Building a SaaS isn’t easy, but with the right moves, you can make it work. Here’s how Textideo made $12,000 in 7 months and the strategies that paid off—and the ones that didn’t.
What Worked:
Content Marketing + SEO From Day 1
I’m from an SEO background, so I knew content could be a major driver for growth. I started by targeting low-competition keywords in video creation and automation. I used Google Analytics and my own platform’s data to track performance. As the traffic came in, I doubled down on high-performing posts and kept the content fresh with regular updates.
Engaging in Communities (Reddit, Indie Hackers, Slack)
Communities were a goldmine. I spent time answering questions on Reddit, Indie Hackers, and niche Slack groups. The key was not to hard-sell, just offering value and sharing how Textideo could help. Some of our first paying users came straight from these conversations.
Fast Iteration on User Feedback
I kept a close eye on feedback—good and bad. When users asked for certain features, we built them fast. One of the most popular features? Custom templates and video styling options. This kept users coming back, and the feedback loop was crucial for retention.
What Didn’t Work:
Paid Ads (Google/Facebook)
I thought paid ads would be the shortcut to growth, but it burned through my budget with zero returns. Ads in the SaaS space, especially for video tools, are expensive, and unless you’re VC-funded, they’re hard to make work. Definitely not the shortcut I hoped for.
Chasing Competitive Keywords
Early on, I tried to rank for high-volume keywords in the video and SaaS spaces. Total rookie mistake. Once I shifted to long-tail keywords with more manageable search volumes, that’s when traffic started growing steadily.
Building Too Many Features Too Soon
At first, I added tons of features that I thought were cool. But most of them went unused. Now, I focus only on adding features that users actually want and that solve real problems.
The Numbers So Far:
$12k Revenue
2.8k Clicks and 94.9k Impressions in the Last 28 Days (100% organic)
Completely Bootstrapped
What’s Next:
Moving forward, I’m focusing on content + SEO and continuing to engage with niche communities. I’m also looking at collaborations with smaller content creators in the video automation space to keep growing.
My Advice for SaaS Builders:
Solve a problem you really understand.
Start marketing before the product is perfect.
Talk to your users constantly and keep iterating.
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