Catch people asking for a recommendation

What it does

“Can anyone recommend a tool for this?” is the strongest signal there is: someone with the problem, asking out loud, right now. They’ll have a shortlist within days. These posts are public, and most companies never see them. A daily search finds them, and a helpful answer, posted fast, puts you on the list.

What you need

• The words buyers use for your problem (see pull why your customers bought)
• LinkedIn, Reddit and X, plus any Slack groups or forums your buyers are in
• 15 minutes a day

How it works

1. 1

   Write the searches

   The ways people ask, combined with your category, your problem and your competitors’ names. Most of these search boxes take quotes and OR.

   Searches: swap in your own words

   "recommend" AND ("[CATEGORY]" OR "[THE PROBLEM, IN THEIR WORDS]")
   "alternative to [COMPETITOR]"
   "anyone use [COMPETITOR]"
   "looking for a [CATEGORY]"
   "what do you use for [THE JOB]"

2. 2

   Run them every day, newest first

   Bookmark each search sorted by newest, and run them once a day. A post from this morning is worth ten from last month.

3. 3

   Read the room’s rules first

   Many Reddit communities and Slack groups ban self-promotion. Read the rules before you post. Getting banned costs you every future thread in that room.

4. 4

   Answer in public, within a day

   Answer the question they asked. Name two or three options, yours included, and say who each one fits. If you’re not the best fit for them, say so. Always say it’s your company.

   A reply: swap in your own words

   Depends on [THE THING THAT DECIDES IT]. If you [SITUATION A], [OPTION A] is the simple pick. If you [SITUATION B], look at [OPTION B]. Full disclosure, I run [YOUR COMPANY], which is built for [WHO IT'S FOR]. Happy to share what we've seen work either way.

5. 5

   Only go private if they invite it

   If they reply or ask, send a message. Don’t pitch someone who only asked the crowd.

6. 6

   Log what you answered

   The post, the date, and whether it turned into a conversation. After a month, you’ll know which searches and which rooms are worth the 15 minutes.

What good looks like

A daily habit that turns up a few real buyers a week, each answered within a day with something worth reading, whether or not they pick you.

Mistakes to skip

• Pitching instead of answering. The whole thread can see it.
• Posing as a happy customer. Always say it’s your company.
• Answering a week later. By then they’ve picked.