DEV Community

Ken Chang
Ken Chang

Posted on

Most underrated marketing channel? Hint: It’s not social media

90% of founders overlook this, but niche online communities (think Indie Hackers, specific Slack/Discord groups) drove 30% of my early signups. Why?

  • Trust factor: People engage more in small, focused groups vs. broad platforms.
  • Feedback loops: Post a beta version and get real critiques fast.
  • Low competition: No algorithms burying your content.

Pro tip: Don’t just drop links. Answer questions first (I spent 10 mins/day helping others for 2 weeks before sharing my tool). Example: When I mentioned ProjectName in a UX design community thread about productivity tools, it sparked organic convos. What’s your go-to underrated channel?

Top comments (0)