How to get your first 1,000 users

October 18, 2026·4 min read

To get from 100 to 1,000 users, you need channels that repeat without you doing every step by hand. Look at where your first 100 came from, keep the one or two sources that brought users who stayed, and add one new channel at a time. Good candidates are search pages for buyers who are comparing tools, AI answers, referrals, small paid tests and directories.

Pick one or two. Teams that try all of them at once usually do none of them well.

Find out which of your first 100 sources worked

Open the sheet where you tracked each user's source. If you did not keep one, ask your active users how they found you.

For each source, count signups and how many were still active a few weeks later. Then ask one question: can I repeat this every week?

A subreddit that keeps asking the same question can be repeated.
A launch day cannot.
Intros from happy users can turn into a referral program.

Put more time into the sources that repeat. If you are not at 100 yet, start with how to get your first 100 users.

Write search pages for buyers who are ready to choose

Bottom-of-funnel pages reach people who are already shopping. Write these first:

"[Competitor] alternatives" pages
"[Your product] vs [competitor]" comparisons
"[Product type] for [audience]" pages, like "CRM for real estate agents"
One page per integration you support

Search volumes for these terms are small. The people searching them are close to a decision.

To find which ones to write:

Run Competitor Keywords (35 credits) on your closest rival. It lists the Google keywords they rank for, with search volume, difficulty and cost per click, sorted into blog topics and keywords worth bidding on.
Run Keyword Gap (85 credits) with your site and that competitor. It shows keywords they rank for on Google's first two pages that your site does not rank for.
Pick the terms that contain "alternative", "vs", "for" or a use case. Volumes and difficulty are estimates, so use them to compare terms against each other.

Write one honest page per term. Say who your product is a bad fit for. Content marketing for startups covers how to plan the pages after these.

Get your product into AI answers

Many buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini "what is the best tool for X" and get a short list. You want to be on it.

Run AI Answer Visibility (120 credits) with the question your buyers ask. It shows whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini mention or cite your brand, and who they name instead.
Run AI Citation Finder (160 credits) on your topic. It shows which pages Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT cite, the sites they cite most, and the searches behind the answers.
Get mentioned on the sites that show up most. Ask to be added to their lists, pitch a guest post, or ask customers to review you on the review sites in that list.
Rewrite your own key pages so the first lines answer the buyer's question directly.

How to get cited by ChatGPT goes through this step by step.

Build a referral loop

Your happiest users know other people with the same problem. Give them a reason and an easy way to share.

Ask for a referral right after a user gets a result, not on day one.
Give both sides something they value, like extra usage or a month off.
Make the invite one personal link they can paste anywhere.

If people use your product with others, such as shared documents or invoices sent to clients, put a small "made with" link where it fits. Every shared item then shows your product to someone new.

Run small paid tests based on competitor ads

Small paid tests tell you quickly whether ads can work for you. Start from ads that already run in your market.

Competitor Google Ads (15 credits) shows the Google ads a competitor runs, their formats, how long each has been showing, and the headlines and descriptions of its longest-running text ads. It does not show keywords, spend or performance.
Meta Ad Finder (5 credits) shows their active Facebook and Instagram ads with wording, call to action, landing page and start date.

An ad that has run for months suggests it may be paying for itself. It is not proof. Write your own version of the angle, set a budget you can afford to lose, and stop any ad that does not bring users who stay.

Get listed in integrations, directories and marketplaces

Many buyers search inside marketplaces before they search Google. If you integrate with a platform that has an app directory, such as Shopify, Slack, Zapier or WordPress, list your product there.

Add your product to directories for your niche and to the review sites your buyers check. Each listing is a small, steady source of visitors, and often a link back to your site.

Run each channel long enough to judge it

Give each new channel a few weeks before you decide. Keep recording the source of every signup. Drop what does not bring users who stay, and move that time to what does.

Find the comparison keywords you are missing

Run Keyword Gap on your site and your closest competitor to list the keywords they rank for on Google's first two pages that you do not. Competitor Keywords shows that competitor's full keyword list with estimated volume and difficulty. For AI search, AI Answer Visibility shows whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini name you for a buyer's question. Write your first comparison pages from those lists.