Short answer: start four to six weeks before launch: open and warm up accounts, post build-in-public clips and collect a waitlist. In launch week, post demos daily and point every bio link to a tracked store link. In weeks two to four, double down on the angles that earn link taps and installs, and cut the rest. The plan below is a template, not a guarantee.
The plan at a glance
| Phase | Goals | Content | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks −6 to −4 | Set up, warm up, pick angles | Few or no posts; normal viewing in the niche | Open 2–4 accounts |
| Weeks −3 to −1 | Build interest, waitlist | Build-in-public, problem clips, "coming soon" | Post 3–5 a week per account |
| Launch week | Installs | Demos, tutorials, launch-day clip | Post daily per account |
| Week 2 | Find winners | Variants of the best hooks | Daily |
| Week 3 | Scale winners | More edits of what works; new audience test | Daily; consider one more account |
| Week 4 | Review | Keep 2–3 formats; plan month two | Steady rhythm |
Pre-launch (weeks −6 to −1)
- Open accounts early. Each account gets a clear niche and a bio that names the app. See faceless accounts for apps.
- Warm them up with normal viewing and searches in the niche before promoting anything; see warming up before promoting an app.
- Post the build. Screens, sketches, bugs, decisions. People follow a story.
- Collect a waitlist on a simple landing page.
- Prepare the store side: custom product pages per audience and campaign links per account. Apple says custom product pages must be approved in App Review before users see them (App Store Connect Help, as of 17 September 2026), so submit them early. Campaign links can only be created once the app has analytics data (App Store Connect Help, as of 17 September 2026), so plan to add them right after release.
Launch week
- Day 0: a launch clip on every account, each cut differently.
- Days 1–6: one demo or tutorial per account per day.
- Reply to comments with short video replies where possible.
- Turn on commercial content disclosure for promotional posts on TikTok (TikTok Ads help, as of 17 September 2026).
- Check tracking: store data takes time and hides small numbers, so log link taps daily too. See tracking installs.
Weeks two to four
- Week 2: list your top posts by link taps. Make three new variants of each.
- Week 3: add Reels and Shorts cuts of the winners; see Reels for app marketing.
- Week 4: review cost, time and installs; decide whether organic, paid or both comes next. See organic vs paid.
Launch-week operations
Launch week is heavy on posting and light on sleep. Farmero can queue a week of posts across accounts on your own iPhones, post in scheduled or smart windows, and send a report to Telegram or ntfy. It records each post as confirmed live or uncertain and never re-posts an uncertain one automatically, which avoids double posts on the day that matters most. See posting. Automating these apps may breach their terms, and nobody can promise an account will never be restricted.
FAQ
How early should I start TikTok before an app launch?
Four to six weeks gives time to warm up accounts and build some interest. It is a planning assumption, not a platform requirement.
What should I post before the app exists?
Build-in-public clips: the problem, sketches, progress, and decisions.
How many accounts for a launch?
Two to four is a manageable start. Add more only for new audiences with new content.
When do I know the plan is working?
When specific videos consistently lead to profile visits, link taps and installs in your tracked links.