10 Free Traffic Sources for Your Smoke Test

10 Free Traffic Sources for Your Smoke Test

You've built your landing page using a smoke test tool. Now comes the hard part: getting people to actually see it.

Most founders either spend too much on ads too early, or spam their link everywhere and get banned. There's a better way.

Why use Free Traffic to Validate Your Business Idea?

Paid ads are great for scaling. But for validation, free traffic is actually better:

1. You learn where your audience actually hangs out
2. You get qualitative feedback alongside quantitative data
3. You build distribution skills you'll need later
4. You don't burn cash before proving the idea works

The 10 Best Free Traffic Sources

Ranked by conversion potential for smoke tests, not raw volume.

1. Reddit: How to Promote Your Startup Without Bans

Reddit is the single best free traffic source for validation—if you do it right.

Why it works:

• Hyper-targeted subreddits for almost any niche
• Users are brutally honest (great for validation)
• High intent—people are actively seeking solutions
• Comments give you qualitative insights

2. Indie Hackers

The most founder-friendly community on the internet. Perfect for B2B and developer tools.

Best for: SaaS, developer tools, productivity apps, anything bootstrappers would use.

Strategy: Post a "building in public" update. Share your smoke test results honestly. The community loves transparency.

3. Twitter/X (Build in Public)

Twitter rewards consistency over virality. Start documenting your journey now.

The formula that works:

• Share your smoke test setup process
• Post daily metrics (even if they're zero)
• Ask questions that invite replies
• Reply to founders in your niche

4. LinkedIn (Underrated for B2B)

Most founders ignore LinkedIn. That's exactly why it works.

Why it converts:

• Less noise than Twitter
• Professional context = higher intent
• DMs actually get read
• Your network is your first distribution

5. Facebook Groups

Still incredibly powerful for B2C and niche communities.

How to find the right groups:

1. Search for your problem, not your solution
2. Look for groups with 1K-50K members (active but not oversaturated)
3. Check posting rules before joining
4. Contribute value for a week before sharing anything

6. Product Hunt Ship

Pre-launch landing page for products. Gets indexed by Google and attracts early adopters.

Best practice: Launch your smoke test as an "upcoming product" and collect subscribers there too.

7. Hacker News (Show HN)

High risk, high reward. One front-page post can bring thousands of visitors.

When to use: Only if your product is genuinely interesting to developers/tech people. Not for consumer apps.

8. Quora

Long-tail SEO play. Answer questions related to your problem, link to your solution.

Time investment: 30 min/day for 2 weeks = steady traffic for months.

9. Slack/Discord Communities

Private communities have higher trust and engagement than public platforms.

How to find them:

• Search "[your niche] slack community"
• Ask on Twitter who has good private communities
• Look for community links in newsletters you read

10. Your Email Signature

The most overlooked traffic source. Every email you send is an impression.

Simple addition: "PS: I'm building [product] — [one-line pitch]. Thoughts?"

Traffic Source Comparison

The 2-Week Traffic Plan

Here's exactly what to do:

Common Mistakes

1. Spamming links without context — Every platform has rules. Read them.
2. Targeting too broad — "Entrepreneurs" is not a niche. "Solo founders building AI tools" is.
3. Giving up after one post — Distribution is a numbers game. Keep showing up.
4. Ignoring the feedback — Comments are data. Negative feedback is the most valuable.
5. Not tracking sources — Use UTM parameters. Know what's working.

Start Driving Traffic Today

You don't need a marketing budget. You need 2 weeks of focused effort on 2-3 channels.

Pick the platforms where your audience already hangs out. Show up consistently. Be helpful first, promotional second.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Smoke Test Traffic

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Questions about traffic? Drop a comment or contact me.