Jeremy Vest has spent 18+ years helping creators and brands generate more than 50 billion organic views and over $100M in revenue. He’s trained some of YouTube’s top educators and global brands, spoken at conferences around the world, and built Creator Unlock to help everyday creators finally stop guessing — and start growing.

In this episode of Local Marketing Secrets, Danny Leibrandt sits down with Jeremy to break down the biggest shift YouTube has seen in two decades: the rise of TV watch time. Jeremy explains why long-form, story-driven content is now dominating the algorithm, why 45-minute episodes outperform 5-minute tutorials, and how YouTube decides what to recommend based entirely on watch time and emotional engagement. He and Danny dig into the power of curiosity-driven hooks, why the first 30 seconds determine the fate of a video, and how “how-to” content must evolve to survive in 2025.

Danny and Jeremy also dive deep into AI-generated video, faceless channels, and what the future of content creation really looks like. Jeremy breaks down why most AI videos will fail, why personality and authenticity still matter, and how his Click–Watch–Like framework helps creators master titles, thumbnails, and retention. They also explore how local service companies can use video to generate real revenue, the importance of niching down, and why every touchpoint — from your website to your YouTube channel — must communicate the same clear promise.

Whether you’re a creator, marketer, or local business owner, Danny Leibrandt and Jeremy Vest give you a clear roadmap for winning on YouTube in 2025 and beyond. From building authority to using shorts for visibility and longs for revenue, this conversation reveals exactly what works — and what doesn’t — in today’s YouTube ecosystem.

Jeremy Vest, Founder of Creator Unlock:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremyvest

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

Creator Unlock: CreatorUnlock.com

Danny Leibrandt, Founder of Pest Control SEO:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt   

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com 

Pest Control SEO: https://pestcontrolseo.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!

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