HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Buy Installs to Climb App-Store Category Rankings, Then Harvest Free Downloads

Buy Installs to Climb App-Store Category Rankings, Then Harvest Free Downloads is a paid ads tactic for getting your first users: Sustained paid install campaigns eventually pushed the app high enough in its store category that the stores began surfacing it organically, adding ~1,500 free downloads a day on top of paid traffic.

It's a strong fit for Consumer / mobile apps and E-commerce / DTC teams, and works especially well for Mobile apps in a defined store category. As a paid ads play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Paid adsMedium effortSlow

Why does paid ads work for this?

App-store algorithms reward install velocity plus engagement, converting paid spend into a compounding free-download channel.

The exact steps (5)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for
Consumer / mobile appsE-commerce / DTC

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Buy Installs to Climb App-Store Category Rankings, Then Harvest Free Downloads" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for Consumer / mobile apps and E-commerce / DTC — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Buy Installs to Climb App-Store Category Rankings, Then Harvest Free Downloads" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

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