This video is an interview with Hunter Isaacson, a prolific app builder, focusing on his strategies for creating viral consumer apps and generating substantial revenue. The interview delves into the creation and success of his apps, NGL and Bags, providing tactical and actionable advice for other app developers.
Understanding Human Behavior: Success in viral consumer apps hinges on understanding group psychology and how emotions influence user actions. Isaacson's expertise lies in predicting user behavior based on emotional responses to app interfaces and content.
Leveraging Platform Shifts: Isaacson emphasizes capitalizing on changes in existing social media platforms. NGL's success stemmed from quickly responding to Instagram's updated link-sharing feature.
Tight Viral Loops & High Redownload Rates: Creating a tight viral loop, where users who churn often return due to continued engagement from their network, is crucial for sustained growth. NGL’s design facilitated this.
Strategic Monetization: While many downloads remain free, monetizing a small percentage of users via subscriptions or other low-impulse purchases can generate significant revenue, especially with a large user base. NGL's subscription model demonstrates this.
The Power of the Share Menu: The share menu on platforms like Instagram is underutilized real estate. Apps strategically placed in this menu benefit from high visibility and ease of access.
Hunter Isaacson's strategies to activate the graph for NGL during its initial six months of low usage involved several experimental marketing approaches:
Citations:
"So, we were like testing here and there influencers, you know, like $100 here, $100 there, paying someone to post the Instagram story, you know, Tik Toks, just trying things." This excerpt shows small-scale influencer marketing across different platforms (Instagram and TikTok).
"About 4 months into the six-month period, we had that first like tiny little blip, like very small, and it was from an influencer who we paid to post the link." This highlights a successful, albeit small-scale, influencer marketing campaign.
"She activated a school on the other side of the world. Then it spread and infected, you know, the other schools in the area, but it didn't expand to another country." This demonstrates the initial viral spread organically from a paid influencer campaign, limited geographically.
"The second we finished Android, we then did another round of marketing and it was one Tik Tok that went viral and then that was it." This shows the importance of launching on Android for wider reach and the pivotal role of a single viral TikTok video in achieving widespread adoption.
In summary: Isaacson's early marketing for NGL involved experimenting with low-budget influencer marketing across multiple platforms (Instagram and TikTok), which eventually led to a small viral spread. The subsequent development of an Android version and a single successful TikTok significantly accelerated growth. This highlights the importance of experimentation and identifying the right channel or influencer for initial marketing efforts.
To answer your second question about early-stage app marketing: Based solely on the provided transcript, early-stage marketing should involve experimentation across several channels (influencers, social media posts etc), with an iterative approach focused on understanding what works best for your target audience and adjusting strategies as needed. The example of NGL demonstrates that even low-budget efforts can generate initial traction, which can then be leveraged for wider reach using a combination of organic and paid promotion.
