The first marketing channels to try after you launch

The hardest part of launching is not the launch. It is the morning after, when the initial spike fades and you have to figure out where growth actually comes from. Most founders stall right here, not because they are lazy, but because there are twenty channels and no obvious order.

Here is a starting order that works for most products. Pick two or three to run by hand, and let the slow-burn ones compound in the background.

Start SEO today, even though it is slow

SEO is the cheapest lasting traffic you will ever get, and it takes months to land. Those two facts together mean one thing: start it now. The sooner you publish and get indexed, the sooner it compounds. The only common exception is high-ticket B2B, where deals close through direct outreach long before search would ever rank.

Lead with direct outreach if you have no users yet

No paying users yet? Cold email for B2B, cold DMs for B2C. It is unglamorous and it is the fastest way to land your first real conversations and validate the idea before you pour time into any channel.

Then add the channel that fits your space

• Developer tools grow on Reddit and X.
• B2B SaaS grows on LinkedIn and Reddit.
• Consumer apps grow on TikTok and Reddit.
• Commerce grows on Instagram and TikTok.

Whatever you pick, work it top to bottom, one channel at a time, and track what each move actually drove. The goal is not to be everywhere. It is to know your next move, and whether it is paying off.