🚀 3 Indisputable Marketing Lessons from a Glitterbombing Engineer

• 29.7 million subscribers on YouTube

• 1.7 million followers on Instagram

• 508.1k followers on X

• 5.3 million followers on Facebook

• 3.3 million followers on TikTok

What’s cooler than getting a package nabber with a glitter-fart bomb? I’ll tell ya… 

Watching an intense video stuffed full of the science and engineering that went into the project with footage of the contraption in action. 

I came across the notorious Mark Rober scrolling through YouTube one day. This man takes science and makes it cool. From backyard obstacle courses with the neighborhood squirrels to the world’s largest Nerf gun, Mark’s figured it out. He averages 37 million views per video he releases. 

The weird part? He only releases one video every month. 

So what exactly can B2B marketers learn from NASA engineer-gone-YouTuber? 

Here’s my two cents…

Intensive focus for “concentrated nuggets of coolness”
Mark doesn’t make viral happen by releasing daily videos (though he has started sharing TikTok-specific content more often). 

Keeping full editing control to himself, Mark carefully engineers his videos — and this starts with conception. 

He won’t even start making a video until he has a solid idea for a title, thumbnail and storyline. And this story is something he won’t budge on. 

Each of Mark’s videos:

1. Have an element of extreme

2. Wide appeal for new audience

3. Already-proven content

4. Impressive thumbnail and title

While pouring days into a single video release per month isn’t the best idea for marketers (in fact, quantity SHOULD be your focus if you’re struggling with attention) there’s something underneath this approach we could all learn from: 

An unbreakable focus on quality using a proven framework. Pair it with quantity, and you’ve got the key.

Unlikely collaborations
What do Mr. Beast, the police and Jimmy Kimmel have in common?

They’ve all partnered with Mark Rober. This guy is big news — and he’s making a difference in the world. From helping the police uncover fencing operations with his tracking-device-enabled glitter bombs to partnering in efforts to plant trees and clean the oceans, Mark’s channel has helped raise over 50 MILLION dollars. 

A lot of these collabs are behind the scenes with mentions of partnerships and efforts without mass publicity. And guess what? It still works. 

Partnering with influencers, businesses and experts outside your niche can offer crazy value in getting you closer to your goals. 

Confidence, fun and “hiding the vegetable”
It’s no secret — Mark makes science fun for all ages. He’s even started a subscription box where kids get access to tutorials by the engineer himself to build toys and think like engineers. 

Mark’s secret? 🤫

He “hides the vegetables” and embraces naive optimism. 

All the content Mark releases is carefully calculated. But the real fuel to the fire is his ability to ask, “Why not?” and lean into the fun of science and engineering. He’s got the confidence of a kid learning to walk… and he uses it. 

Who cares if you’re not comfortable on camera in the beginning? If your idea’s outside the box? If you wanna make waves, you’ve got to jump in feet first. And who’s to say you won’t win in the end?

Sounds to me like it’s a risk worth taking. 

Alright…that’s a wrap.

Reply to this email and tell me a creator who you’re following that I should break down in a future newsletter.

Obliterating commodity content,

James Carbary
Founder, Sweet Fish
Executive Producer, B2B Growth