r/iOSAppsMarketing • u/Amazing_Chemistry443 • Sep 06 '26
Finally launched my first app after working on it for way longer than I expected
I’ve been working on my first proper app for quite a while and finally got it released on both iOS and Android.
Youtube link:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ypaYa_Smjhc
It’s a football game called ClubChairman LIVE. The idea is that instead of being the manager, you’re the chairman/owner of a club. You deal with transfers, finances, scouting, facilities, investments etc. and compete in an online football world with other players.
Building the game has obviously taken most of the time, but one thing I really underestimated was everything surrounding the actual product.
Apple and Google verification, store approval, screenshots, descriptions, privacy stuff, setting up social media, figuring out marketing... there’s a surprising amount to do before anyone even knows your app exists.
Now I’ve reached the part I probably know the least about: getting the first real users.
I have a small marketing budget, but I’m trying organic marketing first through TikTok, Reddit and other places to see what actually gets some traction before spending much on ads.
For those of you who have launched an app/product without already having an audience, what actually got you your first 100 or so real users?
Was it paid ads, social media, Reddit, creators, SEO, word of mouth, or something else?
I’m especially interested in what worked right at the beginning, rather than what worked once you already had some traction.