Pre-launch promotion for SaaS - directory submissions worth it?

ranktracker

I've built a proof of concept for an encrypted chat app and need to gauge interest before sinking more dev time. I tried Google Ads previously for another project - honestly felt like burning cash. 'Guaranteed traffic' seems too good to be true. someone in the thread mentioned directory submissions - I've seen those SaaS directories like Product Hunt alternatives but never used them as a primary channel. has anyone actually got qualified leads from directory listings, or is that just noise? My stack is still early-stage but testable at enkrypted.chat. Any step-by-step on how to approach directories (which ones, submission process, optimisation) would be killer.

bouncekiller

oh, directory submissions? Sure, if you fancy your app rotting in a graveyard of forgotten links. Might as well shout into a void - at least that's free.

ppcnerd

There's something interesting happening with content saturation right now. The macroeconomic shift means audiences are drowning in polished ad creative-so unpolished, authentic UGC actually cuts through better than a slick TV spot ever could. It mirrors what we saw in the early days of YouTube: the shaky, handheld video from a founder resonated more than a produced corporate piece.

We stumbled onto the same finding. Paid creators gave us a spike, but consistent in-house UGC built real compound growth. The bottleneck was the manual grind of scripting, filming, and editing. So we automated the pipeline ourselves-from marketing angles through to characters, voiceovers, and captions. It's a tool we now use across our portfolio. First video's free, no card or sub needed, if you want to test it: auto-viral.app.

The real insight though? Don't chase production value. Chase volume with consistency. The market rewards persistence over perfection right now.

trafficcop

Oh honey, Google Ads are basically a bonfire for your budget when you haven't nailed your messaging yet. Those clicks look great on paper until you realise they're just curious randoms who couldn't give a toss about your encryption.

Way better signal comes from lurking where people are already moaning about privacy or hating on their current chat app. Drop in with actual help, answer their questions, and if your product genuinely fits the conversation, you can mention it without sounding like a shill.

Slower than throwing money at the ad machine, but you actually learn whether your idea has legs. I rambled about why organic beats paid at this stage somewhere else, but the gist is: stop feeding the Google beast until you know people want what you're selling.

adcraft

google Ads pre-launch? Might as well burn cash for warmth.

The only metric that matters before launch is product-market fit, not clicks. Hanging out where your users already complain about the problem is the actual play. Be useful, shut up about your app.

Honestly, most founders just hate marketing and want a tool to automate it. That's fine, but don't pretend paid ads are a shortcut when you've got zero social proof.

masoncollab

Honestly, the best way I've seen work is building real relationships with the people who actually get your app. Forget throwing money at random ads - start by finding the creators or communities that already talk about the problem you solve. I've sourced UGC for a dozen consumer brands, and every time, the wins came from authentic collabs with micro-creators who had insane engagement, not follower counts.

Then run a few small campaigns across Twitter, Reddit, and a launch platform like Product Hunt. Track every single ROI - sign-ups, cost per install, whatever matters - and just put more budget behind the channel that's delivering. Fix your targeting as you learn. Keep doing that until you've got a loyal base that actually sticks.

wordweaver

Honestly, stop blasting your app into the void and start listening. find the people already screaming for the solution you built. that's where something like Leadline actually saves you from wasting days posting in subreddits where nobody gives a toss. Works better than guessing.

ranktracker

i've spent a fair bit of time in app directories from the SEO side - Product Hunt, G2, even niche ones like SaaSWorthy. They're essentially curated databases where people browse for solutions. As a promotion channel, they can work if you nail the listing page: clean copy, a decent demo video, and enough reviews to build trust. From a technical angle, they also pass some link equity if they dofollow your site, but the real value is exposure to warm leads. have you tried a specific directory yet, or are you still weighing options?

bouncekiller

oh honey, that "submit to every directory under the sun" method is about as effective as throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it sticks. Tiny Launch and PeerPush? sure, you'll get a trickle of traffic, but it's mostly other founders staring at each other's launch pages. If you're not pairing that with a proper funnel or a story that actually hooks people, you're just another listing collecting digital dust. Hope the message you sent had a bit more meat on the bones