Getting users for my niche product | Hacker News Reader

Getting users for my niche product

3 pointshanskuder5 comments

I recently launched the beta for http://gainstudio.com, a subscription-model scheduling, project management, and facility management tool for recording, film, and production studios.

I have a dozen or so beta testers who I've been working with throughout development, but it's time to put some real energy into driving lots more people to my site.

This is a pretty niche product. How would you market it? I have an adwords campaign set up, but haven't quite seen the volume I need to get signups. I've hit up the major bloggers in this arena with offers of discount codes and extended trials for their readers, but nobody has written anything yet. My next step is to go out to forums and other discussion sites and just start posting and conversing, but I think that could take some time to build up a critical mass.

Has anybody had luck with print advertising? What about industry trade shows? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

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I've got a friend that works as an audio producer at a recording studio here, and I've sent the link off to him. I'm not sure, but I think they have an on-site system they use, but it may be something like MS Exchange, I really hadn't thought of it as much of an issue because they have staff who are responsible for the billing aspects of studio time, including studio use and then any engineers/producers associated with the use. Since it's a billed product, I imagine actual use tracking rather than just scheduling would play a key part.

I think your biggest hurdle will be that you need the head/ownder of the studio/facility to decide to use and roll out the product. I'd either find out where all the engineers hang out online and market directly there (ie, drive the bottom up recommendations for change) or go the bold route. You want to make studio's lives' easier. So do a search for the studios in your area, pick up the phone and keep working away until you get to someone with purchase authority. Then arrange a demo/sales pitch. I think your price ranges fit well for the small-medium sized studios, and if they're tracking the scheduling of 8 rooms, it's probably done in Excel and they aren't even thinking of looking.

It's definitely going to come down to your own budget. When I launched SnailPad (www.snailpad.com) I decided that I wouldn't spend anything out of my own pocket -- if SnailPad could afford something on it's own, that's how I'd buy it.

In reality, that meant that I pretty much had to cold call people all day for the first few weeks. In my case, I specifically targeted real estate agents, insurance salesmen and lawyers that had large print ads in my local newspapers. I figured that if they were already buying print stuff, I wouldn't have to convince them of the value.

One other thing: you should include these words (in some variation) in any initial phone call or email you send someone: "I'm not trying to sell anything, just get advice..." :)

Good luck!

A question to ask yourself. If you were a "scheduling, project management, and facility management person or working for a recording, film, or production studio" where would your eyeballs be?

Are there magazines that would be interested in featuring your product, rather than just putting an ad in it? Who are the movers and shakers that all of your potential clients look towards for advice? Can you get an interview with one of them, post the interview on your websites' blog. Looks like your product targets music studios...so go out and talk to them, ask what they're currently using, and see how you would be capable of solving their problems...use this opportunity to gain users and possibly evangelists.

Thanks for the feedback. I've started cold-calling and cold-emailing and have been getting some good responses so far.

Clickable link: http://gainstudio.com

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