Glam Up's Multi-Account Strategy: How They Reached #3 on the App Store
Glam Up has taken the beauty app world by storm, breaking into the top 5 in the App Store’s Lifestyle category last October, briefly overtaking Tinder and Hinge in the charts. Today, they’re sporting 30K monthly downloads on iOS and 50K on Google Play generating $50K+ MRR, and they're a perfect example of how effective TikTok distribution can drive massive app growth.
The Numbers That Matter
Glam Up's results speak for themselves:
71M+ total views and 4.2M engagements across their network of accounts
2M+ bookmarks
62.9M views purely from UGC accounts
Their Winning Multi-Account Strategy
Glam Up built an entire network of accounts that systematically tested different content formats and target various audience segments. When they found the winning strategy, they doubled down on it and the rest is history. So let’s look into this:
Their main account, @glamupai has 11k follows and they posted a variety of content. While it was mostly slideshows like the following few accounts, they did incorporate a few different clips showing the app in action.
Slideshow Accounts
They had few accounts dedicated to slideshows and posted consistently:
Plus several others (@glam.up53, @glam.up47, @glam.up68)
These accounts focused on simple, repeatable formats that highlighted the app's capabilities in a relatable way, either through before/after slides, or celebrity transformations.
UGC Creator Network
The real engine driving Glam Up's strategy came from their creator-led accounts. At least __ accounts were purely creator-led, consistently posting UGC content every day. For example:
@nicole.sp4mmmm (Top performer, with over 40M views)
@makeupfindsbylillian and @glamupaibylillian (The same creator running two accounts)
Most of these UGC accounts followed one very simple strategy: They had a still photo of their face with a sliding bar transforming them with makeup.
The Viral Format They've Mastered
What makes their content so shareable is that they perfected a few simple, highly effective formats:
Before/after transformations using a sliding bar effect
Creator reactions to the transformations
Talking head overlays explaining the benefits
These formats were visually compelling, easy to understand in seconds, and clearly demonstrated the app's value.
Why This Strategy Works
Glam Up's approach succeeds for several key reasons:
Testing at scale: By running multiple accounts simultaneously, they quickly discover what resonated with with their audiences.
Format consistency: Once they found a winning format (the sliding transformation), they doubled down across most accounts.
Content volume: Their steady stream of posts keeps them visible in the algorithm.
Creator authenticity: Using multiple creators rather than faceless brand accounts builds trust and relatability.
Lessons Every App Can Apply
Whether you're launching a new app or trying to grow an existing one, Glam Up's playbook offers a few valuable lessons:
Start with multiple accounts: Test different formats simultaneously rather than sequentially.
Systematize your content: Develop simple formats that can be produced en masse.
Double down on winners: When something works, replicate it across your network.
Leverage creator faces: Human-centered content typically outperforms purely branded posts.
Glam Up's success shows that with the right distribution strategy, even in a crowded market like beauty apps, you can reach top positions in the App Store.
If you can maintain consistency while still testing content variations through a multi-account network, you can easily create a recognizable brand presence that will continue to drive downloads month after month.
