If you’re anything like most content creators, you want to know how to increase YouTube views. It’s understandable when you consider how much work goes into the creation of a video.
So, if you have ever asked, “How can I get more views on YouTube?” keep reading because we’re sharing an often overlooked method for doing just that.
Can you guess what it is? Well, odds are if you read the title of this post, it’s to use an email marketing platform. But what does that mean? We’re uncovering all our secrets below!
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Can You Really Boost YouTube Views with Email?
Yes! Believe it or not, you can use your subscriber emails to increase YouTube views. And, you can use your YouTube to grow your subscriber list too. It’s a wonderful cycle that increases your mailing list and views all at once.
There’s really just a few steps you need to take to boost YouTube views with email as your marketing channel of choice.
Step 1 - Pick an email marketing platform like SendX to send out consistent newsletters.
Step 2 - Create amazing YouTube videos regularly.
Step 3 - Email your list every time a new video drops.
Step 4 - Keep growing your list (in part through asking video viewers to subscribe!) and then repeat steps two and three.
Could it really be that simple? Absolutely. But, just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let’s break down the ideas behind these steps a little further to help you maximize your marketing efforts.
Expanding Your Reach: Email Subscriber to YouTube Viewer and Vice Versa
Expanding your reach is one of the most powerful ways email marketing can increase YouTube views. When you grow your overall audience size and drive external traffic to your channel, you give your videos the maximum possible exposure.
And, as people watch your videos on the YouTube platform, YouTube is more likely to recommend it to others which helps you expand your reach.
YouTube told Hootsuite, “Our algorithm doesn’t pay attention to videos; it pays attention to viewers.” YouTube also pays attention to how viewers engage with the content. So, when you get a bunch of views quickly and/or lots of comments, YouTube is more likely to take notice. If the algorithm catches wind of your video in a positive way, it may very well recommend your video to people that are watching similar videos to yours.
If you don’t already have an email list, what should you do to increase YouTube views?
Start small by collecting email addresses directly on your YouTube channel. Leave a link to subscribe in your description box of your videos. In every video, tell your viewers how to subscribe to your list. Add links to your “About” section of your channel. Basically, anywhere that you can add a link for people to opt-in to your email list, you should.
Email list guru Amy Porterfield recommends offering an incentive like a cheat sheet, a workbook, exclusive content like a video/audio training, a quiz, etc… to encourage people to sign up for your list. After all, you shouldn’t just expect people to sign up in exchange for nothing. You need to give them something in return.
Once you've built an engaged email subscriber base, you can promote new video releases to this captive audience. Send a personalized email whenever you upload a new video, including an eye-catching preview image and brief description. Use urgency in your subject line like "My new video goes live in 1 hour!" to encourage timely clicks.
Take advantage of your regular email newsletters to cross-promote YouTube videos. Dedicate a section in each newsletter highlighting selected YouTube videos and encouraging recipients to head to your channel. Mix up older evergreen videos with your newest uploads.
Pro Tip: Think beyond your own subscribers too.
Collaborate with influencers in your niche to promote each other's channels via email. This exposes your videos to fresh, external audiences already primed for your content.
Insert clickable links, graphics, and video previews throughout your email content to direct readers straight to YouTube. Use clear calls-to-action like "Watch this video now!" so they know exactly how to engage.
Track traffic sources and UTM parameters to analyze how much email drives YouTube views versus other channels. These insights allow you to double down on the most successful email tactics for increasing reach.
With strategic coordination and promotion, your email subscriber list transforms into a launch pad for skyrocketing your YouTube views. Treat email as your megaphone to get your videos in front of bigger crowds.
Encourage Viewer Engagement
Using an email marketing platform like SendX to get the word out about your new videos does more than expand your potential reach. It also gives you a means of encouraging meaningful engagement from viewers. Use email to prompt specific video interactions and you can directly boost your YouTube metrics that matter most.
According to Buffer, YouTube is looking for things like:
- Click-through rate
- Watch time
- Likes
- “Not interested” clicks.
To move the needle in the algorithm, you could offer exclusive bonuses like coupons or free gifts to email subscribers who like, comment on, or share your latest videos. These perks incentivize the social engagement that helps videos perform well in YouTube's algorithm. Email reminders ensure fans take action after watching.
You may also want to send personalized video recommendations via email to match each subscriber's interests. Use segmentation and analytics to determine which viewers would enjoy specific videos. This targeted promotion converts viewers into active users.
Pro Tip: Don't let old videos disappear into the archives either.
Leverage email to re-engage your audience with back catalog favorites. Schedule reminder emails to provide quick links for repeat viewing.
Make your audience part of the creation process too.
Make viewers part of the content creation process by featuring user-submitted videos in your email newsletter. This validated participation keeps fans invested in your channel as a community.
Run contests for most engaged subscribers with fun prizes like branded merch. Email creative challenges or opportunities to vote for fan favorites. This friendly competition spurs viewership and interaction.
With each email, include clear calls-to-action for easy YouTube engagement like "Vote Now" buttons linking to polls. Quantifiable objectives encourage fans to take a specific step after watching a video.
Follow up new video releases with "subscriber-only" email updates recapping initial response and featuring comments. This VIP access makes loyal viewers feel valued through exclusive content.
Monitor the correlation between emails sent and spikes in YouTube engagement. Continually refine your email approach to maximize the videos, segments, and messages that resonate most.
Email is the perfect vehicle for fueling the meaningful interactions that tell YouTube a video is engaging. Use it to spark loyal fan behavior while putting your channel top of mind. Ultimately, prompted engagement via email marketing helps satisfy the YouTube algorithm in favor of your content.
Integrate Email and YouTube Metrics
Email marketing provides a treasure trove of data to optimize your YouTube strategy. Make the most of this by integrating metrics across channels.
Follow the Views
Use UTM tracking parameters on video links in emails to see exactly how many views originate from your mailing list. This reveals the direct impact of email on YouTube views.
Compare traffic and engagement from regular newsletters versus dedicated video emails. See which convert subscribers best. Test email copy, calls to action, and preview images to increase click-through-rates.
Stick Around Awhile
Check viewer retention rates on videos promoted by email. Do email recipients watch more, less, or the same amount of a video before dropping off? High retention here validates email as an effective driver of engaged viewers.
Experiment with email frequency for the same video. Does sending one reminder or multiple extend average watch time? Use this insight to combat viewer drop-off.
Ask for the "Like"
Email subscribers who watch your videos on YouTube are primed for social engagement. Ask them for “likes,” and then track how many people like, comment on, and/or share videos after clicking from an email. Reward positive behavior with incentives to supercharge subscriber interaction.
The VIP Experience
Email subscribers are your VIPs, so treat them that way! Monitor YouTube metrics for subscriber versus non-subscriber viewers of the same video. Expect subscribers will have higher retention, likes, shares, etc. Use this validated engagement to convince non-subscribers to join your elite viewer club.
Final Thoughts
Increasing YouTube views requires reaching and engaging the right audiences. Email integration provides powerful tools on both fronts.
- Collecting subscriber emails directly from your channel expands your reach to current fans eager for new content.
- Strategic email campaigns expose videos to new potential viewers.
- Prompting social engagement and two-way communication via email fuels the viewer interaction that YouTube's algorithm favors.
If you want to grow your YouTube channel, start building an email list today. Coordinate video promotions and subscriber-only updates to turn fans into loyal evangelists. Dig into both your email and YouTube analytics integration to optimize your approach. Make email the cornerstone of an expanded, engaged viewership.
The potential of email marketing remains vastly underutilized by many content creators today. But as a core component of your YouTube strategy, it has proven power to significantly increase views and take your channel to the next level.
