A rhythm you can keep
Roughly 3 to 4 hours of online outreach per week, spread across the week so no single day feels like a marketing job. The goal is presence, not volume.
- Lead with help, not pitch. Every platform punishes self-promotion.
- Read the rules of any group or sub before your first post there.
- Wait until you have real time to be present before joining a group. Silent members after intros read worse than never joining.
- Screenshot your own posts and save them to a folder for repurposing later.
- If someone reaches out privately after a public reply, be gracious and warm. That is the actual outcome.
Reddit is a slow burn. Post no self-promo for your first two weeks. Just be helpful. When someone asks about a topic you can answer, answer well, then mention what you do once or twice a month max.
- Never link to your site in your first three comments on any sub. Just help.
- When you do mention TZC, phrase it casually: "I actually run a free service in Ottawa for this — thezerocollective.ca. Happy to help either way."
- Read the r/ottawa rules before your first top-level post.
- Never argue with commenters. Even when they're wrong. It nukes goodwill fast.
- Use your real name in your bio. Anonymous accounts pushing services are treated as spam.
Facebook groups are where a lot of quiet asking happens in Ottawa. The playbook: join, read the rules, post one warm intro, then be present in comments. Do not post daily.
How this works: Tap 📘 Open in FB. Your Facebook app will open, and the search term is also copied to your clipboard as a safety net. If Facebook drops you at your home feed instead of search results (Facebook sometimes does this depending on your app version), just tap Groups → the search bar → paste. Screen for: 500+ members, recent posts, real Ottawa engagement.
- Every group has admins with different tolerance for promotion. Read the pinned post first.
- Buy Nothing groups are strict about self-promo. Only mention TZC if someone specifically asks for help finding resources.
- Mutual aid groups usually welcome free-service posts. Frame as "resource share," not "my service."
- If an admin removes your post, message them, ask what would work, and try again. Do not repost the same thing.
Right now the Instagram algorithm rewards short vertical video with a real face and a real voice. Reels with unpolished honesty about specific topics outperform polished carousels.
- Reels over carousels for reach right now. Carousels are for saving, not spreading.
- First three seconds decide everything. Start with a specific claim or question.
- Caption in plain language. Do not front-load hashtags. Put them in the first comment.
- Tag @thezerocollective_ottawa in every post so your own account gets found.
- Reply to every comment in the first hour. Algorithm rewards it heavily.
Your LinkedIn reach is Ottawa nonprofit and public sector — exactly who makes referrals. Two posts a week, three content types on rotation.
- Post between 7:30 and 9:30 AM Ottawa time on Tuesdays and Thursdays for best organic reach.
- First line has to be a hook. LinkedIn cuts posts off after 3 lines with "see more."
- Comment on 5 other people's posts before dropping your own that day. Reciprocity is real here.
- Tag people sparingly. Only if the post is genuinely about their work.
- Repurpose Instagram reels as native LinkedIn video (upload directly, don't link out).
Nextdoor
Hyperlocal and often ignored by other services. Setting up a Nextdoor Business Page (not a personal profile) lets you post across multiple Ottawa neighbourhoods.
- Business Pages reach further than personal profiles. Use one.
- Neighbourhood asks about mental health, housing, or family struggle come up weekly. Reply warmly and privately if they seem to want that.
- Do not post the same intro to every neighbourhood at once. Space them across weeks.
- Nextdoor users skew older and more established. Frame the service as "for a family member or friend who might need it" as well as "for you."
Other places worth being
Smaller platforms and forums where your specific audience is quietly gathering. Lower volume, sometimes higher-quality connections.
- Being listed in directories is passive advertising that keeps working forever.
- Podcast comments, YouTube comments on relevant videos, and Google Maps reviews of shelters or services all put your name near your audience.
- Do not spam. Genuine engagement only.