Why Youtube Shares May Matter More Than Comments?

When I scroll through YouTube, I find myself looking at the comments, watching people go back and forth – sometimes they’re funny, sometimes supportive, and sometimes they’re just arguing. It can really feel like the comments are where the community lives. But when I think about what actually helps a channel reach new people or makes a video stick around, sharing seems to make the biggest difference.

Sharing isn’t just another way to interact; it takes the video outside of YouTube, into group chats, onto social media feeds, or into someone’s private messages. That step means someone thought the video was worth showing to someone else, not just responding to it.

For the algorithm, a share is a sign the video is connecting in a way that might deserve a bigger audience. Comments can keep the conversation close – between people who are already there – but sharing brings new people in and lets the video join a larger conversation outside its original circle.

For anyone who cares about what really helps channels grow – like a brand or a creator – it’s often more telling to look at how often people are sharing than how many times they’re commenting. In a place where there’s so much happening and everyone wants some attention, thinking about why shares might mean more than comments can shift how we see what actually matters, and expand your creator reach in ways that simple engagement can’t always accomplish.

I didn’t really come to this by reading articles or watching tutorials – it kind of made sense after I stepped back and had some quiet time away from everything. When you put aside the mess of YouTube comments, what matters most is simple: who actually thought a video was good enough to send to someone else? Sharing a video is a quiet, direct way of saying, “I think you’d get something out of this.” Unlike comments, which are often about being seen or joining a back-and-forth, sharing is usually more personal. It happens when someone sends a link to a friend, pastes it in a group chat, or even posts it on their own timeline.

Because of this, it feels more genuine – and YouTube’s algorithm definitely pays attention to how much a video gets shared when it decides what to show to other people. That’s why creators and digital marketers, like the people at INSTABOOST, are always looking at sharing data. If you see that a lot of people are passing a video along, it’s a strong sign that something about it really connected. Comments can go in all directions – arguments, jokes, reactions – but it’s shares that actually get a video in front of new viewers.

I’ve noticed people tend to overlook this and focus too much on views or likes, when in reality, looking at how often a video gets shared tells you much more about its reach – sort of like finding an honest signal if you ever want to kickstart your YouTube growth. And unlike comments or views, it’s much harder to fake a lot of real shares. If you want to get a sense of how much a video matters to people or whether it could take off, it probably says more to look at the sharing than to scroll endlessly through the comments.

It’s easy to forget about risk if you’re used to chasing the quick feedback that comes with comments. For a lot of creators, comments feel like proof that people are paying attention – they’re immediate, and it’s nice to see people reacting, whether they agree, argue, or share a joke. But if you look at what actually helps your work reach new people, comments don’t move the needle as much as sharing does.

When someone shares your video, they’re making a small bet on it – sending it to a friend, dropping it in a group chat, or posting it somewhere you might never have imagined. That’s different from leaving a comment; it means they think the video is worth showing to someone else, and they’re willing to have their name attached to it. There’s a kind of trust involved, for both sides.

And, quietly, that’s the kind of activity platforms notice. YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t ignore when videos get shared outside the usual circles – it actually gives those shares weight, and it can change how often your video gets recommended or pulled up in search. It’s not just something you read about in blog posts; if you look at channels that gain popularity on YouTube, there’s usually a moment when a handful of shares make everything speed up.

So if you’re making videos, or even if you’re working with tools like INSTABOOST, it’s worth thinking about what makes someone feel good about sharing your work, not just commenting on it. It’s a bit less comfortable to focus on, since you’re giving up some control over how people encounter your stuff. But that’s where most of the real growth starts, and it’s a different kind of feedback, quieter but more meaningful in the long run.

There’s a lot of advice floating around about how to boost YouTube comments, and honestly, I think a lot of creators end up treating each reply like it’s proof their channel is growing. But comment numbers can be misleading. They’re easy to bump up – sometimes you see people asking questions that are bound to start arguments, or running giveaways, or worse, attracting a flood of bots. None of that really tells you whether your video meant something to someone. Shares are different. It’s not easy to fake a share, and people usually won’t send a video to their friends unless they actually think it’s worth watching.

YouTube’s own algorithm seems to understand this too; it pays more attention to shares than to a busy comment section, because shares look like real recommendations, not just noise. I know some creators like it when their comments blow up, especially if they’re good at sparking debates, but getting someone to share your video usually means you’ve built some trust, or you’ve made something that actually sticks with them. Even when you’re focused on growth or trying to get more views on YouTube, it’s worth noticing how often people share your content, because that’s a sign you’re actually connecting. There are tools like INSTABOOST that can show you those numbers, which can be a surprising reality check. In the end, people share things that matter to them, and that’s probably a better sign of impact than anything you’ll find in your comments tab.