Not having a YouTube strategy is business negligence

Not having a YouTube strategy in 2025 is like not having a website in 2005.
It’s irresponsible.

We’re getting more and more inquiries from brands realizing this is something they need to move on.

YouTube now has the highest share of U.S. TV viewership and is continuing to rise.

The good news?
You’re not too late.

But you do need to start.
Because at first, you’re going to suck.
That’s fine. Everyone does.
The key is getting through the suck fast so you can build a system that compounds.

Here’s the formula I tell clients:

• Big ideas win. The wider your total addressable market (TAM), the more potential views you have. Start broad, then niche down.

• Thumbnails and titles = your first impression. Bad packaging kills good content. Don’t skip this.

• Nail the first 30 seconds. If people bounce, YouTube buries you.
  Keep them hooked = more retention = more ads = more views.

• Edit like attention is oxygen.
  Don’t get fancy—get clear. Remove anything that drags.

The rest is repetition.

You don’t need a viral hit. You need volume.
Because YouTube is a compounding machine.
Once the flywheel spins, everything gets easier:
Lower CAC, warmer leads, stronger trust.

And if you still think YouTube is just for creators and kids, you’re already behind.

To building the machine,
Eric Siu

PS: We’ve been building and have a couple of offers available:
1 - We’re hiring AI-forward performance ad creative strategists, AI-forward SEOs and paid media people, AI short form creators, AI automation interns, and more.. If you’re interested, apply at our Careers page.
2 - Constant Contact is offering Leveling Up subscribers a free 30 day trial. If you’re interested in an all-in-one platform to manage marketing campaigns across email, text, social, and more check it out at the link. 
3 - We launched ClickFlow to help automate and scale SEO. We’re giving away 25,000 words for free - sign up for the waitlist at the link.
4 - Interested in creating 1:1 personalized LinkedIn ads in minutes instead of weeks? Sign up for the Karrot.ai waitlist.
5 - If you want to grow faster using the power of AI, my agency Single Grain is offering free marketing plans to Leveling Up newsletter subscribers, check it out here.
6 - For more in-depth marketing content, check out my Leveling Up YouTube channel
7 - To help this newsletter improve, fill out this survey