The get-paid-to (GPT) app market represents one of the most compelling opportunities in mobile engagement today. Since 2010, Swagbucks has grown to over 20 million users and paid out over $935 million in cash and gift cards. Meanwhile, Mistplay app users earned nearly $60 million in gift cards in 2024.
These numbers tell a clear story: consumers are hungry for get-paid-to opportunities, and GPT companies are hungry for those consumers. But the market is more competitive than ever.
Users have gotten savvy about what they want. Simply dangling some cash in front of people isn't going to cut it anymore. To master user acquisition for get-paid-to apps, you need a deep understanding of what makes reward-seekers tick, smart marketing strategies, and rock-solid execution plans.
If you're looking to grow your get-paid-to platform in 2025, this guide will show you exactly how to do it.
Understanding the reward-seeker mindset
Before you start throwing marketing dollars around, it’s time to lock in on who you're talking to: your core user personas. For get-paid-to apps, that’s typically:
Hobby earners: These are your casual users who pop in during commercial breaks or while waiting for the bus. They're not trying to pay rent with your app, but a little extra coffee money never hurt anyone.
Power grinders: These folks are serious about spending time on your app. They've got spreadsheets and strategies, and they probably know your payout schedule better than you do. Treat them like the VIPs they are.
Referral hustlers: They're all about that network effect. These users have turned friend recommendations into an art form and can spot a good referral program from a mile away.
Each type of user has different needs and expectations, but likely they all have something in common: they’ve been burned before. They've waited weeks for payouts that never came, had offers rejected for mysterious reasons, or invested time into platforms that vanished overnight. To win and keep them, you’ll need to earn their trust. To do that, you need the right marketing strategy and a savvy compliance approach.
|
User Concern |
Strategy |
| Offer tracking and payout delays | Be transparent about reward crediting in your service level agreement (SLA) and show real-time status in app. |
| Teach users the grind vs. reward curve upfront and segment power-users for VIP missions. | |
| Availability (geographical and iOS) | Geotarget ad campaigns and show eligibility gates before your CTAs. |
| Value for time spent | Rely on word-of-mouth. Layer tiered, uncapped referral bonuses and display spotlight leaderboards. |
| Trust and scam suspicion | Publish third-party audits, lean into reward-fund transparency, and follow through on zero-data-resale pledges. |
Nailing your go-to-market and compliance foundations
Economics and compliance aren’t the most riveting topics. But getting this stuff right from the start will save your marketing team massive headaches (and potential legal fees) down the road.
First things first: nail down your numbers. You need to know your customer acquisition cost (CAC), average reward cost, and cohort lifetime value (LTV) like the back of your hand. They’re what determine whether your platform thrives or becomes another cautionary tale.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is how much you spend, on average, to get a consumer onto your app. It’ll be your basic marketing cost metric.
Average reward cost is how much you typically pay users. Simple enough.
Lifetime value (LTV) is how much you’ll earn from each customer while they engage with your app.
The goal is to boost LTV by attracting the right users at a low CAC, then paying them enough in rewards to keep them coming back again and again.
But before creating any marketing campaigns, there’s one more thing to check off: compliance with relevant laws. Consider:
Sweepstakes laws: If there's any element of chance in your rewards (think spin wheels or random bonuses), you might be running a sweepstakes. Different states and countries have specific sweepstakes rules, so make sure you understand the ones that apply to your app.
Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements: If you're paying people real money, regulators want to make sure you're not accidentally funding the next supervillain's lair. You'll need to collect user info, verify identities, and keep an eye on suspicious activity.
1099 filings: If you're paying individual users, Uncle Sam wants his cut. Keep good records from day one so you can collect W-9s and file 1099s for US consumers. Your future self (and finance team) will thank you.
Data privacy rules: If you want to keep your users’ trust and comply with various legal requirements, don't sell user data. Instead, focus on aggregated, anonymous insights that help improve your platform without creeping anyone out or making any legal missteps.
4 marketing strategies for get-paid-to platform user acquisition
How can your app stand out in a crowded GPT landscape? These four core strategies will help you stop the endless scroll and attract the right users.
1. Optimize your app store keywords
With over 2.1 million apps on the Apple App Store and upwards of 2 million on Google Play, you can’t rely on the right users stumbling across your app listing, even if they’re already searching for get-paid-to platforms. You have to make sure your app pops up for the right searches.
The key is thinking like your users. What would they actually look for when they're looking for a way to make some extra cash? Apple's search keyword guidelines emphasize choosing accurate terms that resonate with your target audience while reflecting your app's core functionality. Google's SEO tips for apps similarly stress the importance of relevant, high-quality keywords that match user search intent.
Focus on long-tail keywords that capture specific user intents like "earn money watching videos" or "cash rewards for surveys" rather than competing for broad terms like "rewards" or "money."
2. Tap into AI-powered programmatic advertising platforms
Remember when advertising meant buying banner space and hoping for the best? Those days are long gone, friends. Programmatic ad platforms like Mapendo, SmartyAds, and StackAdapt incorporate AI targeting capabilities to get scary-good at finding your ideal users.
Make sure your ads pop up in a variety of places, such as:
Connected Television (CTV): Imagine reaching your perfect user while they're binge-watching their favorite show. CTV lets you target based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and location with laser precision.
Video ads: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, you name it: video content is king right now. So why not show potential users exactly how easy it is to earn on your platform?
Native ads: These are the chameleons of the ad world. They blend in so well with organic content that users don't feel like they're being sold to.
Traditional display ads: While you shouldn’t rely on banner ads alone, they can still be effective. Strategic banner placements and interstitial ads on relevant sites can capture user attention at the right moment.
3. Experiment with rewarded video and playable ads
You know who else rewards user for their time? Apps with rewarded videos. Users watch a short video, get a little reward, and boom — they're already in the right mindset for your platform. It's like a mini-preview of what they can expect. 55% of monetized apps are already using rewarded video, and there's a good reason: it works.
Additionally, playable ads are where you can get really creative. Instead of just telling people how easy your platform is, let them experience it. Create a mini interactive demo that walks them through taking a survey or trying a new mobile game and getting paid. It's like a test drive for your app.
4. Partner with influencers to spread the word
Trust is paramount in this space. Users need to believe they'll actually get paid before investing their time. That's where influencers come in. They've already built that trust with their audience.
Focus on:
Reddit communities where people share legitimate earning opportunities
YouTube channels dedicated to side hustles and making money online
Brand ambassadors who are genuinely excited about your platform
Affiliate programs that reward authentic recommendations
Sponsored content on popular threads and channels
The key here is to be authentic. These communities have seen every scam in the book, so make sure you deliver on what you and your influencers promise.
User activation and onboarding tips
First impressions determine whether new users become engaged earners or instant uninstalls. Don’t overwhelm people with a dozen earning opportunities the moment they download your app.
Keep your onboarding tutorial under five minutes and make it fun. Gamify the experience and show users a clear, simple path to their first cash-out. Think of it like a video game tutorial — you want to get them their first "win" as quickly as possible.
While you’re onboarding users, show them some social proof. Real payouts, genuine testimonials, community milestones, whatever you have. Help new users feel confident about their decision to try your platform.
Once you engage users, keep them that way with a progress-toward-payout meter. People are way more likely to stick around when they can see exactly how close they are to getting paid. Make it visually prominent and watch your completion rates soar.
Lifecycle and retention tips
Getting users is just the beginning. Keeping them is how you max out their LTV. Here's how to turn one-time users into long-term earners.
Make it addictive: Gamification strategies like streaks, missions, localized offerwalls, and achievement badges work. They tap into people’s natural desire to complete things. Just don't go overboard and make it feel like homework.
Create urgency: Test offers with higher payouts to get people checking back regularly. FOMO is real, and you can use it to boost engagement.
Talk to your users where they are: Use tools like CleverTap to orchestrate smart, helpful messaging across push notifications, email, and even WhatsApp.
Build a community: Discord servers, in-app chat, and AMA events with your team can turn your platform from just another app into a place where people want to hang out. Plus, you'll get incredibly valuable feedback directly from your most engaged users.
Preventing GTP user fraud
Here's a sobering stat: AppFlyer estimates that without prevention, app-install ad fraud cost the industry $17 billion in 2024 alone. And GPT platforms? They’re a shiny target for fraudsters trying to game the system.
But you can fight back with:
Device fingerprinting that spots suspicious patterns
Velocity checks that flag users moving suspiciously fast through offers
Manual review queues for bigger payouts
Clear communication about what gets people banned (transparency also builds trust)
The key is proactively flagging fraudsters without making legitimate users feel like they're under surveillance. It's a delicate balance, but getting it right protects both your platform and your real users.
Key takeaways
Marketing a get-paid-to platform isn't just about throwing money in ad campaigns and hoping to drive downloads. It's about building genuine relationships with people looking for meaningful ways to earn extra income.
Use these key strategies to grow your user base:
Deeply understand your users. They're not all the same, and their concerns are valid based on past experiences.
Get your compliance house in order before you scale.
Use smart, AI-powered advertising that goes beyond traditional banner ads.
Make onboarding so smooth and rewarding that users can't help but stick around.
Build retention systems that feel like rewards, not work.
Fight fraud proactively, but don't make legitimate users jump through hoops.
The get-paid-to market is still growing, but the platforms that win are the ones that genuinely care about their users' success. Focus on building trust, demonstrating value quickly, and creating sustainable engagement systems that benefit both your business and your users.
Your users want to succeed just as much as you do. Help them get there, and they'll help you build something amazing.
