How to Promote a SaaS

If you're looking for the fastest, cheapest, and most effective way to start promoting your SaaS, directory submissions should be your first move.

Launch directories are curated platforms where founders, early adopters, and potential customers actively browse to discover new products. Think Product Hunt, Hacker News, BetaList, and hundreds of niche SaaS directories like Capterra, G2, and GetApp.

Why directory submissions work:

Immediate visibility and first users: When you submit your SaaS to Product Hunt, you're getting exposure to thousands of tech enthusiasts on launch day. You're also earning a permanent, high-authority backlink (DR 90+) that tells Google your website is trustworthy.

Massive SEO boost: Multiply this across 100+ directories, and your domain rating jumps from 0 to 30+ within weeks. Higher domain rating means better rankings for competitive keywords like 'best [category] tool' and '[your solution] software.'

AI Assistant visibility: These backlinks make you visible to AI assistants. When users ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity for SaaS recommendations, these AI tools crawl authoritative directories to find answers. Being listed means you're more likely to be recommended in AI-generated responses.


Permanent results: These listings stay live forever. Unlike paid ads that disappear when your budget runs out, directory backlinks keep working 24/7, driving organic traffic and improving your search rankings for years to come.

This is probably the single best way to start promoting your SaaS because it builds compound growth. LaunchDirectories maintains a comprehensive database of 100+ best platforms for launching your product. We also offer a done-for-you submission service where we handle all the tedious manual work, saving you 70+ hours and getting your SaaS listed across the most impactful directories in just 3-5 days.

SEO is the foundation of long-term SaaS growth. Beyond directory submissions, focus on creating valuable content that targets buyer-intent keywords like '[your solution] tool' or 'best [category] software.' Build your content around solving specific problems your customers face. Ensure your website is technically optimized - fast loading speeds, mobile responsiveness, clear site structure, and proper meta tags all contribute to better rankings.

Create helpful content that solves your target audience's problems. Write blog posts, create video tutorials, and share insights on platforms like Medium and LinkedIn. Content marketing establishes you as an authority in your space, improves SEO, and creates shareable assets that bring organic traffic. Focus on bottom-of-funnel content like comparison posts, use case articles, and problem-solution pieces. If you want to scale content production while maintaining quality, AI tools like Outrank, BlogSEO, and BlogBuster can help you create SEO-optimized articles that rank on Google and get cited by AI assistants.

Join communities where your target customers hang out. This might be specific subreddits, Facebook groups, Slack communities, or Discord servers. Provide genuine value by answering questions and sharing insights. Don't just spam your product. Build relationships, establish credibility, and when appropriate, share how your SaaS solves specific problems people are discussing.

Turn happy customers into your sales team. Offer incentives for referrals like account credits, extended features, or cash rewards. Make it incredibly easy for users to share your product with custom referral links and pre-written messages. Many successful SaaS companies attribute 20-30% of their growth to well-designed referral programs. The best part? Your advocates often write blog posts and reviews about your product, creating valuable dofollow backlinks while driving new users. To manage this at scale, consider using Affonso - it automates tracking, payouts, and makes it easy for your promoters to share your SaaS with custom affiliate links.

Once you've validated your product-market fit, paid advertising can accelerate growth. Google Ads help you capture high-intent searches, while LinkedIn and Facebook ads allow precise targeting by job title, industry, and interests. Start with small budgets, test different ad creatives and landing pages, and scale what works. Focus on ROI and aim for a customer acquisition cost that's significantly lower than customer lifetime value.

Share your journey, metrics, and learnings publicly on Twitter, LinkedIn, and your blog. Building in public creates authenticity and attracts an engaged audience that roots for your success. Share revenue numbers, user growth, challenges you're facing, and lessons learned. This transparency builds trust and often leads to press coverage, partnerships, and word-of-mouth growth.