Founder Playbook · Sub Club by RevenueCat
5 tactics from Joseph Choi
Stop Saying "Link in Bio" — How Real App Marketing Works on TikTok
Watch the full episode“A lot of these videos promoting apps they don't mention link in bio — that was a really popular thing from Instagram era, but if you're watching a random video in the for you page it needs to feel as authentic as possible because you haven't built that audience trust over time.”
"Link in bio" kills TikTok FYP ads — cold audiences need authentic, not promotional
The 'link in bio' call-to-action is a carry-over from Instagram where influencers have established trust with their audience. On TikTok's For You Page, viewers encounter your content cold, with zero prior relationship. Explicit promotional language — 'link in bio', 'use my code' — signals ad to a hyper-aware audience and tanks completion and tap-through rates.
“Here's the top five apps I use for tracking my progress in the gym — you name five different apps and then your app is one of them. It's a genuinely useful video, similar to SEO strategy where it's like these are the top five credit cards — it's still genuinely useful and a certain percentage will follow the call to action.”
"Top 5 apps for X" list format — name competitors, yours is one — drives organic app installs
Positioning your app inside a curated 'best of' list feels editorial, not promotional. Naming real competitors lends credibility, and the viewer gets genuine value — which means they watch longer and trust the CTA more. It mirrors how affiliate SEO content works: be useful enough that the recommendation feels earned, not forced.
“They directly mention the app but it's part of a storyline rather than saying 'Hey go download this thing.' The CTA is: I had the guests use the POV app — so it's part of a story rather than a direct push.”
Embed the app inside a real storyline — the CTA is the natural conclusion, not a sales pitch
The POV app's wedding-slideshow content is a masterclass: five controversial wedding rules builds curiosity, 'no photos' rule creates the setup, then the resolution is 'I had guests use the POV disposable-camera app.' The install mention feels like the punchline of a story, not an ad. This storyline-embedding technique keeps completion rates high and removes the sales-pitch smell.
“The first slide is 'Here's five controversial rules that we had at our wedding recently.' That's a great hook — it's a very negative, interesting hook — people are like 'Oh what are the controversial rules?' And then the rules are controversial.”
Open with a controversial hook — negative framing drives curiosity better than benefit framing
Negative or controversial hooks outperform benefit-first hooks on TikTok because they trigger a curiosity gap the viewer has to resolve. 'Five controversial wedding rules' makes scrolling past feel like leaving an open question unanswered. Once you have watch time, you've earned the right to introduce your app as the solution or tool inside the story.
“Consumers in general — not just on TikTok — are hyper aware of things that feel like ads. On the For You Page it needs to feel as authentic as possible because you haven't built that audience trust over time — they're just watching a video cold.”
TikTok FYP is cold-trust territory — build genuine value before any install ask
TikTok's interest-graph distribution means every video is a cold impression. Unlike Instagram followers or email subscribers, FYP viewers have no pre-existing relationship with you. This changes the entire marketing contract: you have to deliver genuine value — entertainment, information, or a compelling story — before any commercial ask lands. The install is the reward the creator earns, not the opener.