In today’s digital age, the success of a product often relies on its exposure and acceptance in the market. Among the platforms for product launches, Product Hunt undoubtedly stands out as a highly sought-after space. In this article, I will share insights on how to successfully launch a product on Product Hunt and achieve top rankings.
What is Product Hunt?
Firstly, let’s understand what Product Hunt is. Product Hunt is an online community dedicated to promoting and discovering new tech products, applications, and tools. Founded by Ryan Hoover in 2013, this platform enables entrepreneurs and product enthusiasts to share and discover the latest innovations.
According to Similar Web data, Product Hunt attracts nearly 6 million visitors each month. It is a free platform for product launches, and over the years, new products released here quickly gain attention and popularity. Therefore, it serves as an excellent product promotion platform for startups and independent creators.
Every day on Product Hunt, new products are launched, and the community rates them through voting, resulting in daily rankings of the best products. The higher the voting rate, the more attention a product receives, leading to increased website visitors and more registrations or downloads. In addition to daily rankings, there are also weekly and monthly best product rankings, along with an annual Golden Kitty Awards to recognize the best products.
How to Launch a Product on Product Hunt?
The steps to launch a product on Product Hunt are as follows:
1.Create a personal account: You need a personal account and complete the onboarding process to be able to launch a product.
2.Self-publish: You can publish the product yourself, giving you full control over the publishing process without relying on others.
Click the “Publish” button: After logging in, click the “Publish” button in the top right corner and submit the product’s URL.
3.Fill in product information: This includes product URL, name, tagline, relevant topics, download link, thumbnail, pricing tag, status, gallery images, YouTube video link, interactive story or demo, description, promo code, creator information, and product Twitter account.
4.First comment: After publishing, start a discussion about the product with a comment.
5.Publish/Schedule: Choose to publish immediately or schedule the release. Note that site operations are based on PST time, so schedule accordingly.
6.Share the link: Share the direct link on social media to let more people know about your product.
Note that if the product complies with community guidelines and hasn’t been submitted before, you will be marked as the “hunter” for that product. Followers of the hunter won’t receive email notifications, but followers of the creator will be notified when the product appears on the homepage.
How to Achieve a Good Daily Ranking?
The key to a successful Product Hunt launch is to achieve a good ranking on the day of release. The higher the ranking, the more traffic your product will receive.
We had three product launches on product hunt, and the first launch we made it to number 9, just breaking into the top 10.The third time, we launched Felo Translator and it hit # 1 on the daily list. Here are our latest results:
From our three product launches on Product Hunt, we have gathered the following experiences to share with you:
Allow ample time for product launch preparation:
Set aside at least a month or more for preparation, with the recommended preparation period ranging from 1 to 3 months.
Before the launch, you can:
1.Prepare materials in advance: Have product launch copy, high-quality images, and engaging videos ready to ensure a positive first impression. Images should highlight key selling points, and videos should ideally be under one minute. Here is our product launch page:
launch page link: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/felo-translator-3
2.Social media promotion: Promote your product through social media before the launch, guiding users to pay attention to your product and actively participate on the launch day.
3.Website setup: Set up relevant banners on your product website or include elements related to Product Hunt to direct visitors to Product Hunt for more information.
We created a landing page to introduce the product:
landing page link: https://translator.felo.me/?ref=producthunt
Choose the Right Product Launch Day
Key factors in choosing a launch day:
Avoid conflicts with other major events or competitor releases.
Steer clear of launching your product on the same day as big companies or competitors; they might divert your traffic. Also, avoid holidays, as strong products often choose holiday releases, leading to intense competition.
Consider product features:
Think about your product type and characteristics to choose a launch time that highlights its key points. For example, certain industries are more popular during specific seasons.
Determine the day of the week for the release:
- Monday: Some avoid launching on Mondays because everyone is busy, making it challenging to garner attention.
- Tuesday: The most competitive day with high traffic, but obtaining a high ranking is difficult.
- Wednesday: Also competitive with substantial traffic, though breaking into the top 5 is challenging.
- Thursday: Intense competition but less than Tuesday and Wednesday, with still a significant amount of traffic.
- Friday: Less traffic, but weaker competition; a good day if aiming for a top #3 ranking.
- Saturday: Low traffic, usually for small independent projects and seeking beta testers, with a chance to reach the top spot.
- Sunday: Low traffic, similar to Saturday, suitable for small independent projects with a chance to reach the top spot.
On the Product Hunt platform, Tuesday and Wednesday have the highest traffic during the week. While you may gain more visibility, it also means facing tougher competition. If you already have a substantial following on Product Hunt or influence on other social media, launching on Tuesday or Wednesday is a good choice. Weekends have the least traffic, but competition is lower, making it easier to secure a good position.
When we first launched our product, we chose Tuesday, breaking into the top ten amid fierce competition. For the Android test version of Felo Translator, we chose Saturday, leveraging our community fans and experience from previous releases, securing the top spot on that day. Products ranking in the top five gain additional exposure on Product Hunt, including Twitter coverage, newsletter features, and ongoing traffic post-launch.
How to Rally Votes?
The daily ranking of the best products is determined by votes from the Product Hunt community, making rallying votes a crucial part of the product launch. Here are some suggestions:
- Social media promotion: Publicize your product on mainstream social media platforms and encourage users to vote on Product Hunt.
- Email marketing: Use your email list to notify users about the product launch and request their votes on Product Hunt.
- Platform direct messages: Send product launch messages via private messages on professional platforms like LinkedIn to your followers, inviting them to vote.
- Engage with the Product Hunt community: Actively post on Product Hunt, respond to comments, and participate in community discussions to attract more attention and support. Ensure compliance with Product Hunt’s rules; avoid direct requests for likes and votes but seek feedback and support while ensuring your product aligns with platform guidelines.
Summary
with careful planning and execution of the above steps, you have the chance to achieve a remarkable first place on Product Hunt. Remember, the key to success lies in early preparation, selecting the right launch day, and engaging in proactive vote-gathering activities.
Best of luck with your Product Hunt launch!
You can stay updated through the following channels:
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/FeloApp
Official blog: Felo News – Cross Language,productivity ,side by side translation
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