What’s up homies - seasoned content created here…with not a whole lot to show for it. I’ve been at it for 9 years, with a half dozen automotive builds on my channel (Toyota’s, Corvettes, VW’s…you name it). I sit at 8k subs growing at about +400/month, IG growing at +200/month and generate ~$15k/yr across a variety of content revenue streams. I’ve faced lack of consistency, direction, and purpose. Recently I’ve tried to revitalize my socials and gain a new approach by joining this group (similar to you all). Excited to get some new perspective and share what I’ve learned along the way. Let’s collectively see our stats grow 📈📈📈 Comment your channel name! Here’s mine ⬇️ YouTube 🎥 ‘AJ LoDato’ Instagram 📸: @aj_lodato

My New Video Just Hit 30K Views in 2 Days 🚀 I’m super excited about this latest upload! It’s the first video in my new build series for my personal automotive brand, and it’s performing amazing already! This isn’t luck or guesswork, it’s calculated. I’ve been studying what’s working in the automotive space over the last 5 years but it’s important to keep up with the times! Things change fast. What worked last year may not be as effective this year and so on. Here’s some research I’ve found on what’s most effective in the automotive media space right now that I applied to make this video a success: - Topic: BMWs are trending hard right now. - Visuals: Green grass, blue skies, and clean builds perform better in thumbnails. - Thumbnail Composition: “Before & After” + parts in frame always drive curiosity. - Editing Flow: No downtime. I keep the pace tight and fill slower segments with voiceovers to keep the story moving Those few small changes alone made a huge difference - YouTube Studio literally notified me that my subscribers are watching more than usual on this video. That confirmed the new strategy is working. If you guys want me to break down how to craft videos like this for your own channels — from topic choice to thumbnail structure to editing rhythm — I’ve got something special coming soon 👀 Drop a comment below if you want me to DM you when that help is available. Let’s keep building 📈📈📈 Also here’s the video if you wanna check it out for yourself - https://youtu.be/0ZTe3HwoPKc?si=rwbmqr4kVa1M5_UG

A lot of you said the hardest part is knowing when to post and on what platforms. I'll share what I did to grow fast in my early days that led to me having some EXPLOSIVE growth early on. I'm talking tens of thousands of new followers every month. Here’s a simple content calendar you can follow starting this week: 🎥 Long Form (YouTube) - 1 YouTube video per week - Post at lunch or dinner time in your target audience’s time zone. - This builds depth with your audience and gives you long-term growth. 🎬 Short Form (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, IG Reels) - 3 shorts per day → 5 days per week - Post the same clips across all platforms (you don’t need to reinvent for each). Posting strategy: - TikTok & YT Shorts: Post any time of day — these go out to a broad audience, not just followers. - IG Reels: Space them at least 1 hour apart so they don’t compete with each other in the feed. Bonus: Post as many IG stories as you can every day!! This keeps you top of mind. 👉 If you follow this, that’s 15 short-form videos per week + 1 long-form video, all from the same core content. Consistency is what drives growth. 👀 Quick Note… Some of you have already asked if I’d do something more hands-on, like walking you step-by-step through posting, growing, and monetizing your automotive socials and I am considering opening 3–5 spots for that soon so I can personally walk you guys through all of this. If you’d find that helpful, drop a YES below so I know who’s interested! 👇

Hey guys, I hope you have been crushing it with your automotive content this week! I wanted to come on here to say something that you may need to hear... I see a lot of creators blaming the algorithm for why their content doesn’t perform. Here's the truth: the algorithm is not holding you back. It only cares about a few simple things: 1. Do people stop and watch your video? (your hook matters most) 2. Do they stick around until the end? (watch time = signs of good quality and enjoyment) 3. Are you posting consistently? (gives the platform more data to test your content with new audiences) That’s it. The algorithm doesn’t care if your car is stock, wrapped, bagged, or built — it only cares if people are engaging with your videos!!! So here is an action step for you guys to focus on. Work on stronger hooks and consistent posting, not trying to “hack” the algorithm. This is something that I got caught up in early on. I would look up hacks or strategies like leaving the app right after posting, commenting on my own post first, sharing or copying the link etc. But the truth is those things do NOT work and even if you find something that helps, it is not the strategy that you should be focused on. Example hooks that DO work: - 5 Things I Hate About My Car - This mistake cost me $___ on my build - If you own a [your car], don’t do this… Try these out and let me know how it works for you! Heres a question for you guys: Which content types are you struggling with the most — long form or short form? Comment below and I’ll tailor the next breakdown to help with more growth strategies that actually work!

I know a lot of you want to learn about monetization — brand deals, sponsors, affiliates and all the different ways to make money from car content — And we will get into that! But here’s the thing: A lot of you have mentioned that you haven’t even started posting yet! (If you’re already posting, amazing! Skip to the end because this is still for you ) I get it, you’re excited about that cash mula lol but to be honest, sharing those strategies right now would just confuse you further. What we need to focus on first is building our foundations. The very first step is simple: just start creating! You don’t need mods, sponsors, or even your “dream” car to begin. If you haven’t even started the page for it, do it now! (IG, TT, YouTube. Just one or all 3! You decide.) The profile pic and username can be changed later if that’s a hesitation point for you as well as I know it usually is for me when starting anything new. 🎥 Action Plan. (This is your homework) But it’s actually fun - What separates winners and losers in this space is this: those who take action and those who don’t. It’s that simple. So… let’s make this easy to win! First, pick one idea from this list: • A 15–30s POV driving clip with your phone • A “day in the life” shot with your car (even if it’s stock) • A short voiceover sharing why you bought your car or your dream build plans with slow panning shots of your car • slow panning shots of your car with music (simple car edit) • a video of your car with a trending quote over top (search the hashtag #carquote and pick one! ) **Editing software: To edit the video on your phone I use InShot. But you could use CapCut, or any app you choose. It’s up to you! I would recommend an app instead of doing it on the platform itself but try them out. Whatever you like best really. 1. Whatever you do, DON’T overcomplicate this! It could literally be anything just make a short form post. 2. Film it today or tomorrow — no pressure for it to be perfect.