How One Directory Grew to 2,000 Listings Using Email Alone
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How One Directory Grew to 2,000 Listings Using Email Alone
Growing a directory is hard. Building traffic, convincing users to submit their products, and competing with well-established platforms can often feel like climbing an uphill battle. But what if you could grow your directory to over 2,000 listings without a big marketing team, paid ads, or SEO expertise? That’s exactly what one directory owner did — with only cold email outreach as their growth engine.
In this blog post, we’ll break down how this solopreneur turned a tiny directory project into a thriving platform using a tool called NurturingMail. We’ll share a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the email strategy, tools used, the metrics that mattered, and how you can replicate the same results for your directory — even if you’re starting from scratch.
The Directory That Reached 2,000 Listings (and Counting)
Meet Uno.Directory
Uno.Directory is a niche directory for indie tools, startups, and early-stage builders. The project started with a modest goal: get 100 listings in its first 60 days. But after implementing an automated outreach system powered by NurturingMail’s features, that target was quickly surpassed.
Today, Uno.Directory has grown to over 2,000 real product submissions — the kind that improve SEO, give users value, and drive internal discovery within the directory.
The Strategy: Cold Email, But Smarter
Why Cold Email Still Works in 2024
Most people assume cold email is dead, or at least irrelevant for startup founders. But the key isn’t in the volume — it’s in the timing and the tone. This is where most marketers get it wrong. What made the difference in this directory’s growth was:
- Reaching founders at the perfect moment — right after they launched on Product Hunt.
- Using personalized, congratulatory emails instead of salesy, generic outreach.
- Automation that didn’t feel robotic or spammy.
Uno.Directory succeeded by using NurturingMail, a cold email automation tool specifically designed for directory owners. Instead of manually hunting for launches or writing emails, the founder let the tool do all the work — while still sending out authentic and human-sounding outreach.
Inside the Cold Email Workflow
How NurturingMail Works
Every day, around 50–70 new products launch on Product Hunt. Most directory founders can’t keep up with those launches. But NurturingMail’s real-time tracking identifies these new launches and sends tailored emails automatically to the founders.
Here’s a general flow of how the process works:
- NurturingMail scrapes new Product Hunt launches in real time.
- It extracts the founder’s name, product name, and niche.
- Using proven, high-converting templates, it sends an automated email — from your name, highlighting your directory and its benefits.
- Emails are spaced 15–20 mins apart to avoid spam detection.
- Founders receive a non-salesy email with a congratulatory tone, prompting them to add their product to your directory.
Email Example:
Hi Sarah, Just saw that you launched "FormStack AI" on Product Hunt today — congratulations! 🎉 I run Uno.Directory, a curated list of indie tools, and think your product would be a perfect fit. It’s totally free, and helps you get backlinks + SEO visibility. Would love to feature you — you can submit here: uno.directory/submit Best of luck with the launch! - Jay
This simple, respectful email drove a 38% response rate and a 27% submission rate over time, according to the founder.
No Ads, No SEO, Just Automation
The Power of Daily Organic Outreach
Rather than relying on SEO tricks or spending on Facebook and Google Ads, Uno.Directory reached out daily to newly launched startups. This consistent rhythm brought in new listings each day, which eventually created a feedback loop:
- More listings meant more internal links → higher domain authority.
- More products → more founders sharing their listing links.
- Increasing visibility → more organic submissions later on.
The founder reported that by month three, organic submissions started to arrive even without emails — all due to the visibility created through early consistent outreach.
Maintaining Inbox Deliverability
A common fear with outreach is ending up in spam folders. But NurturingMail’s inbox optimization features solved this too. Emails were sent in small batches every 15–20 minutes, mimicking natural human behavior and keeping bounce rates to a minimum.
Who Can Replicate This?
This strategy works not just for Uno.Directory, but for any directory owner in any niche. Whether you’re building a directory of:
- AI tools
- SaaS startups
- Chrome extensions
- Newsletters
- NFT projects
You can apply the same email-first growth engine and get results. Even creators like AuraPlusPlus and digital entrepreneurs like Praneet Brar have started using similar outreach strategies to validate and fill their platforms and tools.
Results: By the Numbers
| Metric | Before NurturingMail | After 60 Days |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Listings | 110 | 2100+ submissions |
| Daily Website Traffic | 12–20 users | 150–250 users |
| CTR of Outreach Emails | N/A | 38% |
| Email Open Rate | N/A | 60–72% |
These numbers came from pure organic and email efforts, with no ad spend and minimal social media promotion. For bootstrapped founders and indie hackers, it’s the kind of ROI most dream of.
Why It Works: The Right Pitch, at the Right Time
Timing is Crucial
Reaching a founder 2 weeks after launch? They’ve moved on to other priorities. Hitting them 24 hours after a successful Product Hunt launch? You’ll catch them in celebration mode — and more open to opportunities like directory submissions, backlinks, and SEO promotion.
Non-Salesy Tone
NurturingMail’s templates don’t sound like a pitch. They sound like a friend congratulating a win. That sets the tone for a lot more goodwill and follow-through.
Automation That Feels Human
The personalization level in NurturingMail — founder name, product title, launch context — makes it feel like a 1-on-1 email every time. And it works.
Want to Grow Your Directory the Same Way?
If you’re looking to grow your own directory from scratch or scale one that’s already running, here’s the playbook:
- Pick your niche and build a simple submission form and landing page.
- Set up your outreach automation using NurturingMail’s pricing plans.
- Personalize your email templates with warm, congratulatory tones.
- Let it run daily — and focus instead on supporting the submission flow.
Need help before you start? The FAQs page at NurturingMail covers everything from setup to inbox hygiene and getting your first few responses.