In this episode of Local Marketing Secrets, Dan Leibrandt interviews Jeremy Vest, one of the top YouTube strategists in the world and founder of Creator Unlock. Jeremy has helped thousands of businesses and creators grow with video, working with some of the biggest YouTube channels like Grant Cardone and top home service channels including Roger Wakefield.

Dan and Jeremy explore what actually works on YouTube in 2025 and beyond. Jeremy shares his 19-year journey as a YouTube strategist, revealing the biggest shift in YouTube history happening right now: television has become the number one source of watch time, surpassing mobile devices and platforms like Netflix and Amazon. This means creators need to focus on storytelling, anticipation, and curiosity gaps rather than just how-to content.

Jeremy breaks down the importance of hooks and emotional engagement, explaining how top creators start videos with compelling promises in the first two seconds. He emphasizes that 70% of viewers must still be watching at the 30-second mark for YouTube to promote content, making that opening crucial. He covers the difference between YouTube Shorts and long-form content, revealing that while Shorts build vanity metrics, 99% of revenue comes from long-form videos.

The conversation addresses AI's impact on video creation, with Jeremy arguing that storytelling and personality will always prevail over the technology used. He explains the click-watch-like framework and the importance of matching intent across thumbnails, titles, and video openings. For local businesses, Jeremy stresses niching down as far as possible, sharing examples of blue-collar creators with 50,000 subscribers making millions annually. He emphasizes consistent messaging across all platforms and promises that the plumber will make more money than viral dancers.

Jeremy Vest, Founder of Creator Unlock:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremyvest

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCt6USRnsgG2b3ADzOISzMSw

Creator Unlock: CreatorUnlock.com

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Local Marketing Secrets:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Local Marketing Secrets Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalMarketingSecrets

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TCL0LhZbsJS6mzanqnnT1?si=224075c9fbda42f5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/local-marketing-secrets/id1741176782

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0bb5254-5d6c-4940-8211-085157cc1239/local-marketing-secrets

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Jeremy Vest

02:03 Jeremy's Journey in Digital Marketing

04:58 The Evolution of YouTube

10:34 Optimizing for TV Viewership

13:31 The Importance of Storytelling

21:05 Crafting Compelling Stories for Engagement

25:10 Teaching to Fish: The Importance of Strategy

26:32 The Unique World of Podcasting

28:43 YouTube Shorts vs. Long-Form Videos

31:06 Optimizing for Watch Time

37:43 Niche Down: Finding Your Audience

41:35 Starting a YouTube Channel for Local Businesses

47:01 Manifesting Success in the Age of AI

49:32 Like and Subscribe!

#YouTube #videomarketing #contentcreation #homeservicebusiness #YouTubestrategy