How we use AIto assist us indeveloping a strategy
From a list of contractor worries to a research doc, a YouTube dataset, a creator contact list and a presentation for management.
In short. The challenge was to leverage YouTube as part of the growth strategy, aimed at one buyer persona: the Professional Contractor. The work mapped 120 contractor concerns across six journey stages, analyzed 570 YouTube results from 287 channels, and ended in a creator contact list and a presentation for management.
Note: This is only one part of the strategy developed for this company, in which we aim to join the conversation that is already in the buyer persona's mind.
Leverage YouTube as part of the growth strategy, aimed at one specific buyer persona: the Professional Contractor.
Who the Pro is
Professional contractors who build or remodel showers, in two segments: a) shower pros, remodelers and builders who already build showers (mud bed, foam or pre-sloped); b) crossover contractors from adjacent trades (kitchen, roofing, flooring, handyman) who don't install showers yet but see bathroom remodels as higher-paying work.
Where the Pro looks for answers
Pros learn installs on YouTube. At every step of the job they carry a question:
- Will it pass inspection?
- Foam or mud bed?
- Who pays when it leaks?
- Can my crew install it?
- How do I price it?
Two audiences, two answers
Client's Brand customers get their answers on the brand's website. Non-customers are met on YouTube, inside the videos they already watch. This case is about the second.
What the brand needed
Enter the conversation pros already have in the back of their minds, and place Client's Brand as a good solution for that particular problem. The shower pan conversation was already happening. Mostly without Client's Brand.
Start from what the pro is worried about, find where that worry already lives online, and put Client's Brand there.
Seven stages, in the order we did them.
Defining the audience and their concerns
Who buys a shower pan for a job, and what's on their mind at each step.
- Starting audience: pros (single-home contractors and builders) who build or remodel showers.
- Journey: concerns listed for six stages: Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Purchase, Installation, Loyalty.
- Second segment added: crossover contractors from kitchen, roofing, flooring or handyman work who don't build showers yet but see bathrooms paying more.
- Expanded: 20 concerns per stage, 120 total, each tagged Shower pro, Crossover or Both.
- Where it lives: the "Pro Buyer's Journey" tab of the research doc.
Looking for proof on YouTube
What pros actually watch and say about each concern.
- Goal: videos per concern, comment counts, comment type and brand mentions.
- Script:
yt_concerns.pywithconcerns.csv, one editable search query per concern. - Per concern: top 5 videos with views, likes and comments; up to 50 top comments tagged positive, shares the concern, negative or question; brand mentions flagged (Client's Brand, ****, ****, ****, **** and others).
Getting it running
How the data was pulled.
- API key: created and restricted to YouTube Data API v3.
- Daily quota: 10,000 units, so the run took two days. A cache lets the script resume.
- Result: 570 rows across 114 concerns and 401 unique videos.
Turning data into findings
Every video judged for fit, then summarized by stage and by brand.
- Review: each video marked Strong, Partial or Off-topic, with a short note, judged from titles and channels.
- Outputs: doc tabs per stage, a Findings tab, and
youtube_research.xlsx(Summary, Client's Brand videos, All videos).
- Pain points: leaks and callbacks, failed flood tests, curbless builds.
- Gaps: purchase and warranty topics barely exist on YouTube.
- Competitor to watch: ****, with videos above 1.5M views.
Creator outreach
Who to call first, and how to reach them.
- Contacts script:
yt_contacts.pypulled public info for 287 channels; 51 list an email. - Creator outreach tab: priority creators, other shower-relevant creators, and 15 more recommended by reach and engagement.
- Quality check: three wrong channel links found and corrected.
Ways to use the videos that already rank
Beyond contacting creators.
- Partnership ads: run creator videos as Google Ads, with permission, clicks landing on the Client's Brand website. The creator earns a commission and more views.
- Placement targeting: our ads in front of top videos and channels on our concerns.
- YouTube search ads: in-feed, above organic results.
- Also: website embeds, comment replies, an affiliate program, licensed footage and retargeting.
The presentation
A scrolling HTML deck for management, built on the effects catalog.
- Effects: learned from the catalog (GSAP, ScrollTrigger, Flip, Lenis) and used throughout.
- Structure: rebuilt to your slide copy.
Four deliverables, ready to use.
Frequently asked questions
Why use YouTube if other social networks like TikTok and Instagram have more presence?
Because for learning and building job skills, YouTube is still the leader. Professional contractors learn installs there, and that is where the conversation we want to join already happens.
How do I use YouTube to reach professional buyers?
Enter the conversation they already have instead of starting a new one. Pros learn installs on YouTube and carry a question at every step of the job: will it pass inspection, who pays when it leaks, how do I price it. The strategy places the brand inside the videos they already watch, through creators, partnership ads, placement targeting and YouTube search ads.
Where do I start: with the channel or with the buyer?
With the buyer. List what worries them at each stage of the journey (Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Purchase, Installation, Loyalty), 20 concerns per stage and 120 in total, then find where each concern already lives on YouTube.
Why start from the buyer's concerns and not from what the brand wants to say?
Because the conversation was already happening, mostly without the brand. In the 401 videos reviewed, install how-tos dominate and buying topics (pricing, terms, delivery) barely exist: half the Purchase results were off-topic. Starting from concerns shows where the gaps are and which ones nobody owns: measuring, warranty and pricing a job.
Why is it smart to work with creators who already rank instead of producing your own videos?
Their videos already rank for the concerns that matter. With the creator's permission, the brand runs those videos as ads and the clicks go to the brand; the creator earns a referral commission and their public view count grows. A double benefit. The first calls go to creators who already feature the brand, then to high-reach builders with no brand tie.
Who is already doing this in the category?
The competition is already on YouTube. One competitor appears in 175 of 570 results, with its own channel and a brand-partner channel; another owns liner and drain installs with 1M+ view videos; a third runs through a creator channel with videos at 3.1M and 2.6M views. This case was built by The Lean Marketing for a client protected by NDA.
How do I find the right videos and creators?
With the YouTube Data API. For each concern the script pulls the top 5 videos with views, likes and comments and up to 50 top comments, flags brand mentions and marks each video Strong, Partial or Off-topic. Creators are then tiered: Deepen (already feature the brand), Recruit (high reach, no brand tie) and Watch (aligned with competitors). 287 channels were profiled, 51 with a public email.
What do I need to start and how long does it take?
A restricted YouTube Data API v3 key, one editable search query per concern (concerns.csv) and the scripts yt_concerns.py and yt_contacts.py. The API allows 10,000 units a day, so the data pull took two days; a cache lets the script resume.
What actions should the plan include?
Three fronts: a) contact the creators and ask permission to run their videos in campaigns; b) request content creation from them as part of an influencer strategy; c) use the videos that already rank on the brand's terms: placement targeting, YouTube search ads, a video gallery on the website with permission, comment replies and licensed footage.
What do I present to management?
A scrolling presentation in seven parts: objective, entry point, segments and concerns, YouTube landscape, actions, YouTube by stage and creator contacts. The research behind it is delivered as a doc, a spreadsheet with all 570 rows and reusable scripts.
Does this case report sales results?
No. It documents the method, the evidence and the plan: 120 concerns, 570 YouTube results, 287 channels profiled and the action plan. Business results are not published on this page. The client is protected by NDA: it appears as Client's Brand, competitors and other brands as ****, personal data is masked and client-specific numbers are hidden.
How does the strategy look?
Seven parts, from the objective to the creator contacts. Brands and personal data are masked.