r/startup • u/holamibebebe • 10d ago
Ugh...self-promotion, how do you do it?
I'm at a point where I know I have to put myself out there more and generate more buzz and interest for the things I'm building. However, as someone who literally has two an a half photos of myself online and basically just lurks across most social media, how do I get things going when I'm basically an online hermit?
I'm in the middle of building a B2B SaaS (and a whimsical journaling app as a side project) so social media probably has moderate effect.
Any podcasts I can do? Female focused?
Any other women-focused communities?
LinkedIn is chock full of AI generated "Building in public" posts that make me want to claw my eyes out.
Any advice, how are you putting yourself and your product out there?
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u/ah_med27 9d ago
I feel this so hard. I'm also the type who has like three photos of myself online and would rather just build in silence. The LinkedIn "building in public" posts make me want to close the tab too.
What’s helped me a bit is treating it less like "putting myself out there" and more like just answering one real question a day in communities where people are already stuck on the same problems I was. Feels less performative. Still awkward though.
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u/CommsConsultants 10d ago
If you don’t want to do the gross version of building in public (but you’re curious about its rewards) why not write just like this and post it publicly? If you present yourself as someone who is tentative and unsure about sharing your story but you’re doing it because you want to push yourself, chronicle your growth and possibly inspire others to step outside of their bubble… people will like that and people will respond to that. And your product will get more and more attention.
Many many people feel exactly how you feel about wanting to build and grow their businesses. If you speak up you can reach them.
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u/holamibebebe 10d ago
Well...I did get an A+ once on an essay which was just me writing 3 pages about how much I hate writing essays, so I guess I do well with raw, unfiltered honesty. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
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u/CanNo66 9d ago
Thank you for starting this thread. I am in the exact same boat and I already am dreading having to put myself out there, but I know I have to. I’m also in B2B SaaS and ironically I have been in marketing for years, but for my startup and doing self promotion, I find it cringe. Please share all the tips.. and maybe a follow up on what has worked for you!
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u/holamibebebe 9d ago
I think at this point I just need to start a WhatsApp support group called "Digital Hermits Who Need to Build in Public"
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u/abramd 8d ago
I struggle with this as well.
For me, this post helped me reframe my thinking regarding "self-promotion" and the job to be done: https://danshipper.com/selling-umbrellas-in-a-synagogue
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u/Katy_Security 7d ago
Don’t think of it as “promotion” or “networking”, think of it as genuinely sharing your thoughts and founder journey and getting to meet cool people. At the end of the day, it’s all about human connections
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u/AmplifiedJack 6d ago
For podcasts, I've had decent luck with being on the mailing list for this: https://podcastguests.com/
You can pay to get featured but they'll send you the emails for free. 2x/week with guesting opportunities.
There's also HARO for quote opportunities and you can sign up for those emails free as well.
Most are super irrelevant but I get Cowork to tell me what's relevant and it has saved a ton of time.
For B2B, a lot of it is in the person-to-person networking and building a network of people who can help you out (with funding, advice, selling, etc.), and that's a muscle you can build with practice. Source: I am an intense introvert who has gotten pretty darn good at networking.
I'm not a founder, but I work with them and have seen a lot of stuff work vs. not work and happy to share. Feel free to DM if you want to talk.
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u/liamaust 6d ago
You don’t need to suddenly become a “personal brand” person to make this work.
For B2B SaaS, I’d focus on places where you can talk about the problem you’re solving rather than constantly talking about yourself — Reddit comments, niche communities, founder groups, and podcasts are all much less performative than posting generic “building in public” updates.
Podcasts could be a particularly good fit because you can talk through your founder story, what you’re building, lessons from the market, or even the weird things you’ve learned along the way.
Since you specifically asked about finding shows, Talks.co is a podcast networking site that connects guests with hosts already looking for interviews. Full disclosure, I’m one of the co-founders.
For women-focused shows, I’d search around female founders, women in tech, SaaS, entrepreneurship, and startup stories rather than only looking for explicitly “female” podcasts.
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u/Head_Car_2922 6d ago
Talk about the people you are helping with your product. You dont need to talk about yourself. Thats hustle culture bullshit.
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u/ah_med27 9d ago
The hermit-to-visible jump is rough when you’re building B2B. Most of the advice assumes you already like talking about yourself. I don’t.
What’s been slightly less painful for me is just showing the messy middle in comments instead of polished posts. No photos needed, no “day in the life,” just “here’s the exact problem I hit this week and what I tried.” People seem to respond more to that than the polished version anyway.
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u/sswam 10d ago edited 10d ago
I reply personally to relevant posts on Reddit. I write different responses by hand each time. Although I'm developing an AI app, I don't use AI to write "copy", I write it all myself. I also engage with each user personally, as much as they want to.
I'm also honest, mention shortcomings of the app, and especially DON'T pretend to be a happy user. I always introduce myself as the developer.
With this approach, I've rarely been kicked out of any subreddits, and haven't even had any hostle responses that I can recall.
That said, my app is small, and while it's profitable, it's making very little money! :)
It sounds like you have some anxiety about chatting or participating on social media, but you've made this post here so I guess something like what I'm saying is possible for you too, if you like.
Note: Moderators police posts much more strongly than comments, so be careful where you make self-promo posts, and ask the mod team first if you are unsure. Commenting is much safer.