You might know Levi for the Living in Dallas channel.
He and his partner Travis Plumb built it to generate leads.
The result? 50k subscribers and 500 homes sold in 5 years.
But they also grew their agent coaching channel.
13k subs in 4 years.
So when Levi says newer YouTubers have the advantage…that they’re building audiences even faster…that catches my attention.
What are they doing differently, and what are they incorporating into their own growth strategy?
Let’s get into it.
Start With a High Performing Format.
“Look outside of your market. I did a video….based off of the idea of Mr. Beast’s video…even Mr. Beast is like looking outside of his market... He didn’t find that inspiration from another YouTuber. He found it from Netflix.”
“Young guns, like 20s and 30s... They’re able to look at [YouTube], and they understand it. They’re saying, ‘Okay, I’m just gonna look at all the best performing videos’..And then they just recreate those. And you’re seeing new creators get traction pretty quickly.” - Levi
A high performing format is a proven attention hack. A glitch in the matrix. Something about that format speaks to people on a primal level. Using a high performing format instantly raises your potential growth.
Example: 3 of the top 8 videos on the coaching channel play on the same title format.
Here’s another funny example of videos I’ve seen in my feed in the last month or so…
Notice the bottom 2 have MILLIONS of views. They’re also 2-3 years old. In other words, this thumbnail is such a powerful visual format that it’s STILL working today.
But there’s a mindset challenge here. Many of us are in real estate because we have an independent streak. We’re driven to be original, but YouTube doesn’t reward originality. YouTube rewards what works.
Put Most of Your ENERGY into Customizing the Format.
YouTube formats are like vehicles…and ideas are the fuel.
Powerful ideas are like replacing unleaded with racing fuel.
Once he has the format, Levi goes looking for ways to tweak it for his audience.
Drawing topic ideas from everywhere…random chats at events, being out in his community, news, social media.
However, he also gave a word of caution...
“Make sure you stay in alignment with what you cover and what you talk about. You don’t want to just go right off into left field.”
Instead, look for ways to pair the high performing format with a high performing topic.
Something your audience is already interested in. A topic that speaks deeply and specifically to them. Their needs, desires and values. Their phrasing, emotion and nuance.
For a creator like Kallaway, this speaks deeply to his audience. He was also smart about putting Hormozi in the upper right of the thumbnail. Capitalizing on Hormozi’s $100M launch.
Use AI to Accelerate the Research & Scripting
“Within three minutes, you can have a whole video script. And before, that would probably take me 30-45 minutes alone, just to piece all that together. And that was…just trying to get the bullet points!”
Brainstorm with your favorite AI tool. Use it to create unique hooks and angles, question your biases and assumptions, press you to sharpen your ideas.
Then have AI write the first draft script. Once you tweak the script for yourself, load it back into AI. Have the AI analyze the final version and draw lessons it can apply to future scripts, or spit out a full custom prompt for your next script.
The goal here is to create a script and outline that blends the high performing format with a powerful idea for your niche. All in a way that allows you to speak in your authentic voice.
Let’s sum up…
Attention Hacking on YouTube
Start with a high-performing format from another niche
Find a powerful idea that speaks to your niche - invest as much energy as it takes
Use AI tools to speed up research and scripting
Want to go deeper? Click above to listen to the full chat with Levi, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing
Any YouTuber creators you’d like me to interview, I’m all ears as well.
Steal This:
ChannelStudio.ai - Levi and Travis’ go-to tool for YouTube analytics and insights.
Quick Links & Resources
Passive Prospecting YouTube Channel - Levi and Travis’ coaching channel
PassiveProspecting.com - Home for all Levi and Travis’ coaching and services
Living in Dallas - The channel that started it all
Massive shoutout to Levi, what he and Travis have done is super impressive. Make sure you’re connected with Levi and connect him to any podcasts or YouTube shows that might want to feature him as a guest!
-Matt
Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous
PS Here are two ways I can help…
90-Day Strategy Sprint - We’ll work together to make the critical decisions on your marketing and content strategy. Then we’ll translate those decisions into systems.
Done-for-You Content Service - From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons-Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn conversations into newsletters, podcasts and videos, all with zero hassle.
