community-forum

# Channels: Community & Forum Promotion Guides forum promotion, community invitation, and vertical community marketing. Community-led growth (CLG) costs ~90% less than paid acquisition with ~3.2x higher customer LTV. Indie Hackers delivers ~23% conversion vs Product Hunt ~3%; HN and Reddit require sustained engagement. For cold start planning (first users, launch channels), see **cold-start-strategy**. For indie hacker strategy (first 100 users, Build in Public content framework, Indie Hackers tactics), see **indie-hacker-strategy**. **When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output. ## Initial Assessment **Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for product, audience, and brand voice. Identify: 1. **Goal**: Leads, community growth, brand awareness 2. **Platform fit**: Indie Hacker, HN, Reddit, Discord, vertical forums 3. **Timeline**: One-time launch vs sustained (4-6 months for Indie Hackers) ## Forum Types | Platform | Audience | Use | |----------|----------|-----| | **Indie Hacker** | Indie makers, founders | Sustained engagement; authentic journey posts; ~23% conversion vs PH 3% | | **Hacker News** | Tech, startups | Show HN launch; ~1,300 posts/day; front page = luck + timing | | **Hackernoon** | Dev, tech rea...