Comments section of social media posts has become the new hotbed for brand presence.
Do you scroll through social media during your free time? If yes, your muscle memory surely takes your thumb to the comments section. Reading social media comments is quite addictive, afterall its primal human nature to seek validation. So if it’s a popular post or reel, people are bound to read through the comments for some added dose of entertainment and validation.
This makes for a great platform within a platform for brands. Quirky brands like Swiggy and Zomato are in the forefront of this trend. But unlike other short term instances, this trend has turned to strategy for small and large brands alike.
Brands are turning to social media comments of viral posts for brand recall and presence. And it’s not any video or post a brand will comment on, the post needs to have relevance to the product.
For instance when Microsoft left a comment under the post by Le Pear Societe (LPS), it was about how employees treat their office laptop. The video featured a Macbook, and Microsoft was quick to comment something witty.
Brands have to be humorous, witty and smart while doing this – with ‘relevant’ being the keyword. There’s no fun when a brand comments with ‘Great post!’ or ‘Insightful!’, it has to be wholesome and interesting. This completely eliminates the chances of sounding promotional or salesy in the comments. The comments section is merely for entertainment, and only the brands that understand the assignment well get the clout – in our case, likes on the comment.
Sometimes brands collaborate with influencers and show off their presence in comments, but many times it’s purely organic – and that’s the beauty of it, a copywriter’s dream and a social engagement manager’s KPI. ????
The GenZ connection
Along with being witty and interesting, brands are also trying to sound like the GenZ in the comments section. This is because young people are assembling in the comments and creating a sub culture of sorts – be it appreciating the post or roasting it to the bone. When brands become a part of this subculture, the GenZ start relating closely with it. And why won’t they? People feel a sense of validation from the brand as their opinions match – thanks to the union in comments.
A popular influencer, Cameron (@cmrn.rides), posted a video summoning all brands. Claiming that he would buy from all the brands who comment on his video. The post read – “If a brand comments on this video, I’ll buy something from that brand.”
In no time, big brands had marked their presence in the comments section.
And when brands mix creativity with pop culture, it gets all the more hilarious. Swiggy executed this brilliantly with ‘jab itna kharcha ho hi gaya hai toh ek chips ka packet bhi le hi lo’ – a popular meme reference from the film Chup Chup Ke. This appeals to both the GenZ and millennial audience on the platform.
The viral video garnered many comments from top brands, something that Instagrammers loved. The video gained more popularity after some netizens shared screenshots of brand comments on X platform.
Being present in the comments section also allows brands to create effortless recall. Customers often turn a blind eye to brands on platforms like YouTube videos or social media ads. Brands struggle to be in sight of their customers, and thus be on their minds. For example, when was the last time you paid attention to a Vim ad?
But with this comment, Vim has marked its presence on a video with a million views – and that too organically!
With the growing popularity of this brand strategy, agencies offering the services are also popping up. Aasim Shaik, Managing Director at LPS, a Dubai based creative agency, told Campaign, “Comments are the new briefs.”
When the comments section is an open house for brands, they should also keep some things in mind while commenting.
Adding value: Brands should add value with their comments, through thoughtful questions or insights. This is no space for a comment like “Great post”, as a bland comment is a waste of opportunity!
No spamming: Promotional comments and spamming is a big no, why would you do that as a brand? At the same time, it’s in bad taste to drive the audience to your products – this is not a place for Call To Actions, just brand recall.
Stay Authentic: Brands need to stay authentic with their comments, any robotic responses are frowned upon.
Listening: The work for brands doesn’t end on commenting, it’s just the beginning of a series of listening and moderation to see how your comment is performing. This also helps you identify the kind of sentiment people have for your brand – as people are their most honest selves in comments.
With some creative copies and eye for viral posts, you can enter the customer’s minds – and stay there with your authentic and smart comments!
