Ep 152: How to Become "A Digital Mayor" With Your Own Video Show

Jonathan McKinnies explains how he built 'Michigan Living TV,' a hyper-local video show featuring local businesses on Facebook, to become the digital mayor of his market. He covers the exact low-cost equipment setup, how he recruits businesses and agents to appear, and how he manages production while running a high-volume branch. LOs in mid-size or smaller markets who want a differentiated local brand will get the most from this episode.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Create a named, hyper-local Facebook page (e.g., '[Your Town] Living TV') and commit to filming one local business per week using only an iPhone, a $20 lapel mic, a small clip-on light, and an Osmo gimbal — total equipment cost under $300.
• Use this three-question interview format for every business feature: (1) How did you get started? (2) What are you known for? (3) How can people connect with you? — Jonathan calls this the 'easy flow' that makes any interview run smoothly.
• Post a crowd-sourced question on your Facebook page — 'What's your favorite pizza place in [your town]?' — then contact the top-mentioned businesses and say: 'We had a ton of comments naming you. We'd love to give you free exposure on our local page.' Use their existing fan base to boost your organic reach when you tag them.
• Boost top-performing videos for exactly $25 to amplify organic traction without running full ad campaigns — Jonathan confirmed most of his 1,000–5,000-view counts are still organic, not paid.
• Outsource all video editing immediately — drop raw footage into a shared folder (Dropbox or similar) and hand it to a marketing team member, a local young professional, or a Fiverr/Upwork editor. Do not edit yourself.
• Run agent mastermind groups of 8–10 agents twice a year with different groups each time (so you touch ~30 agents per event cycle). Set the frame upfront: 'No secrets, no comp talk — just sharing what's working.' Bring cookies and coffee, keep it under 90 minutes, and rotate in a few up-and-coming agents alongside established ones to keep energy high.

The playbook

1. 1. Name your show with a hyper-local identity that locals instantly recognize (city + region combo).
2. 2. Post a question on your page asking followers to nominate their favorite local business in a category (pizza, breakfast, etc.).
3. 3. Contact top-mentioned businesses and offer free social media exposure in exchange for a short interview.
4. 4. Film on-site with iPhone + wired lapel mic + mini clip light + gimbal for B-roll. Bring one helper to run the camera.
5. 5. Conduct the interview using the three standard questions: how they started, what they're known for, how to connect.
6. 6. Film B-roll of the space, products, or action (e.g., pizza going in the oven).
7. 7. Drop raw clips into a shared folder for your editor to compile and add your logo/branding at the end.
8. 8. Post to your local Facebook page and tag the business — their followers see it organically.
9. 9. Boost top posts for $25 to extend reach.
10. 10. Invite real estate agent partners to co-host an interview featuring their own past clients' businesses — adding value to the agent relationship in the process.

Worth quoting

“If you don't have any compelling value proposition for the customer to choose you, you're left with price. You're a commodity.”

“We were created to be creative. If you never create, then I believe you live an unfulfilled life.”

Best for

LOs in small to mid-size markets who want to stand out from online lenders by building a genuine hyper-local identity — without a production crew or a big marketing budget.