Growing a bootstrapped SaaS is a constant balance between effectiveness and efficiency. You need channels that work without burning through your runway.
This guide covers seven customer acquisition channels that work for bootstrap SaaS, with an honest assessment of each—including when they work, when they don't, and how to get started.
1. Content Marketing & SEO
What it is: Creating valuable content that ranks in search engines and attracts potential customers.
How It Works for SaaS
You identify what potential customers search for, create content that answers those queries, and capture visitors when they find your content. The best content marketing addresses problems your product solves.
Pros
- Compounds over time: Content from years ago can still drive traffic today
- Builds authority: Establishes you as an expert in your space
- Low marginal cost: Once created, content works without ongoing spend
- Captures intent: People searching are often looking for solutions
Cons
- Slow to start: Takes 6-12 months to see significant results
- Requires consistent effort: One blog post won't move the needle
- Competitive keywords are hard: Established players dominate high-value terms
- Needs maintenance: Content needs updates to stay relevant
Best For
- Products in categories people actively search for
- Founders who can write or have content creation capacity
- Teams with patience for long-term strategies
Getting Started
- Research keywords in your niche with tools like Ahrefs or Ubersuggest
- Start with long-tail keywords (less competitive)
- Create genuinely useful content, not thinly veiled sales pitches
- Publish consistently (weekly or bi-weekly)
- Build internal links between related posts
2. Affiliate Marketing
What it is: Partnering with third parties who promote your product in exchange for commissions.
How It Works for SaaS
Affiliates—content creators, bloggers, YouTubers, newsletter writers—recommend your product to their audiences. When their referrals become paying customers, affiliates earn a commission (typically 15-30% recurring).
Pros
- Pay for performance: You only pay when customers actually pay you
- Leverages others' audiences: Reach beyond your own distribution
- Third-party trust: Recommendations from trusted sources convert well
- Scales without proportional cost: More affiliates don't require more staff
- Content is created for you: Affiliates produce reviews, tutorials, comparisons
Cons
- Requires program management: Recruiting, supporting, and monitoring affiliates takes time
- Quality variance: Some affiliates are great; others may misrepresent your product
- Commission expense: 20-30% of revenue for acquisition is significant
- Takes time to build: Growing a quality affiliate network is gradual
Best For
- Products with clear value propositions
- Categories where content creators are active
- Businesses with established product-market fit
Getting Started
- Choose an affiliate platform (PromoteKit for Stripe-based SaaS)
- Define commission structure (start with 20-25% recurring)
- Create an affiliate program page explaining the opportunity
- Recruit initial affiliates from existing customers and your network
- Provide marketing materials and support
For more detail, see our complete guide to starting an affiliate program.
3. Cold Outreach
What it is: Directly contacting potential customers via email, LinkedIn, or other channels.
How It Works for SaaS
Identify companies or individuals who match your ideal customer profile, research them, and send personalized messages explaining how your product solves their problems.
Pros
- Direct path to customers: No waiting for them to find you
- Highly targeted: You choose exactly who to reach
- Fast feedback loop: Quickly learn what resonates
- Controllable volume: Scale up or down based on capacity
Cons
- Time-intensive: Good outreach requires research and personalization
- Low response rates: Expect 1-5% response rates
- Can feel spammy: Poorly done outreach damages your reputation
- Requires skill: Writing effective cold emails is an art
Best For
- B2B SaaS with clear ideal customer profiles
- Products with higher price points (worth the time investment)
- Founders comfortable with direct sales
Getting Started
- Define your ideal customer profile specifically
- Build targeted lists using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, or similar
- Write personalized, value-focused messages (not pitches)
- Follow up systematically (most replies come after 2-4 touches)
- Track and iterate on what works
4. Product-Led Growth
What it is: Using your product itself as the primary driver of acquisition and conversion.
How It Works for SaaS
Offer a free tier or trial that's genuinely useful. Make it easy to start. Build sharing and collaboration features that naturally expand usage. Let the product demonstrate its value without requiring sales conversations.
Pros
- Low friction: Users try before buying
- Self-serve: Scales without sales team
- Viral potential: Collaboration features can spread organically
- Qualifies users: People who convert have already experienced value
Cons
- Requires great product: Only works if the product is obviously valuable
- Freemium economics are hard: Most free users never convert
- May attract wrong users: Free tiers can bring freeloaders
- Needs investment in UX: Onboarding must be excellent
Best For
- Products with quick time-to-value
- Collaboration tools where users invite others
- Products targeting individual users or small teams
Getting Started
- Offer a genuinely useful free tier or trial (not crippled features)
- Invest in onboarding to help users succeed quickly
- Build upgrade prompts at natural moments of value
- Add viral loops where appropriate (sharing, collaboration invites)
- Track activation metrics religiously
5. Communities and Word of Mouth
What it is: Participating in communities where potential customers gather and earning recommendations through genuine helpfulness.
How It Works for SaaS
Join relevant communities (Slack groups, Discord servers, Reddit, forums, Twitter/X conversations). Be helpful without being promotional. When people ask for solutions you provide, share your product naturally.
Pros
- Authentic: Feels like recommendations, not marketing
- Targeted: Communities self-select relevant audiences
- Relationship-building: Creates genuine connections
- Free: Just requires your time
Cons
- Not scalable: One person can only participate in so many communities
- No direct control: Can't force recommendations
- Takes time: Building reputation in communities is gradual
- Anti-promotion rules: Many communities prohibit or limit self-promotion
Best For
- Founders who genuinely enjoy community participation
- Products with passionate user bases
- Niche products with dedicated communities
Getting Started
- Identify 3-5 communities where your target customers spend time
- Join and observe before participating
- Contribute helpfully with no expectation of return
- Share your product only when genuinely relevant
- Build relationships over time
6. Paid Advertising
What it is: Buying ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to drive traffic.
How It Works for SaaS
You pay for clicks or impressions, driving traffic to landing pages where visitors sign up or request demos. The goal is to acquire customers for less than their lifetime value.
Pros
- Immediate traffic: Start getting visitors today
- Scalable: Increase budget to increase volume
- Testable: Quickly learn what messaging works
- Targetable: Reach specific audiences with precision
Cons
- Can be expensive: Especially in competitive B2B categories
- Requires expertise: Easy to waste money without proper optimization
- Ongoing cost: Traffic stops when you stop paying
- Ad fatigue: Creative needs constant refreshing
Best For
- Products with proven conversion rates and known unit economics
- Categories where paid can be profitable (requires testing)
- Companies with budget for experimentation and optimization
Getting Started
- Start small ($500-1,000/month maximum to learn)
- Focus on one platform initially (Google Ads for intent, Facebook/LinkedIn for targeting)
- Create dedicated landing pages for ads
- Test multiple messages and audiences
- Track conversions meticulously (don't just measure traffic)
Caution for Bootstrapped Companies
Paid advertising can drain resources quickly if not managed carefully. Many bootstrapped founders find better ROI in other channels. Test with limited budget before committing significant spend.
7. Partnerships and Integrations
What it is: Partnering with complementary products to reach their user bases.
How It Works for SaaS
Build integrations with popular tools your customers already use. Get listed in their marketplaces or directories. Co-market with partners through webinars, content, or cross-promotions.
Pros
- Borrowed credibility: Association with established products builds trust
- Distribution: Partner marketplaces have existing traffic
- Network effects: Integrations make your product more valuable
- Relationship leverage: Partners may promote you to their users
Cons
- Development investment: Integrations require engineering time
- Partner dependency: Relying on others for distribution is risky
- Long sales cycles: Partnership deals can take months
- Unequal value exchange: Smaller partner often benefits more
Best For
- Products that complement (not compete with) established tools
- SaaS that integrates naturally with common workflows
- Companies with engineering capacity for integrations
Getting Started
- Identify 5-10 products your customers already use
- Build integrations with the most common ones
- Apply to their marketplaces and directories
- Reach out to partner marketing teams for co-promotion opportunities
- Create content showing how tools work together
Comparing Channels
| Channel | Time to Results | Cost | Scalability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content/SEO | 6-12 months | Low ongoing | High | Long-term, search-driven categories |
| Affiliate | 3-6 months | Pay for results | High | Products with clear value props |
| Cold Outreach | Immediate | Time + tools | Medium | B2B, higher price points |
| Product-Led | 3-6 months | Low marginal | Very high | Products with quick time-to-value |
| Communities | 3-6 months | Free (time) | Low | Niche products, engaged founders |
| Paid Ads | Immediate | Variable | High | Proven unit economics |
| Partnerships | 3-12 months | Integration time | Medium | Products with natural integrations |
Building Your Channel Mix
For Early-Stage (0-$10K MRR)
Focus on 1-2 channels. You don't have bandwidth for everything.
Recommended starting point:
- Primary: Communities + Cold Outreach (direct feedback, learn quickly)
- Secondary: Start content marketing (plant seeds for later)
For Growth-Stage ($10K-$100K MRR)
Expand to 3-4 channels. You have some traction to build on.
Recommended:
- Primary: Content/SEO + Affiliate marketing (compounding channels)
- Secondary: Product-led growth (if applicable) + Partnerships
Principles
- Don't spread too thin: Better to do 2 channels well than 5 poorly
- Mix time horizons: Balance immediate (outreach, ads) with compounding (content, affiliates)
- Double down on what works: When you find a working channel, invest more
- Accept asymmetric bets: Some channels will work, others won't
Affiliate Marketing's Underrated Advantage
Among these channels, affiliate marketing is often underrated by bootstrap founders. Here's why it deserves consideration:
True Pay-for-Performance
Unlike content marketing (invest now, maybe results later) or paid ads (pay regardless of conversion), affiliate marketing only costs when customers pay.
This risk profile is ideal for bootstrapped companies with limited runway.
Others Create Content for You
Content marketing requires you to create everything. With affiliates, others create reviews, tutorials, and comparisons on your behalf.
This is effectively outsourced content marketing that you pay for only when it works.
Compounding Returns
Like content marketing, affiliate content compounds. A review video posted today drives referrals for years. Unlike your own content, it benefits from the creator's existing audience and SEO authority.
Diversified Distribution
Relying solely on your own content puts all eggs in one basket (Google's algorithm). Affiliates spread your reach across many platforms and audiences.
Learn More
For a complete guide to starting an affiliate program, see our affiliate program guide.
Key Takeaways
- No single channel works for everyone—fit depends on your product, market, and strengths
- Start with 1-2 channels and execute well before expanding
- Balance short-term (outreach, ads) with long-term (content, affiliates) strategies
- Affiliate marketing offers unique advantages for bootstrapped companies: pay-for-performance, outsourced content creation, and compounding returns
- Measure and iterate—the right channel mix evolves as you learn and grow