How do you get users for a free social/community platform?

Genuinely curious — if you’re building something that’s free to use (especially early on), how do you actually get users and start building a community?

I’m working on a social-first platform for sports bettors, and while we’ll eventually monetize through paid tools, the core community part is free. I’m trying to figure out the best way to grow it without burning out or throwing money at the wrong things.

Do you:

• Run ads even if it’s free?

• Launch an affiliate/referral program?

• Focus entirely on organic?

• DM people directly?

• Or just hope the product is good enough to catch on?

Would love to hear what worked (or didn’t) for others trying to build a social product from the ground up.