This week is gonna be a little different.
Usually on Tuesdays, I bring you a story from Marketing’s past. But this time, I wanna bring you something from Marketing’s present.
This week, we’re not talking about a historic brand.
We’re talking about YouTube.
To me, YouTube is slept on as a Marketing channel. By volume, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. For brands, this means there’s a well of untapped potential and customers who want to be sold.
But how do you reach them?
For that answer, we’re diving into today’s subject.
This is the story of one of my favorite channels, Satori Graphics…
If you’ve ever worked in graphic design, chances are you’ve watched one of Tom Cargill’s videos—AKA Satori Graphics.
He’s grown an audience of OVER 1 MILLION subscribers and posts engaging, value-packed videos that get hundreds of thousands of views apiece.
But for Tom, it wasn’t always like this.
In 2016, Tom was a graphic designer with a knack for designing logos. While he had done great work on some awesome projects, he wasn’t the household name he is now (at least in the design community).
He didn’t just want to keep making logos; he wanted to teach others how to be great designers, too.
So, in 2017, he decided to make YouTube videos. At first, it was just a side project—an experiment to see if he could share his passion for design with a wider audience.
He wasn’t looking for fame, but for a way to give back to the design community. He wanted to share the tips and techniques he had learned along the way and make design more accessible to those just starting out.
His early videos weren’t perfect, but they were just good enough to get the ball rolling. At least once a week, Tom would post a tutorial and his views started to grow. This was his first big unlock:
You have to keep showing up
Level up your marketing game
Zero BS. Just fun, unfiltered, industry insights with the game-changers behind some of the coolest companies from around the globe.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
When Tom started his channel in 2017, he didn’t expect overnight success. Instead, he consistently showed up with 4 highly engaging, truly useful videos every week.
There was no silver bullet that helped him become an overnight sensation; it was just a lot of hard work.
And that hard work started to pay off.
In 2018, the Satori Graphics channel reached 50,000 subscribers and this side project was becoming more than a channel…
It was becoming a community. Now was the time to turn this into a real business.
So, did Tom change anything about his content?
Nope.
He kept putting out the same, free tutorials. Why?
Free Content = Lead Gen
It’s all about the long game.
Tom doubled down on what was working—offering valuable, no-cost content to his growing audience.
By doing so, he established himself as an authority in the design space, and his content naturally served as a top-of-funnel for his services and later on, his courses.
People trusted him, learned from him, and when the time came, they were more than willing to pay him.
The real magic? Tom didn’t force the sales. Instead, he created a system where value led to leads, and leads led to opportunities.
Instead of using his YouTube channel as a sales engine, Tom used it as a platform to overserve his ICP. And in doing so, he naturally attracted a loyal following that was eager to support his work and invest in the next step of their own design journeys.
And that loyal following kept getting bigger and bigger. In 2022, Satori Graphics hit 1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS and is continuing to grow today. That’s a ton, but remember it took 5 years.
So what’s up next?
Well as Marketing continues to evolve one thing is clear…
Video is a huge differentiator
Especially in the age of AI.
Since the start of his channel in 2017, Tom has leaned HARD into video.
It’s been his differentiator against every other designer with a portfolio. People love visual content, especially when it comes to learning new skills. In 2025 and beyond, video is THE way to build trust fast.
But it’s not just long-form video content leading the charge.
Short-form content has become huge for brands. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and now LinkedIn have made quick, digestible videos the go-to format for capturing attention and keeping audiences engaged (and changed their algorithms to favor it).
In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, brands that are able to distill valuable information into a 30-second or 1-minute video are winning.
Personally, I think the best skill a Marketer can learn right now is making great short-form videos. The Marketers who master short-form video now, will be the ones calling the shots in 5 years.
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the Satori Instagram.
Not a single photo in sight. If you’re a brand, especially in B2B, this should be a wakeup call.
Organic social is no longer rewarding static Canva graphics. (I know, RIP)
If you want to succeed next year and beyond, it might be time to get a ring light and swallow your stage fright (This is a message to me too).
