Channel subscriptions give you the ability to collect subscribers for a Channel. It also allows you to send scheduled email notifications to your subscribers when you add new content to your Channel. This means that you can keep both new and existing audiences engaged by letting them know when you’ve released new content. Pretty sweet, right? We think so! You can manage your audience members by collecting, tracking, and connecting with them right within the Wistia platform.
Collect subscribers
To start collecting subscribers, you’ll first need to ensure you’ve enabled the Subscribe button and form on your Channel. To do so, head to your Channel, click "Customize," and select "Email Subscribers." Then, check off the "Show Subscribe button" option.
Once this feature is enabled, you can optionally require viewers to enter their email to access Channel content, ask for their first and last name in addition to their email, and/or further customize the form.
If you’re connected to HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, or an email integration, you can also sync your subscribers to your integration. When connected, you’ll be able to collect new contacts within your integration platform and send them to specific lists.
View subscribers in Wistia
Once visitors have successfully completed the Subscribe form, they will be collected in Wistia as subscribers. You can see how many subscribers a Channel has by navigating to the Subscribers page in your Channel.
The Subscribers page includes a list of all subscribers for a Channel (including Name (if enabled), Email, and Subscribe date) as well as the total subscriber count. You will also find the option to instantly export the subscriber list to a CSV.
Notify subscribers
There are a couple of steps to take in order to notify Channel subscribers about your sweet new content.
Email settings
You’ll first need to be sure that an Account Owner or Manager has filled out the “Email Settings” section in your account, which can be accessed under “Settings.”
You can learn more about this feature here.
Email notifications
Now that Email Settings are complete, you can set up email notifications for subscribers. Next to a Channel media, click the three dots and then select "Send notification."
The email notification will include the following:
A Channel logo (if present)
Body text that reads “Watch the latest from [Channel name]”
The thumbnail & title of the media being published
A “Watch Now” button
An email footer with an unsubscribe link
You can further customize the notification to best fit your company’s branding and content. Email notifications allow for the following customizations:
A custom Subject line & Preview Text
A button link that is a URL of your choosing
A dark or light email template theme
Dark or light button text color
Once your notification is customized, choose your Send strategy: Save without sending, send once the media is published to the Channel, or send at a specific date and time.
You can also send a test email before finalizing your notification settings.
When you're all set, click "Save."
Channel subscribers and marketing integrations
Whether you’re connected to HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, or an email integration, you’ll need to select a list if you’d like your Channel subscribers to populate there. Within your Channel, select "Email Subscribers" from the Customize menu. Here, select the list you’d like to send your subscribers to.
When a viewer subscribes to your Channel, you can choose to collect just their email, or their first name, last name, and email. This information will then be sent to the list you have chosen for your marketing or email provider.
Note
If you have the Wistia and HubSpot integration connected, you’ll need to have a static list ready in HubSpot for your Channel subscribers. This can be a brand new list for your Channel subscribers, or one that already exists!
FAQs
Can I get analytics on my notifications?
You might be wondering what your click-through rate is and how many viewers opened your email. At the moment, we do not have this functionality available.
Can I get notified when someone subscribes to my Channel?
Yes, you can! From your Account Settings, click "Notifications," then enable "New Channel Subscribers" under New Lead Alert and save your changes. Visit our Notification Settings Help page for details on all of our account notification options.
What happens if a viewer unsubscribes?
If a viewer unsubscribes, they are removed from within Wistia. If you export your list of subscribers, those who are unsubscribed will be included, but marked as unsubscribed.
Note
If you are syncing your subscribers to another platform, Wistia doesn’t know what happens to those subscribers from there. If someone unsubscribes from the marketing emails, they won’t be unsubscribed from Wistia.
I gated my Channel with the subscribe form, but the form no longer appears. Why?
Some of our Legacy plans include a subscriber limit of 250. When that limit is reached, the Subscribe feature will be removed, and your Channel will no longer be gated. Our current plans do not come with a subscriber limit. You can check them out on our Pricing page!
You ready? Go forth and channel! Have questions? Need some help? Give us a shout!