HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Use Events, Giveaways, and 1:1 Contact to Build a Cult Brand

Use Events, Giveaways, and 1:1 Contact to Build a Cult Brand is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Deepen loyalty through real-world touchpoints, timely giveaways, and direct conversations until members identify with the brand and evangelize it on their own.

It's a strong fit for Consumer / mobile apps and Newsletters / media teams, and works especially well for consumer brands, newsletters, communities. As a communities play, plan for high effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 5 linked primary sources.

CommunitiesHigh effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

Event-driven and in-person experiences create unusually sticky members, and a genuine sense of identity turns customers into a self-sustaining fanbase that buys whatever you release and recruits others for you.

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
Consumer / mobile appsNewsletters / media

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Use Events, Giveaways, and 1:1 Contact to Build a Cult Brand" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for Consumer / mobile apps and Newsletters / media — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Use Events, Giveaways, and 1:1 Contact to Build a Cult Brand" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 5 primary sources — real founder write-ups and interviews, not generic advice. They are linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original accounts yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is high 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 State of Newsletters 2026 and Elite Newsletter Growth Flywheel, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

CommunitiesMedium effort· Medium

Win One Sub-2,000-Member Community Instead of Big Platforms

Concentrating effort on a single tiny niche community (under 2,000 members) that produced 90% of beta customers, because it's far easier to stand out there than on Twitter or other large platforms.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesLow effort· Medium

Answer the Question First, Then Drop Your Newsletter Link

Growing a local newsletter by genuinely answering people's questions in Facebook groups and only then linking to the relevant newsletter issue for more depth.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesHigh effort· Medium

Get Admin Permission, Then Use Comment-to-Unlock in FB Groups

DM Facebook group admins for posting approval, then instead of linking directly, ask members to comment to receive the lead magnet and DM each commenter the 'secret link' to keep the post boosted.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesHigh effort· Slow

Convert a Public Audience into an Owned Community

Building a following on social platforms around a specific topic, then channeling the most engaged followers into a space you control where you capture their contact info and learn their pain points.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesMedium effort· Slow

Host Your Own Small Rooms, Skip the Mega-Conference

Instead of buying a booth at a crowded industry conference, run your own intimate gatherings—customer dinners, regional meetups, weekend get-togethers—where you control the room and the conversation.

Read the steps →
CommunitiesMedium effort· Medium

Auto-Capture Member Emails at the FB Group Approval Gate

Turn a Facebook group into an email-list engine by capturing the answers new members give at the join gate and piping them straight into an autoresponder.

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.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel