How to recruit the initial mass of users?

Question

Marketing

Made a social project. There was a difficulty in the initial promotion, namely in the first registrations.
We started with a social media posting. networks. The site is empty, with little demo data. And it turns out that they follow the links, see that the site is empty, and leave.
A few people signed up, but that's all quiet, they don't come back because it's empty.
Who has experience of how to properly develop a critical mass of users? Create fake pages, boost ads, or something else?

Answer 1

You did not try to fill the site, stupidly, simply, obviously.

Answer 2

That's right - the project should be needed by customers, ideally - so that customers advertise it themselves, and not under duress (like tell your friends I'll give you a discount), but because - wow, how cool is it, come here.
If the project is not needed by clients, then it is pointless to promote it.
ps normal projects have always risen first among a small group of people and then slowly increased the meat. It will not work to invite the people to an empty place at once ... they will come and go as soon as they come, and the resources for promotion will go to the sand.

Answer 3

I understand that now there is something interesting and useful - zero, and your plan was that users would come and create this useful and interesting for you? For the last 10 years, this has not rolled.
First you do something interesting and useful yourself , not demo data but good data. Then you invite users there.
Spend your advertising budget on content creation.

Answer 4

I wonder if you will come to the store with empty shelves next time?

Answer 5

A typical "chicken and egg" problem. Separate thoughts:

• while there are few participants in the project, there is less attention of copyists to it. Example: VKontakte music.
  
• festivals, concerts: "register in ... to contact the stars of the festival and exchange photos"
  
• a unique feature that is very different from “everyone”, the result of which can be shared outside. Photo filters, video change (acceleration, synchronization to music).
  

Answer 6

And it turns out that they follow the links, see that the site is empty and leave.

Here you answered your own question. Why do I need an empty site? Even if this is a thematic forum on a topic that I am not an epic fan of - why do I need an empty site?
The site must be already with content before the first launch.
Have you ever opened a store? Ordinary, with doors, with a trading floor? In fact, before the opening of the store, the goods are brought into the hall, laid out on the shelves :)

Answer 7

try it like VKontakte, nothing new has been invented since then