Cluely · B2C · AI assistant app
Hand one winning video format to under 20 creators, then move on to new formats
0 to 100M views in the first few weeks at under $1 CPM
Workedugc-creatorsorganic-short-video
What they did
Dris and Ben started by finding viral formats and sourcing creators. A 'Snapchat format' worked almost immediately and was sent to other creators to see what worked. Rather than sticking with one format, they killed it and expanded to other formats. Fewer than 20 creators posted consistently. Another team member later took over scaling.
What happened
UGC program went from 0 to 100M views in its first few weeks at sub-$1 CPM, and became the main way average people and students heard about and paid for Cluely.
- Effort
- Under 20 consistent creators over the first few weeks
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Dris Elamri - Meet The 18y/o Who Solved UGC Marketing (100M Views in 2 Weeks)“Uh, it was kind of the the Snapchat format, and then we once like a like the same thing with formats, once it works, you just send it to other creators, see what works”
“so after that, uh, we we kind of killed the format and we expanded to other things”
“Like I think less than 20, uh, consistently posting.”
Related topics
Get tactics like this every Monday
New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from this episode
- Decart: Have an outside team run a UGC program to launch an AI photo app100M views in two weeks under $0.30 CPM; top 30 in the App Store
- Methods: Pitch your creator app as a way to make money online, not 'UGC'Signups took off after the switch; users now doubling every two weeks
- Instinct: Sell companies on 'views, users and money' before you have a product$1.2M in yearly contracts signed in the first week
- Methods: Pay new creators $40 for their very first video, whatever their experience50K+ creators joined and $500K+ paid out; first-timers make more videos
- Methods: Turn complete beginners into creators with scripts, example videos and feedback on every postFounder says long-time creators are now the top earners; early quitting is still a problem
- Methods: Have your own creators post videos about your app, which recruits more creatorsFounder calls it an 'infinite user' loop; no separate numbers
- Instinct: Copy viral video formats from other niches and adapt them to your productSource of many of their best formats, per the founder; no numbers
- Start with a few creators who reliably get views before adding moreUnder 20 creators did 100M views; a 2,000-creator program got only 500K a month
- Cut up other people's unboxing videos, add a $5 voiceover and post on TikTokBroke even for 1.5 months, then 200K views overnight and up to $2K/day
- Answer 'do you ship to my country?' comments with videos and offer free shipping codesPart of the run to 25K followers and 18M views; no separate numbers
- Keep posting Shorts through months of zero views, then repeat what finally works200K subscribers and 180M views in 9 months after 6 flat months