Praycreen · B2C · pray-to-unlock phone app
Run the TikToks that already went viral as Instagram ads
$0.39 best-day CPI, $0.70-0.80 average in the US; one video took 70% of spend
Workedpaid-socialorganic-short-video
What they did
After TikTok organic, ran Meta ads on Instagram using creatives that had already performed organically. Reasoning: on TikTok you don't control who sees a video, so if a general audience engages, the video itself is strong; putting spend behind it and targeting the exact audience you want should give very low CPIs. One organic video (out of 20-30 on the same angle) was repurposed and ended up taking ~70% of spend.
What happened
US CPI of $0.39 on the best day and $0.70-0.80 on average, versus ~$1.50 most apps are happy with; one repurposed organic video took ~70% of spend.
- Stage
- growth
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Lotanna Ezeike - He Built a Simple $120k/Yr App, Then Sold It For Multiple 6 Figures!“I'd say TikTok was, and then we then did a lot of like Meta ads for Instagram. That did really well.”
“So if you now put ad spend behind it, and then show it to the exact audience that you want itself, you should expect super low CPIs on that end.”
“It started off with organic, and then we repurposed that same creative.”
“I think we end up averaging out like $0.70 or $0.80 per install um in the US market, which is insane because like most people are getting like $1.50”
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More from this episode
- Praycreen: Copy a proven app idea and rebuild it for Christians~$120K ARR in 5-6 months; first 'Bible focus' app, then 70 copycats
- Praycreen: Post shock-value TikToks across 10-12 accounts to get people arguing in commentsEarly comments were angry, then turned to 'I needed this'; main driver of growth
- Praycreen: In videos, flash the app's opening animation, then the main screen and the success screenFounder says it brands the video without showing onboarding; no numbers
- Praycreen: Put well-loved Christian songs under the TikToksViewers commented on the songs; founder says it helped
- Praycreen: Give non-payers a free version with an ad before each daily prayer~$0.05 per user per day; ad spend paid back in 14-15 days
- BibleBuddy: Start as a WhatsApp bot before building the appGrew at first, but WhatsApp's ~$0.02 per conversation got too expensive
- BibleBuddy: Run X ads aimed at followers of the 20-25 most famous pastorsHost calls it an underpriced channel; no costs or results given
- BibleBuddy: Earn money only from banner ads, skipping full-screen adsCouldn't crack monetization; founder was wary of charging for faith content
- Magic Music: Build an app around a new AI tool within 4 days of its launch
- Toxic Traits: Show a text that's only arguably a red flag so viewers argue in commentsFounder says the formats worked; 330 videos ready, ads never tested
- Praycreen: Tweet that the app is for sale and take a fast close over top priceBuyers DMed; sold within a week (3 days) to a past BibleBuddy suitor
- Praycreen: Don't translate your apps yourself; leave it as upside for the buyerBuyers usually translate first; founder says it makes the app easier to sell
- Praycreen: Get apps to $5-10K a month, sell them, and take many shotsSeveral exits; buyers and funders now come back to him
- CarSpotr: Grow a simple first app with one TikTok and one Instagram account$8K MRR in about 4 months