How a Self-Storage Franchise Raised ~$5M With YouTube and Only 2,000 Subscribers

Why going viral doesn't work in a small niche

Tvoy Sklad sells self-storage franchises in Russia and beyond. Picture a big bubble called real estate. Inside it, a smaller one: commercial real estate. Inside that, a tiny one: self-storage. That's where my client is.

Real estate

Easy to get millions of views on reels.

Commercial

Harder, but still possible.

Self-storage

Tiny market. Viral is almost impossible. Trust is everything.

In real estate, you can get millions of views. In self-storage, the total market is too small. If your goal is "go viral", you will fail. The goal has to be: become the most trusted player in your small market.

I've been making content since 2014, and I see this pattern all the time. A huge channel with millions of views sells a cheap digital product. A small channel sells something expensive and needs only a few hundred of the right people in the pipeline. My agency is the second type. So is Tvoy Sklad.

The 14 videos that built trust with investors

We built a content plan where every video answers one objection an investor or franchise partner has before they buy. Here are all 14 formats, with the question each one answers. The examples are in Russian, but the structure is universal. Turn on YouTube's auto-translate if you want the details.

1. Online franchise tour (~5 min)Objection in the partner's head: “I've never heard of this business. What is it?”The cornerstone video. A short intro to the franchise: how it works, how it grew, key numbers, growth plan. Top management on camera, word-for-word script on a teleprompter. Update it every year. Example
2. Founder's presentation at eventsObjection in the partner's head: “I want to understand the niche and the market.”We record the founder's talks at industry events and publish them. No filming or editing on our side. Being on a known stage adds trust. Example
3. How the company was foundedObjection in the partner's head: “Who's behind this, and can I trust them?”The founder tells the story, mission, values and the 5-year plan. Podcast or talking head. Great if you're scared of the camera. Example
4. How much can you earn: the financial modelObjection in the partner's head: “Will I make money? How fast, and what are the risks?”The founder, CFO and head of franchise development walk through income, options and payback. Talking head plus the financial model on screen. Example
5. How a franchise works day to dayObjection in the partner's head: “Can I run this without experience?”An honest vlog from a location: management vs hands-on work, and the skills you need. Example
6. How marketing worksObjection in the partner's head: “How do I get customers from day one?”The CMO breaks down tools, channels and marketing costs. Heavy on visuals. Ours started as a live stream recording. Example
7. Criteria for opening a franchiseObjection in the partner's head: “Is this right for me? Can I meet the requirements?”Clear do's and don'ts for choosing a location. This one has a couple of hundred views. Who watches it? Exactly the partners who need it to decide. Example
8. Where the market is goingObjection in the partner's head: “What if I invest in something nobody needs?”Market, competitors, trends and why now is the right time. Talking head or podcast. Example
9. Inside the company and teamObjection in the partner's head: “The founder is one thing, but where's the team?”How the company is structured, culture and processes. Office vlog, team interview or a recorded strategy session. Example
10. Tour of a specific locationObjection in the partner's head: “What happens inside? Why does it work?”The customer journey plus behind the scenes: team, staff rooms, equipment. I follow the team with a camera and ask obvious questions. It feels too obvious to say. That's why it works. Example
11. Partner interviewsObjection in the partner's head: “What do real partners say? What results did they get?”Long, honest talks with 2–3 franchisees about their doubts before and their reality now. Podcast or Zoom recording. The more, the better. Example
12. Short partner testimonialsObjection in the partner's head: “Do they really have successful partners?”5–10 minutes: a franchisee on working with the company and the results. I ask questions from behind the camera and cut my voice out later. No big production needed. Example
13. Grand openings in new citiesObjection in the partner's head: “They opened one location. Where are the others?”A vlog from a new opening: the tour, how it runs and what's different. Every opening is a new case study. Example
14. Pros and cons of the nicheObjection in the partner's head: “What's the catch? What will be hard?”An honest take on who this franchise is for, and who shouldn't open it. Honesty filters out the wrong partners and builds trust with the right ones. Example

You don't need the founder in every video

The founder of Tvoy Sklad lives about 1,800 km from the main office. So the franchise tour is presented by the chief growth officer and the chief technical officer. Team members show up in facility tours. Partners speak in testimonials.

If you run a bigger company, delegate filming to your C-level team. But be honest: if you just tell them "record videos", they'll quietly sabotage it. Someone has to organize the shoots, prepare the scripts and do the heavy lifting. That's the job we do, and it's why we've worked together since 2022.

The result: small numbers, big money

After four years, the Tvoy Sklad YouTube channel has about 2,000 subscribers. The top video has around 23,000 views. As a YouTube producer, I'd call that terrible performance. As a business result, it's one of my best cases:

• ~$5M in investments in 2024–2025
• 20+ franchise partners
• International expansion. Partners from Belarus and Armenia found the company on YouTube and opened locations there. We never ran ads in those countries.

"YouTube became the main resource of our company. I duplicated myself on YouTube. Partners come in and say: Dima, I already know everything, I've watched all your YouTube, let's get to business. Our partners from Armenia came to buy a franchise, they had watched everything. It felt like we were already family."

Dmitry Rindevich, founder of Tvoy Sklad

The videos also work outside YouTube. The sales managers and the investor relations team send them to leads all the time. When a deal takes months, not minutes, every video that answers a question before the call shortens the cycle.

How to apply this to your business

1. Forget the views goal. Count how many of the right people watched, not how many people.
2. List the questions your buyers ask before they pay. One question, one video.
3. Start with your cornerstone video: a 5-minute tour of your business with real numbers.
4. Recycle what you already do: talks, podcasts, webinars, client calls.
5. Give the videos to your sales team. They are sales assets first, YouTube content second.

FAQ

Can YouTube work for a narrow B2B niche?

Yes, if the goal is trust, not views. Tvoy Sklad sells self-storage franchises, a niche inside a niche, and raised ~$5M with a channel of about 2,000 subscribers.

How many views do you need to attract investors?

Far fewer than you think. You need the right few hundred people to watch, and a sales team that sends the videos to every serious lead.

What video should a franchise make first?

A 5-minute online franchise tour: how the business works, key numbers, growth plan and why now is a good time to join. Update it every year.

Does the founder have to be on camera?

No. C-level managers, team members and partners can carry most videos. Someone just has to organize the shoots and prepare the scripts.

How long did it take Tvoy Sklad to get results from YouTube?

We started in 2022. The big results, ~$5M in investments and 20+ franchise partners, came in 2024–2025. For high-ticket B2B, plan for about two years of steady publishing before YouTube becomes a main source of deals.

How many videos did Tvoy Sklad publish?

More than 700 long and short videos since 2022: franchise tours, founder talks, podcasts, facility tours, live stream recordings, partner interviews and testimonials.

Which videos work best for attracting investors?

The ones that answer money and trust questions: a short franchise tour with real numbers, a financial model and ROI breakdown, tours of working locations and interviews with existing partners.

Do you need expensive production for B2B YouTube?

No. Only the franchise tour needs a script, a teleprompter and careful filming. Talks and podcasts are simply recorded, and testimonials are filmed with one camera while someone asks questions from behind it. The goal is to deliver the information clearly.

How do sales teams use these videos?

Sales managers and the investor relations team send videos to leads before and after calls. When a deal takes months, every video that answers a question in advance shortens the sales cycle.

How did partners from other countries find Tvoy Sklad?

Through YouTube. Partners from Belarus and Armenia watched the videos, came to the company already informed and opened locations there. Tvoy Sklad never ran ads in those countries.

What if the founder doesn't like being on camera?

Start with podcasts: go on other people's shows or pay a podcast host to record an episode with you, then publish it on your channel and cut short clips from it. C-level managers and partners can carry the rest.

Does this work outside franchising?

Yes. The same approach works for any high-ticket B2B business with a long sales cycle: list the questions buyers ask before they pay, and answer each one with a video.