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Researched profile. Starter Story's AI research system compiled this page from 88 public sources — the founder didn't write it. Automated research can misread or misattribute a source, so treat figures as best-effort. How this works →
Iconbuddy logo

How Iconbuddy Grew

Open source SVG icon search engine for designers and developers

How did Iconbuddy grow?

Summary of the sourced claims below

Iconbuddy grew primarily through organic social media efforts, including sharing updates and building an audience by documenting the journey publicly on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Hacker News, which increased visibility and user registrations without paid marketing. The company also leveraged SEO by creating content and targeting keywords such as "free svg icons," which led to high pageviews and improved search rankings, driving significant organic traffic and user growth. Additionally, Iconbuddy promoted lifetime deals through weekly email campaigns and engaged with communities in Facebook groups dedicated to lifetime deals, which helped boost sales during active promotion periods.

Channels

16 channels · grouped by how Iconbuddy grows

  • SEO

    · 8 mentions · 8 sources
    “→ Built a second site targeting "free svg icons" keyword for $10→ Grew it to 350k+ pageviews→ Redirected all traffic into IconBuddy→ Everyone said I was crazy→ 45 days later, Iconbuddy ranked for all those keywords→ Grew to 100k+ users→ All organic. $0 on ads”
    high
    Show 7 more quotes
    “Investing in SEO to increase visibility on search engines was another critical strategy. Icon Buddy ensured their 200k+ pages were indexed by using tools to get them indexed faster, improving search result visibility.”
    high
    “Danish turned IconBuddy from a zero-revenue acquisition into $72K ARR in eight months through systematic SEO and marketing.​”
    medium
    “Built a second site targeting "free svg icons" keyword for $10 → Grew it to 350k+ pageviews → Redirected all traffic into IconBuddy → Everyone said I was crazy → 45 days later, Iconbuddy ranked for all those keywords”
    high
    “SEO & Content: Writing documentation and use-cases for every single API integration he added.”
    high
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high
    “Marketing channels: [SEO](https://trustmrr.com/channels/seo), [X / Twitter](https://trustmrr.com/channels/twitter)”
    medium

  • Organic social media

    · 8 mentions · 8 sources
    “Besides structured marketing efforts, Icon Buddy also experienced organic growth by being featured on platforms like Hacker News, Reddit, and Twitter, where it achieved significant visibility. These organic mentions resulted in increased traffic and user registrations without additional marketing...”
    high
    Show 7 more quotes
    “Danish documents his entire journey—from acquisitions to growth tactics—creating an audience that follows the portfolio, not just one product.”
    medium
    “Launched on PH, Twitter, HN, Reddit → It blew up. People loved it”
    high
    “Building in Public: Sharing his MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue), traffic, and feature updates on Twitter (@mddanishyusuf).”
    high
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high
    “I started twitter actively in 2017 with 0 followers. 🚀 24 project launched ... Twitter is where I first got the kick and validation for all my projects. Thanks to X & my friends ❤️”
    high
    “We just crossed 10,000+ users and hit 1,974 MRR in profit with zero spent on ads!”
    medium
    “Still people buying the lifetime deals, and this is all organic with $0 marketing.”
    high

  • Product Hunt

    · 5 mentions · 5 sources
    “After acquiring the project, Danish sought validation through a launch on Product Hunt, which confirmed the demand with a positive response... Product Hunt is known for drawing attention from early adopters and tech enthusiasts. By getting featured prominently, Icon Buddy was able to leverage an ...”
    high
    Show 4 more quotes
    “First I decide to launch on ProductHunt to see the validation about the idea. With 745+ upvotes become product of the day, +++ response.”
    high
    “Launched on PH, Twitter, HN, Reddit → It blew up. People loved it”
    high
    “→ Launched on PH, Twitter, HN, Reddit→ It blew up. People loved it”
    high
    “In January 2019, he took an open-source GitHub repository and turned it into a project called Public APIs. He launched it on Product Hunt, and it skyrocketed to the #1 Product of the Day.”
    high

  • Word of mouth

    · 3 mentions · 3 sources
    “since most of my clients come from word of mouth, wasn't sure if it would be worth the benefit.”
    high
    Show 2 more quotes
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high

  • Content marketing

    · 3 mentions · 3 sources
    “It has always been my priority to have a blog where I can share the expertise of my team, and it has proven to be beneficial as we have generated numerous high-quality leads and paying clients.”
    high
    Show 2 more quotes
    “The Move:→ Weekly emails → iterate in public → incorporate audience pain The Result:→ 3M+ subs before first paid product; Atomic Habits sold 20M+”
    medium
    “They also focused on SEO, gaining traffic exceeding 110,000 PV per month.”
    medium

  • Email List Growth

    · 3 mentions · 3 sources
    “They consistently engaged their audience through weekly emails, reminding them about ongoing deals and encouraging conversions. ... Regular emails kept potential customers informed and engaged, leading to increased sales as the product's value proposition resonated with users.”
    high
    Show 2 more quotes
    “I added the authentication to access some features on the website and start collecting emails. ... was sending weekly email to remind that Lifetime deals are running.”
    high
    “They continue steady marketing efforts, such as promoting lifetime deals through weekly email campaigns.”
    medium

  • Twitter

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “Most of my revenue comes from X, Google and word of mouth. No paid ads.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “Marketing channels: [SEO](https://trustmrr.com/channels/seo), [X / Twitter](https://trustmrr.com/channels/twitter)”
    medium

  • Leveraging existing platforms

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “I built Figma Plugin because designers need icons directly in there software. I built this and publish on Figma, plugin was in trending for 20 days and got 4k+ install within 1 month.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “The development of the Figma plugin was particularly decisive. ... This plugin remained in the trending section for 20 days after its release and achieved 4,000 installs in one month.”
    medium

  • Email marketing

    · 1 mention
    “Les canaux renseignés dans le relevé incluent : Accès direct (69,9%), Sites référents (17,9%), E-mail (0,2%).”
    medium

  • Online Community

    · 1 mention
    “Les canaux renseignés dans le relevé incluent : Accès direct (69,9%), Sites référents (17,9%), E-mail (0,2%).”
    medium

  • Weekly newsletter

    · 1 mention
    “Recently James Clear quietly celebrated 3 million+ subscribers to his 3‑2‑1 newsletter, a format he’s refined since 2012—just 3 insights, 2 quotes, 1 question—and Atomic Habits still sells *20 million+ copies.”
    medium

  • Facebook Community

    · 1 mention
    “Icon Buddy gained traction through strategic launches in Facebook groups, particularly those dedicated to lifetime deals (LTD). This move tapped into communities specifically interested in one-time purchases, significantly boosting sales during the months of active promotion.”
    high

  • Inbound

    · 1 mention
    “Les canaux renseignés dans le relevé incluent : Accès direct (69,9%), Sites référents (17,9%), E-mail (0,2%).”
    medium

  • Integrations

    · 1 mention
    “What makes it unique is that it is not just a collection of icons, but it integrates seamlessly with tools that designers and developers use daily, such as Figma plugins, VS Code extensions, Chrome extensions, and WordPress plugins.”
    medium

  • Referrals

    · 1 mention
    “Ran a Lifetime Deal.”
    medium

  • Side project marketing

    · 1 mention
    “Bootstrapped. Acquire dead projects with traffic.”
    medium

How 3,049 businesses grow

Of businesses with mapped growth channels, the share using each — Iconbuddy’s highlighted.
  • Referral/Word-of-mouth
    67% ◀
  • Social media
    63% ◀
  • Search/SEO
    58% ◀
  • Email
    48% ◀
  • Community
    37% ◀
  • Content/Inbound
    35% ◀
  • Partnerships
    33% ◀
  • Events
    25%
  • Paid ads
    24%
  • Outbound/Sales
    19%
  • Press/PR
    18%
  • Marketplaces/App stores
    11% ◀
  • Podcasting
    4%
  • Building in public
    3%
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