GTM Sauce

Starter Story · 2026-03-19

I Make $17K/Month With One Strategy

Ben Leavitt, who has run a YouTube-focused marketing agency for 7 years, built FollowBuddy, a tool that shows who unfollowed you on Instagram using Instagram's own data export so accounts don't get banned. The idea came from a 1M+ view video on a safe manual method. With $0 on ads, growth is all search traffic, mainly YouTube: awareness-ladder keyword research, obvious keyword-first titles, keyword-rich descriptions and tags, honest videos that mention cons, and remaking videos until they rank. RevenueCat shows $17,422 over 28 days; he says $20K/month, 82K users, 3,128 paying.

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10 tactics

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

$0 on ads; 40K monthly search-driven views; ranks #1 for key searches

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.

Workedseocontent
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

25K views in 7 months from a 20-minute video; ranks #1; converts 'way higher'

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.

Workedseocontent
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

Ranks #1 for several unfollower-app searches

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.'

Workedseo
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

Mentioning a con has improved conversion, he says; no numbers

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.

Workedcontentseo
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

Founder says you end up the face of every search; no numbers

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.

Workedseocontent
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

1M+ views and a million visitors sent to someone else's tool; became FollowBuddy

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.

Workedvalidationcontent
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

Gives videos a reason to convert; no separate numbers

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.

Workedpositioning-nicheproduct-activation
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

A YouTube marketing agency · B2B · guest's agency

Became top-converting affiliate or top revenue source for several software companies

For 7 years Ben's agency has made search-targeted YouTube content for software companies, either as an affiliate or as a paid agency, using the same awareness-ladder keyword and packaging process he uses for FollowBuddy.

Workedseoaffiliate
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

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.

Unknownpricingpaywall
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

FollowBuddy · B2C · Instagram unfollower tracker

Worked; skipping the best people earlier cost him a year and a lot of money

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.

Mixedteam-process
Starter Story · 2026-03-19

Numbers mentioned

WhoMetricValueContextWhen
FollowBuddyrevenueUSD 20K/month
approximate
Guest's stated monthly revenue0:47
FollowBuddyrevenueUSD 17.4K/monthRevenueCat revenue over the last 28 days (title rounds to $17K/month)0:47
FollowBuddyusers82K usersTotal users0:47
FollowBuddypaying users3,128 usersPaying users0:47
FollowBuddyad spendUSD 0All traffic organic, mostly search on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram0:47
FollowBuddypriceUSD 50per subscriber /yearYearly plan, the one pushed most; free trial first0:47
FollowBuddycount484 trialsUsers currently on an active trial (RevenueCat)0:47
FollowBuddynew customers14K customers/monthRevenueCat 'new customers' as read aloud, likely last 28 days (RevenueCat counts new app users, not payers)0:47
FollowBuddypaying users27.5K subscriptionsRevenueCat 'active subscriptions' as read aloud; conflicts with 3,128 paying users, possibly a misread label0:47
FollowBuddyviews40K views/monthViews on FollowBuddy's branded YouTube channel over the last 28 days, mostly from search0:47
FollowBuddyviews25K viewsper video'Best Instagram Unfollower Tracker Apps' video over 7 months; took 20 minutes to make4:51
FollowBuddyrank1 positionYouTube search rank for 'unfollower app Instagram' and 'best Instagram unfollower tracker'4:51
personBen Leavitt's YouTube video on a safe way to find Instagram unfollowers (pre-FollowBuddy)views1M–2M viewsper video
approximate
'1. something million views'2:41