This video provides a four-step strategy for acquiring 10,000 app users, focusing on organic growth and scaling with paid advertising. The speaker shares his experience scaling to over 1 million users and emphasizes a shift from focusing on product features to highlighting the user transformation.
To implement Steven Cravotta's four-step app user acquisition strategy, follow this action plan:
Phase 1: Identify Your Viral Marketing Message & Conduct Market Research (Weeks 1-2)
Define Your App's Transformation: Clearly articulate the problem your app solves and the positive transformation it offers users. Focus on the benefit to the user, not just the features. For example, instead of "Our app has advanced AI," try "Our app helps you save 2 hours a day by automating your tasks."
Competitive Analysis: Analyze your competitors' marketing strategies on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. What kind of content resonates with their audience? Identify gaps and opportunities.
Audience Research: Identify your ideal target customer. Where do they spend their time online? What are their interests and pain points? This informs your content strategy.
Platform-Specific Research: For each platform (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.), analyze trending content within your niche. Use relevant hashtags and search terms. Look for videos with high engagement rates. This helps you understand what type of content is currently working.
Phase 2: Leverage Reddit & Other Organic Channels (Weeks 3-4)
Reddit Strategy: Identify 3-5 subreddits relevant to your app's target audience. Craft engaging posts that offer value to the community, subtly incorporating your app as a solution. Avoid spammy behavior.
Content Creation: Create high-quality organic content (videos and text posts) that highlight the user transformation. Keep the focus on the problem your app solves and the positive outcome for the user. Use short, attention-grabbing content formats. Aim for consistency (at least 1-2 posts per week per platform).
Cross-promotion: Share your Reddit posts and other organic content across your social media channels.
Phase 3: Creator Marketing (Weeks 5-8)
Brief Creation: Develop a detailed brief for content creators, including your app's transformation message, target audience, examples of successful competitor videos, and specific calls to action (e.g., visit the App Store page).
Platform Selection: Choose a platform like Postedapp.com or a similar service to find creators. Define your budget or payment terms (results-based).
Creator Outreach: Contact creators who align with your brand and audience. Send them your brief and discuss the project details.
Content Review & Approval: Review the content provided by the creators and approve what you want to use.
Phase 4: Scaling with Paid Ads (Weeks 9-onward)
Ad Campaign Setup: Select your preferred advertising platforms (TikTok Ads, Instagram Ads, etc.). Use the best-performing organic videos as the foundation for your paid ad campaigns.
A/B Testing: Test different ad creatives, targeting options, and call-to-action variations to optimize performance.
Budget Allocation: Set a realistic budget based on your LTV analysis. Track your key metrics, such as cost per install (CPI) and return on ad spend (ROAS), to ensure profitability.
Continuous Optimization: Regularly analyze your ad campaign data, making necessary adjustments to improve efficiency and ROI.
Ongoing:
This action plan requires consistent effort and adaptation. Remember that marketing is an ongoing process, requiring analysis and improvement to achieve maximum impact. The key is to persistently test, measure, and iterate.