{"id":5787,"date":"2015-10-05T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=5787"},"modified":"2015-10-01T16:32:06","modified_gmt":"2015-10-01T23:32:06","slug":"product-hunt-comprehensive-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/launch\/product-hunt-comprehensive-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Product Hunt: The Comprehensive Guide to Getting Featured"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since its founding in November 2013, Product Hunt has quickly become one of the best channels for startups and other companies to launch new products. Here’s a comprehensive guide to harnessing its power.<\/em><\/p>\n

Product Hunt<\/span><\/a> may just be <\/span>one of the best channels out there<\/span><\/a> for garnering a ton of users, press, and feedback in a short period of time.\u00a0<\/span>However, it\u2019s not easy getting your app, site, or game on the platform \u2014 let alone having it featured. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, we\u2019ve put together a comprehensive guide to gaining traction on Product Hunt. <\/span><\/h3>\n

Follow these steps, and you just might see your product on the homepage.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Understanding\u00a0Product Hunt<\/h2>\n

Eligibility<\/h3>\n

Before you begin your Product Hunt campaign, make sure your product is eligible. <\/span><\/p>\n

As Paul Scrivens <\/span>notes on 40 Day Startup<\/span><\/a>, \u201cproducts can be mobile apps, web apps, physical products, books, or resources.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the <\/span>Product Hunt team doesn\u2019t accept<\/span><\/a> blog posts, news articles, events, or contract services.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your product also must be \u201cnew\u201d\u2014 which, of course, is relative. In general, products that have been around for a while but aren\u2019t well-known are accepted, as are recently-launched products.<\/span><\/p>\n

Popular or older products may also be admitted if you\u2019ve added new, substantial features. For example, Todoist has 5 million users\u00a0but was able to score a Product Hunt feature when it <\/span>revealed its rebranding<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Product<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, while many of the products were created by\u00a0startups or are side projects, well-established companies can (and should!) submit products as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, when PayPal launched PayPal.me, which lets you request money using a customized URL, the company submitted the product to Product Hunt. PayPal\u00a0<\/span>received 839 upvotes<\/span><\/a>, making it one of the most popular products of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Process<\/h3>\n

So you\u2019ve reviewed your product, and it fits within the parameters. Now let\u2019s walk through how Product Hunt actually works. <\/span><\/p>\n

(If you\u2019re already familiar with the process, feel free to skip to the next section.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Product<\/a><\/p>\n

There are two buckets of products on Product Hunt: Upcoming<\/em> and Featured<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

If your product is submitted and approved, it will go into the Upcoming feed. If enough people upvote it (Product Hunt\u2019s version of the \u201clike\u201d button), then your product will move into the Featured stream, which appears on the homepage.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can imagine, Featured products get way more attention than Upcoming ones. Your ultimate goal should be getting your product into this feed<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Preparing for Your Product Hunt Submission<\/h2>\n

Much of your success depends on what you do before your product is ever listed.<\/span><\/p>\n

To state the obvious: If you haven\u2019t done so already, the very first step is to create a Product Hunt account.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research Similar Products<\/h3>\n

You should also search for products with a comparable function or purpose. For example, if you have a to-do list extension, find other productivity apps and extensions.<\/span><\/p>\n

This research is helpful for multiple reasons, as it allows you to: <\/span><\/p>\n