How are people growing their audience?

[Rajat Paharia]

Hi all - 

I am new to this market and have recently published my first Chrome extension as a solopreneur (details here in case you're interested). I am curious about how others are growing their user bases.

1. Google ads?
2. Chrome Web Store search? 
3. Somehow getting featured in the Chrome Web Store? 
4. Targeting communities of interest? 
5. Word of mouth? 
6. Something else? 

Based on other threads here, it does appear that #1 and #2 are having some problems right now? 

https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/iOJ2-jTNlY4

https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/CqLCShal338

I'd appreciate any guidance or advice! thanks, - rajat

[ImprovedTube for YouTube]

Hi!
- Yes search results quality changed back & forth these years, top positions being flooded by spam/malware with wrong/inflated user counts repeatedly.
- Few extensions are big business (Grammarly, Honey, ..?)
- Google retired payment processing for extensions after Covid (in 2021)

[Ranadhir Chakraborty]

Hey Rajat, 
Have you tried publishing your extension on the Edge Add-on store? It has promising Users too. That could garner quite a good set of audience for your extension. 

[Rajat Paharia]

Hi Ranadhir - I have not! Thank you for the reminder. 

Improved YouTube - thanks for the background. I don't even have a premium plan at this point, I'd be happy with more users trying my free product!

[Uladzimir Yankovich]

Today's extension market is structured in such a way that distribution is 80% of the developer's work. This is not Google Play where you can get millions of organics. Here you will have to fight for each installation with your own hands, sweat and dollars.

[Rajat Paharia]

Thanks Uladzimir, that is definitely the sense that I'm getting :/

[Randhir C]

Rajat, I have been trying to understand the market lately as well and I noticed (while I was publishing my stack of themes) that the Edge add-on store does not charge any fee for signing up as a partner to publish extensions. Plus, their support infrastructure has been quite responsive of late.