A content format is blowing up right now that many info product sellers are completely ignoring.
It goes like this: you post a short video with a text overlay that says something like “How to build your offer from scratch,” and then you actually walk people through the process, step by step, on camera.
No fluff. No theory. Just you showing exactly how it’s done.
And it is working incredibly well.
Alex Hormozi Did This Better Than Anyone
Let’s talk about the person who turned “building from scratch” content into a growth machine.
Alex Hormozi gained 1 million followers in just 6 months by doing one thing consistently: sharing exactly how he built businesses from the ground up.
No gatekeeping. No vague motivational quotes. He showed the frameworks, the math, the ugly parts.
His YouTube channel now sits at over 3 million subscribers, and his book launch for “$100M Leads” generated $87 million in sales.
He spends $3 million a year on content production alone, and the vast majority of that content follows the same playbook: pick a topic, show people how to build it from zero, hold nothing back.
Here is the part that matters for you: his content strategy is not complicated. It’s repeatable. And smaller creators are copying it right now with real results.
Why This Works (Psychology + Algorithm)
Two things are happening at the same time that make “building from scratch” content so effective.
First, the psychology: People are overwhelmed with options. There are thousands of courses, coaching programs, and info products out there.
When someone shows you the full picture, from nothing to something, it creates trust instantly.
You are not selling. You are proving you know what you are talking about by showing the work.
Think about it. If someone tells you, “I can help you build a $10K offer,” that is a claim.
But if someone posts a video walking through every single step of building that offer, from picking the niche to pricing to delivery, that is proof. The content itself becomes the sales pitch.
Second, the algorithm: Both TikTok and Instagram are now prioritizing saves and shares over likes.
When someone saves your “How to build X from scratch” video, the algorithm reads that as a strong signal. It pushes your content to more people on the For You Page.
Instagram Reels prioritize shares, comments, and saves when deciding what to surface. Educational, step-by-step content checks all three boxes.
People share it with friends who need it, comment with questions, and save it to come back to later.
The Numbers Behind the Trend
The data backs this up across the board:
- According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing Report, 49% of marketers say short-form video is the top ROI-driving content format, followed by long-form video at 29%.
- Educational videos are the second-most-produced video type. HubSpot’s video marketing data shows that 38% of companies focused on creating educational, instructional, and online course videos in 2024, making it the second-most-popular video category, behind product demos.
- The e-learning market hit $320.96 billion in 2026. DemandSage reports that the global e-learning industry is growing rapidly, reaching $320.96 billion this year. People want to learn things online, and they are spending real money to do it.
- TikTok educational content drives 2.28% weekly follower growth. According to Hootsuite’s 2025 benchmarks, educational content on TikTok generates 2.28% weekly follower growth, more than double the rates on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
- Over 60% of social content now aims to educate or inform. Hootsuite’s Social Trends research found that more than 60% of social content is designed to entertain, educate, or inform audiences, with direct promotions making up less than half of brand output.
Who Is Doing This Right Now
This trend is not limited to mega-influencers. Here are real creators using “building from scratch” content to grow their audiences and sell their offers.
Ali Abdaal grew his YouTube channel to 6 million subscribers by posting step-by-step tutorials on productivity and YouTube growth.
His Part-Time YouTuber Academy course has helped him generate $6 million in revenue in a single year.
What content built his audience? Videos like “How I built a $1M business as a doctor” and detailed breakdowns of his entire workflow from scratch.
Vanessa Lau built her business to $8 million and over 600,000 followers in four years by posting free educational content and showing coaches how to build their social media presence from zero.
Her BOSSGRAM Academy generated over $500,000 in its first year alone. Her whole strategy: give away the “how” for free, charge for the implementation.
Pat Flynn literally named his brand ‘Smart Passive Income’ and built an entire media company around showing people how to start businesses from zero.
After getting laid off in 2008, he documented the process of building an online business in the architecture space that hit six figures within a year.
His content model of transparent, from-scratch breakdowns has driven over 180,000 Facebook followers and millions of podcast downloads.
How To Do The ‘Building From Scratch’ Trend Step By Step
Here is a straightforward framework for creating “building from scratch” content that actually converts. No complicated production setup required.
Step 1: Pick One Specific Problem Your Audience Has
Do not try to cover everything in one video. Choose the one question your audience asks you the most. “How do I build my first email list?” or “How do I create a coaching offer from scratch?” are perfect starting points.
The more specific you get, the better this works.
Step 2: Map Out Every Single Step
Grab a notebook or open a doc and write down every step someone would need to follow, from zero to done. Do not skip the obvious stuff. Beginners need the obvious stuff.
If you are teaching someone how to build a course from scratch, start with “choose your topic” and end with “publish and promote.” That is the whole point of “from scratch” content.
Step 3: Post a Short Video With a Text Overlay Hook
Open your phone camera, record yourself talking through the steps, and add a text overlay like “How to build your first online course from scratch.”
Keep it under 90 seconds for TikTok and Reels.
The text overlay is what stops the scroll. The value you deliver is what gets the save.
Step 4: Try a Longer Deep Dive on YouTube
Take that same content and expand it into a 10 to 15-minute YouTube video. Walk through each step in detail.
Show your screen. Pull up real examples. This is where you build serious trust.
Ali Abdaal and Pat Flynn both use this exact short-to-long content pipeline.
Step 5: Add a Clear Call to Action
At the end of every video, tell people where to go next. “If you want help building this, register for my live workshop!” or “Grab my free template in the bio!” Do not be shy about this.
You just gave away free value, so asking for a click is fair.
Step 6: Repurpose Across Platforms
One “from scratch” video can become a TikTok, a Reel, a YouTube Short, a LinkedIn post, and a carousel.
Choose the step-by-step format because it naturally breaks down into multiple pieces of content.
Post the full version on YouTube, clip the best parts for short-form, and pull out key tips for text posts.
Step 7: Stay Consistent
This is not a one-video strategy. The creators who are winning with “building from scratch” content post regularly.
Pick a cadence you can maintain, whether that is once a week or three times a week, and stick with it. Consistency is what compounds the results over time.
The Bottom Line
“Building from scratch” content works because it does the selling for you. Instead of telling people you are an expert, you show them. Instead of making promises, you deliver proof in every video.
The e-learning market is at $320.96 billion and climbing. Short-form educational videos are among the highest-ROI content formats in marketing right now.
And the creators who are winning are the ones who share their entire process, from zero to finished product, without holding back.
If you sell courses, coaching, memberships, or any info product, this is the content strategy to focus on in 2026. Pick your topic. Map out the steps. Post the video. Let the work speak for itself.
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