You check your analytics. 5,000 views. Nice.
Then you scroll to comments. 12 comments. On a video with 5,000 views.
That's a 0.24% comment rate. And it feels terrible.
You're not alone. This happens to creators constantly. Views come in, but the comment section stays quiet. You're left wondering: did people even watch? Did they like it? Why isn't anyone talking?
Here's what's actually happening—and how to fix it.
The Math That Matters
First, let's get real about expectations.
A healthy comment rate for most channels is between 0.5% and 2% of views. That means:
- 1,000 views = 5-20 comments (normal)
- 10,000 views = 50-200 comments (normal)
- 100,000 views = 500-2,000 comments (normal)
If you're getting 12 comments on 5,000 views, you're at 0.24%. That's below normal, but it's not catastrophic. The problem isn't always that you're failing—sometimes it's that you're comparing yourself to channels that have built communities over years.
But if you want to improve, you need to understand why people watch but don't comment.
Why People Watch But Don't Comment
There are five main reasons your comment section stays quiet:
1. Your Content Doesn't Invite Discussion
Some videos are designed to be consumed, not discussed. A 10-minute meditation video might get thousands of views, but people don't comment because there's nothing to say. They watched, they relaxed, they moved on.
The fix: Ask questions. Create moments that make people want to respond. End with something that invites discussion, not just "thanks for watching."
2. Your Audience Doesn't Know You Want Comments
Sounds obvious, but most creators never actually ask. They assume people will comment if they want to. But people need permission—and encouragement.
The fix: Explicitly invite comments. "What do you think?" "Have you tried this?" "What's your experience with this?" Make it clear you want to hear from them.
3. Your Content Feels "Complete"
If your video answers every question perfectly, there's nothing left to discuss. People watch, learn, and leave satisfied—but silent.
The fix: Leave some questions unanswered. Create curiosity. Mention something you'll cover in a future video. Give people a reason to ask for more.
4. Your Thumbnails and Titles Set Wrong Expectations
You might be attracting viewers who aren't your actual audience. If your title promises "The Ultimate Guide" but your thumbnail shows drama, you're pulling in people who want entertainment, not education. They watch, realize it's not what they expected, and leave without engaging.
The fix: Make sure your thumbnail, title, and content all match. If you're making educational content, attract people who want to learn. If you're making entertainment, attract people who want to be entertained.
5. You're Not Responding to the Comments You Do Get
This is the death spiral. You get few comments, so you don't respond. People see you're not engaging, so they don't comment. Your comment section dies.
The fix: Respond to every comment you get, especially early on. Show people you're listening. When they see you engaging, they're more likely to engage back. Timing matters, but consistency matters more. If you're struggling to keep up, a focused daily routine can help you stay on top of engagement without burning out.
How to Diagnose Your Specific Problem
Before you can fix it, you need to know what's wrong. Here's how to figure it out:
Check Your Comment Rate
Calculate: Comments ÷ Views × 100 = Comment Rate
- Below 0.3% = Problem (very low engagement)
- 0.3% - 0.5% = Below average (needs improvement)
- 0.5% - 2% = Normal (healthy engagement)
- Above 2% = Excellent (strong community)
Compare Video Types
Look at your videos that DO get comments. What's different?
- Are they controversial topics?
- Do they ask questions?
- Do they leave things unanswered?
- Do they tell personal stories?
Find the pattern. Then replicate it.
Check Your Watch Time vs. Comments
If people are watching your full videos but not commenting, your content is engaging but not discussion-worthy. If they're clicking away quickly AND not commenting, your content isn't engaging at all.
Look at When Comments Come In
Do comments come in the first hour? First day? Or do they trickle in over weeks?
Early comments mean your content invites immediate discussion. Late comments mean people are finding your video later and engaging then. Both are fine, but they tell you different things about your audience.
The Fix: Make Your Content Comment-Worthy
Here are practical strategies that actually work:
1. Ask Specific Questions (Not Generic Ones)
Bad: "What do you think?"
Good: "What's the biggest mistake you made when you first started [topic]?"
Why it works: Specific questions give people something concrete to respond to. Generic questions get ignored.
2. Create Debate-Worthy Moments
Not every video needs to be controversial, but giving people something to disagree with (respectfully) creates discussion.
"I know a lot of people say X, but I think Y because..."
This invites people to share their perspective. And when people share perspectives, they comment.
3. Leave Gaps Intentionally
Don't answer every question. Say things like:
- "I'll cover that in next week's video"
- "That's a whole topic on its own"
- "I'm still figuring that out myself"
This creates curiosity. And curiosity creates comments.
4. Tell Personal Stories
People comment on stories. They don't comment on facts.
Instead of "Here's how to do X," try "Here's how I learned to do X, and here's what went wrong."
Stories invite people to share their own experiences. And when they share, they comment.
5. Respond Early and Often
The first comments on a video set the tone. If you respond quickly, you show people you're active. This encourages more comments.
If you wait days to respond, people assume you're not reading comments. So they stop commenting. Reply timing can make a difference, especially in those first 24 hours when you're setting the engagement tone for your video.
6. Use Community Posts
If you have access to Community Posts, use them. Ask questions. Share behind-the-scenes. Create discussion outside of videos.
This builds the habit of engagement. And when people are used to engaging with you, they're more likely to comment on videos. This is part of building a loyal community, not just collecting subscribers.
7. Make Your Thumbnails Match Your Content
If your thumbnail promises drama but your video is educational, you're attracting the wrong audience. They'll watch, realize it's not what they wanted, and leave without engaging.
Make sure your thumbnail, title, and content all align. Attract people who actually want what you're making.
What to Do Right Now
You don't need to overhaul everything. Start here:
This week:
- End your next video with a specific question
- Respond to every comment you get (even if it's just "Thanks!")
- Check which of your videos got the most comments and figure out why
- Use comment analytics to understand what's working
This month:
- Compare your comment rates across different video types
- Start asking questions in your videos (not just at the end)
- Make sure your thumbnails match your content
- Turn comments into video ideas by identifying what your audience actually wants
This quarter:
- Build the habit of responding to comments consistently
- Create content that invites discussion, not just consumption
- Track your comment rate and see if it's improving
The Reality Check
Here's the truth: not every video will get comments. And that's okay.
Some videos are meant to be consumed quietly. A meditation video might get 10,000 views and 5 comments, and that's fine. People watched, they benefited, they moved on.
The goal isn't to force comments on every video. The goal is to create content that naturally invites discussion when discussion makes sense.
If you're making educational content, some videos will be reference material. People will watch, learn, bookmark, and leave. That's not a failure—that's valuable content doing its job.
But if you want to build a community, you need some videos that invite discussion. And those videos need to ask questions, tell stories, and leave gaps that make people want to respond. Building a loyal community takes time, but it starts with creating content that invites conversation.
The Bottom Line
Views without comments isn't always a problem. Sometimes it's just the nature of your content.
But if you want more comments, you need to:
- Ask specific questions
- Create discussion-worthy moments
- Respond to the comments you do get
- Make your content invite engagement, not just consumption
The comment section isn't just a metric. It's your community. And communities need conversation. If your channel isn't growing despite getting views, understanding your audience's emotions and needs through your comments can reveal what's missing.
Start the conversation. Then keep it going.
Want to understand what your existing comments are telling you? Engage Suite helps you analyze comment sentiment, detect questions, and see patterns in your engagement—so you can create content that actually invites discussion.