. I will follow Popcorn and see how it works with the second option. I'm leaning towards the third option (minimal time investment), but I'm concerned about perceptions of the associated Social Network(s) and how that might impact the User's desire to create an account. For example, if a certain Network is "not cool" with the younger generation, and you present the "not cool" Network as the Logon method, would that make the App also "not cool"?
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hansy|12 years ago|reply
So the takeaway is pray your story makes it to HN's front page.
Snarkiness aside, congrats on the launch!
[+] [-] nthitz|12 years ago|reply
> If your post doesn’t gain traction on Hacker News initially, delete it and try posting another day. This probably holds true for sites like Reddit as well.
Which makes me a little uneasy..
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pieterhg|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] QuasiAlon|12 years ago|reply
An interesting metric would be 'conversations per day' and if technically possible 'potential conversations per day', that is to say how many pairs of people with the app running where in 1 mile proximity to one another.
Also, it would be interesting to see whether users take the conversation elsewhere (facebook, twitter, whatsapp), at what stage (as one is leaving the location or before that), and if they do - how does it affect their app usage. Does it make them use the app more (for example, to seek more connections and friends now that they see it's effective for meeting new people), or less (they took the conversation elsewhere and their social needs were met for now).
Just my $0.02. Hope to see an Android version soon to test if myself! Good luck!
[+] [-] coffeecheque|12 years ago|reply
However, should you be displaying the location of your users on a Google Map via your publicly accessible backend website?
I'm happy for location to be sent to the server for working out where I am. I'm less happy for it to popup where everyone can access it.
[+] [-] rurounijones|12 years ago|reply
(I consider any title which tells me what X "needs" or why / how X "must" do something to be link-bait)
[+] [-] oneeyedpigeon|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dopamean|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] leviathan|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drum|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] waylandsmithers|12 years ago|reply
I could definitely see this being useful/entertaining at a sporting event in a "join the conversation" kind of way. Everyone plays with their smartphone during breaks in the action anyway.
[+] [-] goshx|12 years ago|reply
ps: I am still reading them with the voice of Morgan Freeman, though (maybe that is why they seem so inspiring?)
[+] [-] brickmort|12 years ago|reply
that is goddamn brilliant.