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TikTok Comment Section Conversions: How Apps Grow Without Paid Ads
PLUS: Find Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords (with Modifier List)
Startup Spells 🪄
October 22, 2025
TikTok Comment Section Conversions: How Apps Grow Without Paid Ads
TikTok comment section conversions turned Focus Tree and Cal AI into million-dollar apps without spending a dollar on ads.
Their secret was treating comments as conversion funnel instead of forcing bio link clicks.
Most app founders treat TikTok like a billboard. Flash the app. Add a CTA. Drop a link in bio. Wait for clicks that never come.
Laurent discovered something better. He made the comment section do the selling.
Laurent's 1-second flash that sparked 500+ questions
Laurent built Focus Tree for students who can't concentrate. Instead of promoting it directly, he hired creators to film aesthetic study sessions: warm lighting, organized desks, the works.
Focus Tree appeared for exactly 1 second. Just long enough to show a digital tree growing on screen as the student focused.
Viewers noticed. They didn't understand what they saw, but they wanted to satisfy their curiosity. So they scrolled to the comments.
"What is that app?"
The question appeared over and over. Laurent's creators answered each one: "Focus Tree."
Thousands of viewers read these exchanges. Many searched the App Store immediately.
Laurent turned TikTok comment section conversions into his primary acquisition channel.
The trick is to show enough to spark curiosity and withhold enough to prompt questions. Too much information kills the mystery. Too little means they won't care.
Laurent's 1-second tree visual hit the sweet spot. Viewers saw something novel but couldn't understand it without asking.
Why Cal AI never says "Cal AI" in their videos
Blake and Zach (founders of Cal AI) take TikTok comment section conversions even further. Their calorie-tracking app appears in fitness videos for 2 seconds. Someone scans food. That's it. The creators never say "Cal AI."
People spot the scanning feature. They want it. They find details in the comments.
The sale happens there, between users, with the creator facilitating the discussion.
TikTok users treat comments like a conversation. When they see someone ask about an app and get a straightforward answer, they trust it more than any ad.
On TikTok, whoever disguises an ad seamlessly wins.
Video replies = retargeting millions for $0
When creators reply to comments with videos, TikTok shows those replies to everyone who engaged with the original. The algorithm knows who watched multiple times, who liked, who commented.
You're retargeting millions of interested viewers without spending a dollar. And because you're answering their question, you can be direct. It doesn't feel like advertising.
This is TikTok comment section conversions at scale and it works similar to a Facebook Retargeting Campaign.
$1,000 influencer posts vs $0 comment strategy
Traditional influencer marketing: $1,000-$2,000 per video plus retainer fees. Potential result: 800 views.
TikTok comment section conversions: Creator's time only. Typical result: Hundreds of thousands of views.
This works especially well for apps because people don't click bio links to download. They close TikTok, open the App Store, and type the name they remember.
Your job isn't driving link clicks. It's making them remember your name and want to search for it. TikTok comment section conversions accomplish both.
You can go even further by using TikTok Comment Bounties if you already have a community of UGC Creators.
The first two hours determine everything
The algorithm decides viral potential within hours of posting. Monitor comments aggressively during this window.
Quick responses to early questions signal engagement to the algorithm. This improves distribution. It also sets the tone for later viewers who read and build on initial exchanges.
TikTok comment section conversions require active participation, not passive posting. Zaria Parvez, the growth person behind Duolingo stays up for 15 minutes after posting.
What comments reveal about your product
Questions in comments show what confuses users, what features interest them, what language resonates.
Creators refine messaging by analyzing these patterns. They address objections in future videos before people think of them.
TikTok's comment section doubles as free market research.
How one video spawns five more
Video replies multiply content. One successful video spawns follow-ups addressing different comment questions. Each reaches engaged audience segments with targeted messaging.
First video: Builds awareness Comment replies: Build consideration
Why this beats bio links every time
Bio links force users to leave TikTok, visit another site, then find the App Store. Multiple exit points mean lost customers.
Using comment section keeps users inside TikTok until they decide to search. The funnel collapses from five steps to two.
You're working with platform design, not against it.
The strategy viewers don't recognize yet
Eventually viewers will spot the pattern. You'll need new ways to spark curiosity.
But the core principle of TikTok comment section conversions will remain effective because it aligns with how people naturally use the platform.
Comments create social proof. They enable retargeting. They respect user behavior.
TikTok comment section conversions treat videos as funnel tops, comments as funnel middles, and App Store searches as funnel bottoms.
It respects how users consume content and make decisions, rather than forcing conventional marketing funnels onto them.
Laurent and Blake proved this works at scale by making millions in revenue.
Credit: Insights from Joseph Choy, founder of Consumer Club.
Top Tweets of the day
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incredible copy + brand comms from kalshi
truth isn’t what’s trending, it’s what people are willing to risk for
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10:00 PM • Oct 20, 2025
Kalshi's marketing, copy, and brand is one to watch out for. They have epic comms team.
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Here’s a hard lesson I keep having to learn:
The amount of time spent on an ad DOES NOT correlate to its performance.
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Effort != Output
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Max Levchin explains why B-players hire C-players
The co-founder of PayPal and Affirm reflects on the famous Steve Jobs insight that A-players hire A-players, and B-players hire C-players:
“It’s profoundly true. But there should be an asterisk explaining why this is true. And
— Startup Archive (@StartupArchive_)
3:59 PM • Oct 20, 2025
Insightful.
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