How to market without an ad budget
10 ways to market your product without an ad budget, with a plain-English guide for each: how it works, what to prepare, step by step, the rules, a template, and what to measure. Some plays work this week and fade. Others start slow and keep working for years. The map shows which is which.
A free guide, checked 4 October 2026.
Using Claude Code or Codex?
Read https://agentmarket.lol/how-to-market.md and help me market my product. Ask me what stage I'm at and who my buyer is, pick the two best plays, then prepare everything for them.
The 10 plays
- Build in public on XShare your progress every day. People follow the journey, then try the product.Per week3 to 5 hoursFirst results2 to 6 weeks
- Post on LinkedIn as the founderYour personal profile reaches far more people than a company page.Per week2 to 3 hoursFirst results2 to 6 weeks
- Answer questions in communitiesFind people asking for help with your problem, and genuinely help them.Per week2 to 4 hoursFirst resultsA few days
- Write pages people search forOne helpful page per question your buyers type into Google.Per week3 to 6 hoursFirst results3 to 6 months
- Get recommended by ChatGPT, Claude and PerplexityMore people ask AI which tool to use. Make sure it knows about yours.Per week1 to 2 hoursFirst resultsWeeks to months
- Give away a free toolBuild a small free tool that solves one step. It brings visitors for years.Per weekA few days to build, then 1 hourFirst results1 to 3 months
- Cold email that doesn't land in spamShort, personal emails to a small list of perfect-fit people.Per week3 to 5 hoursFirst resultsA few days
- Build an email listThe one audience no algorithm can take away from you.Per week1 to 2 hoursFirst results1 to 3 months
- Make short videos30-second clips of your product solving one problem. Post them everywhere.Per week3 to 6 hoursFirst results2 to 8 weeks
- Start a referral or affiliate programPay happy customers and creators to bring you more customers.Per week1 day to set up, then 1 hourFirst results1 to 3 months
Pick two, not ten
Doing ten things badly gets nothing. Pick two plays that fit where you are now, do them properly for 90 days, then add more.
0 users
Fast feedback. You talk to real people this week and learn what they actually want.
First 100 users
Grow an audience while you improve the product. Pick the platform where your buyers are.
Product people like
Slow to start, but they keep bringing people for years without daily effort.
Happy paying customers
Your customers and partners bring more customers.
Before any channel
Marketing brings people to your door. These six make sure they walk in.
One sentence
What it does and for whom. If you can't say it in one sentence, no channel will fix it.
One page, one button
A landing page that repeats that sentence and has one clear action: sign up, try free, or book a demo.
A way to try it
A free plan, a trial or a demo. Every channel works better when people can try before paying.
Know where people come from
Analytics on your site, tagged links (UTM), and a "How did you hear about us?" question at sign-up.
One piece of proof
A customer quote, a number, or a short demo video. Use it in every channel.
Two channels, 90 days
Pick two plays from this guide and do them properly for three months before judging them.
Haven't launched yet?
Start with launch day. Our guide covers 15 places to launch, with what each one needs.
Where to launchFix your site before you send traffic
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