Tips for PH Launch Day
Getting featured on the home page out of about 250 daily submissions is a big deal. A lot of startups push the PH editorial team to pick them, but they don't budge easily. So huge congrats!
On the leaderboard, a top 5 or top 3 spot is a coveted position. If you're already there, please build on the momentum and be intentional all day to keep the buzz going.
Right at 12:01am PT, when you go live:
- Post your maker comment and pin it. Tell the story of why you built this and what you'd love feedback on.
- I'll post my hunter comment right away too.
- Get your team's first comments in, and reply to each one quickly.
- Share the launch in any communities you own or run.
The first few hours set the tone for the whole day, so don't wait until the morning to get moving.
Please promote the launch link all day across your:
- Brand socials (X, LinkedIn), and tag me
- Personal socials if possible, and tag me
- Broadcast email to your customers and marketing lists
Timing matters here. Ideally get your social posts out before 10am ET, so the morning crowd sees them while the day is still young.
The ask should be something like: "We're live on Product Hunt today and would love your support. Please check out our launch (link below) and let us know what you think in comments."
In public posts, never ask for upvotes. PH discourages it, and it can hurt your launch. Always ask for feedback and comments instead.
Please ask your friends and trusted peers to add comments:
- In my view, comments carry more weight and points than upvotes alone (roughly 5x).
- Your reply to a comment counts as 2 comments, so take advantage of that!
- Today is your day to pull favors from your circle. Don't be shy, people want to help. Just DM, email or text them and ask them to "leave a comment on their gut reaction to the launch, feedback or even any words of encouragement." Every comment matters.
- If you get 40 to 50 warm and authentic comments, you'll most likely finish in the top 5.
- Don't DM strangers on launch day. It doesn't work, and it's a waste of your time.
If a friend without a PH account creates one that day just to help you, it won't count against you, but their comment will carry less weight. A friend with an older PH account is very powerful, so find out which of your friends already have accounts and ask them first.
Thank the big names publicly. When a top PH account upvotes or leaves a comment, make a special thank you post on X or LinkedIn that tags them. It creates even more social buzz, and that buzz pulls more viewers to your launch.
Expect high competition. Ranks change all day as other startups ramp up their marketing and community push. It can be a fierce battle or a calm day depending on who else is launching.
And finally, engage with every comment on your PH page. The more buzzing and engaged the page looks, the higher the algorithm places you by the end of the day.
When the day wraps up:
- Post a thank you to everyone who showed up and commented.
- Share a short recap of how the day went and what you learned.
- The next day, keep the momentum going and push for Product of the Week.
Tip: track launches with this free tool: hunted.space