Comments

Additions, clarifications, extended definition

Posting a comment requires more effort from the user than a reaction (likes, hearts etc.), which is why comments carry greater informational value.

Interpretation

This is a key engagement metric showing whether the content managed to provoke a response, an opinion or a discussion. Unlike passive reactions (likes, hearts etc.), comments represent an active form of participation and can provide valuable insight into how the audience actually perceives the brand or the content.

Watch out: limits and risks of distortion

• Beyond the number of comments, we can also track their sentiment and categorise them in the same way as reaction types (positive, neutral, negative). But beware of context dependence – the same word can carry a positive or negative meaning depending on the circumstances.
• Watch out for spam and automated comments – they can skew the results.
• Platform differences – on some networks comments are public (YouTube), elsewhere partly hidden or restricted (Facebook groups, FB and IG Stories).

Where and how to measure

• The native analytics tools each network offers, usually in the "insights" section.
• The data can also be tracked via third-party tools, e.g. Emplifi, Brandwatch, Hootsuite etc.