Why most YouTube advice is rubbish for small business owners
Look, I get it. You’ve seen the kids making millions in their bedrooms and you think, “Surely I can get a few more customers for my plumbing business or my law firm by posting some videos.”
So you buy a decent camera, you sit in front of it for three hours on a Sunday, and you post a video. Then you wait. Three days later, you’ve got 14 views. Twelve of them were you refreshing the page. One was your mum. One was a bot from Russia.
Most of the stuff you read online about "YouTube growth" is written for people who want to be famous. They talk about "subscribers," "watch time," and "the algorithm."
But you? You don’t need a million subscribers. You need ten more phone calls this week. You need people in Brisbane to trust you enough to invite you into their homes or offices.
If you're chasing views, you're burning cash. We've seen it a hundred times. Business owners spend five grand on a fancy "explainer video" that looks like a perfume ad, and it gets zero traction. It's a waste of time.
In this guide, I’m going to break down the two main ways people try to grow on YouTube and tell you which one actually makes you money. No jargon. Just the truth from the trenches.
The "Viral Dreamer" approach vs. The "Local Authority" approach
There are basically two ways to play the YouTube game.
First, there’s the Viral Dreamer. This is where you try to make content that everyone likes. You do challenges, you use trending songs, you try to be funny. The goal is to get the most views possible.
But here’s the problem: if you’re a roofer in Chermside, do you really care if someone in London watches your video? No. They aren't going to hire you. In fact, if your video goes viral globally, it actually hurts your channel. Google gets confused about who your audience is, and it stops showing your videos to the people five minutes down the road who actually need a new roof.
Then there’s the Local Authority approach. This is what we do for our clients.
We don't care about the numbers. We care about the intent. We want to be the person who shows up when someone in Brisbane types "how much does a kitchen renovation cost in 2024" into Google.
This approach is slower. You won't get ten thousand views overnight. But the ten people who do watch your video are actually looking to buy. That’s how you get more enquiries.
The mistake of the "Perfect" video
I’ve sat in pubs with guys who have spent six months "planning" their first video. They’re worried about the lighting. They’re worried about their hair. They’re worried they’ll sound like an idiot.
Honestly? People don't want perfect. They want real.
If you’re a mechanic, I want to see you with grease on your hands explaining why my brakes are squeaking. I don't want to see a stock-footage montage with upbeat corporate music. That stuff is invisible. People have a built-in filter for it now.
We’ve found that showing the messy middle actually wins you more customers than a polished sales pitch. It builds trust. It shows you actually know what you're doing.
How to actually get found (without being a tech wizard)
Google owns YouTube. That’s the most important thing you need to know.
When someone has a problem, they go to Google. If you have a video that answers that specific problem, Google will often put that video right at the top of the search results.
To do this, you have to stop naming your videos things like "Update October 2023" or "Our Company Values." Nobody is searching for that.
Instead, name your videos exactly what people are typing into the search bar.
- "How to fix a leaking tap in Brisbane" - "Best suburbs for families in North Brisbane" - "What to do if you get a speeding ticket in QLD"
It’s not rocket science. It’s just being helpful.
But even if you have the right title, you still need people to click. If your video looks boring in the search results, they’ll skip right over you. We’ve written before about how to get more clicks by making sure your video looks like something worth watching.
The content that actually converts
I’ve seen businesses post 50 videos and get zero leads. Why? Because they never asked for the business.
They spend the whole video being helpful, which is great, but then the video just ends. Or they say, "Don't forget to like and subscribe!"
Subscribers don't pay your mortgage. Customers do.
Every single video should have a clear next step. "If you're worried about your roof after the storm last night, give us a call on this number, and we'll come out for a free inspection."
That’s it. Simple.
"The biggest mistake I see small businesses make is treating YouTube like a TV station instead of a 24/7 salesperson. If your video doesn't tell people exactly what to do next, you've just entertained them for free."
— Lisa Nguyen, Digital Strategy Consultant
Measuring what matters
Stop looking at the view count. It’s a vanity metric. It feels good, but it doesn't mean anything.
Instead, look at your phone. Is it ringing?
Ask every new lead: "How did you hear about us?" If they say, "I saw that video you did about the different types of decking timber," then you know it’s working.
We’ve had clients with videos that only have 200 views, but those 200 views have generated $50,000 in revenue. On the flip side, we’ve seen people with 100,000 views who can't pay their electric bill.
You need to stop chasing views and focus on the stuff that actually gets you customers.
The cost of doing it right
How much does this cost? If you do it yourself, it costs your time. A lot of it.
If you hire an agency, it can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand a month.
But you have to look at the ROI. If a video stays on YouTube for five years and brings in one high-value client every month, what is that worth to you?
For a lot of our clients, it’s the cheapest lead generation they have. Unlike Google Ads, where you have to pay every time someone clicks, a YouTube video is an asset you own. You pay for it once (in time or money), and it works for you forever.
What you should do first
If you’re sitting there thinking, "Alright, I'll give this a crack," here is exactly what I’d do if I were you:
1. Write down the 10 questions your customers ask you most often. The ones you’re sick of answering. "How much does X cost?" "How long does Y take?" "What’s the difference between A and B?" 2. Grab your phone. Don't buy a camera. Your iPhone is better than what they used to film movies ten years ago. 3. Record yourself answering those questions. One video per question. Keep it under 3 minutes. 4. Upload them to YouTube. Use the question as the title. 5. Put your phone number in the description. And say it out loud at the end of the video.
Don't overthink it. Don't edit it to death. Just get it out there.
The bottom line
YouTube is either a massive sinkhole for your time and money, or it's the best salesperson you've ever had. The difference is all in the strategy.
Stop trying to be a "YouTuber." Start being the local expert who helps people out.
If you want to chat about how this could work for your specific business—without the fluff—reach out to us at Local Marketing Group. We’ll tell you straight if it’s worth your time or if you’re better off spending your money elsewhere.