App Masters · B2B · app marketing agency
Give the app away free for life briefly to get first users
Some apps got 100K downloads; 10K+ signals a winner
Workedpr-launchvalidation
What they did
Run a Lifetime Free offer (via deal sites like AppAdvice / Indie App Santa) to get initial downloads, traction and feedback. Read the result as a demand test: under ~10K downloads the market may not want it, above 10K you have a winner, 100K is a really big winner. Host has run these since 2013. Do not ask for reviews during the promo.
What happened
Some apps got 100,000 downloads
- Effort
- Run since 2013 across many apps
“I still like the Lifetime Free, I'm going to create another video about this, but it's a great way to start getting some initial downloads for your app”
“If you're going to get like fi- under 10, maybe the market is not liking this as much. If you get above 10, you've got a winner there, and then if you get 100,000, you've got a really big winner there.”
Related topics
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- Ask for ratings while giving the app away free for lifeWorked from 2023, now triggers removed ratings and account suspensions
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- Translate the app into Arabic with Crowdin and GeminiHalf of 60K promo downloads came from Arabic-speaking countries
- Redesign the onboarding and paywall around a personal learning planRevenue doubled, $200 to $400/month, on the same downloads
- Replace paywall graphics with a real photo, then a videoPhoto lifted conversion 3.5 to 4.7; video did best
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- Label the paywall button 'Continue' on iOS and 'Start Free Trial' on AndroidHost says each wins on its platform, across all paywall screens
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- Headway: Lock every book except one free daily readHost hears locking more content converts better; no numbers
- Headway: Offer a cheaper deal when someone taps a locked book or closes the paywallThe $29.99 triggered offer is the second-best-selling purchase
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- Zero: Send a weekly recap of the longest fast with a button to tweet itPeople did tweet it; the feature was later dropped
- Life Reset: Put a 'please don't delete' message in the app icon's long-press menu
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- Add animations to the onboarding screensOne founder told the host it lifted conversion 10%