Playbook/Mobile app/Social media
TikTok and Reels marketing for mobile apps
Apps grow on short video through a scene people recognize, not through ads. If viewers see themselves in the first three seconds, they go looking for the app. This playbook shows how a team counting down to launch builds a steady, measurable TikTok and Reels habit.
What to measure
3-second hold rate
If the hook fails, nothing else matters; drop formats by this number.
Profile visits and link-in-bio clicks
The closest signal that a video created interest in the app.
Waitlist sign-ups or installs (from a UTM link)
Not views: if this grows, you are on the right track.
Week one
- 1
Write down three concrete moments your app solves: what is the user going through, what do they say?
- 2
Try three hooks per moment: a question, a confession, a before/after.
- 3
Plan five videos for the week; make two of them the same idea with different hooks.
- 4
Add a UTM to the bio link and point it at the waitlist or the store page.
- 5
At the end of the week keep the two best formats by hold rate and double them next week.
Content ideas
- "I used to do this too" confession: the problem scene, then the one tap in the app.
- Screen recording with a voiceover: finishing a task in three steps.
- A couples or roommates sketch: same problem, two ways of living it.
- Launch countdown: one frame a day from design or testing.
Common mistakes
Filming a feature list
"Our app has…" videos don't get watched. Start with a scene and let the feature be its fix.
A new idea every video
Judging an idea on one attempt misleads. Test the same idea with three hooks.
Scaling without measuring
High views with no profile visits means the video entertained, it didn't sell.
How GrowColony does it
Social media agent
Reads your app and audience and writes the weekly TikTok and Reels plan: production-ready scripts with the hook, shot flow, on-screen text and caption. You approve; the weekly CMO review says which format is working.
FAQ
Should I start on TikTok before the app is live?
Yes. The weeks before launch are the most valuable time to grow an audience and a waitlist. Videos point to the waitlist, and you launch to people who are already waiting.
How many videos a week is enough?
Three to five to begin with. Testing the same idea with different hooks matters more than the count.
Do I have to show my face?
No. Screen recordings, hands-only shots and voiceovers work too. A founder's face does build trust, though, so it's worth a test.