How to Build a Marketing Funnel That Converts

Getting your first 100 users is one of the most important milestones for any pre-seed or seed-stage startup. It’s the point where your idea meets the market — and gets validated. But what if you don’t have the luxury of a full marketing team or a big budget? Good news: You don’t need either. In this post, we’ll walk you through a lean, proven process we’ve used with early-stage startups to help them land their first 100 users — quickly and cost-effectively.

Blue folding chair on minimal background.

1. Start With a Clear, Pain-Based Message

Before running ads or designing anything, you need one thing: a clear message that solves a specific problem.

Forget “AI-powered solutions” and vague value props. Instead, use this framework:

“We help [X] do [Y] without [Z].”

Example:

“We help early-stage SaaS founders launch better landing pages — without hiring a developer.”

When your messaging is specific and pain-focused, it resonates — and converts.

2. Build a Landing Page That Converts

Your landing page doesn’t need to be fancy — it needs to be focused.
Use Framer or Webflow and include only what matters:

A clear headline & subheadline
2–3 value-driven benefits
One call to action (email signup, demo request, etc.)
Optional: social proof or early-access quotes

💡 Bonus tip: Add a simple form tool like Tally or Typeform to collect interest and segment leads.

3. Use Personal Outreach (Not Ads… Yet)

Start with warm, manual outreach. DM 20–50 ideal users and personally introduce the product. Think:

Twitter / X
LinkedIn
Slack or Discord groups
IndieHackers / Reddit / niche forums

The key is to be helpful and non-salesy. Example DM:

“Hey [Name], I saw you’re building [XYZ]. I’m working on something similar that might help. Mind if I send a quick link?”

It’s slow — but powerful. Many of your first users will come this way.

4. Post Valuable, Targeted Content

While you do outreach, start building credibility by posting 1–2x per week on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Reddit.
Focus on things like:

Learnings from building
Behind-the-scenes progress
Quick tips for your target audience
Short tutorials or pain-point insights

People follow progress. Show up consistently, and people will start asking to try your product.

5. Run Micro-Ads to Test Messaging ($50–$100)

Once you see some early signs of interest, run a small-budget ad test.

Use Meta or Google Ads to test 2–3 variations of headlines and landing pages. Track:

Cost per click
Time on page
Signups

This helps validate whether your messaging works at scale — and sets you up for future campaigns.

6. Turn Users Into Advocates

After you get your first 10–20 users, talk to them.

1- Ask what they liked

2- Ask how they describe your product

3- Ask what made them sign up

Use their words to improve your copy, and give them ways to share (referral links, shoutouts, small rewards).

Conclusion

Getting your first 100 users doesn’t require a big team or paid media blitz — just clarity, consistency, and a willingness to talk to people.

Start small. Talk to users. Build momentum.

Once you hit 100, your biggest challenge won’t be finding users — it’ll be keeping up.