We were lucky enough to be 1st Product of the Day and 3rd Product of the Week with Eden AI. In this article, we'll take you behind the scenes, explaining in detail:
How we prepared our launch on Product Hunt
What we did on the day and during the 24-hour competition
What we learned from it and the actual results you might anticipate
What is Product Hunt?
Product Hunt is a website that references a set of digital products. Every day, the site puts in competition the launch of several products, thus giving them visibility. A competition based on a voting system allows at the end of the day to select the “Top 5 Products of the Day”.
For the competition, we presented Eden AI: an API that brings together all the best AI APIs on the market. Our product offers our users all the flexibility necessary to use at all times the AI service provider that is the most efficient, the cheapest, and/or the fastest, according to their data. You can directly test our service by creating an account:
How we prepared our launch on Product Hunt?
1. A teaser video
First and foremost, we meticulously crafted the content and design elements of our Product Hunt page. On this occasion, we created a general presentation video of the Eden AI concept. This one-minute video allows you to quickly understand the vision that we carry through our product. We decided to use motion design for the video rather that showcasing the app:
2. A demo of our product
In addition to our teaser, we produced a slightly longer video (2 minutes) in which we demonstrate the product and its features without delving into exhaustive details. The idea was to instantly capture visitors' interest in the app and motivate them to test it on the Product Hunt website.
3. Visual appeal
We also dedicated efforts to create visually captivating elements highlighting the main features of our product, aiming to entice users to try it out (both on our pre-launch and launch page). Our approach revolved around achieving the essential elements needed to address the core issue while ensuring an attractive presentation.
One of our recommendations involved creating a logo as a GIF, strategically capturing the visitor's attention while they browse through the list of competitors on D-Day:
4. Compelling Presentation Text
Our focus extended to refining the presentation text, considering that visitors might be unfamiliar with the product. To avoid losing their interest, our goal was to get straight to the point by outlining the product’s benefits without getting into unnecessary details.
As we tend to overshare information and, forget that the readers are discovering the product, this task proved to be more challenging than it seemed.
5. Connecting with Prospective Hunter
With our product page ready to be launched, we discussed with Nicolas Grenier, who very kindly offered to hunt us.
Although a member of the Product Hunt team assured us it is not a mandatory step, we still recommend to do so if you have any doubt. The advantage lies in the fact that the followers of the person hunting your product will be informed on the day of the launch. Therefore, try to get in touch with a prospective hunter who has a solid fan base!
6. Building a voter base
Consequently, we established a minimum target of individuals to win over, ensuring a substantial voter base on D-Day. To achieve this, we approached different groups:
- Friends, family, investors
- People active on Product Hunt who participate in discussions or who are listed among the oldest
- People launching their products within 30 days, willing to vote for us in exchange for our vote. We initiated communication with these individuals through LinkedIn, despite the time-consuming effort, as it proved to be highly effective.
If they opt to receive notifications, they will be reminded on D-Day to upvote your product. Accumulating a substantial number of notifications on your page can enhance your chances of receiving more votes.
Additionally, make an effort to provide engaging and popular content by actively participating in discussions on the Product Hunt thread. This approach can further boost your visibility and increase your potential for success.
What did we do on D-day and during the 24-hour competition?
Understanding how Product Hunt operates is crucial, as the ranking is not immediately displayed after the votes are released. You have a four-hour window to ensure your product gains visibility and reaches the top of the list. Being featured at the top significantly increases the chances of people discovering your exceptional product.
Hence, the strategy is to engage your network initially to secure the first 100 votes, and then continue gathering more votes later on. In our case, we achieved victory with approximately 1000 votes. Around 200 to 300 individuals were influenced by our efforts, while the rest were unidentified Product Hunt users.
During the later stage:
- We reached out to previously contacted connections and encouraged them to vote promptly, as this approach proved to be effective, yet very time-consuming.
We once again created an eye-catching visual to catch people's attention when we announced the start of our launch across all of our socials:
Every user on our platform received emailing, where we offered them complimentary Eden AI credits in return for their active participation. Another emailing was sent before the end of the day to keep them engaged.
We promoted our page across various Product Hunt groups on social media platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Moreover, there are readily available WhatsApp and Telegram groups dedicated to Product Hunt discussions.
On the day of the launch, we encountered numerous individuals attempting to sell us their votes. However, we firmly declined such offers, as we firmly believe that cheating is unethical, and the Product Hunt teams have stringent policies against any form of dishonesty.
After that, we spent the rest of the day replying to each participant's comment and posting regularly on various groups and social media platforms.
What we learned from it and the actual results you might anticipate?
We were very pleased and thrilled to win this beautiful “1st Product of the Day” badge:
But beyond this lovely badge, here are the concrete results obtained for us:
We have achieved a significant 52% increase in weekly registrations on our platform. While these new registrants may not be direct users of our product at present, we see the potential to convert them in the future. The success on Product Hunt primarily serves to raise awareness about our solution, ensuring that it leaves a lasting impression on people's minds and increases its visibility in the market.
We have received inquiries from various investment funds expressing curiosity about our endeavors and what we are working on.
In addition, individuals who oversee tech media outlets and host podcasts have reached out to us, further contributing to the platform's visibility and awareness.
Apart from the increased awareness generated by Product Hunt, there are two noteworthy aspects:
Firstly, the preparation for the launch prompted us to create marketing content (text, images, videos, etc.) that we now utilize across various platforms, an endeavor that might not have been pursued otherwise.
Secondly, the entire team comes together and actively participates in this exciting momentum. It's a gratifying achievement that fosters a sense of camaraderie and celebration among the team members.
In conclusion, we highly recommend participating in Product Hunt, but with thorough preparation to ensure it's worth the effort. To be successful on the platform, it's essential to offer a product that genuinely interests the Product Hunt community, particularly profiles of individuals involved in digital product development, such as developers, product owners, and no coders.
It's crucial to acknowledge that chance also plays a role, so it's best not to place excessive pressure on yourself. Product Hunt rankings and outcomes can vary significantly depending on the competition of the day. If you happen to be competing against major players like OpenAI, Notion, or Stripe, winning might be challenging, regardless of your efforts. We were fortunate to have a positive outcome, and luck played a part in our success as well. 🙂
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