You don't need an ad budget on a campus of thousands of people who already talk to each other all day. You need to be where the talking happens.
Channels hiding in plain sight
Ranked by effort to get started:
- Your own status/WhatsApp. The warmest audience you'll ever have. Use it.
- Department & faculty group chats. Permission first, value always, spam never.
- Hostel word of mouth. One delighted customer per block beats a flyer.
- Class reps and society execs. They are distribution. Make them look good.
- Campus creators. A shout from someone with trust converts better than any boost.
The one rule
Lead with something useful, not something for sale. Teach, entertain, or solve a small problem first — then the ask lands.
Distribution is a skill, not a budget. Build the skill while you're broke and it compounds forever.