alex nilsson
A full content engine with four components working together:
what I built
context
When I first joined Curtsy (a clothing resale app similar to Poshmark) in 2019, organic social was an afterthought. There was no content system, no team, no framework for what "good" looked like. Just an Instagram account and a hunch that video could do more.
By the time I left, organic video was driving over 1,000 monthly app installs- one of the most efficient acquisition channels in the business.
This is how that happened.
the approach
I didn't start by chasing virality. I started by building infrastructure- a repeatable creative testing process, a content calendar built on patterns, and a team that could operate the system at volume.
The key insight: organic video for a marketplace isn't just about reach, it's about creating purchase intent.
A video of someone thrifting a Sabrina Carpenter look on Curtsy isn't just entertainment. It's an ad that doesn't feel like one. Every creative decision ran through that lens.
← back to work
the organic
growth engine
How do you turn short-form video into a primary acquisition channel- not just a brand awareness play?
what I learned
Two things I didn't expect: volume matters way less than you'd think, and specificity matters way more. What moved the needle wasn't posting more, it was finding the formats that worked and replicating them faster. Thrifting a celebrity's exact look. Recreating a Pinterest outfit entirely from Curtsy. Showing exactly what a seller made in a month. Niche wins.
the feedback loop
I worked with our growth team to convert top organic videos into ad creative. We tracked install spikes and could correlate them directly to viral video weeks. Content wasn't just content, it was a thriving growth channel.
the distribution system
I built a cross-platform posting strategy that systematically repurposed our top-performing content. We used TikTok Creator Insights to build an SEO-driven content calendar based on what our target audience was actually searching for.
the testing framework
I tracked every video we posted. When a specific format worked, I found a way to replicate it. When it didn't, I wrote down why. The team always knew what we were optimizing for.
the team
I ran three separate hiring processes over two years, ending with an internal team of 8 producing 40–50 videos per week, plus a 58-creator external partnership program.
organic social
content systems
team building
acquisition
the viral content system →
alex nilsson
A full content engine with four components working together:
what I built
context
When I first joined Curtsy (a clothing resale app similar to Poshmark) in 2019, organic social was an afterthought. There was no content system, no team, no framework for what "good" looked like. Just an Instagram account and a hunch that video could do more.
By the time I left, organic video was driving over 1,000 monthly app installs- one of the most efficient acquisition channels in the business.
This is how that happened.
the approach
I didn't start by chasing virality. I started by building infrastructure- a repeatable creative testing process, a content calendar built on patterns, and a team that could operate the system at volume.
The key insight: organic video for a marketplace isn't just about reach, it's about creating purchase intent.
A video of someone thrifting a Sabrina Carpenter look on Curtsy isn't just entertainment. It's an ad that doesn't feel like one. Every creative decision ran through that lens.
← back to work
the organic growth engine
How do you turn short-form video into a primary acquisition channel- not just a brand awareness play?
what I learned
Two things I didn't expect: volume matters way less than you'd think, and specificity matters way more. What moved the needle wasn't posting more, it was finding the formats that worked and replicating them faster. Thrifting a celebrity's exact look. Recreating a Pinterest outfit entirely from Curtsy. Showing exactly what a seller made in a month. Niche wins.
the feedback loop
I worked with our growth team to convert top organic videos into ad creative. We tracked install spikes and could correlate them directly to viral video weeks. Content wasn't just content, it was a thriving growth channel.
press to enlarge
the distribution system
I built a cross-platform posting strategy that systematically repurposed our top-performing content. We used TikTok Creator Insights to build an SEO-driven content calendar based on what our target audience was actually searching for.
the testing framework
I tracked every video we posted. When a specific format worked, I found a way to replicate it. When it didn't, I wrote down why. The team always knew what we were optimizing for.
press to enlarge
the team
I ran three separate hiring processes over two years, ending with an internal team of 8 producing 40–50 videos per week, plus a 58-creator external partnership program.
organic social
content systems
team building
acquisition
A full content engine with four components working together:
what I built
context
When I first joined Curtsy (a clothing resale app similar to Poshmark) in 2019, organic social was an afterthought. There was no content system, no team, no framework for what "good" looked like. Just an Instagram account and a hunch that video could do more.
By the time I left, organic video was driving over 1,000 monthly app installs- one of the most efficient acquisition channels in the business.
This is how that happened.
the approach
I didn't start by chasing virality. I started by building infrastructure- a repeatable creative testing process, a content calendar built on patterns, and a team that could operate the system at volume.
The key insight: organic video for a marketplace isn't just about reach, it's about creating purchase intent.
A video of someone thrifting a Sabrina Carpenter look on Curtsy isn't just entertainment. It's an ad that doesn't feel like one. Every creative decision ran through that lens.
← back to work
the organic growth engine
How do you turn short-form video into a primary acquisition channel- not just a brand awareness play?
the feedback loop
I worked with our growth team to convert top organic videos into ad creative. We tracked install spikes and could correlate them directly to viral video weeks. Content wasn't just content, it was a thriving growth channel.
hover to enlarge
the distribution system
I built a cross-platform posting strategy that systematically repurposed our top-performing content. We used TikTok Creator Insights to build an SEO-driven content calendar based on what our target audience was actually searching for.
the testing framework
I tracked every video we posted. When a specific format worked, I found a way to replicate it. When it didn't, I wrote down why. The team always knew what we were optimizing for.
hover to enlarge
the team
I ran three separate hiring processes over two years, ending with an internal team of 8 producing 40–50 videos per week, plus a 58-creator external partnership program.
what I learned
Two things I didn't expect: volume matters way less than you'd think, and specificity matters way more. What moved the needle wasn't posting more, it was finding the formats that worked and replicating them faster. Thrifting a celebrity's exact look. Recreating a Pinterest outfit entirely from Curtsy. Showing exactly what a seller made in a month. Niche wins.
