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Views don’t matter.
Subscribers don’t matter.
Profit doesn’t matter.
You already knew that likes don’t matter.
The amount of customers you have doesn’t matter.
Shares… matter a little bit. But for the sake of this, they don’t matter.
There’s only one metric that actually matters.
Comments.
Since I first started uploading videos to YouTube in 2009, comments have been the only thing that mattered.
Yes, it was cool when my video blew up to 2.7 million views, and it was awesome when it put $7,000 in my pocket, but the only number I was ever checking was the comments.
When I turn in a project for a client, damn it feels good to see that money hit the account — but what I actually care about is the specific reasons from them why the video hit the mark.
The comments, not the profit.
Let me get a little clearer — real comments from real people matter most. In 2024 it’s extremely clear when your replies are filled with bots. I’m talking about genuine comments, the ones who tell you why your point sucks, or why your video rules, or just want to talk to you.
In the past, I said that the all content should drive the viewer to take positive outward actions. Those were:
- Ask something
- Answer something
- Try something
- Buy something
- Rave about something
- Save something
- Share something
- Get curious about something
“Buy something” pops out from that list, because we’re in business to make money. We love making stuff and talking online, but we (deservedly) want a financial return on all of this time spent.
But what we fail to understand is that all seven of the other things put your audience on a journey to give you money.
If someone is asking you questions (or answering yours)…
If someone is willing to act on what you’ve given them…
If someone is willing to show or tell other people what you’re doing…
Your presence prompts people to take action. You can move people.
And when you have this kind of power to create conversations and actions…
Everything takes care of itself.
The people in your YouTube comments are the first to buy from you.
Your Twitter and LinkedIn friends go from your IRL weekend buddies, to the creators you’ve been following for years.
In your email and DMs, people make introductions for you that you didn’t ask for — messages that lead to 4-6 figure partnerships around your skills & expertise.
There are zero successful YouTubers with empty comment sections.
The best follows on Twitter and Instagram blow up their replies.
I see a lot of my friends say that their YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn videos are “blowing up” because they’re getting soooooo many views.
But they get zero comments, replies, or DMs.
The numbers went up, but you still have no clue what people are thinking about you. You don’t know if you’re helping them, or if they like you, or if they got ANYTHING out of what you gave them.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the other stuff matters.
But whenever I post a YouTube video or send a newsletter, I’m only looking for comments and replies.
What did Method Man say on C.R.E.A.M.?
Comments Rule Everything Around Me.
For your sanity, I’d encourage you to think the same way. As I write this, my last video got 40 views. But I got three very kind YouTube comments, plus a few texts telling me to keep going.
So that’s what I’m going to do.
Tim