Do This To Make Your App Grow Faster With Less Ad Spend - Best User Acquisition Strategy for Apps
Today’s Tip: Using a layered user acquisition strategy for apps will give you an unfair advantage in scaling users efficiently.
Most app founders think user growth = more ad spend. But in 2025, CAC is through the roof and paid channels alone just don’t cut it.
Recently, we’ve seen the smartest app teams win by stacking multiple organic + paid + viral loops into one cohesive acquisition model…I call this layered acquisition.
Example strategies:
Productivity app → Organic SEO via blog + referral rewards for calendar invites + TikTok clips of real workflows
Marketplace app → Influencer UGC + paid retargeting on Meta + built-in viral loop from sending invites to sellers/buyers
Health app → Community-driven waitlist + weekly value drops on Instagram + expert-led YouTube breakdowns driving to the App Store
One way to unlock asymmetric growth: design user acquisition like a portfolio, not a single channel.
To be specific, teams that rely solely on Meta or Google Ads are burning capital while others grow on the back of no/low-cost strategies. When you layer content, referral loops, influencers, and paid, your cost per install (CPI) drops and LTV compounds.
From a strategy perspective, this makes sense. Distribution isn’t one-size-fits-all—and early stage apps need high-leverage plays, not just budget bloat.
If you want a high-efficiency way to acquire users, start by layering earned, owned, and paid strategies together.
Hint: The best-performing apps use content-led acquisition as their foundation.
Keep building!
PS: if you want me to share another unfair advantage in growing your app, you may want to book a call with me. It’s free and on Zoom. Talk soon.
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