If You Don’t Get LOTS of Comments on Your Videos, Watch This ASAP 

I almost disabled comments on this video to be a bit of a troll, but decided not to 😂 But actually, here's the video with the REALLY high comments on it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MFOk2j1MGGM.html

❤ Comments are my favorite part of having a RU-vid channel! And yes, God Bless those sweet ladies who are always there as soon as a new video goes live. I love that they always have an encouraging word for not only me but one another. THEY have built an amazing community and developed friendships among themselves - not just about watching me - and I AM HERE FOR IT ❤ I have the BEST community bar none! 😊❤ Thanks for all you do, Nate. I just looked at your Channel yesterday thinking I might have missed a video because it seemed like a while since I had seen you. 😅

I want my regulars to feel like we're friends. That can't happen if the convo doesn't go both ways, so responding to comments is the way I cement the relationships with my audience. We get only limited monetization, so the small money we earn only comes as the result of a sense of connection. Lastly, I read every comment, and give a special shout out in my replies to the "die hards", letting them know that they are recognized as uniquely loyal followers. Never hurts to make someone feel special. Love your stuff Nate. I never miss. Thanks for all the help. Super valuable.

I have a confession... I don't create RU-vid videos. About 4 years ago a friend asked me to research"doing" RU-vid, and I found you then. Stayed for your unique reliance on data, reflection, curiosity and insight into people's motivations. I always feel smarter after watching one of your videos. Like in my life, I CAN figure out this perplexing thing, bc Nate (not Nick!) demonstrated it's possible to, albeit in a different field. Keep it coming!

I have been worried with lack of commenting on my very small channel. But I know I am still growing. This video helps me not to worry.

Good video Nick. I am a RU-vidr and I reply to most comments on my videos or at least give the comment a like and a❤.

I always find it interesting when someone comments on my video and mention they’ve been watching me for a while, then I see it’s their first comment on my channel! Makes me wonder how many out there are regular watchers that I’ll never know because they never comment

You can get a lot of comments if you make a small spelling mistake or mispronounce a name. Ask me how I know 😅

I barely get any comments, but when I do, I make sure to respond. This is what I'm so excited about! Connection and knowledge that I helped someone. Also feedback or requests. I'm looking forward to the day when I'm able to connect with my audience the way you do, Kate. 😅😂. For real though, Nate. 😊

I try to leave uplifting comments on most videos that I watch! My audience is mostly small creators because we have built a community. Thanks so much for all of your guidance! You're my most trusted source for youtube inner workings!! 💜💙💚💛🧡❤💜

I'm one of your early adopters. Your advice has helped me gain over 5 MILLION views! ⚡️ I watch every one of your videos and always learn something new. Thanks Nate! ⚡️

My channel actually grew from me commenting on my subscriber's channel 😭 it was the foundation for the first 200 subs, until I decided to change the tactics and drastically improved my content My OG subs noticed the change and commented on it, it blew up and it hit 300k views (Yes this is my alt acc)

Hi Nate. Maybe I've asked this before. In your research, I'm wondering if you ever come across the shelf life of an entire channel. I've been in the game for over 14 years now and had my prime time in the sun. I have over a million subs and 179 million views. RU-vid used to promote my videos for the longest time and as of the last couple of years that has stopped. In spite of trying to reinvent myself, nothing seems to work. Does the algorithm just say: "Nope, this guy has been around too long and it's time for him to start a new channel or retire." Might be a good research topic. It's frustrating to say the least.

Also. Interestingly I have an example with 600k views and 1.7k comments. I have an example with 40k views and 1k comments!

First! 😂 {Edited to "early adopter" as I reached that part in video 😅. I burst into the empty quiet room shouting "hey everybody!"}

I use my comments section to CREATE content regularly. Half of my videos are actually reading comments from the audience to the audience. It’s an interesting system since I post 2 long form videos per day.

idk what to comment

Completely agree. I've found no positive correlation between high comments and views! For me: 0 to 48 hours = Loads of love and positivity. 48 to 72 hours = "I think you'll find". 72 hours and over: "Who is this guy".

You are very autism friendly. You may hear that I can understand you and you put everything simply and you demonstrate it so I can picture it in my mind as I’m going along.

🤯 Wow, this video was a game-changer! I've been struggling to get more comments on my videos, and the tips shared here are pure gold! 💎 I'm definitely going to try implementing the "question of the day" strategy and focus on building a more engaging community. Thank you so much for sharing these insights, Nate Black! Can't wait to see the results on my own channel. 🚀

Ever since I became a content creator my entire RU-vid experience has changed. I always tap the like button. And a very huge change I comment. Even if it’s under another comment n

Another great vid Nat man🤙. Surprise, surprise, the comment are almost keeping up with the 👍. Now that’s impressive! But to the video, give people a reason to comment was my biggest takeaway👊.

Comments are like little gifts of validation from viewers who care enough to let you know that they appreciate the effort you made in making a video for them to watch. I love responding to them as much as I love reading them! 💗🎁💝 Thanks for this video Nate!

Interesting take on this. To be honest I always thought the same - essentially only the extra view counted towards earning more impressions vs the fact that a comment was left. I used to try to think of less awkward ways to say, 'hey you, leave a comment' but I couldn't really come up with anything so I just don't ask normally. I have some videos that do have a lot of comments and some that I kind of scratch my head over why they don't have comments. I will say though, just for my channel, paying attention to these comments is responsible for some of the success. I cover Smartphones and cases / accessories on my channel. I posted a review of a screen protector with a demo phone, but people really wanted to see 'the real deal'. I created a follow up video to the initial review, which is something I generally don't do, and that video has done quite well for a channel my size in my opinion. I've also picked up on things that people are curious about from comments on videos as I don't have a high rate of comments on polls or community posts. I find comments when left to be quite valuable. Thanks for video, I try to watch them all in between the 9 million things I'm always doing 🙃

I love commenting on videos with little or no comments because I love the increased likelihood my comment will be seen by the creator and by others. When I have to comment on a video, it's never the same reason, other than what you placed in the poll. Usually the creator said or did something really relatable. I tend to comment a lot when I have a similar experiences to what their sharing, etc. And speaking of being meta, you had to know you'd get TONS of comments on THIS video! Lol. Well played, Nate. Well played 👏🏿

Interesting topic my friend. Kudos to you Nate for putting forth a YT channel that is in a very crowded space. This isn't a topic I've heard discussed for 5 years or more. Here's an unrelated comment to the video: how did you get the "Transcript" button in the description? The other technique to getting comments--especially on education channels--is to post something controversial that a lot of people "think they know" about. And when people leave comments, respond with a question to get even more comments - if you can. Don't be weird about it and try to ram a round peg into a square hole! Be sure to ask them "open ended questions" as opposed to "yes" or "no" questions. On an education channel, the last way to promote your own material, is to leave a comment with the "playlist URL" to the video to which you're referring. All the very best, Cheers Rick

"Algorithmic Connection" sounds like an early 2000s math rock band that frequently plays at local coffee shops ... I'd go to that show.

I think reading comments and at least liking them, shows your viewers that you care about them. As a creator I think you can NEVER look too much at the comments on your videos. :) I really like how you describe it and set it all out! Thank you for your advice 😃

Talking about politics, religion, the "best" product or gear, will all get more comments than other types of videos. And not always nice and positive comments. 😊

OG here. Always excited to watch your videos. You upload the same day as I do so after I get mine up I always go check yours out! When I have to stop and comment in the middle of a video usually because I really relate to something or because something is really funny or emotional in some way.

Mate, I love your content, it is helping me with my football content. 33k subs -> 40K here we go !

If I watch a video and someone asks a question that is not one that just anybody can answer, but "I" can answer either because of my skillset or my unique knowledge, I find myself almost unable to "not" comment. It doesn't just have to be a question with an answer, but even an event where my comment will be unique so I feel my response makes "me" unique.

Comments have always been a focus on my channel as I read (all) and respond to nearly every comment I can. I have a great audience that seem to like to engage when I show mistakes I've made, triumphs I've had, or evoked memories they have that relate to a motorcycle I'm working on. Due to the nature of my videos they can't all be memorable but I do find the videos people connect with the most are when I show myself making mistakes and presenting it in a way of a learning experience. I feel this makes me more relatable to the audience and they feel more of a part of experience. This likely goes back to the "breaking the silence" aspect you mentioned as the fear of being an outsider has been eliminated by then so they feel no pressure by commenting and like to share their experience. Anyway, I like the commenting!

I’m going to start off and say yes, lol. The link is watch time and interest. The more viewers are interested, the easier it is to get lost in the comments which increases AVD. Just a theory, but usually my most commented videos also perform the best.

Thanks for this… I get a good number of views, and pretty good number of likes, but don’t get a ton of comments unless I do something or say something wrong… it kind of makes me want to mess things up for comments, lol.

Very helpful info Nate. I have found that at least for my content, the more comments I get, the more youtube continues to recommend that content. I used to ask for comments as well but now like you I give them a reason to comment.

Seems like I get a lot of comments on my videos ... and as far as me commenting on other peoples videos it's usually because I feel like I have something to add ... I have no idea why I am commenting on this video lol

Comments also keep viewers on the video longer.... Typing them takes time, and Reading them takes time.

I usually say if you have any insights or comments please post them in the comment section. AlsoI like your end screen music!

I love the comments aspect of videos. I kind of agree they don't do much to move the needle but it's still engagement and I think it plays a small role in engagement points that the algorithm uses, maybe just a notch above tags lol

from 249 subs to 33k mate. In a month. Life is good Nate Ol Mate.

Ive watched 10,000's videos probably on RU-vid and ive probably commented on less than 100. Interesting vid. Thank you Nate! Edit note : I know w/ my vids that initial 150ish views gets 90+% comments and the 2nd/3rd (if vid gets em) push YT does to like 300-500ish and 500-1k+ gets like 10%. Also CTR is 15-20% that initial 100ish views and nose dives to 5-8%, which ive taken to be normal. Idk if any of that means anything, but figured i'd share. Love Peace and Chicken Grease 🙃

As a medical doctor I approve every comment on my channel, to avoid someone post a private or confidential health information.

Your advice in this video will help me immensely. Thank you!

4:30 a meta request for comments right after a reference to a meta request for comments - that’s a recursive meta request for comments

I never get comments, only from parents or friends' parents XD

Meta? I saw what you did, and Im totally not falling for it. Huh...answering your question. Pffft. Who do you think I am. Of course, doubling your meta with my meta, means I must comment and let you know I know, and if you reply, I will know, that you know, that I know. Are we metenough?

I'm convinced that Nate is using a beard filter.

i created my first channel 11 years ago, life happened, - yawn! but i still kept that space for me to watch channels i had found - never commenting. not even liking. because as a viewer on that channel i often had nothing to add to the conversation already going. 3 years ago made this channel. and would again just watch and leave, mostly. because i found on the handful of channels i do leave comments on, nothing is added, no conversation is created, its just me writing a comment with no interaction from the channel i leave a comment on. i've followed you a few years, and often never know what to say, so i still rarely comment.. and i don't know why i never see community feed on my home feed, its just not there, so i miss a lot. i watch you because you seem friendly, like we are just sitting having a chat... and the way you teach - means i want to listen. i know and understand that many people "just" watch the vids and never comment, because i was that type of viewer, its not a good or a bad thing, it "just is".

Totally agree with the "like you know them" vibe - you've created that here 100% - I have been watching you for YEARS - and since you've moved to your own channel - it's only getting richer! :)

Type 3 comments are catnip for me, i love chatting with viewers. I also love it when they chat with eachother in the comments! At the moment i can read and respond to every comment, that may become impractical as the channel footprint grows. Almost forgot, in my weekly wrap up video i have a Comment of the Week segment where i give a shout out to a thoughtful, funny, informative, or just supportive comment. 👍🎬

I’m less likely to comment when creators never respond or even ❤ any comments. They don’t need to always acknowledge MY comment, but they should be acknowledging some comments. Why bother if there’s no evidence they even read them?

Nate. 350 Quality Vids of Various wide Interests. Few Views. Few Likes. Few Comments. Yet I see some dude simply walk up an impoverished bar street in the Philippines and get TEN MILLION views just on one very primitive very amateurish video. There's no guarantees on RU-vid.

I love this!!! When people leave comments on my channel I love to answer to every single one of them! I always think if someone took the time to write a comment I want to give back to that person and it makes me feel closer to the audience ❤. Thank you for this amazing video!

My main source of business is my blog, but for some reason, blog commenting has gone way down over the past decade. I've heard tons of bloggers lamenting the good old days when blog communities felt more lively. Now that liveliness is here on RU-vid. I can post a video that gets 1/100th of the views but 10x as many comments. I think it's one of the best things about RU-vid right now. We can build vibrant communities here.

Love your videos, man. I watch them *50% for the content itself* , and *50% for your personality* . There. Thats why I commented on this particular video. 😁 PS: the goatie really suits you 😎👊

Thanks, Nate. I'm sure many of your viewers believe you really want them to succeed. We feel your warmth and generosity.

Thanks Nate interesting take on comments. This year is my 5th year on RU-vid. I went fulltime after 5 months. Looking forward to the next 5 years ❤

I wasn't going to comment, but then that outro music hit. What a banger!

My videos are primarily music videos. I sing Irish traditional songs, some of which were know who wrote them, and they may not even be that old. Occasional, despite my low view counts, there will be a question about the song. I give a short answer. Then -haha- someone else responds to me with a dissertation on why my answer was insufficient. This happened a few months ago, in one particular song with a very deep sing history that isn’t obvious from the song itself, and it has impacted my output. I know I don’t need to tell everything I know, and I will likely, in future, thank the people who want to take them time to write a tome in the comments, and just ask them to keep it non-personal.😊

Meow there Nate, Paw-some video, and helpful, as purr usual. We've been pondering whether our titles make a difference. You see, our audience are mostly based in Japan, yet our human insists on typing titles in English. I wonder if that causes a bit of a paw-blem, as people might hesitate to reach out due to the language barrier. What are your thoughts? ❤Trouble & Scamp 🐾

Comments are my favourite interaction so that's why I am using TikTok alongside RU-vid. On RU-vid I get maybe 3 comments or so. On TikTok I get over 400. It's really nice just to interact with people who are interested in the same things as you.

Hi Nate, Very helpful. I love seeing comments on my videos. It keeps me motivated to try harder. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day. 😊304 likes

I remember your video from that mailing list you had on Channel Makers, that was about welcoming viewers into a video, and it was great. So a dedicated video about the topic would be great too :) I'm not sure how early adopter I am, I think the channel was 8-10k at that point, maybe three years ago?

you know how RU-vid now says that the algorithm is now looking for a viewer satisfaction will the guy that runs RU-vid sort of made it sound like getting a lot of comments in a video so it might have something to do with it if I understood what the guy was saying correctly in one of those interviews, I forget what that guy's name is but the guy who currently runs the algorithm or whatever. He definitely said something that made it sound like comments have something to do with it

Super interesting. I figured that comments "kept people on the platform", hence it would be important. Our stats show that 56% of our audience is watching on a TV, hence they don't have a simple way of commenting. They would have to go to their computer or grab their phone, find the video, and figure out how to comment. This limitation of certain platforms may be part of the reason that RU-vid does not put as much value on comments as we would expect.

Great breakdown on the mindset of the commentor and how to get comments 👌🏾

This is 100% correct. From my own experience I recently made a video about my channel getting 1million views. In that video I said how much I loved getting comments and I got loads more comments than normal (proportionately for the amount of views anyway). I have a small group of people who comment on lots of my videos and I always read their comments and take on board any advice they have given me on what they like or don't like.

As someone who's gotten solid comments, but low views, I can confirm that comments don't seem to push the algorithm. I've observed this on other channels too, where a creator will only have three hundred views, but forty meaningful comments ranging from commentary to conversation with the creator. Smaller channels with dedicated audiences sometimes seem to do better than bigger channels, because they can rely on the dedication of the community they do have (for example, doing well with a Patreon, even though they only have 1000 subscribers, because those following them are so close to them). I'm beginning to accept that I'll never be a big youtuber, but, as someone who has a couple "OG adopters" who regularly comment on my videos, I am confident I can build a tighter, more close knit community, which, in time, while it won't make me rich, may still allow me to pay a couple bills doing what I love AND connecting to others in a more genuine way.

That makes so much sense! Every time I have a video get an abundance of comments, it's either telling me what I did wrong and correcting me. In these videos I was playing a game I was unfamiliar with, and told the audience to correct me if I'm doing something stupid.... It worked, because I made a lot of dumb decisions. Or usually it's people telling me an enjoyable part of the video they found funny. I've had very good experiences for the most part, and love creating connections with people and even seeing familiar faces over the months. ⛔⛔⛔⛔One 'hate' comment I always think about though was someone telling me I was wasting my time on the platform and my videos suck etc. Which I then replied "Dad?" they actually responded in a positive manner actually saying it made them laugh. I never get offended by these comments and try to turn them around as a joke to show the "hater" it doesn't affect me. God I love making videos :)

Thanks for another interesting video Nate. I hadn't thought whether RU-vid considered comments in their choice to deliver my videos until you mentioned it. Now that you did, it seems to me RU-vid SHOULD weigh comments and we creators' handling of them in their algorithm. Because, if a video receives a lot of comments and if the creator actually replies to a lot of comments, isn't that better and more worth recognizing and sharing than say a video that gets zero comments or even a video that gets lots of comments but the creator does not reply to any of the comments received? To me the best channels receive comments and the creator replies to comments. These comments add great value to videos in my opinion. And I think we've all used YT to solve problems around the house or with the car or with our computer and when a video doesn't answer our question we hope to find the answer in the comments. Without comments, there are no answers.

Some people never comment because on certain videos, 4000 people have already left the same comment. Like and leave. Or just do not bother.

I agree, liking/hearting/responding to a comment builds that connection!

Comments are a great way to build a community. And I'm amazed how worthy comments can be on Posts if you ask your audience questions on what they'd want to see in the future. I also think that by answering comments, I have a better chance to transform a commentator into a subscriber!

Interesting take on the comment situation. I'm one of the odd ones. I love being first to comment on videos. From a creator's viewpoint, I know it's appreciated and will definitely be read. LOL.🤓

Thank you so much for digging around on this. I think the comments not equaling spreadability is surprising, but relieving. It does make me start questioning though: what is the end goal of connection? Simply monetization? Is it basically just a vanity metric? Something like “how much I help people” is nice, but not easily quantifiable…

I missed the poll but agree that a funny bit often makes me comment, especially when it's dry or very subtle, almost like an Easter egg for those who have a sense of humour but inflames those that don't (weirdly specific?). I'm a a big believe in a hearty welcome and always say 'welcome back friends' as an opener. Interesting vid, thanks - food for thought.

When I watch a video, and I like it, then I make a comment.

Whenever someone makes a negative comment on my channel, people start bickering in the comments and it seems to help the video, sadly!

I always try to read my comments and I too look at their channels!

Hi Nate, I ❤ your channel. I haven’t seen other RU-vid channels discuss this particular topic. It was very interesting to watch.

So if I comment will you roast my channel?

Greeting Nate, i have a fairly inactive alt channel about motorbikes @ricardorides and had completely forgotten to login and check if there were any comments there. As i was replying to a handful of old comments from weeks maybe months back i noticed a small increase in Views and new comments started to randomly arrive out of the blue almost immediately for that small channel. I think from experience what commenting does is give it a small push, like an electric shock on a dead frog 😂 i watched your video and just wanted to share my own experience. It looks like any interaction causes a dead channel to be revived even if momentarely

As always Nate, so much relatable truth in this video. We’ve grown a wonderful international community in the last couple of years, and have so much great interaction. We have so many viewers that say they feel like they know us, but equally we have got to know so many of them through their regular comments. In our last video I actually asked people to comment where they were watching from and had loads of first time commenters who said they had been watching our videos for some time! 😊

Very good points! Haha, I didn’t get to be the first one to break the silence as by the time I watch this there are 790 before mine. What we do with other bloggers is that we comment each others posts. Ofc it’s good for back linking too, but I see it also the way to help other bloggers exactly because we are the ones to break the silence and then make it easier for “normal” followers to comment too. I don’t know if it’s common in RU-vid but at least if I end up seeing a video especially from the small channel I tend to leave a comment.

I actually found this video really interesting. I already assumed that comments had a direct tie to views. This is super cool and helpful. Thank you so Much for making this video.

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What makes me want to comment is when someone has a strong opinion about something. I either agree or disagree and I want to tell them why. Actually, I’m even MORE likely to comment if I disagree.

I'm a small youtuber still catching with my subs, views and watch hrs. These tips are great help. Thank you ❤🙏

Not gonna lie, MOST of the time I don’t comment on your videos is because you already have so many comments. Feel like “another fish in the sea” if you will. But hearing that you do read em is pretty cool! (Shameful pitch that I would absolutely love to hear your free roast on my channel. I’m a budget friendly kinda guy ;D) Thanks for your mass amounts of effort!!

so better to use time in video to ask for likes, subscriptions, or comments? which is truly the main thing you need as a small new content creator to help with building community and appeasing the algorithm that helps you build a community?

I just love interacting and being able to engage with my subscribers 😊

The bulk of comments on my channel are mainly questions. The content i create is educational in nature of 'how to make a fishing rod' type scenario. Every once in a while i get a 'good job' type of comment...

I am so glad. Thank you for the video. I worked now so long on growing my channel and finally habe a small increase of subscribers but hardly ever comments. Doesnt Matter how I try to get some. I am so glad that i don't have to increase the comments to grow 😊

Also

I see what you did there with the ending of this video . Honestly I can't remember the last video i commented on but I'll usually comment if i want to encourage a creator or if something emotionally gets me in the video , or if i feel i have a good/ different point to make or if they ask a specific question like at the end of this video & there's not too many comments then I'll engage 🤷‍♂

Great psychology applied here. it's funny cos i commented on the video you talked about after you said you look at channels, cos my channel is still growing. so i guess it worked on me twice haha

I do wonder if people are persuaded to watch by seeing the video has a lot of comments on it. I'm a tiny channel. Just restarted my RU-vid channel but my comments on others in my niche and creating genuine conversation in my comments have led to good growth and even provided ideas for new videos.....

lol everytime u say the word comment, I felt to comment. A good way to comment farm is making an intentinal mistake in your video. The more obvious the mistake the better

I find number of comments to be a good indicator of whether I've made a video the audience can connect with. The ones with little or no comments tend to be less engaging or just very plainly informative, and I want to move away from that