How to prep your Product Hunt content in advance when you're travelling
If you’re reading this post, it’s at least 2 weeks old. I’m currently away, and in situations like this, it’s better to be prepared. 🙂
Here’s my process that helps me stay (somewhat) consistent even when I’m short on time and not available in real time:
Batch-create evergreen content that can be shared anytime, or content tied to a recurring season or trend. (If you find time while travelling, you can still jump on current topics, but be aware, it might distract you from the trip.)
Prepare your content at least 2 weeks before your trip.
Create at least 4 extra posts beyond what you need. For example, if I’m travelling for 9 days, I’ll prepare 13 posts, just in case something goes wrong or unexpected travel issues come up.
Set a fixed time to respond to comments (e.g. 9 AM), or block out a time window for engagement, so you don’t get sucked into it during the day.
Keep a running file of content ideas throughout the year, including brainstorming sessions with ChatGPT. It’ll make content selection much easier in the future.
P.S.: This is about the preparation of the content in advance. Engagement is in real time.
Do you have your own content prep routine for Product Hunt?
If yes, I’d love to hear it. I’m always looking for ways to make my planning more efficient… and maybe I’ll adopt some of your tips for my next trip!
Replies
Great tips, Nika! I also batch content and use ChatGPT for ideas—super helpful before trips!
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@bijaybogati Thank you, Bijay :) But I hope that chatgpt has a minor position and you still communicate in a human way :)
@busmark_w_nika Haha absolutely, Nika! ChatGPT’s just my brainstorming buddy human first always 😄
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@bijaybogati Good to hear that! :D
Yesss.
If anyone’s wondering why Nika is about to hit 10,000 followers on Product Hunt. Here’s your answer in action.
I often draw inspiration from things that have happened to me or that I’ve noticed online . Both on Product Hunt and across social media.
For me, the most valuable content is the personal kind. Stories or opinions rooted in real experience. A unique perspective backed by reasoning and facts. I love reading when founders share insights. Things that make me go, “Aha, I can apply this to my own situation too.”
Hate "AI-Generated content".
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@byalexai Thank you, Alex! I was preparing this content when I lied near by the river and enjoyed nature :D
@busmark_w_nika true inspiration
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@byalexai I have the best sensei ;)
Always thinking of and organizing all my workload the night before, as planned.
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@mariadpdc and sometimes weeks before! :D
Trufflow
Setting a fixed time to respond to comments is so important! I then combo that with setting a goal with a time constraint (e.g. comment/post X amount of times with the Y minutes I have) because I know I will be limited on time and can't afford to sit for 10 minutes to think through one thought 😅
As an aside, when I am travelling and I get bursts of random ideas from my new surroundings, I will aggregate them all in one note then ask ChatGPT/Gemini/whatever to make sense of it and help me make connections between ideas or tease out more details from my initial idea. Good way to come back from a trip with some "fresh" new ideas!
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It happened to me on Facebook when I commented too much, they restricted me :D@lienchueh
And that's exactly the purpose of my travels – to get an inspiration :)
Failping
About to launch in a few weeks while travelling, it was stressful enough when I was at home but now there is this extra layer. Will take this advice into account Nika, thank you!
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@guillermo_bascunana Hopefully will be effective! :)
Totally agree. I really liked the part about brainstorming with ChatGPT. I do that too, but sometimes get stuck. Do you have any go-to prompts or frameworks for coming up with content ideas?
Also, I'm curious if you try to stick to a regular posting rhythm, like one post a day. Or do you just focus on sharing solid stuff when it feels ready?
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@seunggon_kim What kind of ideas are you looking for? Whenever I want to have an idea for visual ads, I scroll through interests and as soon as I see something that hits and wanna create a claim, I brainstorm it with the help of GPT. Ask it, e.g. Hey, can you please make this more punchy?
When it comes to clients' work, I publish when it is ready. I care way more than caring on my personal account. My accounts: I post more frequently, but it is a mixture of less thoughtful content and content I'm proud of. :D
@busmark_w_nika So it’s like you scroll through your interests, spot a keyword or image that sparks something, and turn that into an idea. Thanks for the tip about asking GPT to "make this punchier" too. I’ll give that a shot. A simple rewording can really make all the difference.
In my case, I often brainstorm with GPT to refine or expand content for app landing pages to make them more engaging. But the responses can sometimes feel too safe or generic. They are trying to stay in the middle ground. I’ve tried finding better prompts elsewhere or working through ideas in a back-and-forth with GPT. So far, it seems that giving it strong context makes the biggest difference.
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@seunggon_kim Yeah, sometimes ChatGPT is quite polite and not "creative"... think in creating new words. When we were at an ad agency, we tried to create a billboard and we played with copywriting a lot... e.g. promoting McDonald's on the billboard that is 2 km away... we used 2 kmmmmmmmmmm (you know, like you enjoying the food)... ChatGPT doesn't think like this.
PopPop AI Vocal Remover
Hi Nika, I may decide to launch my software after the travel ends.
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@charlenechen_123 where are you on travels?
I'm curious - how do you deal with time zones? It seems like it's critical to have lots of traction lined up from the start of the day.
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@rob_blaine To be honest, I do not travel too much within time zones, max. 2 hours. But I am quite okay, because sometimes I sleep 4 hours/day.
I am preparing content for my PH launch which will be happen on July 25th. My team is making intro video and I login to PH every day. But I don't know what I need to do to let others know my product before I launch on PH.
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@zhitao_yan Hey Tony, the thing is your activity and hustle around the product need to be visible... not only on the PH platform, but also on social media – sharing journey, progress, learnings, behind the scenes, inviting people, being authentic. It is a long-term journey, and Product Hunt is a part of it.
@busmark_w_nika Hi, Nika, Thanks a lot for your advice. I will follow your instruction.
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@zhitao_yan Hopefully, it will bring positive results for you! :)
@busmark_w_nika This is incredibly helpful! I try to keep a bank of posts using GPT.
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@rushasen Hopefully, it will help you with your presence here :)
@busmark_w_nika There was a time I squirmed at the thought of publishing any AI-generated posts. Over a period of time, it's not so sacrilegious.
AI can help a great deal with preliminary research. I utilise it to compile themes for posts for different social media platforms. Gives an overview on what would work on social media. Based on the themes, I craft my posts with a personal touch.