1. Cold DM to a small creator on X or Instagram
Subject: none. Body: "Hey [name], saw your post about [specific pain, e.g. spending Sunday cutting long videos into Shorts]. I built [tool] that [one-line outcome]. Free while I'm early. Want me to run it on your last [video/post] and send you the result? No call needed." Use this for creators with 1k to 20k followers who complained publicly about the exact task your tool handles.
2. Reply-first DM after commenting
Body: "Hi [name], I left a comment on your [post/video] about [topic]. I'm building [tool] for creators who [situation]. I'd love 10 minutes of honest feedback, and you'd get free access for life. Worth a look? [link]" Use this after you have left a genuinely useful comment on their content in the last 48 hours, so your name is familiar.
3. Email to a creator's business inbox
Subject: [Their channel name] + [the outcome, e.g. 3 Shorts from your last video]. Body: "Hi [name], I made [deliverable] from your video "[title]" using a tool I'm building. Here it is: [link]. If it saves you time, I'll set you up free. If not, tell me what's off and I'll fix it. [Your name], founder of [tool]." Use this for YouTubers and podcasters who list a business email in their About tab, and always send the finished work, not a pitch.
4. Reddit and Discord post asking for testers
Title: "I built a free tool for [specific task]. Looking for 10 creators to break it." Body: "I'm a solo founder. [Tool] does [one sentence]. I want 10 [niche, e.g. Twitch streamers under 500 viewers] to try it this week and tell me what sucks. Free forever for testers. Comment or DM me." Use this in places that allow it, like r/NewTubers feedback threads, r/podcasting, r/Twitch, or creator Discords such as Creator Hooks or small editing servers. Read the rules first.
5. DM to a video editor or creator VA
Body: "Hi [name], I saw you edit for [creator or type of channel]. I'm building [tool] that cuts [task] from [X] to [Y] steps. Would you try it on one client project? Free, and if it helps, I'd love to hear how you'd pitch it to your clients." Use this for freelance editors, thumbnail designers and creator assistants you find on Upwork, Fiverr, or X bios that say "editor for [creator]", since one editor can bring several creators.
6. Follow-up after no reply
Body: "Hi [name], quick bump. I went ahead and [made the thing / ran the tool on your latest post]: [link]. Yours to keep either way." Use this once, 4 to 5 days after the first message, and then stop.
7. Ask a happy user for one intro
Body: "Glad [tool] helped with [result]. Do you know one other creator who struggles with [task]? If you're up for it, here's a message you can forward: '[Short line about what the tool did for them + link].'" Use this the day a tester tells you something positive, while the win is fresh. Hulby, an AI cofounder, finds these creators and drafts these messages for founders every day if you want help keeping up.
Mistakes to skip
- Messaging creators with 500k followers who have teams and never read DMs.
- Pitching features instead of showing a result made from their own content.
- Sending the same message to everyone with no reference to a specific post.
- Following up three or more times, which gets you blocked or reported.
Want this done for your creator tool, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
How many DMs should I send per day?
Start with 15 to 20 personalized messages a day. Quality of the first line matters more than volume.
Should I offer the tool for free?
Yes, for your first 10 to 20 users. Ask for feedback and a short call in return, and start charging after that.
What size creators should I target?
Creators with roughly 1k to 20k followers. They feel the pain, do the work themselves, and still read their DMs.
What if a community bans self-promotion?
Don't post links there. Answer questions helpfully, then DM people who described the problem, if the rules allow DMs.