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Researched profile. Starter Story's AI research system compiled this page from 64 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 →
Magic Lasso Adblock logo

How Magic Lasso Adblock Grew

Privacy-first ad blocker for Apple devices.

How did Magic Lasso Adblock grow?

Summary of the sourced claims below

Magic Lasso Adblock grew primarily through distribution partnerships, with Safari prompting users to install extensions on first run, creating a new discovery channel for the app. Its main traffic channels are direct returning users and strong brand recognition, as well as organic search driven by SEO for keywords like “ad blocker.” The app is available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with downloads through the App Store and the official website, leveraging existing platforms for distribution. Content marketing and organic social media efforts, including writing Insights articles and engaging on platforms like Hacker News and Reddit, have contributed to its growth.

Channels

13 channels · grouped by how Magic Lasso Adblock grows

  • Leveraging existing platforms

    · 5 mentions · 5 sources
    “Sell maybe $1k/mo of these through the website and another $3k through Amazon at a margin of around 50%.”
    high
    Show 4 more quotes
    “Use one great channel (App Store + SEO content) and keep conversion simple (clear paywall, trial, two price points).”
    medium
    “Use one great channel (App Store + SEO content) and keep conversion simple (clear paywall, trial, two price points).”
    medium
    “So, join over 350,000 users and download Magic Lasso Adblock from the App Store, Mac App Store, or via the Magic Lasso website.”
    medium
    “Magic Lasso is available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with downloads through the App Store and the official website.”
    medium

  • SEO

    · 4 mentions · 4 sources
    “I invested a ton in SEO and content early on though.”
    high
    Show 3 more quotes
    “Edge (why it wins): Apple-only focus, native content-blocker performance, privacy posture (minimal permissions), consistent releases, and durable SEO via long-form “Insights” content.”
    medium
    “Edge (why it wins): Apple-only focus, native content-blocker performance, privacy posture (minimal permissions), consistent releases, and durable SEO via long-form “Insights” content.”
    medium
    “Its main traffic channels are: Direct (49%) – returning users and strong brand recognition Organic Search (46%) – SEO for keywords like “ad blocker””
    medium

  • Word of mouth

    · 3 mentions · 3 sources
    “But word-of-mouth has been good for us and we get the odd corporate sale here or there.”
    high
    Show 2 more quotes
    “App Store ratings, word-of-mouth Multi-year iteration since 2017”
    medium
    “App Store ratings, word-of-mouth Multi-year iteration since 2017”
    medium

  • Organic social media

    · 3 mentions · 3 sources
    “One of these has been an increased focus on writing, specifically for our Insights articles. Some of these articles have fallen flat. ... A couple that have worked include: The Triumph of Safari – reached second position on HackerNews, along with 200+ comments on the r/apple and r/programming Red...”
    high
    Show 2 more quotes
    “Yeah, a few people posted videos and at least one of them got a lot of attention.”
    high
    “Insights Latest Insights Read and explore our latest news, insights and updates. What's New in Magic Lasso We’re always adding new features — and we don’t want you to miss any of it. How to Guides Ultimate How to guides on ad blocking, browsers, YouTube and more. Opinion and Analysis Our thoughts...”
    medium

  • Newsletter

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “One positive marketing initiative has been the introduction of our newsletter. We’ve grown its subscriber base substantially over the last year and it has been a great way for both existing and new users to learn about Magic Lasso and related topics.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “Sign-up to our newsletter to receive special offers, news and insights.”
    medium

  • Reddit

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “Initially, just posted in a bunch of subreddits on reddit to get engagement. But the retention was quite low. I still used that engagement to get a couple hundred followers on twitter.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “A couple that have worked include: The Triumph of Safari – reached second position on HackerNews, along with 200+ comments on the r/apple and r/programming Reddit communities”
    high

  • Content marketing

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “Last year we touched on how we tried content marketing. To a lesser extent, we continued that during the last 12 months, with variable success. Our post on how digital advertising may be causing almost 2% of global carbon emissions was one of the bright spots in terms of interest.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “One of these has been an increased focus on writing, specifically for our Insights articles.”
    high

  • Distribution Partnerships

    · 1 mention
    “Safari now prompts users to install extensions on first run — opening a huge new discovery channel for indie developers like me.”
    high

  • Kickstarter

    · 1 mention
    “My little hardware book, Computer Engineering for Babies launched on Kickstarter a few months ago and blew my mind by raising almost $250k.”
    high

  • Craft fairs

    · 1 mention
    “I run a string of free sudoku sites that have earned around $1000/month from advertising and donations since 2005:”
    high

  • Hacker News

    · 1 mention
    “A couple that have worked include: The Triumph of Safari – reached second position on HackerNews, along with 200+ comments on the r/apple and r/programming Reddit communities”
    high

  • Personal Branding

    · 1 mention
    “I also write about my OSS and independent business work each week in a subscription newsletter using GitHub Sponsors (another side project, if you like)”
    high

  • Online Community

    · 1 mention
    “Afterwards, realized that twitter had the most solid trading community out of any other platform. So all I've been doing for the last one year is build a community on twitter now (and of ofcourse discord too since everyone's there these days).”
    high

How 3,066 businesses grow

Of businesses with mapped growth channels, the share using each — Magic Lasso Adblock’s highlighted.
  • Referral/Word-of-mouth
    66% ◀
  • Social media
    64% ◀
  • 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
    12% ◀
  • Podcasting
    4%
  • Building in public
    3%
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