5 Reasons Why Comments Matter on TikTok

(And How to Start Generating More Engagement!)

TikTok is the latest channel that has captured a lot of attention for marketers as engagement and reach continue to decline on other platforms. As a whole, content on TikTok is seen as more relatable, relevant, unfiltered, and authentic. 

This is anchored by TikTok’s ‘For You’ page algorithm, which generates recommended content for users to watch, based on what they are most interested in. More and more brands are prioritizing TikTok, as they see higher levels of engagement and receptiveness to brand content on the channel. 

If you have taken or are planning to take the leap into the world of TikTok, in addition to creating engaging, creative videos, it’s important to pay attention to the comments as well, as they form a crucial part of the impression users get of your brand. 

Here are a few things you should know when it comes to comments on TikTok:

Comments on TikTok boost video impressions

The TikTok algorithm rewards content that has a lot of engagement and comments. Having high comment volumes indicates to the algorithm that many people are interested in the content, so videos that have more comments are more likely to show up on more users’ ‘For You’ page (FYP).

For instance, Fresh Beauty capitalized on Taylor Swift’s new Midnights album dropping by releasing a video poking fun at ‘Nick from Legal’ being the problem (with Swift’s lead single ‘Anti-Hero’ as the background track) when Marketing’s TikToks are not approved. The brand’s quirky sense of humor (combined with the dashing good looks of Nick from Legal) garnered thousands of comments, saves, and shares not only from fans but other top brands (like Uber) and influencers as well. The video quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of Likes as well soon after it was posted. 

Does replying to comments boost videos?

Replying to comments may not boost a specific video. It does, however, incentivize more people to engage with the brand. This, in turn, builds trust and more personal relationships with your customers. So replying to comments will lead to a long-term positive influence on your videos' performance.

The comment section will help you sell more

A product can go viral with just one post. A compelling video, a funny review, or a genuine recommendation from a user or creator can spark new trends, cause a product to sell out, and make any brand an overnight success.

Nowhere is this more evident than on TikTok, the platform where users appreciate branded content the most. TikTok claims to be the fastest-growing channel for product discovery, and brands play a critical role in the TikTok experience, with 61% of respondents in a recent TikTok for Business 2022 report saying that advertising on TikTok is different from other social media platforms — according to users, it's more authentic, fun, real, and trustworthy.

At the time of writing, the trending hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has 29B+ views (and counting!). 47% of TikTokers say that they have bought something they saw on TikTok (Source: TikTok’s 2021 Holiday Guide). 

The comments have a big part to play in this discovery process. TikTok’s path to purchase is not linear — it’s an infinite loop fueled by the community's desire to constantly learn and discover something new. This requires brands to experiment with how they connect with potential customers on TikTok, from sharing funny or inspirational content about their products or services, to engaging consistently in the comments and building a community.

For example, beauty brands like ColourPop frequently have users commenting about how they need or want to buy products featured in their TikTok videos, or inquiring about how / where they can buy products.Additionally, engagement on TikTok posts indicates that users find the content of personal relevance, and this has the highest correlation to memory, impacting whether someone is going to act on this memory in the future (e.g. buy a product in a store that they first saw on TikTok).

According to recent data shared by Google, nearly half of young people now look to TikTok or Instagram to find answers and discover products, instead of Google’s range of services including Search, Maps, and YouTube, which used to be the first point of discovery for most people. This has big implications for many online retailers and brands, as social media has become the first stop on many people’s buying journey.

The comment section will help you understand what content resonates (or not) with your community

As marketers, constantly churning out new content can be challenging, especially as trends and tastes keep evolving. One valuable source of feedback when it comes to what content is working and resonating is the comments section of your TikTok videos. 

Users on TikTok don’t hesitate to share the love if they found a video particularly funny, inspiring, or interesting, or to reach out if they want more information (Examples: “This is me”, “I love this so much”, “I need to know the name of the song in this video!”) For instance, Fresh Beauty has been receiving plenty of praise in the comments for its funny videos that tap into viral trends and songs and feature staff members at Fresh. Meanwhile, Starbucks also has adopted a sense of humor for its TikTok content, leading users to enthusiastically share their positive feedback. 

Likewise, TikTok users don’t hesitate to tell you if they think the video is bad or in poor taste as well!

The comment section can be a place for harmful and toxic conversations(and you need to take action)

TikTok’s high engagement levels is a double-edged sword.

While the comments section can be a place for a lot of love, positive feedback and reviews from fans, it can also be a place where harmful content like spam, scams, discrimination, and hate speech can also be found. TikTok has made significant efforts to reduce these types of comments on the platform, but with a never-ending stream of new content and endless permutations for combining text, emojis and context, cyber bullying and harassment can often go undetected. 

Since 2020 when more than 1,000 major companies boycotted Facebook advertising to protest the platform’s handling of hate speech and misinformation, marketers and CMOs have been concerned about the prevalence of toxic and reputationally damaging content on platforms, and TikTok is not immune to the same concerns. 

Showing your brand takes a strong stance against hate speech is important, and can be done through having visible, public community guidelines, as well as actively moderating and hiding harmful comments left on your TikTok videos.

Interacting with comments provides opportunities to delight and build loyalty

Because TikTok is a platform that is engineered for high relevance (which is constantly evolving as trends change), the opportunity to demonstrate relevance is not only by creating highly memorable, funny, and engaging videos. Another prime opportunity that smart brands take advantage of is bringing the conversation and storytelling from the video into the comments. Responding to comments helps show existing customers and potential customers that you genuinely care about your audience and understand them.

For instance, Duolingo’s content focuses around the day to day life of Duo, its owl mascot, and Duo’s ongoing antics and massive crush on Dua Lipa. Not only are its videos focused on bringing the personality of Duo to life, but the comment threads are just as entertaining, if not more, than the videos themselves, and fans love engaging with Duo via comments!
Additionally, brand content might garner comments demonstrating purchase intent. In such instances, responding to these comments inquiring about a product/service is an opportunity to provide a good customer experience. At the same time, you’re preventing a lost opportunity to gain a new customer or make an existing one happier.

How can you start generating more comments on TikTok?

Here are a few helpful tips you can use immediately to start generating more comments on your videos:

1. Ask questions in your video itself or in the text description accompanying it.
2. Use emotion in your videos: humor, the shock factor, or the ‘Wow!’ factor.
3. Tap into the human attraction to novelty - showcase your product from an unexpected angle, against an unexpected backdrop, or tell a unique story through your video.
4. Ask your audience for feedback, suggestions, or their own experiences.
5. Respond to comments from users, especially positive ones, in a witty, memorable, or unique way (users love when brands do this!)
6. Apply the principle of reciprocity by commenting on videos by other brands and influencers - they will be more likely to do the same for you too!
7. Run giveaways that ask people to follow your account, comment, and tag other users.

In short, in the midst of creating engaging, authentic, and creative video content for TikTok, it’s equally important not to lose sight of taking care of your comment feeds. 

With BrandBastion, you’ll be able to monitor and manage conversations with ease, as our AI solution instantly analyzes and classifies each comment as you receive them, to pinpoint what people are saying and help brands take action. Learn more about our solutions here.