LingQ · B2C · language learning app
Have the polyglot co-founder post a language-learning YouTube video every week
181M views, 1.5M subscribers; these users subscribe at a higher rate
Workedfounder-brandcontent
What they did
Co-founder Steve Kaufmann (speaks ~20 languages, the 'OG of online polyglots') started a YouTube channel in 2010 because SEO and his blog weren't getting LingQ found and they never raised money to promote aggressively. He posts a new video every week about language learning and his method, still coming up with every concept himself at 80, with staff handling the files. Early videos promoted lingq.com directly. Kept going for years even when views were low.
What happened
181M views, 4.4M watch hours, 1.5M subscribers; the channel is a main traffic source and viewers arrive pre-primed on the method, invest more time and subscribe at a higher rate
- Stage
- 2010 onward
- Effort
- Weekly videos for ~15 years
“not only is it a great channel for us in terms of sending people to the app, but uh we know that anyone who arrives after watching my dad's videos,”
“They're going to subscribe at a higher rate and, and um that's a big uh it's not just a traffic source, it's also a source of very high- uh qualified users.”
“he had a blog, and but you still are relying on Google to think you're worth promoting. And uh, you know, we never did raise a bunch of money to be able to go promote aggressively”
“coming up with the concepts like it's it's uh every every every week putting on another video”
Related topics
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New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from this episode
- LingQ: Shrink the free plan so people hit the paywall before they drift awayConversion rate went up every time limits were tightened; no numbers given
- LingQ: Let learners pull lessons straight from YouTube, Netflix and the webFounder says stickiness rose as import got easier; no numbers
- LingQ: Delete about half a million dormant accounts to make the app fasterFounder says performance improved, which helps conversion; no numbers
- LingQ: Sponsor and team up with other language YouTubersTends to be good for the app, founder says; no numbers
- LingQ: Keep publishing blogs for search trafficDoes okay; far less effective than YouTube
- LingQ: Post on Instagram and TikTokLess impactful than YouTube
- LingQ: Build an AI coach that explains grammar and finds content for learners
- Split the paywall into two pages, with a 3-day trial and weekly planHurt conversions; host says it works better with yearly plans