I built a small utility app that solves one specific problem. How would you grow it?

I’m a full time police officer who builds small apps on the side. Recently I launched a simple utility called LOC8 that solves a problem I kept running into at work. Sometimes you end up in unfamiliar areas and suddenly realize you do not actually know the closest address. Apartment complexes, backyards, rural roads, places where figuring out your exact location quickly matters more than people think.

So I built a tool that instantly shows your closest street address, cross street, GPS coordinates, altitude, and accuracy the moment it opens. No maps to load and no searching around. The entire idea is to answer the question “where am I right now?” as quickly as possible.

The product itself is straightforward, but the part I am trying to figure out now is growth. I work full time and do not have a marketing budget, so I have been focusing on communities where the problem is relatable and on improving the product experience so the value is obvious immediately.

The interesting thing is that the original audience was law enforcement, but after sharing it around I started hearing from firefighters, EMTs, delivery drivers, travelers, and people who simply like knowing their exact location in unfamiliar places. That made me realize the product might be broader than I originally thought.

Right now I am trying to think more strategically about distribution and positioning. For those of you who have grown small utility apps or niche products, what actually moved the needle for you? Did growth come more from content, partnerships with niche communities, App Store optimization, or something else entirely? I’m less interested in generic marketing advice and more interested in what has actually worked in practice for simple products like this.

If you were in my position, what would you focus on next?