Ask HN: How to entice HS/College students to try app?

[chataway]

I have created version 1.0 of a group chat app which provides value for high school and college students. It’s a better mouse trap (yes yet another group chat app). But as we all know distribution is key.

How would you go about getting groups of 20+ or more students at the same high school to download and try? Ideally for free but would be willing to pay a few hundred for first couple batches. Problem is I work full time so can’t go to campus during the day and not in that age range any more (insert Steve Buscemi meme). How have people approached this problem?

[aphextim]

Find a few 'influencer' types who are popular at the school. Get them to sell your app by either paying them as an advertiser or tell them for each student they get on the app you will give them x amount of money.

Let them work for you!

[chataway]

Good suggestion, problem is how do I know if influencer is big or at least watched by enough people a specific schools. Don’t need a couple people at 50 schools, need 20 people at 5 schools.