# Community marketing for first SaaS customers without self-promotion spam. - working worksheet

Reviewed alongside the Eli guide: https://hireeli.io/resources/community-marketing-first-saas-customers

## Decision to make

Participate in relevant communities before pitching a product

Owner: ____________________
Review date: ____________________
Canonical page or destination: ____________________

## Buyer questions

- [ ] Community marketing for first SaaS customers without self-promotion spam?
- [ ] What should a B2B startup do first to participate in relevant communities before pitching a product?
- [ ] Which evidence shows that participate in relevant communities before pitching a product is working?
- [ ] What is the most common mistake when teams try to participate in relevant communities before pitching a product?

## Evidence-led work plan

### 1. Why this decision appears: founders enter communities with a launch link instead of a contribution history

Founders enter communities with a launch link instead of a contribution history, then mistake deletion or silence for lack of demand.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 2. Choose one community where the ICP already discusses the problem, learn its rules and contribute specific help without forcing every answer toward the product

Choose one community where the ICP already discusses the problem, learn its rules and contribute specific help without forcing every answer toward the product.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 3. Read rules and recurring discussions, then answer questions from direct experience

Read rules and recurring discussions.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 4. Measure measure useful replies

Measure useful replies, repeated relationships, invited conversations and qualified referrals, not comment count.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 5. Do not cross this boundary: never coordinate fake advocacy

Never coordinate fake advocacy, mass-post identical answers or conceal a commercial relationship.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

## Source ledger

- [ ] HubSpot: ways to find and keep a first customer: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/first-customer
- [ ] Google Search Central: people-first content guidance: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
- [ ] Google Search Central: optimizing for generative AI features: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
- [ ] Eli AI Visibility Index methodology: https://hireeli.io/ai-visibility-index/methodology

## Measurement boundary

Baseline date and exact context: ____________________
7-day observation: ____________________
14-day observation: ____________________
30-day observation: ____________________
Known limitations: ____________________

Keep technical eligibility, citations, recommendations, visits, leads and revenue as separate evidence. This worksheet does not guarantee an external ranking or commercial result.