We analyzed 60 videos across 3 health channels to show you exactly what separates good hero channels from great ones. Real engagement data, not guesswork.
A hero channel is a YouTube channel worth studying and learning from. Not just any popular channel, but one that matches three criteria:
At least 30 comments per video on average. Not just one viral hit, but reliable engagement across their content.
Production quality and posting frequency you can actually match. MrBeast is not a valid hero channel for most creators.
They cover similar topics week over week. Their audience knows what to expect, and so should you when studying them.
MrBeast is NOT a valid hero channel
For most creators, studying MrBeast is counterproductive. His budget, team size, and production scale are unrealistic targets. Instead, find channels achieving solid results with resources similar to yours.
Forget subscriber counts. The metrics that reveal a true hero channel are about engagement consistency, not vanity numbers.
Target: 30+ comments. This shows real audience engagement, not passive viewing.
What percentage of videos hit the 30+ comment threshold? 80%+ is excellent.
Look at min vs max. High variance means inconsistent content quality or audience mismatch.
Regular uploads (at least monthly) indicate a sustainable content operation.
Why comments over views? Views can come from YouTube's algorithm pushing a single video. Comments require someone to stop, think, and type. It's a much higher bar and better indicator of true audience connection.
We analyzed 20 videos from each of three popular health/longevity channels to demonstrate how hero channel metrics work in practice.
| Channel | Videos | Total Comments | Avg/Video | Min | Max | 30+ Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huberman Lab
@hubermanlab
|
20 | 4,750 | 238 | 49 | 500 | 100% |
|
Dr. Mark Hyman
@drmarkhyman
|
20 | 1,849 | 92 | 9 | 352 | 90% |
|
Peter Attia MD
@PeterAttiaMD
|
20 | 1,593 | 80 | 6 | 483 | 60% |
10/10
Hero Score
8.5/10
Hero Score
6.5/10
Hero Score
238 average comments/video is 3x higher than Attia. His minimum (49) still exceeds the 30-comment threshold. If you're in health/science, this is your gold standard.
Despite similar averages (92 vs 80), Hyman's 90% consistency rate makes him more predictable to learn from. You know what engagement to expect.
Attia's range (6 to 483) suggests his audience responds very differently to different content types. Study his hits carefully, but know some formats don't resonate.
Even Attia at 60% consistency is solid. They all exceed the 30-comment threshold on average and maintain regular upload schedules.
We developed a simple formula to quantify hero channel quality. It weighs both raw engagement and consistency.
# Hero Score Formula
Hero Score = (Avg Comments Score + Consistency Score) / 2
# Where:
Avg Comments Score = min(avg_comments / 30, 5) * 2 # 0-10, capped
Consistency Score = (% videos with 30+ comments) * 10 # 0-10
Follow this step-by-step process to identify hero channels worth studying in any niche.
Create a fresh YouTube account or turn off watch history. This removes algorithmic bias and shows you what's actually performing, not what YouTube thinks you want to see.
Use filters: "Uploaded this month" and video length "4-20 minutes" (excludes Shorts). Look for videos with 5K+ views that are only 2-3 weeks old.
Click on promising videos and explore the sidebar recommendations. YouTube surfaces related channels that their algorithm connects to your niche.
Check 10-20 videos from each candidate channel. Count comments (or use a tool like Taffy). Calculate average and consistency rate.
Aim for 3-5 hero channels: one for content style, one for audience building, one for niche authority. Different channels teach different lessons.
Pro tip: Test niche health
If you can't find any channels with decent engagement in your niche, that's a signal. Either the niche is too small, or you need to broaden your search terms.
Channels with 10M+ subscribers operate differently. Their budgets, teams, and strategies aren't replicable. Aim for 100K-1M subscriber channels as hero channels.
Subscribers are a vanity metric. A channel with 500K subs and 10 comments/video is worse than a channel with 50K subs and 200 comments/video.
Any channel can have one hit. Check 10-20 videos minimum. Consistency is more important than peak performance.
A podcast-style channel is a poor hero if you're making short tutorials. Match not just niche, but content format and production style.
Comments tell you what the audience actually wants. Read them. Find patterns. Your hero channel's comment section is free market research.
Taffy lets you extract and analyze comments from any YouTube channel. Find out what audiences actually engage with, what questions they ask, and what content resonates.
Get Started FreeFree daily channel insights. No credit card required.
A hero channel is a YouTube channel worth learning from that has consistent engagement (30+ comments per video), regular uploads, and a style you can realistically emulate.
Aim for 3-5 hero channels serving different purposes: one for content style, one for audience engagement tactics, and one for niche authority. Too many becomes overwhelming.
Views can be inflated by algorithmic pushes or clickbait. Comments require active engagement - someone had to stop, think, and type. It's a higher bar that better indicates true audience connection.
Lower your threshold to 10-15 comments for smaller niches. Or consider whether the niche is too small to sustain a YouTube channel. Some niches work better on other platforms.
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