How did you handle user acquisition for your indie app? Ads, agencies, or organic?

Hi everyone! ✌️

I’m the solo maker behind Yatavi (a free travel planner app designed with zero paywalls and optional ads for full access).

Now that the app is out and running, I’m at that crucial point where I need to figure out the best way to scale user acquisition and get the app known.

I wanted to ask the community about your experiences with advertising:

• Running Ads yourself: Have you tried Google, Meta, or TikTok ads for an indie mobile app? Is it worth it on a tight budget, or do you burn money fast?

• Hiring someone: At what stage did you decide to delegate marketing or hire a growth/ads specialist? Is it better to outsource early, or keep learning it yourself?

• Alternatives: Did you find that organic strategies (ASO, content, or community building) gave you a much better ROI than paid ads?

I'd love to hear what worked (or didn't work) for you! Any advice or tips would be huge. Thanks! 🙌