203: The YouTube Lead Gen Strategy Behind a Multi-7-Figure Business with Colin Shipp

Collin Ship built his YouTube channel for one purpose: drive qualified leads into his business. He wasn’t trying to grow an audience or chase viral moments. He wanted a predictable system that pointed people toward his offer.

And it proved how effective a small channel can be when it’s built the right way.

Collin took an “unsexy” niche (blogging) and paired it with a search-driven YouTube strategy built entirely around keywords, intent, and simple videos that matched what people were actually looking for. That combination led to a multi-7-figure business powered by steady, targeted traffic.

In this episode, Collin breaks down the framework that fueled early traction, the surprising advantage YouTube gives new creators that Google doesn’t, and why staying niche made sponsorships and affiliate deals far more lucrative. 

We also get into the pitfalls of targeting too broad an audience, the systems behind his lead-gen funnel, and how adding an AI-driven angle helped him refresh the same offer without rebuilding the business.

Mic Drop Moments

• “Make your free content better than everyone else’s paid content.” – Colin Shipp

• “We built a YouTube channel as a lead gen for the program. We didn’t care about views or ad revenue or sponsors.” – Colin Shipp

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:00 Blogging Isn’t Dead – $1.2M in 18 Months
• 04:40 Why Personal Branding Holds You Accountable
• 08:33 Using YouTube Strictly for Lead Generation
• 11:18 YouTube Keyword Strategy That Drove Early Growth
• 14:00 Does Going Broad on YouTube Hurt Lead Quality?
• 16:30 YouTube Publishing Frequency – The Sweet Spot
• 17:01 Why Long YouTube Videos Build Massive Trust
• 17:54 Make Your Free Content Better Than Paid
• 18:29 The Four Pillars of YouTube Monetization
• 20:18 YouTube Channels That Land Affiliates & Sponsors
• 25:02 Intent vs. Interruption Content Marketing
• 25:55 Using Paid Ads AND Organic Content to Scale
• 26:59 How to Run YouTube Ads Without Being Punished
• 30:03 Getting 6,000+ Leads per Month From YouTube
• 31:28 The Pros/Cons of Becoming Internet Famous
• 32:55 Where AI Fits in Your Content System
• 38:37 The Biggest Mistake People Make with AI
• 39:32 How He Revived His Offer With an AI Rebrand