# How to get your first 100 app users from online communities

*Be a member first and a founder second.*

> A zero budget playbook for your first 100 app users from Discord servers, Facebook groups, Slack groups, forums and Quora, without getting banned.

Source: https://www.appgrowthmarketer.com/playbooks/first-100-users-from-communities
Author: Ar.Bhavesh Panse, AI App Growth Marketer (https://www.arbhaveshpanse.com)
Published: 2026-09-26 · Updated: 2026-09-26

to get your first 100 app users from online communities, find the small groups where your exact users already talk about the problem, read each group's rules, help people there for about two weeks with no links, then ask an admin for permission to run a feedback thread. it costs no money, only about an hour a day.

## Why communities work for your first 100 users

communities work early because the people there have already gathered around your problem, so you skip the hardest part of marketing, which is finding them. members also talk back. one feedback thread can tell you why people drop off faster than any analytics tool, and a founder who shows up and listens is remembered.

they do not scale forever. a good community might send you ten or twenty real users, not thousands. that is fine. the goal of this stage, covered in the full [first 100 app users playbook](https://www.appgrowthmarketer.com/playbooks/first-100-app-users), is learning plus a small group of people who actually use the app every week.

## Which communities to look for

look for five kinds of communities: Discord servers, Facebook groups, Slack groups, niche forums, and Q and A sites like Quora, plus indie maker communities for early feedback. pick the ones where your target user spends time, not where other founders spend time. a study app belongs in student servers, not in startup groups.

| type | where to find it | best for | usual promo rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord servers | search "your niche + Discord", server lists, links in YouTube and creator bios | gaming, study, creator, AI tools, hobby apps | a showcase or self promo channel only |
| Facebook groups | Facebook group search for your problem, not your category | parents, local, health, older audiences | set promo days or threads, admin approval |
| Slack groups | search "your role + Slack community" | work and B2B leaning apps | a dedicated channel, often strict |
| niche forums | Google "your problem + forum" | hobbies, finance, health, pro tools | signature links or a showcase board |
| Quora | search the questions your app answers | evergreen search traffic | answers must disclose affiliation |
| indie maker communities | Indie Hackers, maker Discords, r/SideProject | feedback, not your target users | open to sharing, but users are founders |

subreddits belong here too, but Reddit has its own culture and filters. i cover it separately in [how to get your first 100 users from Reddit](https://www.appgrowthmarketer.com/playbooks/first-100-users-from-reddit).

## How to find the right ones in one afternoon

spend one afternoon building a list of 20 candidate communities, then cut it to your best five. you are looking for three things: people describe your problem without being asked, questions get real answers, and the rules allow some kind of sharing. size matters much less than fit.

1. write the problem your app solves in the words a user would use, not your feature names
2. search that phrase with "Discord", "Facebook group", "Slack", "forum" and "Quora" after it
3. join 20 candidates and put each one in a sheet
4. for each, note member count, posts per day, whether your problem comes up, and the promo rule
5. keep the five with the best problem fit and a clear, fair promo rule

time cost: about four hours. money cost: zero.

## Read the rules before you post anything

read every rule before your first message, because most founders get removed for breaking a rule they never read. check the pinned posts, the rules channel, the group description and any welcome message. write the promo rule for each community in your sheet so you never have to guess later.

the platforms set a floor under every community's own rules. [Discord's community guidelines](https://discord.com/guidelines) say plainly: "Do not send unsolicited bulk messages (or spam) to others." Facebook lets admins set [group rules](https://www.facebook.com/community/whats-new/using-group-rules/) and ask new members to agree to them before joining. Quora's [affiliation disclosure policy](https://help.quora.com/hc/en-us/articles/360055133711-What-is-Quora-s-policy-on-disclosing-affiliations-in-answers) says an answer about your own product must make that clear.

## Be useful for two weeks before you promote

spend the first two weeks in each community answering questions, sharing what you know and reacting to other people's work, with no links at all. this builds a history people recognise, and it teaches you the exact words your users use. by week three, members know you as a helpful person who happens to build something.

this is the same rule behind the SAFE Reddit playbook i built after 40+ banned Reddit accounts: say who you are, answer first, follow each community's rules, and never fake engagement. the ratio that held up was roughly ten genuinely useful comments for every one that mentioned the product. it works the same way in Discord and Facebook groups.

a simple daily routine, about 30 to 45 minutes:

- open your five communities and read new posts
- answer two or three questions you actually know the answer to
- save any phrase where someone describes your problem
- never paste the same message into more than one place

## How to ask an admin for permission

ask the admin or moderator privately before your first promotional post, even if the rules seem to allow it. it takes one short message, and admins often say yes to members they recognise. some will pin your post or suggest a better channel. a few will say no, and that is a useful answer too.

> hi [name], i've been in [community] for a couple of weeks and really like the [specific channel or thread]. i'm building [app], a small app that helps [who] with [problem]. would you be ok with me posting one feedback request in [channel]? i'd disclose that i built it, keep it to one post, and share what i learn back with the group. totally fine if not.

send it once. if there is no reply in a week, follow the written rules and do not post outside the allowed place.

## Run a feedback thread or an AMA

the best first promotional post is a feedback request, not an announcement. people like helping a builder who is honest about what is not working yet. an AMA (ask me anything) works well when you have a story the group cares about, like why you built the app or what you learned about the problem.

feedback thread template:

> i built this, so full disclosure. [app] helps [who] [do what] in [how long]. it's early and i'm looking for 10 people from here to try it and tell me what's confusing. i'll read every reply and fix what i can this week. link: [link with a tag for this community]. what would make you stop using something like this?

AMA template:

> i'm [first name], i've spent the last [time] building [app] after [one line origin story]. ask me anything about [the problem, not the app]. i'll be here for the next two hours answering.

after either post, reply to every comment the same day and post a short "here is what i changed" update a week later, if the rules allow it.

## A four week plan

this plan fits around a full time job and takes about an hour a day. it is built for five communities at once. keep the order: listening comes before posting, and asking comes before promoting. skipping straight to week three is the most common reason founders get removed.

| week | what you do | time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | build the list, join, read rules, answer questions | 5 to 6 hours |
| 2 | keep answering, save user phrases, message admins | 5 hours |
| 3 | one feedback thread or AMA per approved community | 5 hours |
| 4 | follow up with everyone who tried the app, post update | 4 hours |

## What to measure

measure signups and retained users per community, not views or likes. give each community its own tagged link or signup code so you know exactly where every user came from. then check whether those users come back on day 1, day 7 and day 30, because a community that sends five loyal users beats one that sends fifty who vanish.

a simple tracking sheet, one row per community:

- community name and link
- promo rule and admin contact
- date of first helpful comment and date of promo post
- clicks, signups, day 7 retained users
- best quote from feedback

if you are unsure what counts as retention, [the app growth metrics guide](https://www.appgrowthmarketer.com/learn/app-growth-metrics) explains it in plain words. once you have a few communities working, pair them with a [launch site push](https://www.appgrowthmarketer.com/playbooks/first-100-users-from-launch-sites) to reach 100.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I get users from Discord for my app?

join servers where your target users already talk about the problem, read the server rules and pinned messages, and help in the channels for two weeks without links. then ask a moderator if you can post in a showcase or feedback channel. never DM members with promotion; Discord's own guidelines ban unsolicited bulk messages.

### Can I promote my app in Facebook groups?

yes, in groups whose rules allow it, and usually only in a set thread or on a set day. read the group rules before posting, comment helpfully for a while, then message an admin and ask. a short, honest feedback request from a known member does far better than a link dropped by a stranger.

### What are the best online communities for app promotion?

the best ones are small and specific, where your exact users already describe the problem your app solves. a 2,000 member server for your niche usually beats a 200,000 member general group. look for active questions, clear rules that allow some sharing, and admins who answer messages. big promo groups rarely send users who stay.