Top of Funnel Ads for Mobile Apps

Top of Funnel Ads for Mobile Apps

Brought to you by trendify.com

Top of funnel ads build trust before the install—and most mobile apps skip it. Here’s why Trendify prioritizes TOF to lower CPI and drive sustainable growth.

When most app founders ask me about ads, they jump straight to “How do I lower my CPI?” or “What kind of videos get people to install?”

Fair questions—but they skip the real lever: Top of Funnel (TOF).

If you’re not familiar, TOF is where people first find out your app exists. It's the first time they see your name, your story, your product. And it might sound counterintuitive, but this is where the majority of your time and money should go if you want to scale profitably.

Why Top of Funnel Gets Ignored (And Why That’s a Huge Mistake)

Most mobile apps pour everything into direct-response ads. And I get why—it’s trackable. You can literally see the cost per install. But installs don’t equal users. And they definitely don’t equal revenue.

Top of Funnel is harder to track. It’s not about hard conversions. It’s about trust.

And the reality is: people don’t trust brands anymore—especially apps.

We’ve all downloaded something from an ad that looked cool… only to be disappointed. So now, people hesitate. They scroll past. They assume you’re just another one of those.

That’s where TOF comes in.

The Dating Analogy (Yes, Again)

I use this one all the time, but it works.

You wouldn’t walk up to someone you’ve never met and say, “Marry me.”

But that’s exactly what most mobile apps are doing with their ads. The first time someone sees you, you're already pushing for an install. You skipped the part where they figure out who you are, why you exist, and whether they should care.

Top of funnel is that small talk, first date, let-me-get-to-know-you stage. You’re just showing up, offering value, proving you're real. That’s it.

What We Actually Run at the Top of Funnel

Here’s what we do at Trendify when we’re helping apps scale with TOF:

Organic Content That Feels Human This isn’t viral TikToks or aesthetic Instagram reels just for the sake of it. It’s about consistently posting value—entertaining, relatable, or helpful content that shows what your app does and who it’s for. You’re not asking for the download. You’re building awareness.

Reach & Awareness Campaigns We run these on Meta for clients who have some budget to play with. These campaigns aren’t meant to convert—they’re meant to get seen. And because we’re not optimizing for installs, they’re way cheaper to run.

Bonus: anyone who engages can be retargeted later with mid-funnel ads that do convert. So you’re not wasting anything—you’re priming the pump.

Commenting as the Brand (Yes, Seriously) Most brands post and ghost. We do the opposite. We engage in the comments, add personality, sometimes even start the comment thread ourselves. It sounds small, but it makes your brand feel human. And human brands convert better.

The New Balance Story

One of my favorite examples of this shift: New Balance.

They were losing relevance for years. The CMO flipped their marketing strategy—from 70% direct-response, 30% brand… to the opposite. 70% brand, 30% direct-response. Within two years, the brand turned around. And now you see people our age rocking New Balances like it’s normal.

That same logic applies to mobile apps. You can’t build a lasting user base if people don’t trust you. And trust starts way before the install.

TOF Makes Everything Downstream Cheaper

This is the part most people miss: TOF doesn’t just build brand—it lowers your CPI.

When people see your brand multiple times before they ever see your ad, your conversion rates go up. Your CPIs drop. The ad platforms (Meta, TikTok, etc.) reward you by sending your ads to warmer audiences. It’s a flywheel.

We’ve seen this firsthand with client campaigns. Once we layer in TOF content—especially organic video that explains what the app does—CPI drops. Engagement rises. Installs are more qualified.

Same budget. Better results.

When TOF Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)

We don’t recommend TOF to every client. If your product isn’t converting at all, or you haven’t validated any kind of product-market fit, then yeah—go figure that out first.

But once you’ve got some traction? Once you’re seeing installs and your funnel has at least some structure?

It’s time to go heavy on TOF.

That’s what we help with at Trendify. We don’t just create ads. We build funnels. And TOF is the foundation.

If you enjoyed this content, then you’ll love our podcast:

Scaling your Mobile App through Content

It’s your ultimate playbook for scaling your app smarter and faster.

Cheers.

- Srikar & Sai Karra