The Most Underrated Strategy to Grow a Curated Directory
praneetbrar7
The Most Underrated Strategy to Grow a Curated Directory
Curated directories are one of the most effective—and often overlooked—ways to deliver value to specific niches online. Whether you’re building a collection of AI tools, startup resources, indie projects, or remote job boards, a successful directory needs two things: quality content and consistent growth. Directory owners often obsess over SEO or UI design, but miss one of the most underrated strategies for growth: personalized, automated outreach, especially to relevant, newly-launched products. And that’s where this strategy shines.
Why Relying on Passive Submissions Isn’t Enough
Most directories take a “build it and they will come” approach. You create a Landing Page, add some submission forms, sprinkle in referral traffic from Twitter or Indie Hackers, and hope the rest will follow.
However, passive tactics often result in slow growth, low-quality submissions, and missed opportunities. Even with tools like Uno Directory or Aura++ that help optimize your UI/UX and SEO, you still need a smart approach to attract creators in the right moment — right after they’ve launched.
The Problem with Manual Outreach
Manual outreach can work wonders, especially when you’re reaching out to makers whose products would be a great fit for your directory. But it’s time-consuming, repetitive, and far from scalable. Imagine spending an hour each day scrolling through Product Hunt, finding founders to contact, writing individualized emails, and tracking responses. That’s where things begin to break down.
This is what makes the strategy of automated, personalized outreach not just underrated—but a game-changer.
Automated Personalized Outreach: A Secret Weapon for Directory Growth
The most underrated strategy to grow a curated directory today isn’t more SEO, running ads, or manual outreach—it’s using intelligent automation to reach makers when they’re most receptive: right after their launch.
Consider the tool Nurturing Mails, which automates daily outreach to fresh Product Hunt launches. It’s not just sending blast emails, but congratulatory, personalized messages using the product and founder’s name, crafted to build relationships from the start.
Why This Timing is Crucial
When founders just launch their products, they’re:
- Actively seeking exposure and visibility
- Open to partnerships to gain backlinks and buzz
- Emotionally high from launch energy—and highly responsive
That’s exactly when your curated directory should approach them with a value proposition. It’s smart, timely, and infinitely scalable when done with the right automation.
How This Strategy Works in Practice
Let’s break down how directory owners can implement this strategy using a tool like Nurturing Mail:
- Connect your email account and brand it with your directory identity.
- NurturingMail monitors all daily launches on Product Hunt in real-time.
- Customized emails, including founder + product names, are sent out at timed intervals (every 15–20 minutes).
- Each email congratulates the founder and pitches your directory as a visibility and SEO opportunity.
The result? An average increase of 150%+ in directory submissions in 60 days—with none of the manual work.
You can get started here or view their pricing plans to match your directory growth stage.
Here’s What Makes It Stand Out
- Fully Personalized: Founders see their name and product featured in the email—it doesn’t feel templated.
- Perfect Delivery Timing: Mails are sent in small intervals, avoiding spam filters.
- Plug and Play: No dashboard. You set it up once and let the outreach run in the background.
- Founder-Centric Messaging: The messaging isn’t pushy—it’s contextual and supportive.
Best Use Cases for This Strategy
This approach isn’t just limited to upcoming indie creators. It’s suitable across directory types and stages.
| Use Case | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Launching a New Directory | Kickstart with real submissions from the first week. |
| Growing a Niche Directory (e.g., AI Tools) | Find newly launched, relevant tools daily and invite them in automatically. |
| Increasing Paid Submissions | Replace sales teams with automated, personalized outreach. |
| Improving SEO | Get backlinks from early-stage projects hungry for exposure. |
| Scaling for Multiple Categories | Run outreach with different branding per directory or category. |
Complement the Strategy With Strong Content and Curation
No amount of outreach will save a poorly curated directory. You still need to provide value to your audience and ensure your listings are usable, structured, and topical.
Check out successful directories like Praneet Brar’s portfolio of niche directories and SaaS projects. He showcases how a diverse yet focused content vision can drive traffic and retain users.
Optimize for Content Clarity
- Use filters and categories clearly relevant to your niche.
- Keep descriptions short and actionable.
- Ensure all links are functional and mobile-friendly.
SEO Should Support, Not Lead
While SEO can drive traffic, it should reflect strong curation and value—not just be keyword-stuffed fluff. Focus on:
- Schema optimization for every listing
- Including rich snippets where applicable
- Building internal links through blog content or updates
And yes, if you’re using platforms like Webflow or Framer to build your directory UI, adding SEO polish can be incredibly helpful—but only alongside a robust growth strategy.
Practical Tools to Combine With NurturingMail
Here are a few additional tools you may already know, but perhaps underutilize in this context:
- Hunter or Snov.io – For verifying email contacts if you’re manually reaching beyond Product Hunt
- Zapier – For syncing submissions and updates across your tools
- Loom – Record custom video intros for special outreach
- MailTrack – Simple email read tracking for early feedback
Final Thoughts: Automate Strategically, Connect Authentically
The most underrated strategy to grow a curated directory is also one of the most impactful: automated, personalized outreach timed perfectly after product launches. When you connect with creators during their moment of visibility-seeking, you tap into a golden window of opportunity—one that can bring consistent, high-quality, and even revenue-generating submissions into your ecosystem.
Consider tools like Nurturing Mail not as glorified email automation but as a relationship-building engine tailored for directory owners. When used with authenticity and timing, this strategy can set your project leagues ahead of competitors still relying only on traffic, Tweets, and hope.
Ready to make automated growth your superpower? Get started with NurturingMail and fill your directory with the right listings—on autopilot.