The Challenge
Launching with no audience
Trip planning is a crowded space. Google Maps, TripIt, Wanderlog and Mindtrip all compete for the same trip. SweetSpots had no following and no brand people recognised, so marketing had a simple brief: get the right people to notice us, try the app, and show us whether they would pay.
1
Get seen
Be found by people who plan outings and trips with friends.
2
Get sign-ups
Turn views into real accounts, not just likes.
3
Learn what people pay for
Test the free plan and the paid plan early, while the product is still changing.
Audience
Who we talk to
One audience leads, two sit behind it. Every post is written for the first group and still makes sense to the others.
PrimaryFriend groups
Planning trips, outings and activities together.
SecondaryIndependent travellers
Solo travellers, digital nomads, food and cafe lovers, urban explorers and tourists.
TestingNew residents
People who just moved to a city and are working out which places match them.
Where it started: problem validation came before any content. 100+ interviews and 350+ comments from people who plan trips.
Positioning & Message
One promise: match your mood
The product sits between discovery and planning: places that match your vibe, planned together. In marketing that becomes one simple line, tell us your mood and we pick your spots. Three messages carry it.
Mood first"Pick your mood, we'll pick your spots."
The line from our own posts. It explains the app in one breath.
New in the cityPlaces that fit your budget and your mood, without the hassle.
For people who just arrived and do not know where to start.
Plan togetherOne app, one plan. Keep the whole squad on the same page.
Speaks to our main audience: friend groups.
Channels & Content
Short videos, real places
TikTok leads and Instagram mirrors it. Places are visual, so a trail, a cafe or a hidden spot on screen does most of the selling. The website and the app are where the video sends people.
3
posts a week, shot by a videographer friend and edited in CapCut
0
paid ads. Everything is organic
~1 month
of posting behind the 98K views and 85+ sign-ups below
The SweetSpots TikTok profile. View counts are shown on each video.
Six content pillars
Mood promptsWhat's your mood this weekend?
Asks the viewer to pick a mood, which is exactly what the app does.
Local listsTop 8 Matcha Cafes and Desserts in Melbourne
Easy to save and share. Also used for study spots.
Nature and outdoorsConquer 5 trails in Victoria
Specific places with a clear reason to go.
New to the cityNew to Melbourne? This city has a spot for every mood
Speaks straight to newcomers.
Hidden spotsHidden spots, told to camera
A face and a voice, not only text on a clip.
Themed collectionsPlaces to go with your situationship in Melbourne
One theme, one situation. Our best posts so far: study spots at 42K views and the situationship day trip at 20.2K.
What the Data Said
What the posts told us
Sixteen videos in, the pattern is clear. The posts built around one theme and one situation took off. The posts built on a general mood barely moved.
Study spots in Melbourne, with facilities42K
Places to ask out your situationship, a full-day trip20.2K
Romantic spots for a proposal12.1K
Best places to explore Melbourne in spring7,148
Hidden study spots, open 24/73,888
4 spots to test your friends' strengths2,294
A 1-day itinerary to make your parents happy2,287
Conquer 5 trails in Victoria2,198
What's your mood this weekend?480
Melbourne's best spots to breakup269
Views per video as shown on the TikTok profile, October 2026. Selected from the 16 most recent videos.
What we learned: the three biggest posts were all a themed collection tied to a situation: study spots (42K), a full-day trip to ask out your situationship (20.2K) and romantic spots for a proposal (12.1K). The two general mood posts stayed under 500. So the mood is how we explain the app, but a specific situation is what gets people to watch, save and send it to a friend.
Funnel & Results
From views to paying users
All organic, in roughly the first month.
In roughly the first month, about 1 in 1,150 viewers signed up, and roughly 1 in 17 sign-ups became a paying user. Free users get 5 searches a day, and Pro is $5.99 a month. That daily limit also keeps the API bill under control.
