HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Start With the Channels That Cost Nothing

Start With the Channels That Cost Nothing is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: When you have no budget, you begin with the free, obvious channels you can act on today, putting your own founder presence and manual outreach to work before spending a cent on ads.

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

First users & tractionLow effortSlow

Why does first users & traction work for this?

Posting and DMing cost only time, so a bootstrapped founder can generate pipeline without a marketing budget. Engagement signals tell you exactly who is already warm, making outreach far more likely to land than cold blasts.

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.

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Sources

Works for
B2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Start With the Channels That Cost Nothing" 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 "Start With the Channels That Cost Nothing" 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 The Best SaaS Marketing Strategies for 2026, is in the paid library.

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