Back to the blog

5 Ways Brands Use TikTok Comments to Drive Stronger Engagement

Michael Waters
August 11, 2022
Marketing through social media comments is an underutilized approach. If brands do it properly, they can engage their customers in dialogue that feels natural.

TikTok Comment Culture Is Taking on a Life of Its Own

On TikTok especially, commenting culture is having a renaissance. Witty, one-off comments flood the average video, and in many cases, the discussion in the comments is just as clever or engaging as a video itself.

The comments section is so active on TikTok because the TikTok app makes it easy for creators to incorporate comments into their videos.

You can create a video response to any comment you receive on your page, meaning that the dialogue in the comments of a video is usually directly relevant to what a TikToker will post next.

If brands use the social media platform's comments effectively, they can become part of that customer dialogue in a way that feels natural.

Brands like BarkBox and Habit Skin having a growing community of lively TikTok commenters.

How Brands Can Effectively Utilize TikTok Comments

Here are some ways brands can use comments to improve their customer support and engagement rates:

Comment on Celebrity Videos

If you click on a TikTok video posted by a major celebrity or influencer, you're going to see a lot of brand accounts in the comments. For instance, Taylor Swift's TikTok account is frequently teaming with comments from Duolingo, Rare Beauty, Dormify, Target, and more.

This is a good strategy. TikTok fans frequently check the celebrity comments, and so the comments section beneath a celebrity video is prime real estate to get your name out there. But commenting on celebrity videos can also feel like an obvious marketing ploy.

TikTok's active users can tell if you don't have anything to add to the discussion. That's why focusing on more niche celebrities—where you may be the only brand commenting and where your audience will more likely overlap with that star's audience—is the way to go.

Find a Niche Trend or Viral Video Related to Your Product

One of the best ways to get more attention for your comments is to seek out tangentially related videos to your product. When a video about accidentally buying an Arby's menu board garnered millions of TikTok views, for instance, Arby's hopped on the trend.

Or when a short video about McDonald's broken ice cream machines blew up, the rival chain Jack in the Box took to the comments to join the joke. "Unfortunately, not even family is strong enough to fix their machines," the company wrote.

Directly acknowledging existing enthusiasm for your product—and doing it in a witty way—is a great way to get attention on the app and build a relationship with potential customers. 

Jack in the Box TikTok video grabbed the attention of customers with their wit.

Reply with Video in your TikTok Comments Section

TikTok is one of the only platforms that lets you create video responses to comments, and leaning into that tool can help you stand out on the platform.

The DTC backpack brand Brevite, for instance, has made comment-response videos that showcase the features of a Brevite bag.

That direct connection with its commenters has garnered its attention on the app, and the brand claims that its top comment-response videos are responsible for a 200% sales increase.

Brands can leave video comments to reply to users in the TikTok comments. (Image from later.com)

Use the Comments on Your Own Page to Make Product Tweaks

Brands shouldn't just think of the TikTok comments as part of a marketing strategy. Comments can also offer a wealth of ideas about improving the way you present your product to your target audience.

The DTC sunscreen company Habit, for instance, tracked the comments underneath its informational "Sunscreen 101" TikTok posts, and based on the response, it decided to tweak its product descriptions.

After TikTok users frequently expressed their surprise about the link between anti-aging and SPF, Habit added that fact to its welcome kit.

To help identify patterns in how customers respond to your products, you can lean on a tool like Chatdesk Trends, which tags any number of comments from customers to seek out patterns in how people are responding to you.

A Free Guide on How to Launch Ads on TikTok

Engage Customers in Your Comments

Comments also offer an underutilized way to conduct customer support. Digital-native shoppers will often take to the comments on TikTok to share their concerns about your product or services.

Whether it's FAQs about the different packages you offer, clarifications about your fast delivery times, or if you secure payment methods like credit cards and crypto, you want to meet them where they are.

Comments are the new frontier of customer service, and Chatdesk Teams lets you respond to customers directly in the TikTok comments. Chatdesk's representatives are Superfans of your brand, and through them:

Chatdesk Teams also provides you with a cost-saving ($1-3 per ticket) solution, which is cheaper than traditional customer service providers. Schedule a demo to see how Chatdesk can drive revenue for your brand.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep reading

Get a free quote.

Schedule a quick demo with our sales team.
Five out of five starsHello!

Download Content

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.