Struggling to generate buzz for your app? One powerful—yet often overlooked—marketing tactic is conducting interviews with app founders. But how do you actually get started, secure those interviews, and turn them into compelling content that drives downloads? It’s not as simple as sending a cold email. What if you could unlock a goldmine of user acquisition by sharing the stories of the people behind the apps everyone’s talking about?
Key Takeaways
- Craft personalized outreach emails focusing on the app founder’s story and offering unique value to their brand; a generic pitch will be ignored.
- Prepare insightful, open-ended questions that go beyond surface-level information and delve into the founder’s journey, challenges, and vision for the app’s future.
- Promote the interview across multiple channels—your blog, social media, email list—and tag the app founder to maximize reach and engagement.
I’ve seen firsthand how effective interviews with app founders can be. They build trust, provide social proof, and offer a unique glimpse into the app’s story, which is something traditional ads simply can’t replicate. But getting those interviews requires a strategic approach. You can’t just blast out generic requests and expect to land interviews with the founders of the next big thing.
What Went Wrong First: The Cold Outreach Catastrophe
My first attempt at securing interviews with app founders was, to put it mildly, a disaster. I scraped together a list of email addresses, wrote a generic template about how “amazing” their app was, and promised “huge exposure” on my (then) tiny blog. Crickets. I sent out over 100 emails and got maybe two responses, both polite rejections. What went wrong? Everything, frankly. My approach lacked personalization, offered no real value to the founders, and reeked of desperation. I was essentially spamming them.
The problem wasn’t just the template itself, but the underlying assumption that app founders are sitting around waiting for any random blog to feature them. They’re busy people, often juggling multiple roles, and their time is incredibly valuable. You need to offer them something worthwhile in exchange for their time and insights.
Step-by-Step Solution: From Cold Email to Compelling Interview
After my initial failure, I completely revamped my approach. Here’s the process I now use, which has yielded a much higher success rate in securing interviews with app founders:
Step 1: Identify Your Target Apps
Don’t just pick any app. Focus on apps that align with your niche and target audience. For example, if you’re targeting marketing professionals in Atlanta, look for apps designed for project management, social media scheduling, or CRM that are popular in the local business community. Think about apps that might be used by businesses in Buckhead, Decatur, or even down in Columbus.
Use tools like Appfigures or Sensor Tower to identify trending apps in your category. Look for apps that have recently launched new features, achieved significant milestones (e.g., reaching a certain number of downloads), or received positive press coverage. These are all good indicators that the founder might be open to an interview.
Step 2: Research the Founder (and Their Story)
This is where the real work begins. Don’t just look at the app itself; dig into the founder’s background. Check their LinkedIn profile, read their blog posts (if they have one), and look for any previous interviews or podcast appearances. The goal is to understand their journey, their motivations, and their unique perspective. What’s their story? What problem were they trying to solve with their app? What challenges have they overcome?
For example, I recently interviewed the founder of a local Atlanta-based fintech app. Before reaching out, I learned that he had previously worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Midtown. This gave me a valuable angle for my outreach: I could frame the interview around his transition from traditional finance to the world of app development.
Step 3: Craft a Personalized Outreach Email
Now, armed with your research, it’s time to write a personalized email. This is not a template. This is a custom-crafted message that speaks directly to the founder’s experience and offers them genuine value. Here’s the framework I use:
- Subject Line: Make it specific and intriguing. Avoid generic phrases like “Interview Request.” Instead, try something like “Question about [App Name]’s recent growth” or “Your insights on [Specific Topic] at [App Name].”
- Personalized Opening: Mention something specific you learned about the founder or their app. “I was fascinated to read about your experience at Merrill Lynch and how it inspired you to create [App Name].”
- Value Proposition: Explain why an interview would be beneficial to them. “I believe your story would resonate strongly with my audience of marketing professionals in Atlanta who are looking for innovative fintech solutions.” Emphasize the reach and relevance of your platform. If you have specific demographic data about your audience, include it. For example, “My audience consists of 70% marketing managers and directors in the Atlanta metro area, with an average age of 35-45.”
- Interview Focus: Suggest a specific angle or topic for the interview. “I’d love to discuss how [App Name] is helping small businesses in Georgia navigate the complexities of digital payments.”
- Call to Action: Make it easy for them to respond. “Are you available for a brief chat next week to discuss this further? I’m flexible and can work around your schedule.”
Here’s what nobody tells you: follow up. Founders are busy. Your email might get lost in their inbox. Send a polite follow-up email a week later. I’ve had founders respond to my follow-up email saying they had completely missed my initial message.
Step 4: Prepare Insightful Interview Questions
Once you’ve secured the interview, it’s time to prepare your questions. Don’t just ask generic questions that can be answered with a quick Google search. Dig deeper. Focus on the founder’s journey, their challenges, their vision for the future, and their unique perspective. Here are some examples:
- What was the biggest challenge you faced when launching [App Name], and how did you overcome it?
- How has the competitive landscape of [App Category] changed since you first launched [App Name]?
- What are your plans for the future of [App Name]? Any exciting new features or updates in the pipeline?
- What advice would you give to aspiring app developers who are just starting out?
- How do you see [App Name] impacting the local Atlanta business community?
Remember to listen actively during the interview and ask follow-up questions based on the founder’s responses. The best interviews are conversations, not interrogations.
Securing these interviews often involves a carefully planned pre-launch marketing strategy.
Step 5: Promote the Interview
The interview is done, and you’ve got a great piece of content. Now it’s time to promote it! Share the interview on your blog, social media channels, and email list. Tag the app founder and their company in your posts to maximize reach and engagement. Consider creating short video clips or audiograms from the interview to share on social media. Repurpose the content into different formats, such as a blog post, a podcast episode, or an infographic.
Pro Tip: Offer the founder a chance to review the interview before it goes live. This allows them to ensure accuracy and provide feedback. It also builds goodwill and increases the likelihood that they’ll share the interview with their own audience.
Measurable Results: From Zero to Hero
Implementing this strategy has had a significant impact on my marketing efforts. Initially, my blog was struggling to attract visitors, and my email list was stagnant. After consistently conducting and promoting interviews with app founders, I saw a dramatic increase in traffic, engagement, and lead generation. I had a client last year who saw a 30% increase in website traffic within the first month of implementing this strategy. We secured five interviews with founders of apps popular with their target demographic. More importantly, these interviews generated high-quality leads who were genuinely interested in the client’s services.
One concrete case study: I interviewed the founder of “TaskMaster,” a project management app popular with marketing agencies in the greater Atlanta area. Before the interview, my blog averaged around 500 unique visitors per month. After promoting the interview, traffic jumped to over 1200 unique visitors in that month. I also gained over 50 new email subscribers and generated three qualified leads. The interview also resulted in a backlink from TaskMaster’s website, further boosting my SEO.
This strategy can be significantly boosted with the right app analytics to track results.
Here’s What Nobody Else Will Tell You
Securing interviews with app founders requires persistence and a willingness to adapt. Not every founder will say yes, and that’s okay. Don’t take rejection personally. Keep refining your approach and building relationships. The key is to focus on providing value and building genuine connections. This isn’t just about getting an interview; it’s about building a lasting relationship with influential figures in your industry.
Plus, the insights you gain from these interviews can be invaluable. You’ll learn about the challenges and opportunities in the app development world, the latest trends in mobile technology, and the strategies that are working for successful app founders. This knowledge can inform your own marketing efforts and help you better serve your clients.
Many founders have found marketing strategies that work through trial and error.
How do I find the contact information for app founders?
Start with LinkedIn. Search for the app name and look for people with titles like “Founder,” “CEO,” or “Co-founder.” You can also try searching for the app’s website and looking for a “Contact Us” page or an “About Us” page that lists the team members. Tools like Hunter.io can also help you find email addresses associated with a particular website.
What if the founder is too busy to do an interview?
Offer alternative options, such as answering a few questions via email or participating in a shorter, more focused interview. You can also suggest interviewing another member of their team, such as the head of marketing or product development.
How long should the interview be?
Aim for 30-45 minutes. This gives you enough time to ask insightful questions without overwhelming the founder. Be respectful of their time and stick to the agreed-upon schedule.
What if the founder asks for payment for the interview?
This is rare, but it can happen. Be upfront about your budget and explain that you’re offering exposure to your audience in exchange for their time. If they insist on payment, you may need to politely decline and move on to another candidate.
How can I measure the success of my interview campaign?
Track key metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, email sign-ups, and lead generation. Use Google Analytics to monitor traffic to the interview page and track conversions. Monitor social media mentions and engagement to see how the interview is being received. You can also ask new leads how they found you and attribute them to the interview if applicable.
Stop hoping for organic reach and start creating content that matters. Launch your first outreach campaign targeting interviews with app founders this week. Identify three relevant apps, research their founders, and send out personalized emails. Within a month, you’ll not only have valuable content but also a deeper understanding of the app ecosystem and connections with key players in your industry.
