I showed my app for 2 seconds and got 4,000 downloads

November 15, 2025

Hey there,

I was stuck at 200 views per TikTok.

Making videos that were basically app demos, or feature walkthroughs.

They flopped hard.

Then I had a realization watching viral content: Nobody opens TikTok to watch ads.

So I changed everything about how I made content.

And one video hit 2.6 million views + 4,000 downloads overnight. It changed the entire trajectory of Puff Count.

Here's what I did differently:

I stopped selling features. I started selling transformation.

My old videos: "Our app tracks your vaping habits with detailed analytics."

My viral video: I tore apart a vape on camera and showed what's inside. Then said "Check out this app if you need to quit" for 2 seconds.

That's it. 476,000 likes.

The only difference: One feels like an ad while the other doesn't.

Step 1: Market Research

I saw a video where someone took apart a vape and showed how bad it was. It had millions of views.

I knew that concept would crush for Puff Count too because people are curious. What's actually inside vapes?

So I made my own version. Same hook, same format, my authentic take.

Step 2: Understanding the funnel

Your TikTok doesn't need to explain everything.

The only goal is to get them interested enough to check the App Store.

Your App Store listing gets them to download.

Your onboarding gets them to convert.

Stop trying to do it all in one video.

Step 3: Don't stop creating

That viral video didn't happen by accident.

For two months, I posted 1-2 TikToks every day. Some got 200 views. Most got 50.

I started doubting myself. Maybe I was just bad at TikTok. Maybe the app idea was wrong.

But I kept going because I knew the problem was real.

Then one video hit 2.6 million views.

I woke up to thousands of notifications. I thought something broke.

Then I checked the video: 2.6M views. 4,000 downloads in 24 hours. More than I'd gotten in the previous 3 months combined.

That one video changed everything.

After that, I kept creating. Each video gave me better data on what worked.

Eventually, another hit. Then another.

Organic content got me to $8k/month. Paid ads on my best-performing content scaled it to $44k.

Look, you only need one hit to change everything.

But you have to keep creating until it happens.

Most founders post 3 TikToks, get 200 views each, and quit.

I posted for two months straight until one hit 2.6M.

That's the difference.

Peace,
Steven