Brands are increasingly treating comment sections under creator content as a marketing channel in its own right, replying to posts and joining conversations in pursuit of visibility and shareable moments. The practice has drawn both advocates, who see it as an inexpensive way to build audience familiarity, and skeptics, who argue it produces attention without translating into sales. We asked 44 Creator Economy executives, founders, and strategists for their perspective on the following: Should brands be spending real effort in the comment sections of creator content?
The comment section isn’t the risk. Showing up there without knowing who you’re standing next to is. Brands spend weeks vetting a paid creator, then drop their name under an unvetted creator’s video in seconds. Under your own sponsored posts, the stakes are higher: if the creator skipped the disclosure, your reply puts your brand right on the compliance gap, and the FTC already expects advertisers to monitor the creators they pay. So yes, invest in comments. They’re cheap reach and a real creator discovery tool. Just run them like a partnership program: an approved list of creators you’ll engage with, a clear voice guide, and one rule. Never reply under a post you couldn’t defend in a headline.
Yes, but not for screenshots. Riffing may earn visibility, but it isn’t a funnel and doesn’t tie that engagement to conversions. The fix is to turn comment sections into proper funnels, treating them like unclickable media (Instagram comments aren’t clickable), and mix the riffing fun with public customer service.
TikTok’s own research found that 65% of users read comments to get a feel for a product after watching creator ads, and 76% perceive brands that reply to comments as part of the community. Fast, useful replies feel like customer service with an audience.
“How’s the fit?”
“Shipping times?”
“Is this really worth it?”
On brands’ own posts or partners’ content, answer comments directly, then close with a soft CTA using branded short links, like brandna.me/shipping, /faq, /sizes, or /creator-name, making them easy to remember. Typing a URL is friction, so the people who do it self-select as high-intent.
Each link gets its own dedicated landing page, never promoted outside comment sections. Then, attribution is hardcoded, surviving in-app browsers and even dark social, like riff screenshots with the link shared in group chats or DMs.
Focus the effort on the objections and adding free value, not the jokes.
Yes. A lot. In fact, I’d advocate that, if the company were big enough, they should have a separate person in their social media team who is a specialist in replying to and commenting on posts across social media.
Why? Well, let’s say you pay that person £35,000 a year, and you give them an additional £5k a month in budget. If they can’t produce £250k+ in “earned PR”, then I’d chalk that up as a significant failure.
There’s a reason why small businesses do this in abundance, and the number of companies who have benefited from acts of kindness and outreach is substantial. In fact, I’ve seen it turn companies’ fortunes around.
Skeptics don’t see the impact because there’s no significant way to trace direct impact, but the reality is I’ve seen the difference it can make to companies.
This isn’t just about applause. Research found customers who received brand replies on Twitter were willing to spend 3-20% more, while peer-reviewed research found positive effects on actual customer spending and profitability.
It has to be very carefully thought out and meticulously executed, but when done correctly, the results can well outperform the outlay.
Absolutely. But brands should focus on being helpful, not just visible.
Thoughtful replies to genuine shopper questions build goodwill today and will also influence what some AI shopping assistants discover and reference tomorrow.
The research is fascinating. A 2026 academic study examining 14.68 million Reddit comments found that a one-standard-deviation increase in comment voting rank was associated with 188% higher odds of being selected by Reddit’s AI search. Meanwhile, another study analyzing 1.1 million YouTube citations found that videos cited in Google AI Overviews had more comments than comparable uncited videos only 52.2% of the time. Simply generating more comments isn’t the answer.
In our work with CPG brands, we’ve also observed improvements in AI recommendation visibility following helpful brand replies on selected platforms, although other factors do contribute.
My advice? Answer real buyer questions, address concerns honestly and precisely, and measure changes in AI recommendation share and sales over time.
The real opportunity isn’t to win the comment section. It’s to earn shoppers’ trust today and become part of the information AI agents use to recommend products and make purchases on their behalf tomorrow.
Most brands in the comment section are performing for other marketers, not customers.
The witty reply gets screenshotted, goes viral on LinkedIn, and the social team wins an award. Meanwhile, sales don’t move. Applause from your industry isn’t demand from your customers.
The real value of comments is that it’s the cheapest focus group you’ll ever run. Unfiltered questions, objections, competitor comparisons, in real time, from people who already care. Most brands skim right past it to look for a joke opportunity.
Listen first. Reply second. Answer the actual product question under a creator’s review. Fix the complaint before it becomes the top comment. Show up where people are already talking about you, not where you want them to be.
And never upstage the creator. Hijacking someone else’s audience for a punchline is borrowing trust you didn’t earn and spending it on a bit.
The test is simple: would this reply still be worth posting with zero likes? If yes, it’s customer work. If no, it’s a brand doing standup.
Witty brand comments can win attention. Think Vita Coco and Dude Wipes. But applause isn’t revenue, and a viral roast thread doesn’t necessarily move a cart.
Here’s my hot take: the most valuable comment section isn’t under a viral post you crashed. It’s under the creator content you’re already paying for. That’s where people ask “where’s the link?”, “does it work on curly hair?”, “is it worth the price?” Those are signals of purchase intent sitting in public. Leaving them unanswered while the social team writes jokes under celebrity posts feels like a missed opportunity.
Flip the effort. Answer objections fast, reinforce the creator’s code, flag sizing or shipping questions, and feed recurring confusion back into the next brief. That’s community management built to help people buy, and it makes the creator look good too.
Save the banter for brands whose personality genuinely lives there. Not every brand needs a seat in the roast thread. For everyone else, a reply that closes a sale beats one that earns a screenshot.
The comments are where people actually tell the truth. On a brand’s own page, everyone’s either polite or silent. Under a creator’s post, they’re talking to each other. They ask the real questions, call things out, and say exactly why they haven’t bought yet. That’s gold.
Run sentiment analysis across creator comments and you’re not just getting a vibe check. You’re finding the specific stuff stopping people hitting “buy”: price, sizing, “does it actually work?”, “is delivery legit?”. Spot those, fix them in the next brief or on the product page, and you’ve just unlocked sales you were losing without knowing it.
Then there’s the fun part. Comments are the easiest way for a brand to jump into the conversation. A funny reply, a quick helpful answer, or just being culturally switched on, and suddenly you’re part of the moment, not an ad interrupting it. The best brand comments regularly get more love than the post itself, and they cost basically nothing.
Brands ignoring the comments are leaving insight, attention and money on the table. Easy win.
Brands should absolutely take the comment section seriously, but they shouldn’t necessarily be the ones commenting. It depends on the content. On your own posts, reply and tee up questions that guide the conversation to key product features or product availability. On sponsored creator content, you paid for that extra real estate, so have a comment strategy and reply where relevant.
Organic creator content is where brands need to know their place. Your entire strategy can’t be showing up in creators’ comment sections uninvited, especially under viral videos unrelated to your brand. That rarely moves anyone closer to buying. The comments worth your effort are on content already about you or close to you: a creator reviewing your product, fans making UGC about a scene from your latest release, someone asking for recommendations in your category. When used sparingly, I find it fun. Push the convo forward, but don’t make it all about you.
And in order to have the option to comment on the content, you need to know that it exists. That’s where social listening comes in: finding those conversations as they happen, then being discerning about when to engage.
Brands should spend real effort in creator comment sections, but that effort should go into listening and being useful, not chasing visibility.
A creator’s comment section is part of the community they have built. On a sponsored post, the brand already has a presence, so generic praise or a forced attempt at humor rarely adds much. A clever reply may earn likes or screenshots, but attention alone does not mean the interaction strengthened the campaign.
The real value is in understanding audience reactions and stepping in when the brand can provide something the creator should not have to. A question about product availability or when an offer ends deserves a clear answer. A delivery complaint should be routed to customer service rather than left for the creator to manage.
Those boundaries should be discussed before the campaign. The creator and brand should agree on which questions the brand will answer, when an issue should be escalated, and when the brand should step back.
My rule is simple: enter the conversation to add value, not to borrow attention. The best brand comment is not the one with the most likes; it is the one that improves the experience for the community.
Brands should be active in the comments, especially when the conversation turns negative. Too often, creators are left to deal with backlash or outright abuse on content they’ve created for a brand, without any support or guidance on how to respond. If a brand is partnering with talent, it also has a responsibility to help navigate that conversation. That means monitoring feedback, answering product questions, addressing concerns and working with the creator and their team on a response when needed. Not every negative comment needs a reply, but creators shouldn’t be left to handle it alone. The partnership shouldn’t end when the post goes live.
Yes, brands should put real thought into creator comment sections, but they shouldn’t mistake attention for impact. A good brand reply can keep the conversation going, answer questions, show personality and add to the social proof around a creator’s post. That can support a campaign even when it doesn’t lead directly to an immediate sale.
The key is to join the conversation naturally. If a brand is only chasing a funny screenshot or trying too hard to go viral, people can tell. The creator should remain at the center, and the brand’s comment should feel like a genuine contribution.
I’d measure more than likes on the brand’s reply: look at the quality of the conversation, audience sentiment, product questions, profile visits and any lift in clicks or conversions. In short, comments can be a valuable part of the campaign, provided the brand treats them as a way to build trust and deepen engagement, not as a shortcut to sales.
Yes, when the brand treats those comments as an audition for a deeper partnership. A comment under a creator’s post reaches an audience that creator built, and the replies can show how that audience talks about the product in its own words. Watch which creators’ comment sections keep producing real exchanges, especially when people start asking about the product without being prompted. That’s evidence worth having before deciding where partnership money goes. When a reply earns a screenshot, the question I’d ask is what the brand learned from it.
It’s tempting for brands to jump into creator comment sections, but I think brands first need to ask themselves these three questions before hitting post:
Is there a purpose for our brand to show up here?
Are we adding something meaningful for the creator and their audience?
Is this moving the needle for our brand, or are we just showing up to be seen?
If even one answer is “no,” then brands should stay out of the conversation. We’ve gotten into this repetitive community management loop where brands see something pop off in culture, brainstorm how they can join in, and land in the comments alongside a list of other brands. Being part of the conversation isn’t the same as adding something to it.
It’s so much more beneficial to focus your proactive community management strategy on building 1:1 relationships with creators who are existing brand fans or feel like a genuine brand fit. Seeking them out, engaging with their content on an always-on basis, and DMing them naturally builds trust over time. Sometimes the work you’re doing that fewer people are seeing is what’s actually moving the needle.
The brands that win treat comment sections under creator content as deliberate micro-owned media, not transactional drop-ins. Native and Dr. Squatch illustrate it well. Both maintain a consistent voice and run large-scale creator programs that prioritize authentic integration over one-off visibility plays. When they show up in conversations, the participation is selective and on-brand, reinforcing product truth and community rather than chasing likes. The effort compounds because it sits inside a broader creator strategy.
Done this way, comments become a force multiplier: they extend reach, reinforce personality, and strengthen relationships without replacing the strategy that makes the participation effective.
Yes, but brands need to be honest about whether they have something real to add or just want to be seen. The audience can tell the difference.
The most valuable investment is in the person making those calls. You need someone who actually follows creators, understands the running jokes, and knows when a brand’s presence will land. You can’t script that a month in advance or put every reply through three rounds of approval.
I’d encourage brands to look beyond the same handful of viral posts. Showing up consistently for a smaller creator whose audience makes sense for their brand can be more valuable than being the eleventh brand account trying to “win” in the comments. It can also be the start of a real creator relationship.
Ultimately, you want people to be glad your brand joined the conversation. That’s worth more than just showing up everywhere.
I’ve been seeing brands do this for a while now, and I don’t think it leaves a positive impression in most cases.
It’s been 7 years since the “Silence, Brand!” meme went viral, and I can confidently say that consumers have not changed their tune to “louder, brand!” – they’re still getting the ick from brands inserting themselves into conversations they really shouldn’t be in. Creators work hard to build their following and curate their content for their specific audience, so when a brand jumps in and essentially freeloads on the millions of views that a creator has worked hard to earn, it’s usually met with “get out of here” replies.
My message for brands: we, the consumers, are not on social media to follow or converse with you. So when a brand loops itself into a conversation, it better have a really good reason: a contextual callout of the brand, a use case for the brand/product, or even a chance to start some beef with a competitor. Just make sure it’s not just about getting a free chance to hijack views without adding any actual spice to the conversation.
Context is king; and so is nuance and method. Spending time can be so many things. We’ve all been measuring sentiment for almost 15 years now through various automated (machine learning) and manual (lots and lots of labor reading and scoring) [methods] this entire time. Is it worth it? Of course it is, with context. Just like creator discovery for your campaigns, understanding the comment section “before” your campaign, to set a baseline for what “normal” is for every channel is a must. That allows you to understand how the comment section looks and feels (for both organic and sponsored content – as it can be very different) before and after your brand gets involved – that can then be assessed and graded for success, failure, uplift, intent, etc.
Next, we can talk about getting “involved” in another brand’s (a creator’s for example) comment section – and I think this is absolutely “not.” “No-go”, do not pass go, do not collect $200. It’s not your channel, you are not a community member, you have no place there. Period, the End. Done.
Yes, absolutely – if brands treat comments as content. We call it CasC: Comments as Creative. A brand’s comment is a piece of branded content in its own right; it just lives inside someone else’s post. The comment section is where the real conversation happens, and showing up there lets a brand join the topic at hand alongside the creator, especially on trending content and video, instead of trying to manufacture relevance from scratch.
It’s not about responding, it’s about riffing. A well-timed, quippy comment shows the brand has a personality and is paying attention to culture in real time. To the skeptics: that’s not empty applause. Brands people feel connected to are the brands they choose when it’s time to buy, and the best comments get screenshotted and shared, extending reach well beyond the original post. It’s one of the most efficient ways to stay part of the cultural conversation, and it builds goodwill with creators too.
The rule is simple: be funny, add to the conversation, and never steal the creator’s spotlight. Done well, it’s not a stunt. It’s always-on brand presence in the place audiences are actually paying attention.
Absolutely. Especially on LinkedIn, where some of the best opportunities happen in the comments.
I’ve been saying this for years, including during my time at LinkedIn. Brands spend so much time thinking about what to post, but often ignore the conversations already happening around them.
The key is relevance. A thoughtful comment under the right post can get you in front of hundreds of potential customers. And I’d take 20 relevant conversations over 10,000 likes from the wrong audience any day.
We encourage brands and executives to make commenting a core part of their content strategy.
Of course, trying too hard to be funny or go viral can backfire. But genuinely contributing to conversations builds familiarity, relationships and trust. And that absolutely has commercial value.
The comment section is where audiences move beyond watching to participating. They share stories, make jokes, and tag friends, often creating inside jokes and cultural conversation of their own.
For brands, that’s an opportunity to join an active conversation rather than start one from scratch.
Brands should put effort into creator comments and any real estate beyond the expected post. The bio. The Pinned. The Highlights. The Note. IRL. OOH. Experiential. The more creative brands get with where they show up, the better.
The key is to be thoughtful, not gratuitous. If the moment calls for helpful – help. Funny? Be funny. Like tapping into trends, there has to be rhyme and reason (or a totally entertaining lack thereof).
Think of comments not as another place to post, but a space to play. See Matthieu Blazy comment “everything” on Rachel Ojuromi’s thrifted Chanel runway walk before she walked Chanel SS27 in Paris, or brands breaking the fourth wall in response to Chad Frick’s post.
Comments can spark a series, surface campaign talent, or host a think piece instead of a snippy reply. As long as there’s a good reason to show up, we’re pro showing up outside the post.
Yes, but only if they show up to add something, not to take a bow. The comment section is where a creator’s community gets to know them. When a brand drops in with a sharp, funny reply, it’s borrowing trust that the creator spent years building. That trust has real value, but it’s on loan. If the brand treats every post like a stage for its next viral screenshot, the audience sees it fast, and the creator is the one who pays for it. The skeptics are right that applause doesn’t always turn into sales. Still, I’d push back on judging comments by direct conversion. Comments are where brand familiarity and affinity get built. They work more like the start of a relationship than a checkout page. The real question is whether the effort makes the creator look good too. The brands getting this right treat creators as partners, not backdrops. They engage consistently, they know the community’s inside jokes, and they back the comments with real collaborations. Effort in the comments is worth it when it’s part of a bigger commitment to the creator. On its own, it’s just a stunt.
I think we’re quite literally misreading the value of the comment section.
While brands battle it out to see who can go viral with the quickest generic Gen Z-coded reply under someone else’s content, the real opportunity is sitting in the comment sections they’ve stopped paying attention to.
I literally told a client this week that their next big idea is already alive in their comments. Give me a crisp Diet Coke and 15 minutes, and I could probably find it. On their organic content, their creator partnerships, or even their paid ads.
Comments are unsolicited consumer insights delivered in the audience’s own words. They’re telling you what resonated, what confused them, what they wish existed, and what they want to see next. It’s direct, sometimes emotionally raw, and it’s the actual way they perceive your brand. That’s information brands spend enormous amounts of money trying to uncover elsewhere.
Brands should absolutely be investing in comment sections. Just maybe start with their own.
Worry about your own comment section babes, and let Oreos have the viral reaction gif. IDK if it sold them any more cookies … I’ll keep the insights that inform my client’s next move.
I love brands in the comments. Social is supposed to be social, and the best brands have figured out that their personality can be just as valuable as the content they post. Look at what’s happening on Threads right now. Brands are building relevance just by knowing how to participate in the conversation.
But with creators, there’s a line. If a brand is strategically using a creator’s comment section to get attention, engagement or cultural relevance, the creator should be part of that strategy and benefit from it. That should be considered from the beginning, not something the brand thinks about after the comment takes off. Otherwise, you risk using someone else’s audience as free media, rather than recognizing and compensating creators for the value they bring.
Buying a placement in a creator’s content doesn’t buy you a relationship with their audience. Brands should put real effort into comment sections, but that effort should start with understanding the conversation and whether they have anything useful to add. There’s a temptation to see the comments as another place to get your brand noticed. But being present isn’t the same as being welcome. A relevant answer or a helpful response can earn its place. A forced joke or another sales message can quickly feel like an interruption. Often, the most valuable thing a brand can do is listen. Comments offer a direct insight into what audiences care about, what resonates and what they want more of. Those reactions can help shape better content, a stronger creator brief or a more useful conversation. The creator should be central to this. They’ve built the relationship and understand the audience. Brands need to respect that, including when the advice is to leave a conversation alone. If the ambition is to build a relationship with an audience, publication can’t be the finish line. The opportunity is to pay attention, learn something and give people a reason to keep engaging.
Comment sections have become one of the most culturally fluent spaces on social. They’re where audiences riff, react, and decide what a piece of content actually means. When a brand shows up there, it signals that the brand speaks the community’s language and feels more human and resonant. The “My husband said if @Coach comments on this video, he will buy me this bag” trend proves that audiences are actively inviting brands into the conversation.
But brands shouldn’t show up for the sake of showing up, or expect to make a campaign out of it. It should be standard community management practice that feels low effort but with a flair. Get your funniest, most creative, and culturally fluent people behind the feeds. Share something funny, witty, or punny. Make people screenshot it and laugh about it, or better yet, share it with their friends in the DMs. That’s how brands should treat the comment section.
Yes, but I think it’s less about how much effort brands are putting into comment sections and more about where that effort is going.
There’s a tendency for brands to gravitate towards the comment sections of larger creators, where the potential reach is naturally appealing. However, when multiple brands are competing for attention in the same space, those interactions can start to feel more performative than purposeful.
There’s so much value in engaging with smaller creators and their highly engaged communities. Some of the most rewarding interactions happen in these more niche spaces, where a brand’s presence can feel genuinely relevant to both the creator and their audience.
Seeing a smaller creator’s post unexpectedly attract several brands into the comments, whether they’re responding to a recommendation request or engaging in a playful exchange, that’s the sweet spot. These interactions can become moments in their own right. It gives the creator exposure to new audiences while allowing brands to show some personality and connect with communities they might not otherwise reach.
Ultimately, I think “real effort” shouldn’t be measured by how often a brand appears in comment sections, but by whether its presence adds something meaningful to the conversation. Brands should absolutely be investing time here, but that means recognizing where they can have the greatest impact, rather than trying to be part of every moment. Sometimes, that’s in the smallest conversations.
Absolutely. But I think brands need to think beyond just being the funniest account in the comment section. The comment section has become one of the most important, yet overlooked, parts of social media. It’s where audiences react, share opinions, ask questions, influence one another, and ultimately shape the conversation around a brand. There’s certainly value in a well-timed, witty brand reply that earns attention. But if the entire strategy is to go viral with a clever comment, I think you’re missing the bigger opportunity. Brands should be thinking about comment sections in two ways: as a place to participate in culture and as a source of audience intelligence.
At Siftsy, we’re seeing firsthand how much valuable insight lives beneath creator content, particularly content brands don’t own. These conversations can reveal what people actually think about a product, how they’re responding to a campaign, what questions they’re asking, and even what might influence their purchasing decisions. And that intelligence should inform how, when, and where brands participate.
Not every comment needs a clever response, and not every interaction needs to drive an immediate sale. Sometimes the value is building familiarity, earning trust, or simply demonstrating that a brand is listening.
My bigger point is this: Brands have spent years obsessing over the content being published. It’s time they paid just as much attention to the conversations happening underneath it.
Yes. Brands should absolutely spend real effort in creator comment sections.
But the important question is how.
Brands need to show up like humans, not like corporate decks. People do not open social media to engage with mission statements, quarterly KPIs, brand values, or polished corporate language. They come because social media is social. They want personality, humor, reactions, opinions, and signs that there is an actual human on the other side.
That means comments should feel native to the conversation, not like miniature ads.
And no, you should not expect a clean equation of one comment equals one sale. That is the wrong way to measure this channel. Commenting builds visibility, familiarity, emotional connection, and eventually trust.
The value is being present on the radar when your audience is already paying attention.
If your brand decides comments are too difficult, too hard to attribute, or not worth the effort, that is fine. But your competitors may take that space instead.
They may not win the sale immediately.
They may win the relationship first – and monetize it later.
My short answer here is “yes,” because the comment section is where content becomes community. Building influence for a brand should not end when a creator publishes. The comments reveal whether people understood the story, trusted the recommendation, asked questions, or felt moved to act. Brands that listen and respond thoughtfully can deepen that connection while gaining insights no dashboard can fully capture.
But showing up simply to chase likes, screenshots, or a viral comeback misses the point. A brand should add value, answer genuine questions, acknowledge feedback, and match the creator’s tone without taking over their space. Sometimes the most valuable action is not a clever reply – it is bringing an audience insight back to the product or campaign team.
Comments may not always produce an immediate sale, but they build familiarity and trust. In creator and Influencer Marketing, that trust is often what makes the eventual sale possible.
Absolutely. Brands should view creator comment sections as an extension of their community strategy, not just an opportunity to drive engagement or push products.
For Gen Z especially, the comment section is often where culture, conversation, and community are built. When brands show up thoughtfully in creator content, they have an opportunity to engage audiences in a way that feels more organic and personal than traditional advertising.
The key is participation over promotion. Brands shouldn’t feel the need to comment on everything or force themselves into cultural conversations. Instead, they should prioritize creators and communities where they have a genuine connection, adding humor, personality, or value when it feels natural.
Yes, but brands need to be selective about where and how they participate. The comment section can tell you a lot about an audience. You see what people respond to, what they’re questioning, and sometimes what the original content missed entirely.
There’s value in brands being part of those conversations when they have something relevant to contribute. People can spot a brand trying too hard to be clever, and that can do more harm than good.
I also wouldn’t measure success purely by whether a comment drives a sale. There’s value in becoming familiar to a community, understanding what matters to them, and using those insights to make better decisions about future creator partnerships and campaigns.
Community management is one of the most underrated social tactics. Most brands are so focused on their owned channels and what their grid looks like that they forget to go out into their community and be present with them. The trick is you have to have a reason to be there, a tie back to your brand and please (I’m begging you) don’t do the “unhinged social media manager” thing. There are very few brands that make sense for, so if you’re not Duolingo or Ryanair, just be yourself.
Mostly no. If the point of a brand comment is to win visibility, it’s the wrong move. People sniff that out fast, and a comment that isn’t genuinely helpful reads as promotional. The hours someone spends posting clever replies are better spent finding the right creators and building deeper partnerships with them.
Where comments do earn real effort is listening. A creator’s comment section is some of the most honest feedback a brand can get for free. Viewers say what they think of your brand, what confuses them and why they haven’t bought yet. Capture that feedback and use it to improve your product.
Absolutely. And I would go even further: brands should treat comment sections as a strategic channel across all social content, whether it comes from creators or brands themselves. The conversation happening underneath the content can be just as influential as the content itself. If we look at the traditional marketing funnel, comments can be that extra layer of influence that moves consumers from discovery to consideration.
People watch content, form an opinion, and then head to the comments to see if others feel the same way. When it comes to products, they look for real experiences, recommendations, and reassurance from people who have actually used them. This is where opinions get validated and reinforced, which can ultimately influence purchase decisions.
That’s why brands should invest in comment sections, not just get screenshots of clever replies, but to actively participate in conversations, answer questions, and make sure positive, authentic experiences get the visibility they deserve.
Absolutely, because that’s where the audience actually is. With how today’s algorithms work, people swipe from one video to the next and rarely stop to visit a creator’s bio or a brand’s profile. The comment section has become the place where all of the engagement lives.
It’s also where sales are waiting to happen and where real community gets built. By monitoring creator posts, brands can understand how people feel about them, which questions potential customers most want answered and what’s trending in the moment.
Brands should absolutely be in the comments. It’s a whole additional stream of exposure that most brands are leaving on the table, and nowadays it’s hard for brands to perform well on their owned content. Commenting is just an easy win and a way to get to know a brand in a different perspective. Everyone reads the comments, so if your comment performs well on a viral video it’s great exposure. The catch is you have to do it right. That means commenting where it’s relevant to the brand or where someone is clearly using the product and simply just being good at copywriting.
Case in point – I actually learned about Dude Wipes in the comments. I watched a viral video of a snake coming out of a toilet (super weird). First thing I did was open the comments and see Dude Wipes. It had like 50,000 likes. I had never heard of them. I opened the profile, saw that all of their content was toilet humor, and immediately got what they sell … Dude Wipes. Hah. That’s when I realized how powerful comments are.
Absolutely, but I think the real question is whether a brand is genuinely participating in the conversation or simply trying to drive engagement numbers and ROI.
I’ve spent years working with talent and creators, and one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of trust. A creator’s relationship with their audience isn’t something a brand can simply buy its way into.
The comment section is an extension of that relationship. It’s where people express themselves, challenge ideas, share experiences and connect with the creator. When a brand enters that space, it has a responsibility to respect what the creator has built with their community.
I’m not suggesting brands shouldn’t have business objectives. But there’s a difference between showing up because you have something meaningful to contribute and showing up because you see an opportunity to capitalize on someone else’s audience.
For me, it comes down to stewardship. Brands and creators both have a responsibility to protect the authenticity of that relationship.
Because at the end of the day, engagement might get you noticed, but trust is what gives you staying power.
I think there’s a real opportunity for brands in the comment sections of creator content, and the value goes well beyond immediate sales.
From a performance perspective, it’s an opportunity to organically reach audiences and build awareness, extending the value of marketing dollars already being spent. In some cases, the right comment on the right post can generate more impressions than a traditional paid ad. Not every interaction needs to drive a direct sale. Simply showing up where your audience is already spending time can keep your brand top of mind when they make their next purchase.
There’s also a significant community-building opportunity. Creators have built loyal audiences through consistent engagement, and brands can benefit from doing the same. When it’s done authentically, participating in conversations builds familiarity, strengthens brand affinity and encourages audiences to keep coming back. That kind of loyalty can deliver value far beyond a single conversion.
By engaging directly with creator content, brands are participating in the conversations where culture-making is taking place. Both creators and their audiences take notice, deepening relationships on both sides.
Ultimately, comment-section engagement can serve both performance and creative marketing goals, building organic visibility today while fostering long-term brand loyalty.
We see comment sections as a viable way for brands to engage with key communities and participate in their culture. But on its own, the effort can come off as insincere. It works when comments are one piece of a broader, sustained effort to contribute and give value beyond them. That’s how a brand earns a place in the conversation while keeping its own voice.
I think if the brand is referenced, or if it’s after an ad placement within the content goes live, in partnership with the creator, it’s a nice strategy. If it’s focused, with a feeling of helping the person commenting, then I think it works as a PR strategy, but I am not sure the KPIs from “replies” should include sales.
I think brands should absolutely be spending more time in comment sections, but there’s a difference between joining a conversation and trying too hard to go viral. People love seeing brands interact with creators in a way that feels natural, especially when there’s some personality behind it. I’ve seen how those small interactions help brands stay relevant and build relationships with audiences. Not every comment needs to lead to a sale, either. Sometimes getting someone to recognize your brand, check out your page, or remember you the next time they’re shopping is a win. The brands doing this well understand their audience and know when to join the conversation without forcing themselves into it.
The creator partnership is only the first step of an Influencer Marketing campaign. If brands really want to maximize their investment, they need to engage with the audience beyond the content itself and the comment section is a great place for that.
Comment sections are an opportunity to join the conversation, answer questions, build relationships, and extend the life of a campaign. I’m not saying brands should respond to every comment, but thoughtful, authentic engagement can turn a one-off influencer collaboration into something much more impactful.
It’s essentially an additional amplification strategy that brands are often overlooking.
I would love to see brands engage with comments more. If they are genuine. Not simply filler or praise but inviting community and conversation. It’s also a great way to find other creators, new ideas and learn from their customer base.
If brands are bringing a wanted perspective and value into the conversation, I see no reason why they aren’t allowed to enter into the comments section of creator content. Conversations are centered around sharing information and experiences, and with the right intention, a brand can bring an interesting point of view to the mix. Bonus points for brands that surprise and delight super fans when they do.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Brands are increasingly treating comment sections under creator content as a marketing channel in its own right, replying to posts and joining conversations in pursuit of visibility and shareable moments. The practice has drawn both advocates, who see it as an inexpensive way to build audience familiarity, and skeptics, who argue it produces attention without translating into sales. We asked 44 Creator Economy executives, founders, and strategists for their perspective on the following: Should brands be spending real effort in the comment sections of creator content?
Theo Ruzhynsky, Co-Founder, VwD
The comment section isn’t the risk. Showing up there without knowing who you’re standing next to is. Brands spend weeks vetting a paid creator, then drop their name under an unvetted creator’s video in seconds. Under your own sponsored posts, the stakes are higher: if the creator skipped the disclosure, your reply puts your brand right on the compliance gap, and the FTC already expects advertisers to monitor the creators they pay. So yes, invest in comments. They’re cheap reach and a real creator discovery tool. Just run them like a partnership program: an approved list of creators you’ll engage with, a clear voice guide, and one rule. Never reply under a post you couldn’t defend in a headline.
Daniel Caldas, Founder, Caldas Ecom
Yes, but not for screenshots. Riffing may earn visibility, but it isn’t a funnel and doesn’t tie that engagement to conversions. The fix is to turn comment sections into proper funnels, treating them like unclickable media (Instagram comments aren’t clickable), and mix the riffing fun with public customer service.
TikTok’s own research found that 65% of users read comments to get a feel for a product after watching creator ads, and 76% perceive brands that reply to comments as part of the community. Fast, useful replies feel like customer service with an audience.
“How’s the fit?”
“Shipping times?”
“Is this really worth it?”
On brands’ own posts or partners’ content, answer comments directly, then close with a soft CTA using branded short links, like brandna.me/shipping, /faq, /sizes, or /creator-name, making them easy to remember. Typing a URL is friction, so the people who do it self-select as high-intent.
Each link gets its own dedicated landing page, never promoted outside comment sections. Then, attribution is hardcoded, surviving in-app browsers and even dark social, like riff screenshots with the link shared in group chats or DMs.
Focus the effort on the objections and adding free value, not the jokes.
Kristian Sturt, Director, Colossal Influence Limited
Yes. A lot. In fact, I’d advocate that, if the company were big enough, they should have a separate person in their social media team who is a specialist in replying to and commenting on posts across social media.
Why? Well, let’s say you pay that person £35,000 a year, and you give them an additional £5k a month in budget. If they can’t produce £250k+ in “earned PR”, then I’d chalk that up as a significant failure.
There’s a reason why small businesses do this in abundance, and the number of companies who have benefited from acts of kindness and outreach is substantial. In fact, I’ve seen it turn companies’ fortunes around.
Skeptics don’t see the impact because there’s no significant way to trace direct impact, but the reality is I’ve seen the difference it can make to companies.
This isn’t just about applause. Research found customers who received brand replies on Twitter were willing to spend 3-20% more, while peer-reviewed research found positive effects on actual customer spending and profitability.
It has to be very carefully thought out and meticulously executed, but when done correctly, the results can well outperform the outlay.
Andri Sadlak, Agentic Commerce Architect, Founder & CEO, ARTAN AI
Absolutely. But brands should focus on being helpful, not just visible.
Thoughtful replies to genuine shopper questions build goodwill today and will also influence what some AI shopping assistants discover and reference tomorrow.
The research is fascinating. A 2026 academic study examining 14.68 million Reddit comments found that a one-standard-deviation increase in comment voting rank was associated with 188% higher odds of being selected by Reddit’s AI search. Meanwhile, another study analyzing 1.1 million YouTube citations found that videos cited in Google AI Overviews had more comments than comparable uncited videos only 52.2% of the time. Simply generating more comments isn’t the answer.
In our work with CPG brands, we’ve also observed improvements in AI recommendation visibility following helpful brand replies on selected platforms, although other factors do contribute.
My advice? Answer real buyer questions, address concerns honestly and precisely, and measure changes in AI recommendation share and sales over time.
The real opportunity isn’t to win the comment section. It’s to earn shoppers’ trust today and become part of the information AI agents use to recommend products and make purchases on their behalf tomorrow.
Tobias Hoss, Co-Founder, Senior Advisor, Tentpole Studios, Copyright Capital, TopFan, Talentir
Most brands in the comment section are performing for other marketers, not customers.
The witty reply gets screenshotted, goes viral on LinkedIn, and the social team wins an award. Meanwhile, sales don’t move. Applause from your industry isn’t demand from your customers.
The real value of comments is that it’s the cheapest focus group you’ll ever run. Unfiltered questions, objections, competitor comparisons, in real time, from people who already care. Most brands skim right past it to look for a joke opportunity.
Listen first. Reply second. Answer the actual product question under a creator’s review. Fix the complaint before it becomes the top comment. Show up where people are already talking about you, not where you want them to be.
And never upstage the creator. Hijacking someone else’s audience for a punchline is borrowing trust you didn’t earn and spending it on a bit.
The test is simple: would this reply still be worth posting with zero likes? If yes, it’s customer work. If no, it’s a brand doing standup.
Kate Fleming, Director of Influencer Strategy, PartnerCentric
Witty brand comments can win attention. Think Vita Coco and Dude Wipes. But applause isn’t revenue, and a viral roast thread doesn’t necessarily move a cart.
Here’s my hot take: the most valuable comment section isn’t under a viral post you crashed. It’s under the creator content you’re already paying for. That’s where people ask “where’s the link?”, “does it work on curly hair?”, “is it worth the price?” Those are signals of purchase intent sitting in public. Leaving them unanswered while the social team writes jokes under celebrity posts feels like a missed opportunity.
Flip the effort. Answer objections fast, reinforce the creator’s code, flag sizing or shipping questions, and feed recurring confusion back into the next brief. That’s community management built to help people buy, and it makes the creator look good too.
Save the banter for brands whose personality genuinely lives there. Not every brand needs a seat in the roast thread. For everyone else, a reply that closes a sale beats one that earns a screenshot.
Sam Royle, Co-founder, Volery
100%, and on creator posts especially.
The comments are where people actually tell the truth. On a brand’s own page, everyone’s either polite or silent. Under a creator’s post, they’re talking to each other. They ask the real questions, call things out, and say exactly why they haven’t bought yet. That’s gold.
Run sentiment analysis across creator comments and you’re not just getting a vibe check. You’re finding the specific stuff stopping people hitting “buy”: price, sizing, “does it actually work?”, “is delivery legit?”. Spot those, fix them in the next brief or on the product page, and you’ve just unlocked sales you were losing without knowing it.
Then there’s the fun part. Comments are the easiest way for a brand to jump into the conversation. A funny reply, a quick helpful answer, or just being culturally switched on, and suddenly you’re part of the moment, not an ad interrupting it. The best brand comments regularly get more love than the post itself, and they cost basically nothing.
Brands ignoring the comments are leaving insight, attention and money on the table. Easy win.
Ian Ettinger, Co-founder, Daisy
Brands should absolutely take the comment section seriously, but they shouldn’t necessarily be the ones commenting. It depends on the content. On your own posts, reply and tee up questions that guide the conversation to key product features or product availability. On sponsored creator content, you paid for that extra real estate, so have a comment strategy and reply where relevant.
Organic creator content is where brands need to know their place. Your entire strategy can’t be showing up in creators’ comment sections uninvited, especially under viral videos unrelated to your brand. That rarely moves anyone closer to buying. The comments worth your effort are on content already about you or close to you: a creator reviewing your product, fans making UGC about a scene from your latest release, someone asking for recommendations in your category. When used sparingly, I find it fun. Push the convo forward, but don’t make it all about you.
And in order to have the option to comment on the content, you need to know that it exists. That’s where social listening comes in: finding those conversations as they happen, then being discerning about when to engage.
Fabio Gonçalves, Director of Talent, Viral Nation
Brands should spend real effort in creator comment sections, but that effort should go into listening and being useful, not chasing visibility.
A creator’s comment section is part of the community they have built. On a sponsored post, the brand already has a presence, so generic praise or a forced attempt at humor rarely adds much. A clever reply may earn likes or screenshots, but attention alone does not mean the interaction strengthened the campaign.
The real value is in understanding audience reactions and stepping in when the brand can provide something the creator should not have to. A question about product availability or when an offer ends deserves a clear answer. A delivery complaint should be routed to customer service rather than left for the creator to manage.
Those boundaries should be discussed before the campaign. The creator and brand should agree on which questions the brand will answer, when an issue should be escalated, and when the brand should step back.
My rule is simple: enter the conversation to add value, not to borrow attention. The best brand comment is not the one with the most likes; it is the one that improves the experience for the community.
Molly Tucker, Director, Shine Talent Group
Brands should be active in the comments, especially when the conversation turns negative. Too often, creators are left to deal with backlash or outright abuse on content they’ve created for a brand, without any support or guidance on how to respond. If a brand is partnering with talent, it also has a responsibility to help navigate that conversation. That means monitoring feedback, answering product questions, addressing concerns and working with the creator and their team on a response when needed. Not every negative comment needs a reply, but creators shouldn’t be left to handle it alone. The partnership shouldn’t end when the post goes live.
AB Lieberman, Founder, Clicks Talent
Yes, brands should put real thought into creator comment sections, but they shouldn’t mistake attention for impact. A good brand reply can keep the conversation going, answer questions, show personality and add to the social proof around a creator’s post. That can support a campaign even when it doesn’t lead directly to an immediate sale.
The key is to join the conversation naturally. If a brand is only chasing a funny screenshot or trying too hard to go viral, people can tell. The creator should remain at the center, and the brand’s comment should feel like a genuine contribution.
I’d measure more than likes on the brand’s reply: look at the quality of the conversation, audience sentiment, product questions, profile visits and any lift in clicks or conversions. In short, comments can be a valuable part of the campaign, provided the brand treats them as a way to build trust and deepen engagement, not as a shortcut to sales.
Josh Stein, Founder & CEO, Attention Capital
Yes, when the brand treats those comments as an audition for a deeper partnership. A comment under a creator’s post reaches an audience that creator built, and the replies can show how that audience talks about the product in its own words. Watch which creators’ comment sections keep producing real exchanges, especially when people start asking about the product without being prompted. That’s evidence worth having before deciding where partnership money goes. When a reply earns a screenshot, the question I’d ask is what the brand learned from it.
Ali Gomez, Social Strategy Director, Iris North America
It’s tempting for brands to jump into creator comment sections, but I think brands first need to ask themselves these three questions before hitting post:
Is there a purpose for our brand to show up here?
Are we adding something meaningful for the creator and their audience?
Is this moving the needle for our brand, or are we just showing up to be seen?
If even one answer is “no,” then brands should stay out of the conversation. We’ve gotten into this repetitive community management loop where brands see something pop off in culture, brainstorm how they can join in, and land in the comments alongside a list of other brands. Being part of the conversation isn’t the same as adding something to it.
It’s so much more beneficial to focus your proactive community management strategy on building 1:1 relationships with creators who are existing brand fans or feel like a genuine brand fit. Seeking them out, engaging with their content on an always-on basis, and DMing them naturally builds trust over time. Sometimes the work you’re doing that fewer people are seeing is what’s actually moving the needle.
Lisa Wendland, Head of Media, Blue Wheel
The brands that win treat comment sections under creator content as deliberate micro-owned media, not transactional drop-ins. Native and Dr. Squatch illustrate it well. Both maintain a consistent voice and run large-scale creator programs that prioritize authentic integration over one-off visibility plays. When they show up in conversations, the participation is selective and on-brand, reinforcing product truth and community rather than chasing likes. The effort compounds because it sits inside a broader creator strategy.
Done this way, comments become a force multiplier: they extend reach, reinforce personality, and strengthen relationships without replacing the strategy that makes the participation effective.
Brandon Fox, SVP, Client Services, Pearpop
Yes, but brands need to be honest about whether they have something real to add or just want to be seen. The audience can tell the difference.
The most valuable investment is in the person making those calls. You need someone who actually follows creators, understands the running jokes, and knows when a brand’s presence will land. You can’t script that a month in advance or put every reply through three rounds of approval.
I’d encourage brands to look beyond the same handful of viral posts. Showing up consistently for a smaller creator whose audience makes sense for their brand can be more valuable than being the eleventh brand account trying to “win” in the comments. It can also be the start of a real creator relationship.
Ultimately, you want people to be glad your brand joined the conversation. That’s worth more than just showing up everywhere.
Charlie Naus, Strategy Director, Carson+Doyle
I’ve been seeing brands do this for a while now, and I don’t think it leaves a positive impression in most cases.
It’s been 7 years since the “Silence, Brand!” meme went viral, and I can confidently say that consumers have not changed their tune to “louder, brand!” – they’re still getting the ick from brands inserting themselves into conversations they really shouldn’t be in. Creators work hard to build their following and curate their content for their specific audience, so when a brand jumps in and essentially freeloads on the millions of views that a creator has worked hard to earn, it’s usually met with “get out of here” replies.
My message for brands: we, the consumers, are not on social media to follow or converse with you. So when a brand loops itself into a conversation, it better have a really good reason: a contextual callout of the brand, a use case for the brand/product, or even a chance to start some beef with a competitor. Just make sure it’s not just about getting a free chance to hijack views without adding any actual spice to the conversation.
Keith Pape, CEO, YellowPike Media
Context is king; and so is nuance and method. Spending time can be so many things. We’ve all been measuring sentiment for almost 15 years now through various automated (machine learning) and manual (lots and lots of labor reading and scoring) [methods] this entire time. Is it worth it? Of course it is, with context. Just like creator discovery for your campaigns, understanding the comment section “before” your campaign, to set a baseline for what “normal” is for every channel is a must. That allows you to understand how the comment section looks and feels (for both organic and sponsored content – as it can be very different) before and after your brand gets involved – that can then be assessed and graded for success, failure, uplift, intent, etc.
Next, we can talk about getting “involved” in another brand’s (a creator’s for example) comment section – and I think this is absolutely “not.” “No-go”, do not pass go, do not collect $200. It’s not your channel, you are not a community member, you have no place there. Period, the End. Done.
Amy Choi, VP, CAIT (Creator, Affiliate, Influencer, Talent), Tamara Group
Yes, absolutely – if brands treat comments as content. We call it CasC: Comments as Creative. A brand’s comment is a piece of branded content in its own right; it just lives inside someone else’s post. The comment section is where the real conversation happens, and showing up there lets a brand join the topic at hand alongside the creator, especially on trending content and video, instead of trying to manufacture relevance from scratch.
It’s not about responding, it’s about riffing. A well-timed, quippy comment shows the brand has a personality and is paying attention to culture in real time. To the skeptics: that’s not empty applause. Brands people feel connected to are the brands they choose when it’s time to buy, and the best comments get screenshotted and shared, extending reach well beyond the original post. It’s one of the most efficient ways to stay part of the cultural conversation, and it builds goodwill with creators too.
The rule is simple: be funny, add to the conversation, and never steal the creator’s spotlight. Done well, it’s not a stunt. It’s always-on brand presence in the place audiences are actually paying attention.
Dani Markovits, CCO, Shake Content
Absolutely. Especially on LinkedIn, where some of the best opportunities happen in the comments.
I’ve been saying this for years, including during my time at LinkedIn. Brands spend so much time thinking about what to post, but often ignore the conversations already happening around them.
The key is relevance. A thoughtful comment under the right post can get you in front of hundreds of potential customers. And I’d take 20 relevant conversations over 10,000 likes from the wrong audience any day.
We encourage brands and executives to make commenting a core part of their content strategy.
Of course, trying too hard to be funny or go viral can backfire. But genuinely contributing to conversations builds familiarity, relationships and trust. And that absolutely has commercial value.
Alex Mathieu, Head of Creative Strategy, VP, Open Influence
The comment section is where audiences move beyond watching to participating. They share stories, make jokes, and tag friends, often creating inside jokes and cultural conversation of their own.
For brands, that’s an opportunity to join an active conversation rather than start one from scratch.
Brands should put effort into creator comments and any real estate beyond the expected post. The bio. The Pinned. The Highlights. The Note. IRL. OOH. Experiential. The more creative brands get with where they show up, the better.
The key is to be thoughtful, not gratuitous. If the moment calls for helpful – help. Funny? Be funny. Like tapping into trends, there has to be rhyme and reason (or a totally entertaining lack thereof).
Think of comments not as another place to post, but a space to play. See Matthieu Blazy comment “everything” on Rachel Ojuromi’s thrifted Chanel runway walk before she walked Chanel SS27 in Paris, or brands breaking the fourth wall in response to Chad Frick’s post.
Comments can spark a series, surface campaign talent, or host a think piece instead of a snippy reply. As long as there’s a good reason to show up, we’re pro showing up outside the post.
Sarah McNabb, Chief Marketing Officer, GigaStar
Yes, but only if they show up to add something, not to take a bow. The comment section is where a creator’s community gets to know them. When a brand drops in with a sharp, funny reply, it’s borrowing trust that the creator spent years building. That trust has real value, but it’s on loan. If the brand treats every post like a stage for its next viral screenshot, the audience sees it fast, and the creator is the one who pays for it. The skeptics are right that applause doesn’t always turn into sales. Still, I’d push back on judging comments by direct conversion. Comments are where brand familiarity and affinity get built. They work more like the start of a relationship than a checkout page. The real question is whether the effort makes the creator look good too. The brands getting this right treat creators as partners, not backdrops. They engage consistently, they know the community’s inside jokes, and they back the comments with real collaborations. Effort in the comments is worth it when it’s part of a bigger commitment to the creator. On its own, it’s just a stunt.
Hannah Lawrence, Director, Brand Strategy, The Digital Dept
I think we’re quite literally misreading the value of the comment section.
While brands battle it out to see who can go viral with the quickest generic Gen Z-coded reply under someone else’s content, the real opportunity is sitting in the comment sections they’ve stopped paying attention to.
I literally told a client this week that their next big idea is already alive in their comments. Give me a crisp Diet Coke and 15 minutes, and I could probably find it. On their organic content, their creator partnerships, or even their paid ads.
Comments are unsolicited consumer insights delivered in the audience’s own words. They’re telling you what resonated, what confused them, what they wish existed, and what they want to see next. It’s direct, sometimes emotionally raw, and it’s the actual way they perceive your brand. That’s information brands spend enormous amounts of money trying to uncover elsewhere.
Brands should absolutely be investing in comment sections. Just maybe start with their own.
Worry about your own comment section babes, and let Oreos have the viral reaction gif. IDK if it sold them any more cookies … I’ll keep the insights that inform my client’s next move.
RJ Larese, President, Sixteenth US
I love brands in the comments. Social is supposed to be social, and the best brands have figured out that their personality can be just as valuable as the content they post. Look at what’s happening on Threads right now. Brands are building relevance just by knowing how to participate in the conversation.
But with creators, there’s a line. If a brand is strategically using a creator’s comment section to get attention, engagement or cultural relevance, the creator should be part of that strategy and benefit from it. That should be considered from the beginning, not something the brand thinks about after the comment takes off. Otherwise, you risk using someone else’s audience as free media, rather than recognizing and compensating creators for the value they bring.
Dan Jude, Founder & CEO, Story
Buying a placement in a creator’s content doesn’t buy you a relationship with their audience. Brands should put real effort into comment sections, but that effort should start with understanding the conversation and whether they have anything useful to add. There’s a temptation to see the comments as another place to get your brand noticed. But being present isn’t the same as being welcome. A relevant answer or a helpful response can earn its place. A forced joke or another sales message can quickly feel like an interruption. Often, the most valuable thing a brand can do is listen. Comments offer a direct insight into what audiences care about, what resonates and what they want more of. Those reactions can help shape better content, a stronger creator brief or a more useful conversation. The creator should be central to this. They’ve built the relationship and understand the audience. Brands need to respect that, including when the advice is to leave a conversation alone. If the ambition is to build a relationship with an audience, publication can’t be the finish line. The opportunity is to pay attention, learn something and give people a reason to keep engaging.
Urvashi Ajmera, Associate Strategy Director, Barbarian
Comment sections have become one of the most culturally fluent spaces on social. They’re where audiences riff, react, and decide what a piece of content actually means. When a brand shows up there, it signals that the brand speaks the community’s language and feels more human and resonant. The “My husband said if @Coach comments on this video, he will buy me this bag” trend proves that audiences are actively inviting brands into the conversation.
But brands shouldn’t show up for the sake of showing up, or expect to make a campaign out of it. It should be standard community management practice that feels low effort but with a flair. Get your funniest, most creative, and culturally fluent people behind the feeds. Share something funny, witty, or punny. Make people screenshot it and laugh about it, or better yet, share it with their friends in the DMs. That’s how brands should treat the comment section.
Ellie Branigan, Brand & Content Manager, Buttermilk
Yes, but I think it’s less about how much effort brands are putting into comment sections and more about where that effort is going.
There’s a tendency for brands to gravitate towards the comment sections of larger creators, where the potential reach is naturally appealing. However, when multiple brands are competing for attention in the same space, those interactions can start to feel more performative than purposeful.
There’s so much value in engaging with smaller creators and their highly engaged communities. Some of the most rewarding interactions happen in these more niche spaces, where a brand’s presence can feel genuinely relevant to both the creator and their audience.
Seeing a smaller creator’s post unexpectedly attract several brands into the comments, whether they’re responding to a recommendation request or engaging in a playful exchange, that’s the sweet spot. These interactions can become moments in their own right. It gives the creator exposure to new audiences while allowing brands to show some personality and connect with communities they might not otherwise reach.
Ultimately, I think “real effort” shouldn’t be measured by how often a brand appears in comment sections, but by whether its presence adds something meaningful to the conversation. Brands should absolutely be investing time here, but that means recognizing where they can have the greatest impact, rather than trying to be part of every moment. Sometimes, that’s in the smallest conversations.
Brett Dashevsky, Co-Founder, Siftsy
Absolutely. But I think brands need to think beyond just being the funniest account in the comment section. The comment section has become one of the most important, yet overlooked, parts of social media. It’s where audiences react, share opinions, ask questions, influence one another, and ultimately shape the conversation around a brand. There’s certainly value in a well-timed, witty brand reply that earns attention. But if the entire strategy is to go viral with a clever comment, I think you’re missing the bigger opportunity. Brands should be thinking about comment sections in two ways: as a place to participate in culture and as a source of audience intelligence.
At Siftsy, we’re seeing firsthand how much valuable insight lives beneath creator content, particularly content brands don’t own. These conversations can reveal what people actually think about a product, how they’re responding to a campaign, what questions they’re asking, and even what might influence their purchasing decisions. And that intelligence should inform how, when, and where brands participate.
Not every comment needs a clever response, and not every interaction needs to drive an immediate sale. Sometimes the value is building familiarity, earning trust, or simply demonstrating that a brand is listening.
My bigger point is this: Brands have spent years obsessing over the content being published. It’s time they paid just as much attention to the conversations happening underneath it.
Andrii Salii, Audiovisual Producer, MIA Studio
Yes. Brands should absolutely spend real effort in creator comment sections.
But the important question is how.
Brands need to show up like humans, not like corporate decks. People do not open social media to engage with mission statements, quarterly KPIs, brand values, or polished corporate language. They come because social media is social. They want personality, humor, reactions, opinions, and signs that there is an actual human on the other side.
That means comments should feel native to the conversation, not like miniature ads.
And no, you should not expect a clean equation of one comment equals one sale. That is the wrong way to measure this channel. Commenting builds visibility, familiarity, emotional connection, and eventually trust.
The value is being present on the radar when your audience is already paying attention.
If your brand decides comments are too difficult, too hard to attribute, or not worth the effort, that is fine. But your competitors may take that space instead.
They may not win the sale immediately.
They may win the relationship first – and monetize it later.
Ace Gapuz, CEO, Blogapalooza Inc.
My short answer here is “yes,” because the comment section is where content becomes community. Building influence for a brand should not end when a creator publishes. The comments reveal whether people understood the story, trusted the recommendation, asked questions, or felt moved to act. Brands that listen and respond thoughtfully can deepen that connection while gaining insights no dashboard can fully capture.
But showing up simply to chase likes, screenshots, or a viral comeback misses the point. A brand should add value, answer genuine questions, acknowledge feedback, and match the creator’s tone without taking over their space. Sometimes the most valuable action is not a clever reply – it is bringing an audience insight back to the product or campaign team.
Comments may not always produce an immediate sale, but they build familiarity and trust. In creator and Influencer Marketing, that trust is often what makes the eventual sale possible.
Kennedy Daniel, Manager, United Talent Agency
Absolutely. Brands should view creator comment sections as an extension of their community strategy, not just an opportunity to drive engagement or push products.
For Gen Z especially, the comment section is often where culture, conversation, and community are built. When brands show up thoughtfully in creator content, they have an opportunity to engage audiences in a way that feels more organic and personal than traditional advertising.
The key is participation over promotion. Brands shouldn’t feel the need to comment on everything or force themselves into cultural conversations. Instead, they should prioritize creators and communities where they have a genuine connection, adding humor, personality, or value when it feels natural.
Nita Patel, CMO, Lickly
Yes, but brands need to be selective about where and how they participate. The comment section can tell you a lot about an audience. You see what people respond to, what they’re questioning, and sometimes what the original content missed entirely.
There’s value in brands being part of those conversations when they have something relevant to contribute. People can spot a brand trying too hard to be clever, and that can do more harm than good.
I also wouldn’t measure success purely by whether a comment drives a sale. There’s value in becoming familiar to a community, understanding what matters to them, and using those insights to make better decisions about future creator partnerships and campaigns.
Maren Hamilton, Senior Director, Marketing & Growth, Popfly
Community management is one of the most underrated social tactics. Most brands are so focused on their owned channels and what their grid looks like that they forget to go out into their community and be present with them. The trick is you have to have a reason to be there, a tie back to your brand and please (I’m begging you) don’t do the “unhinged social media manager” thing. There are very few brands that make sense for, so if you’re not Duolingo or Ryanair, just be yourself.
Race Johnson, Co-Founder, Pixly
Mostly no. If the point of a brand comment is to win visibility, it’s the wrong move. People sniff that out fast, and a comment that isn’t genuinely helpful reads as promotional. The hours someone spends posting clever replies are better spent finding the right creators and building deeper partnerships with them.
Where comments do earn real effort is listening. A creator’s comment section is some of the most honest feedback a brand can get for free. Viewers say what they think of your brand, what confuses them and why they haven’t bought yet. Capture that feedback and use it to improve your product.
Aurélie Letizia Sauthier, President, Made in
Absolutely. And I would go even further: brands should treat comment sections as a strategic channel across all social content, whether it comes from creators or brands themselves. The conversation happening underneath the content can be just as influential as the content itself. If we look at the traditional marketing funnel, comments can be that extra layer of influence that moves consumers from discovery to consideration.
People watch content, form an opinion, and then head to the comments to see if others feel the same way. When it comes to products, they look for real experiences, recommendations, and reassurance from people who have actually used them. This is where opinions get validated and reinforced, which can ultimately influence purchase decisions.
That’s why brands should invest in comment sections, not just get screenshots of clever replies, but to actively participate in conversations, answer questions, and make sure positive, authentic experiences get the visibility they deserve.
Josephine Wong, Chief Revenue Officer, POP.STORE
Absolutely, because that’s where the audience actually is. With how today’s algorithms work, people swipe from one video to the next and rarely stop to visit a creator’s bio or a brand’s profile. The comment section has become the place where all of the engagement lives.
It’s also where sales are waiting to happen and where real community gets built. By monitoring creator posts, brands can understand how people feel about them, which questions potential customers most want answered and what’s trending in the moment.
Megan Duong, Co-Founder & CEO, Plot
Brands should absolutely be in the comments. It’s a whole additional stream of exposure that most brands are leaving on the table, and nowadays it’s hard for brands to perform well on their owned content. Commenting is just an easy win and a way to get to know a brand in a different perspective. Everyone reads the comments, so if your comment performs well on a viral video it’s great exposure. The catch is you have to do it right. That means commenting where it’s relevant to the brand or where someone is clearly using the product and simply just being good at copywriting.
Case in point – I actually learned about Dude Wipes in the comments. I watched a viral video of a snake coming out of a toilet (super weird). First thing I did was open the comments and see Dude Wipes. It had like 50,000 likes. I had never heard of them. I opened the profile, saw that all of their content was toilet humor, and immediately got what they sell … Dude Wipes. Hah. That’s when I realized how powerful comments are.
Bill Herndon, Founder & CEO, ATRX Agency
Absolutely, but I think the real question is whether a brand is genuinely participating in the conversation or simply trying to drive engagement numbers and ROI.
I’ve spent years working with talent and creators, and one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of trust. A creator’s relationship with their audience isn’t something a brand can simply buy its way into.
The comment section is an extension of that relationship. It’s where people express themselves, challenge ideas, share experiences and connect with the creator. When a brand enters that space, it has a responsibility to respect what the creator has built with their community.
I’m not suggesting brands shouldn’t have business objectives. But there’s a difference between showing up because you have something meaningful to contribute and showing up because you see an opportunity to capitalize on someone else’s audience.
For me, it comes down to stewardship. Brands and creators both have a responsibility to protect the authenticity of that relationship.
Because at the end of the day, engagement might get you noticed, but trust is what gives you staying power.
Nicholas Blake, CEO, TBN Talent
I think there’s a real opportunity for brands in the comment sections of creator content, and the value goes well beyond immediate sales.
From a performance perspective, it’s an opportunity to organically reach audiences and build awareness, extending the value of marketing dollars already being spent. In some cases, the right comment on the right post can generate more impressions than a traditional paid ad. Not every interaction needs to drive a direct sale. Simply showing up where your audience is already spending time can keep your brand top of mind when they make their next purchase.
There’s also a significant community-building opportunity. Creators have built loyal audiences through consistent engagement, and brands can benefit from doing the same. When it’s done authentically, participating in conversations builds familiarity, strengthens brand affinity and encourages audiences to keep coming back. That kind of loyalty can deliver value far beyond a single conversion.
By engaging directly with creator content, brands are participating in the conversations where culture-making is taking place. Both creators and their audiences take notice, deepening relationships on both sides.
Ultimately, comment-section engagement can serve both performance and creative marketing goals, building organic visibility today while fostering long-term brand loyalty.
Glenn Ginsburg, President, QYOU Media
We see comment sections as a viable way for brands to engage with key communities and participate in their culture. But on its own, the effort can come off as insincere. It works when comments are one piece of a broader, sustained effort to contribute and give value beyond them. That’s how a brand earns a place in the conversation while keeping its own voice.
Tom James, CEO, Digital Fox Talent
I think if the brand is referenced, or if it’s after an ad placement within the content goes live, in partnership with the creator, it’s a nice strategy. If it’s focused, with a feeling of helping the person commenting, then I think it works as a PR strategy, but I am not sure the KPIs from “replies” should include sales.
Cedric Burgan, Founder & CEO, Haus Of CLB
I think brands should absolutely be spending more time in comment sections, but there’s a difference between joining a conversation and trying too hard to go viral. People love seeing brands interact with creators in a way that feels natural, especially when there’s some personality behind it. I’ve seen how those small interactions help brands stay relevant and build relationships with audiences. Not every comment needs to lead to a sale, either. Sometimes getting someone to recognize your brand, check out your page, or remember you the next time they’re shopping is a win. The brands doing this well understand their audience and know when to join the conversation without forcing themselves into it.
Sapir Tori, CEO & Founder, Zano
The creator partnership is only the first step of an Influencer Marketing campaign. If brands really want to maximize their investment, they need to engage with the audience beyond the content itself and the comment section is a great place for that.
Comment sections are an opportunity to join the conversation, answer questions, build relationships, and extend the life of a campaign. I’m not saying brands should respond to every comment, but thoughtful, authentic engagement can turn a one-off influencer collaboration into something much more impactful.
It’s essentially an additional amplification strategy that brands are often overlooking.
Kayla Moran, Founder and Managing Attorney, Kayla Moran Law
I would love to see brands engage with comments more. If they are genuine. Not simply filler or praise but inviting community and conversation. It’s also a great way to find other creators, new ideas and learn from their customer base.
Jessica Thorpe, CEO, partnrUP
If brands are bringing a wanted perspective and value into the conversation, I see no reason why they aren’t allowed to enter into the comments section of creator content. Conversations are centered around sharing information and experiences, and with the right intention, a brand can bring an interesting point of view to the mix. Bonus points for brands that surprise and delight super fans when they do.
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