short drama apps got about 44% of US downloads compared to the big streaming apps in July, and their marketing is basically a cliffhanger

ReelShort runs ads that are just a clip from one of its shows makes $10M off of that every month

a secret twin, a billionaire in disguise, a betrayal at a wedding, and the clip cuts right before the big reveal, ending with what happens next? download ReelShort

almost 90% of their ads are videos, and they’re not only on Facebook and TikTok, they show up inside other apps too, like Block Blast and CapCut

and the format is the trick

the ad isn’t selling the app, it’s selling the next 30 seconds of a story you’ve already got invested in

the only way to find out what happens is to download it, and once you’re in, the next few episodes are free, then you pay to keep watching

it’s the same reason it’s hard to stop scrolling TikTok, every clip leaves you wanting the next one

1,140 new short drama apps launched between January and July this year, and the ones winning are the ones making the most clips with the best cliffhangers, every single day

this is exactly how we think about ads at UGC Ninja, start with a story people want to finish, and let the product be how they finish it