User acquisition
Apple Ads, Meta ads, creatives, UGC programs
Start with the playbook: app-user-acquisition — the rules that matter most, with links into these notes.
- Apple Ads account structure — the two starter campaignsThe two-campaign Apple Ads setup (Max Conversion discovery + single-keyword exact campaigns) App Masters runs at $7K–$85K/month, and how they work together.
- Apple Ads single keyword ad groups (SKAG)Why and how to run Apple Ads SKAG campaigns — one exact-match keyword per ad group, search match off, bid near target CPA, 5–10 keywords.
- Break-even CPI, revenue per install and LTV per installWhich unit-economics number to bid against in app ads (revenue vs LTV per install), Steve's thresholds ($3 CPI for Apple Ads, $3 LTV/install for Meta) and how to use them.
- Go viral yourself before hiring UGC creatorsWhy founders should find repeatable viral formats themselves before paying UGC creators, how Nicole Cheung researches a niche before posting, and the limits of organic views as a download channel.
- How much Meta budget does an app need? (the 50-events math)Worked math for what a Meta ads budget buys an app — $1,000 at $2 CPI → 500 installs → 35 trials → ~10 subscribers (~$95 CAC) — and why trial optimization needs 50 events/week.
- How to find, vet and pay UGC creators for an appNicole Cheung's UGC creator program economics — $10–30 base per post (min 500 views) plus decreasing-CPM view bonuses — and where to recruit creators (SideShift, Discord inbound, micro-influencer outreach).
- How to set up an Apple Ads Max Conversion campaignStep-by-step settings for the Apple Ads Max Conversion (target CPA) discovery campaign — CPA goal, daily budget, extra ad group, audience, CPP.
- Is my app ready for Meta ads? Funnel benchmarks and the 7-point checklistSteve P. Young's 7 checks before spending on Meta ads for an app — funnel conversion targets (5–10% install→trial, 30%+ trial→paid, ~2% install→paid), proof strangers pay, LTV, tracking, research, concepts, budget.
- Measuring Apple Ads revenue without an MMPLightweight ways to attribute Apple Ads revenue — custom product pages per ad group, RevenueCat attribution, SKAG, or simple weekly spend-vs-revenue — and their blind spots.
- New TikTok/Instagram accounts for UGC and the 3-day warm-upWhy UGC creators should post from brand-new niche accounts rather than their own, and Nicole Cheung's 3-day warm-up (follow and repost niche micro accounts, not macro celebrities).
- Onboarding and managing UGC creators (the creator course)How Nicole Cheung trains UGC creators with a recorded, app-specific 30–60+ minute course — app setup, account creation and warm-up, content bank, account management — and keeps them supported.
- Paid social creative testing for apps — levers, hook/hold rate, 3-day testsThe levers of paid social (Meta/TikTok/YouTube) for apps, hook-rate and hold-rate targets, and Ivy's 3-day creative test (4 creatives per themed ad set, $50/ad set) run on highest-converting weekdays.
- Researching competitors' app ads (Meta Ads Library, SocialPeta)How to find long-running (i.e. profitable) competitor app ads in Meta Ads Library and SocialPeta, what to log for each, and how to read competitors' channel mix and creative patterns.
- Structure and concepts for paid app video adsThe hook → app demo → offer → App Store end-card structure for paid app ads, why to test distinct concepts per ICP before variations, and how to match ads to custom product pages.
- Validating Meta SDK app events against App Store ConnectWhich app events to send to Meta (install, paywall view, checkout, trial, subscribe) and how to sanity-check them against App Store Connect before launching campaigns.
- Why start paid acquisition with Apple AdsWhy App Masters starts most iOS apps on Apple Ads (plus ASO) before Meta or TikTok, and when that advice does not apply.
- Writing UGC content banks and scripts that hold watch timeWhat goes in a UGC content bank (idea, founder-filmed example, script with emotions, shots, captions, hashtags) and how to direct creators like a screenwriter to maximize watch time; paid vs organic differences.