Methods · app that pays people to post videos
Pay new creators $40 for their very first video, whatever their experience
50K+ creators joined and $500K+ paid out; first-timers make more videos
Workedcreator-opsonboarding
What they did
The marketplace cold start was solved by signing companies first, then recruiting creators with a flat offer (initially '$30 to make a video'). Now every new creator goes through an onboarding that pays $40 for their first post, regardless of experience. The immediate reward removes the fear of the first flop ('It's this easy to make money?'), like casino apps front-loading rewards. The rest of the process is gamified.
What happened
Creators are 'instantly hooked' and go on to make more videos. Methods has 50K+ creators and has paid out $500K+.
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Dris Elamri - Meet The 18y/o Who Solved UGC Marketing (100M Views in 2 Weeks)“And when users join our, or creators join our app, uh, we go through a a full onboarding where we actually give them $40 their first post, and they are instantly hooked.”
“I think most people are unwilling to take the risk, and they they need the upfront incentive, which is why we pay people on Methods 40 bucks first video. They're hella happy, they start making more videos.”
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More from this episode
- Cluely: Hand one winning video format to under 20 creators, then move on to new formats0 to 100M views in the first few weeks at under $1 CPM
- 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: 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