Cal AI · B2C · photo calorie tracking app
Buy only very cheap views at first, then pay more per deal once people know you
Deals got more profitable over time, not less
Workedinfluencer
What they did
At launch the app was unknown, so aim for the lowest CPM to reach as many people as possible, assuming the first exposures won't convert ('seen seven times' rule). As more creators promote it and viewers recognise it, raise what you pay per deal. Goal: sign as many influencers as possible and saturate the fitness space.
What happened
Guest says influencer deals became more profitable over time, allowing higher spend per deal.
- Stage
- Scale (launch through scale)
“we need to keep the CPM really low because we just want to show as many people as we can the app. And if they're seeing it for the first time, they're probably not going to buy it.”
“And so I think, over time, it became a little bit more profitable, and so we could spend a little bit more as well.”
Related topics
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More from Cal AI
All 51 Cal AI tactics- Move the app mention earlier in videos until views start to dropSweet spot 20-30 seconds in; a friend's app peaks at 60 seconds
- Open 20 brand accounts so each outreach person can DM hundreds of creators dailyHundreds of creators contacted per account per day
- Show a spin wheel that lands on 80% off instead of just showing the discountDouble-digit conversion lift vs a plain discount screen in an A/B test
- Match download spikes to each creator post while volume is still lowEarly on every video showed a clear spike; gets murky at scale
- Pay fitness creators with no brand deals to scan their food on cameraTook off beyond expectations; grew to 300+ influencers
- Let creators make their normal videos; only set timing and a caption tagCreators called it their easiest brand deal; keeps views predictable
More from this episode
- Cal AI: Agree with a creator's view boast, then guarantee 700-800K views when they claim 1MGuaranteed a profitable CPM on every deal; creators couldn't back down
- Cal AI: Have 25 hired assistants each email 100 creators a day~220K creators contacted, 2-3K signed; roughly 1 signed per 1,000 emailed
- Cal AI: Let AI answer creators' email replies and hand warm ones to a managerAssistants' job ends at the first email; no results reported
- Cal AI: Pitch 'keep making your normal videos, just sneak us in', then ask for a callCalls ~10x the chance of signing; the pitch often lowered creators' prices
- Cal AI: Have creators show the photo-scan naturally in the first 15 seconds, with no scriptCalled one of the biggest rules; no numbers
- Cal AI: Pay big lifestyle creators to scan their breakfast in day-in-the-life vlogs, 4 times a monthMost profitable content; one video drove hundreds to thousands of promo code uses
- Cal AI: Schedule a reality-TV star's posts just before and after her new season airsVery low CPM for a famous creator; no exact figure
- Cal AI: Test creators beyond fitness: moms, comedy, and fitness sub-nichesMixed: some moms profitable at $10 CPM; comedy got views but low intent
- Cal AI: Pay recipe, cooking and mukbang creators to promote a calorie trackerDidn't convert; cut early. Healthy-meal videos only okay
- Cal AI: Pay a Love Island contestant for day-in-the-life videosStarted well but underperformed; viewers mostly came for his partner
- Cal AI: Pay creators $100-200 when a friend they refer signs a dealReally helped; got direct numbers and deals around talent agents
- Cal AI: Give outreach assistants monthly prizes for most creators contacted or signedKept assistants motivated; no numbers
- Cal AI: Befriend creators' managers, then ask to add the creator to the group chatLanded deals with a TV star; guest calls relationships the key
- Cal AI: Sign a second creator in the same niche as your best oneDidn't work at all; the first creator made $100K profit in a month
- Cal AI: Have a UGC creator post on the brand's own page, and restart as influencers get pricierPaused while influencer CPMs were cheap; now restarting for cheaper views