DM Anyone Who Skips the Action You Want

DM Anyone Who Skips the Action You Want is a communities tactic for getting your first users: When a new member joined but didn't post an intro or take the desired action, she personally DM'd them to nudge them into doing it.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for communities, network products. As a communities play, plan for low effort and expect results to show up quickly, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

CommunitiesLow effortFast

Why does communities work for this?

A direct personal nudge converts passive joiners into participants who then create content for everyone else.

The exact steps (5)

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.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "DM Anyone Who Skips the Action You Want" 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 fast.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

CommunitiesLow effort· Medium

Post a Build-in-Public Story and Open Comments for Questions

Share your product as a value-first 'here's what I'm building and learning' story, then invite readers to ask questions in the comments rather than hard-selling.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesLow effort· Fast

Post Your Product First in a 'What Are You Building' Thread

The founder kicked off a self-promotion thread in an indie community and dropped their own product link first ('I'll start:'), seeding their launch and prompting others to check it out as they added theirs.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesMedium effort· Medium

Use an Aged Profile and Add Value So You Don't Get Blocked

Their anti-ban method: post from a well-aged Facebook profile across 10-15 groups daily and genuinely engage with members, helping and sharing useful content even when not selling.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesLow effort· Fast

Host a 'What Are You Working On?' Self-Promo Megathread

Starting an open self-promotion thread inviting everyone to share their projects; as the original poster you seed it with your own product and the thread fills with hundreds of replies.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesMedium effort· Slow

Give Swag People Actually Use to Make Walking Ads

At conferences, hand out durable, genuinely usable swag (mugs, t-shirts, stickers) rather than disposable trinkets; people use them in public and they become conversation starters that connect your community in the wild.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesMedium effort· Slow

Be Useful First, Then Post Feedback Requests to Convert

Introducing yourself as the maker once, participating helpfully for a while before asking for anything, and sourcing most beta customers through posts that ask the community for feedback on a specific feature.

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.