How do I promote my Windows based free SMS application without spending any money?

January 25, 2005 1:48 AM

How do I promote my Windows based free SMS application without spending any money? (more inside)

I've written a free application that allows you to send SMS' from your PC using the popular web based SMS gateway providers out there (o2, sms.ac, vgsmail, etc.etc.) and I'd like to promote it a bit more.

Previously I would stick an entry in DMOZ, post something to some news groups and submit a listing to download.com. The former two aren't particulary effective and the latter now costs.

What do people recommend to get your application known to the masses? I'm thinking of software sites, blogs, sites that review this kind of software and the like. The only criteria is that it doesn't cost me money (so Google Adwords is out).

posted by ralawrence to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

Sourceforge and freshmeat?

Put up a tidy machine-readable page with good docs and reliable hosting. Allow searchbots. Wait. If there's any market for it and you've been listed in the engines and your software is good, people will come find you.

Most of my favorite software was introduced by word of mouth. Everything else I find on SourceForge or Freshmeat, or through search engines.

Before anyone snarks "Posting here would be a good start!" note that he doesn't mention the project or link to it. It's not even on his profile-listed homepage.
posted by loquacious at 3:08 AM on January 25, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately Freshmeat doesn't want applications that only run under Windows and Sourceforge wants only open source applications which puts mine firmly out of the running (it's free, just not open to all).

I have to admit it took me a long while to get the post just right so that (hopefully) people didn't complain :)
posted by ralawrence at 3:22 AM on January 25, 2005

still, set up a page and tell all your windows+SMS:ing pals about it, if they like it, they'll tell others. Then wait.
posted by dabitch at 3:26 AM on January 25, 2005

tucows?
posted by Optamystic at 4:19 AM on January 25, 2005

I wrote a fun online game once. In order to get it spread around, I gave my friends a challenge: If it was played a million times in a month, I'd throw a pizza and beer party for them. It worked like gangbusters. I should have told them not to be spammy assholes about it (even though they weren't, they could have been, which would have been bad). They ended up posting things on a few forums they were active in, mentioned it to their friends who linked to it in a couple places, and it started spreading from there by word-of-mouth.

I think it took 2 or 3 months to get a million plays, so I didn't even have to pay out.
posted by Plutor at 5:19 AM on January 25, 2005

There's a versiontracker version for Windows that might work. I don't think it is as popular as the Mac version which is like a must-visit site for applications.

Also make sure you optimize your website to make sure it will be high in the listings. That part is free.
posted by birdherder at 5:55 AM on January 25, 2005

make reference to it on Ask Metafilter, and hope it catches on that way.
posted by crunchland at 6:18 AM on January 25, 2005

You're trying to reach the people who actually use SMS, so look for message boards relating to high end cell phones. Places like the All About Symbian forums and Howard Forums.
posted by joelr at 7:36 AM on January 25, 2005

If it's any good, the word *will* get out there. To start the process, make contact with other developers who will have been through this process before; if they like it they'll be keen to put the work of a fellow developer out there. Put a brief but
appetizing link to the software in your signature, business card, and when meeting people – it's all about small networks, not mass advertising. Lastly, good luck and be prepared to wait a while after you sow your seeds.

Plutor, that's a marvellous idea!
posted by tommyc at 8:49 AM on January 25, 2005

If it's genuinely good, try a post in uk.telecom.mobile
They're largely a friendly bunch, and there are occasional posts in there asking for a good sms app.

Where is it, anyway? I tried the site in your profile, which shows me that I've used a couple of your perl scripts, but nothing about this.
posted by OldMansHands at 9:50 AM on January 25, 2005

Metafilter text ad. Also, email me a link.
posted by weston at 6:40 PM on January 25, 2005

Textually?
It's a blog devoted entirely to sms. I bookmarked it a long time ago imagining that I would read it occassionally. Not once. I don't know if they sell ads or if they'd be interested in posting about your thing. Maybe and either way, they might be able to give you some pointers.
posted by stuart_s at 10:09 PM on January 25, 2005