HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Be the Helper, Get Inbound

Be the Helper, Get Inbound is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Treat community participation as pure relationship building: answer questions and help as many members as possible until people start coming to you to ask what you do.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, solo founders, any. As a communities play, plan for low effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

CommunitiesLow effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

Generosity at scale builds goodwill and visibility, and people who you have helped are predisposed to trust you and ask about your product on their own.

The exact steps (4)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for
Any / universalB2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Be the Helper, Get Inbound" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS — pick it when your product looks like that, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Be the Helper, Get Inbound" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is low effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via B2B SaaS Marketing: 6 Strategies, is in the paid library.

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