My Contrarian YouTube Strategy.
My Contrarian YouTube Strategy: Building A Strategic Content Ecosystem (Part Deux).
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Last month, I started a new YouTube channel! :-)
Well…
Technically, I took my old YouTube channel…
Got rid of all the videos.
And started posting brand new content – based on everything I’ve been writing about here in The Digital Contrarian.
You can check it out (and subscribe) here:
https://www.youtube.com/@askryanlevesque
In case you’re curious what this means for YOU?
In addition to the written newsletter each weekend…
This will give you a brand new way to consume the ideas explored in The Digital Contrarian each week.
(Meaning you can now listen while you’re in the car, exercising, spending time in nature – or more generally Going Analog and living your Return to Real life beyond the screen.)
This is also part of my “Strategic Content Ecosystem” more broadly.
And because you might find some of what I’m doing here interesting (and perhaps relevant for your own business) I thought I would break down my contrarian strategy behind what I’m doing…
And why :-)
1 | Strategic Content Ecosystem: 6 Months In...
Six months ago, in [Issue #027] of The Digital Contrarian, I first introduced the idea of building a Strategic Content Ecosystem – where every piece of content fits together (smoothly and snugly) to serve a greater purpose.
Incidentally, it was way back in [Issue #027] that I first floated the idea of hosting an in-person mastermind on our Vermont farm. We *finally* opened up applications earlier this past week – and were oversubscribed for the experience within less than 48 hours.
(BTW – You can still get on the waitlist to be notified if a spot unexpectedly opens up and/or about any future dates we might hold.)
* * *
Today, I want to share what’s changed, what I’ve learned, and how this Strategic Content Ecosystem concept has evolved in the last six months (and how it continues to evolve…)
But that being said…
My constraints remain clear:
Prioritizing quality over quantity, depth over breadth, and alignment with my family’s quality of life.
And today, I (with the help of AI) have even more clarity than I did six months ago.
(More on that in a moment…)
2 | Your Single Source of Truth.
Now, I don’t know about you…
But when the universe gifts us scenes like the one you see here on the farm from earlier this week – I don’t want to spend my days in front of a computer screen creating content all-day.
(After all, that would be completely antithetical to the entire Return to Realway of life – and what I’m personally optimizing for…)
But I *do* want to create work that’s meaningful and original.
And I *do* want to create something that represents an actual contribution to the world for the betterment of humanity.
(Not just another source of regurgitated platitudes and tired old tropes like much of what we gets slung across the internet these days.)
In other words:
Real Thought Leadership.
But that’s not easy to do.
That’s why at the heart of this ecosystem (as you may remember from [Issue #027]) is one “Original Source of Truth” piece of content personally crafted each week.
For me, that’s The Digital Contrarian newsletter that you’re currently reading as we speak.
Now, I’ve learned that I have it in me to produce one half-way decent original piece of content like this each week.
But that’s about it.
Like for instance, [Issue #049]: Why Oxytocin = The New Dopamine – a piece that dives into the neuroscience and data behind why so many are craving authentic connection in an increasingly artificial world – deeply resonated based on the feedback I’ve received the week it released (and continue to receive to this day).
So by creating one “Original Source of Truth” piece of content like this personally, intentionally, and deeply each week (or whatever cadence works for you) I am finding it’s very much possible to stand out in an otherwise saturated sea of AI-generated noise.
Your “Original Source of Truth” piece of content becomes the cornerstone for everything else you do.
And for me?
It also serves as the foundation for the aforementioned contrarian YouTube Strategy I hinted at earlier.
Which brings us to…
3 | The Long-Form Leverage Strategy.
In my newly relaunched YouTube channel…
Every week, I take my TDC newsletter, like the one we just looked at here:
And I record myself reading it as a long-form (~15-minute) YouTube video essay. Check out this example below…
While I originally toyed with the idea of creating a “conversational” video each week with a discussion partner around each newsletter…
It proved to add too much complexity to the process and introduced several variables that were more challenging to control.
So I opted to simply deliver each issue as a video essay – to camera.
This is an idea I tested on stage at three different live in-person events – wherein I read from stage selected excerpts from this newsletter.
All three keynotes received standing ovations.
(Something I rarely received when delivering “marketing” presentations earlier in my career…)
I then tested this same idea at three different virtual events over zoom, and received an even more positive response.
This gave me the confidence to *test* this “read to camera” strategy.
So right now…
My schedule is to write each piece on Friday/Saturday.
And then record the long-form YouTube video the following Monday.
And *this* is where things get interesting…
4 | Short-Form Syndication: A Simple Yet Powerful Strategy.
Next, my team identifies 3–4 strategic clips from each long-form video:
These short-form videos are then syndicated across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.
Each short-form clip currently averages about 1K views per platform weekly, therefore aggregating to about 12K views per week and 620K views annually.
(This organic strategy demands zero additional content creation or ad spend – It all comes from one single, weekly piece of content – which for me, is an incredibly elegant (and sustainable) content strategy.)
5 | Constraints & Non-Negotiables: Why I'm Not Playing the "Mr. Beast" Game.
Let me be clear:
With this strategy, I’m not chasing Mr. Beast-level views or viral numbers.
I’m embracing “The Truth in the Tension,” choosing to Cultivate Influence vs. Chasing Attention – as we explored together in [Issue #031].
I know with certainty, that if I put effort into creating YouTube native videos – optimized for maximum reach on the platform, that I would likely radically increase my watch time and view count.
But the time invested in creating another source of truth piece of content each week, would mean more time away from my boys and what I’m optimizing for right now:
To suck the marrow out of this season of life.
Interestingly, my two boys started their own soccer-skills YouTube channel and now have videos surpassing mine in views – literally starting from scratch, without a personal brand or subscriber base.
But this just reinforces my conviction:
That true influence is about intentional, meaningful connection, not mass-produced volume.
And for me, I’ve never been more clear on who I’m serving:
“Second Mountain Entrepreneurs”
Entrepreneurs at a pivotal moment in their lives, transitioning from surface-level financial goals and business tactics – to integrating deeper, purpose-driven work aligned with core values and meaningful impact.
And there aren’t just as many of us on this planet as there are soccer nuts or Pokemon fans or people looking to make a quick buck with the latest side hustle…
6 | How I'm Using AI (Without Compromising Authenticity).
Next week, I’ll reveal how my team and I are strategically using AI right now to “Amplify Authenticity vs. Augment Artificiality” as I described it to one of my private clients this week, with everything we’ve taken a look at here today.
But in the meantime, I want to invite you to check out what I’m doing on YouTube right now:
Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/@askryanlevesque
Pick a video… Like it and leave a comment (you will get a personal reply from me :-)
Pick another one to download and listen to while you’re making dinner tonight…
And if you’re feeling really ambitious?
Binge watch everything I have on there currently…
(It’s worth checking out.)
But whatever you do…
Make sure to subscribe to the channel to be notified when next video drops…
Because I’ve got some good stuff coming around the corner that you won’t want to miss.
* * *
Okay, I’ll leave you with that for now…
Have a great rest of your day…
Remember to hug the ones you love…
And until next week,
Ryan :-)
Loved this post, Ryan. Saw you present in the RR club and Selena Soo actually forwarded this to me because we talk about YouTube the exact same way...long-term leverage, especially if you want to position yourself as a thought leader or expert in your field (we call it the "Anti-Viral YouTube strategy"...recently did a YT video on it: https://youtu.be/fPoRum_ul0g?si=7izYOgwkkLw3o_mN) I love how you articulated it all here and shared your results...ended up subscribing to your Substack. Looking forward to more.