How to successfully launch on Product Hunt: 3 key tips (and more!)

Launching a product on Product Hunt can feel like an exciting challenge. It’s an incredible platform where makers, early-stage founders, and solopreneurs showcase their work. But to truly stand out, there’s more to it than simply hitting "launch." You need a plan, some key strategies, and a bit of finesse.

A month ago contentradar.ai launched on Product Hunt. It was a wild ride, but it turned out to be a huge success—we became #1 product of the week in marketing, #2 product of the day, #2 product of the month, #3 product of the week, received over 1,000 upvotes, and made a ton of new connections. Since then, we've been asked by so many people how we did it. 

So, we thought, why not share exactly how? Below are 3 key tips (plus a little more) to help you successfully launch on Product Hunt.

1. Start engaging with the Product Hunt community early

This is a critical step that too many people overlook is engaging early with the Product Hunt community is not just beneficial; it’s essential. Product Hunt isn’t a one-off platform where you can launch your product and hope for the best. It’s a thriving community of like-minded makers, and to succeed, you need to be part of it.

Create an account 30 days in advance

We created our account about a month before our launch and made it a priority to get active. This gave us the time to warm up our accounts for the launch. As and when you get active on the account, you receive multiple badges as an appreciation for being part of the community.

Why It Works:

1. You become familiar: When people see you being active, offering support, and commenting on other launches, they’ll recognize your name when it’s your turn to launch.

2. Build connections: Product Hunt is all about community. The friendships you make on the platform can translate into launch-day support.

3. The algorithm: Product Hunt’s algorithm favors users who are active over time. So the earlier you start engaging, the more it works in your favor.

Follow and support other makers

We spent our early days following other makers, checking out launches and understanding what strategy was working out the best for the lot. This not only gave us insights into what worked for others but helped us form genuine connections with people who would support us later.

Start discussion to engage the community

To engage with the Product Hunt community effectively, start by initiating meaningful discussions around topics that resonate with makers. You can share insights from your own product-building journey, ask for feedback on specific challenges, or seek advice on topics like user acquisition or product-market fit. For example, ask, “What’s been the biggest hurdle you’ve faced while building your product?” or “How do you prioritize features for your MVP?” By showing genuine curiosity, you not only start a conversation but also build valuable connections that can support your future launch.

Create a 360-degree marketing campaign

A successful Product Hunt launch goes beyond just engaging on the platform—it requires creating excitement across multiple channels. One effective approach is building a 360-degree marketing campaign that touches on social media, email, and community involvement.

For our launch, we used LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) heavily, posting regular updates and using memes to keep things light and fun. These memes focused on Product Hunt humor and served as countdown reminders, like “Just 5 days to go!” This not only kept our audience engaged but also helped build momentum. Hashtags like #BuildInPublic was incredibly useful for reaching a community of solopreneurs, makers, and early-stage founders.

When it came to email marketing, the key was staying top of mind without being too pushy. The emails were spaced out just enough to maintain interest without overwhelming our audience. Each message had a clear call to action (CTA), encouraging them to support us on Product Hunt by upvoting and leaving comments. The balance between staying visible and not overdoing it is crucial.

In addition to social media and email, it’s helpful to engage with other online communities. Platforms like Reddit can be great for supporting other makers and subtly promoting your upcoming launch. Participating in discussions and offering value to others can organically lead to them supporting your launch in return.

Therefore, to build your own 360-degree campaign, focus on consistency and variety. Use fun content like memes to keep your audience entertained, and take advantage of hashtags to connect with the right crowd. Spread your emails thoughtfully and stay involved in communities where your potential supporters are already active.

2. Nail your tagline

This is something you’ll want to spend real time on. Your tagline and messaging are the first things people will see, and they need to be clear, catchy, and instantly understandable. 

The Product Hunt audience is full of early adopters who don’t have time to dig through long descriptions. Your tagline needs to be short, sweet, and straight to the point. This is where you communicate your product’s value in one quick sentence.

For us, our tagline was: Transform your best writing and podcast into LinkedIn and X posts.

The tagline in nature was very specific and clear. It helped us receive over 1,000 upvotes and a spot as #1 Product of the Week in the marketing category. Now let’s dive into how one can nail their tagline.

How to Nail Your Tagline:

1. Understand your audience: Product Hunt users are usually solopreneurs, makers, and startup founders. Think about how your product fits into their world.

2. Focus on one core benefit: Don’t try to do too much. Your tagline should convey the most important feature or benefit in a way that grabs attention.

3. Be memorable: Your tagline needs to stick in people's minds, so use clear, concise language that resonates.

Getting your messaging right can take time. But once you nail it, it will work wonders for attracting the right people to your launch.

3. Launch day: Activate your community

Your launch day is when everything comes together, and it’s all about activating the community you’ve been building. This is where all your preparation pays off.

What time should you launch

The ideal time to launch on Product Hunt is 12:01am Pacific Time. We were lucky in one sense: since we’re based in Europe, Product Hunt’s launch time was 9 am for us. We had the benefit of starting fresh in the morning, which allowed us to monitor and respond to everything quickly while others were still waking up.

Timing matters: First few hours of the launch

In the first few hours of your launch, you should aim to gain momentum in order to collect between 100 to 300 upvotes as quickly as possible. This will help your product rise through the ranks and catch the attention of other users. 

Here’s how we did it:

1. Activated our Product Hunt community: We reached out to all those people we engaged with in the weeks leading up to our launch to let them know the moment we went live.

2. We reached out to our existing community: This included email subscribers, LinkedIn connections, and social followers. We told them exactly how they could help (by upvoting and leaving a comment).

3. We tracked everything: We kept an organized spreadsheet with everyone we’d contacted, who had responded, and who needed follow-ups.

Product Hunt is a 24-hour game, and the last few hours are just as important as the first. If possible, have supporters in multiple time zones who can help keep the momentum going when you need to take a break. Our mistake was not having someone in the U.S. or Asia who could continue pushing for us while we slept.

The Final Takeaway: It’s All About Community and Preparation

Launching on Product Hunt is exciting, but it’s not something you can wing. Success comes from a mix of early engagement, thoughtful preparation, and community activation. If you put in the time to build relationships and carefully plan your messaging, the results can be incredible.

We learned so much from our experience, and we’d definitely do it again in the future. Whether you’re planning your first launch or your next one, we hope these tips give you the boost you need. 

If you ever have any questions, or if you’re gearing up for a launch and need advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X or Tiktok.