In the world of YouTube, a common question arises: Are subscribers or views more important? Which one indicates greater success? Let’s dive into this topic by considering a few scenarios.
The Revenue Question
Would you rather earn $10,000 from 1 million views or $10,000 from 100 views? Depending on the type of channel, the revenue generation can vary significantly. Let’s look at an example to illustrate this.
Comparing Two Channels
About 5 or 6 years ago, I had an enlightening conversation with Kris Krohn and Grant Thompson in Cabo San Lucas. Grant Thompson, known for his successful YouTube channel King of Random, joined Kris and me in a hot tub discussion about YouTube channels.
At that time, Grant’s channel had around 11 million subscribers, generating $300,000 to $400,000 per month from ad revenue and sponsorships. In contrast, the Kris Krohn channel, with only about 150,000 subscribers, was bringing in $600,000 per month. Grant was amazed by this disparity and curious about how we achieved it despite our vastly different content strategies.
Content Strategy Differences
Grant’s content was highly entertaining and took considerable time to produce, often a week for one episode. In contrast, I typically film 20 episodes in a day, focusing on generating leads for businesses rather than ad revenue or sponsorships.
The Tree Analogy
To explain our approach, I often use a tree analogy. Think of your content as a tree: the trunk represents your core expertise, the branches are the different categories within that expertise, and the leaves are the specific questions people ask. Successful YouTube content focuses on these “leaf topics”—very specific questions. This strategy ensures each video has a built-in audience and less competition.
Implementing the Leaf Strategy
By following the leaf strategy, you can realistically generate significant revenue from just a few views. For example, getting 100 views from search could lead to $10,000 in business revenue.
Subscribers vs. Views
When it comes to ad revenue, views matter more than subscribers. Subscribers are often a vanity metric, while views directly impact ad revenue. However, there’s another critical element to consider: your email list.
The Value of an Email List
An email list offers control and direct communication with your audience, unlike YouTube, where the algorithm determines who sees your content. I once neglected my email list, and my business suffered. Now, with a smaller but highly engaged list, I see much better results.
Growing and Leveraging Your Email List
Previously, my email list had low engagement. After revamping it, I now have a list of over 1,600 contacts with a 36.6% open rate. Using ActiveCampaign, I can resend emails with different subject lines to increase engagement.
Email Frequency
Inspired by Noelle Randall, I started sending daily emails to new subscribers for the first 30 days. Despite initial concerns about unsubscribes, my list continues to grow, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This strategy keeps me top of mind and has even converted subscribers into paying clients.
Conclusion
If you’re still reading, you value the insights I’ve shared. To help you leverage YouTube for business leads, I want to offer you a gift: my book, “A Hero’s Guide to Influence on YouTube.” This comprehensive guide details everything you need to know to succeed on YouTube, from analytics to content strategies. Visit natesyoutubebook.com to get your free copy by covering the shipping cost.
