Why Views Don’t Matter (If You Want Sales)
If you’ve been stuck believing you need thousands of views or viral videos to make money on YouTube, it’s time to rethink everything.
The truth? My most-viewed videos—those with hundreds of thousands of views—brought in zero sales. Meanwhile, my clients are making money with as few as seven views. One brought in a $50 sale on a brand-new channel. Another landed a one-on-one client and a membership signup from a video with 20 views.
It’s not about views. It’s about strategy.
Let’s walk through why most business owners are using YouTube the wrong way and what to do instead to finally turn your channel into a sales machine.
Why Going Viral Won’t Make You Money
Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of chasing vanity metrics: more views, more subscribers, and that coveted silver play button.
But let’s be honest, going viral doesn’t mean getting paid.
Viral Videos Attract the Wrong Audience
When you create videos just to go viral, you attract people who are:
Newbie DIYers
Freebie chasers
Not interested in investing in your offer
And here’s what happens next:
The YouTube algorithm picks up on who’s watching your viral content and starts sending more of those same people to your future videos. If those people don’t buy, YouTube will keep promoting your content to viewers who never will.
That’s exactly what happened to me. I got views—but no sales. I had to delete those viral videos and reset my channel before things turned around.
The Shift from Content Platform to Sales Platform
YouTube can either be a content graveyard—or a high-performing sales engine. The difference lies in how you use it.
Most content creators are:
Posting for reach
Promoting videos everywhere
Judging success by subscriber count
But if you’re a business owner, you should be:
Training the algorithm to find your ready-to-buy viewer
Posting content that leads to revenue—not just reach
Building a funnel that works while you sleep
That’s where the YouTube playlist funnel comes in.
The Playlist Funnel Strategy That Converts with Low Views
I build all of my YouTube content using a five-video system called the playlist funnel. It’s the foundation of my sales strategy—and the same one I teach to clients.
Why 5 Videos Are All You Need
This five-part series takes a viewer from:
Cold and curious
Interested and informed
Clear on their objections
Ready for transformation
Eager to buy
Each video is intentional and crafted to create a belief shift or bust a buyer objection. This content doesn’t just attract viewers—it converts them.
What Happens When You Build a Playlist Funnel
Let me share what this looks like in real life:
Client A launched her second video with just seven views—and made a $50 sale.
Client B got a membership signup and booked a 1:1 client from a 20-view video.
Client C with 15,000 subscribers was frustrated with low ROI. After applying the funnel strategy, she started making sales from her YouTube comments section and landed a five-figure brand deal.
As for me? I film once, maybe twice a month. Some days I have lipstick on my teeth, rosacea flare-ups, or my kids run through the background. No perfect edits. No high production.
And I’m making more money in 2025 than I ever have, all while working less.
Stop Creating Content. Start Creating a System.
Here’s the biggest mistake I see: business owners making more content without a clear system.
Let’s shift that right now.
What Business Owners Should Focus On
Train the algorithm – Post consistent, specific videos that target your ideal client
Post for revenue, not reach – Let go of the ego boost from views that don’t convert
Track conversions – Identify which topics bring in sales, not just attention
Build a five-video system – Don’t rely on random content or luck
The YouTube algorithm is a matching machine. But it needs you to teach it who to send your videos to. You do that by consistently posting videos that solve specific problems for your ready-to-buy viewer.
Why You Don’t Need Fancy Editing or Big Numbers
Too many people delay starting their channel because they think they need:
Perfect lighting
Expensive cameras
1,000+ subscribers
Instagram-worthy backdrops
That’s all wrong.
What you really need is content that solves problems for the right people; your buyers.
When one human connects with another human through your video, that’s when sales happen. Not because of production quality. Not because of a fancy thumbnail. But because you showed up as yourself and made someone feel understood.
Your Funnel is More Powerful Than an Email Sequence
This is the best part: a YouTube playlist funnel works like a public email sequence, only better.
Viewers can:
Discover your channel
Watch your full funnel in under an hour
Decide to work with you the same day
It’s bingeable. It’s visible. It builds trust faster than any email drip series ever could.
So, What’s Next? Here’s the Plan
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start selling, here’s what to do:
Step 1 – Learn the Funnel Structure
Join my free training, Build a YouTube Funnel That Sells (Even With 7 Views).
Inside, I’ll teach you:
How to stop relying on visibility and start generating sales
What topics convert cold viewers into clients
How to train the algorithm to find you buyers
🎯 Grab your seat at trenalittle.com/class
Step 2 – Track Sales, Not Vanity Metrics
After your videos go live, look at what’s actually converting:
Which topics drove sales?
What video led to a client application or product purchase?
Then create more of that content.
Step 3 – Double Down on What’s Working
Once your system is in place, you don’t need to film every week. I batch once or twice a month, follow my playlist funnel structure, and watch the sales roll in.
This system works for new channels, small channels, and established ones that aren’t converting.
YouTube doesn’t need to be hard. It doesn’t need to take over your schedule. And you absolutely don’t need thousands of views to make it work.
You just need a smarter system; a playlist funnel that turns cold viewers into warm buyers.
Stop waiting for the perfect camera, the perfect idea, or the perfect time.
You can start today and get results from your next video, even if it only gets 7 views.
