This French dating app just passed Tinder on the App Store 👀

Never did Clara think that at age 32 she would be spending countless hours making TikTok videos in the middle of Paris for her AI dating startup. 300+ videos later she has been able to raise $5 million, backed by OpenAI and just passed Tinder on the App Store. This is the story of how Clara Gold used social media to jumpstart her growth.

Background 📓

Online dating fatigue is at an all-time high, and Clara knew that mainstream dating apps wouldn't innovate fast enough to address this issue. That's when she decided to create GiGi, an mobile app where an AI wingman vets potential matches based on your red flags while you watch. Once a candidate passes, you take over the chat. She realized the key was to develop a marketing strategy that would resonate with millions of women facing the same challenges. After countless failed experiments, she finally cracked the code, leading GiGi to dominate the French market.

Here are some of her most successful videos and how she did it 👇:

🎬 POV responding with sarcasm: 1.5M Views, 234K Likes, 16.9K Shares

Hook: “When he responds to your sarcasm with more sarcasm instead of getting upset”

Format: Selfie reaction + text (no talking)

Why this video worked:

• Relatable content to audience

• Natural reaction = engaging hook

• Music choice relates to video content

🎬 Summertime essentials: 317K Views, 28K Likes, 1K Saves

Hook: “Our essential for the summertime »»»”

Format: Slideshow + product screenshot

Why this video worked:.

• Clear CTA / conversion in second slide

• Trend association = summertime app

• Organic camera roll shot

🎬 Tag someone you love: 914K Views, 111K Likes, 72K Shares

Hook: “Send this to all the friends you love but never write to”

Format: Selfie video + text

Why this video worked:.

• Relating to emotions and situations

• Sharable content (promotes sharing + tagging)

• Feels like a natural impromptu shot

Key takeaways from GiGi 💡

• Take advantage of multiple accounts .

  The founder not only uses her personal account to begin marketing but also takes advantage of their brand account.

• Clearly understands customers pain points.

  She uses their customers pain points to play on emotions and relatable scenarios in the dating scene.

• Shareable content for more distribution.

  Focusing on distribution rather than direct conversions can be ok to start. Create something people would gravitate to and be compelled to share, then focus on converting that fanbase.

What you can replicate from this format 💰

• Slideshow format.

  This is probably one of the easier TikTok formats to get started with. First slide = interesting hook, second slide = app screenshot

• Create shareable hooks.

  “Tag a friend that…”

  “Send this to someone who…”

• Fake the trend association until it’s true.

  Try to think of the natural setting for your app and create the trend association. “summer essentials”, “school necessity”, “trending running gear”
  

Know a founder that could use some help creating content? Feel free to share!

That’s all I got for this one. If you have any other viral consumer products you want me to break down my DM’s are always open.

Cheers!

Nick 🤝