How FollowBuddy grows

1) Map the customer's awareness ladder (skip 'not aware'; cover aware of need -> aware of some solutions -> aware of specific solutions -> aware of benefits -> ready to buy). Use ChatGPT to list the questions a buyer asks at each step and how they phrase them. 2) Check monthly YouTube search volume per phrase with Keywords Everywhere (or VidIQ). 3) Prioritize by buying intent and search volume; start with 10-20 keywords. 4) Look at what ranks now: if nothing relevant, publish ASAP (even a bad video can rank #1); if there is a long rambling video, make a shorter, more useful one so YouTube gets better watch data. 5) Make a video for each step so every viewer can be led to the next one until they buy. Claims correct SEO gets a top 3-5 spot almost every time, even on a new channel. Same search approach is used on TikTok and Instagram.

Title: front-load the primary keyword, make it obvious the viewer is in the right place, but write it for a human (add words that raise relevance for the person). Description: the first two sentences show in search, so don't lead with just the app link; write a compelling description with several relevant keywords, then the app link. Tags: every way people phrase the target (e.g. 'unfollower app Instagram', 'Instagram unfollow app', 'Instagram unfollow app comparison'). Example title 'Best Instagram Unfollower Tracker Apps' with description 'Looking to find who unfollowed you on Instagram? These are the best apps to find unfollowers on Instagram in 2026.'

Made a video titled 'Best Instagram Unfollower Tracker Apps' targeting people with the immediate problem. Because many viewers had been scammed or banned by other apps, the video educates on why and how FollowBuddy is different. Took about 20 minutes to make; keeps getting views every 48 hours.

When filming: confirm the click immediately by repeating what the viewer searched, then get straight into it. Be honest and over-deliver; show the good and the bad of the product. If the video isn't purchase-ready, the call to action sends viewers to the logical next video on the awareness ladder.

Monitor how each video performs and keep 'stacking bricks': remake variations of the target-keyword videos again and again until they rank. Unlike Google, YouTube lets one creator hold several top listings, especially across multiple channels (FollowBuddy has a branded channel plus Ben's own), so any search variation shows you.

While making Instagram growth content, many viewers asked why their accounts got banned; they had used unfollower apps that broke Instagram's Terms of Service. Ben's team found a safe manual method (comparing follower/following lists) and made a video on it. The traffic went to a random list-sorting tool, proving demand; he then built the tool himself once development became affordable.

Competing unfollower apps got users banned for breaking Instagram's Terms of Service. FollowBuddy only uses Instagram's approved data export: users download their followers/following files, upload them, and FollowBuddy compares against the previous audit. The safety angle is used in marketing videos.

Subscription with weekly, monthly and yearly plans. Users start a free trial and convert to the plan they picked unless they cancel. The yearly plan at $50/year is pushed the most.

As a non-technical founder, Ben asked developers on Upwork every year what the build would cost until it became affordable. He then employed a developer full time, pitching that the job continues after the build. Advice: give great people skin in the game (ongoing pay or a revenue split) and pay for the best, even if you take home less.