Comments

Output

total number of comments on the selected social media content during the reporting period

The indicator measures how many comments users posted on selected social media content. Comments are a form of audience interaction and can provide useful feedback, questions or discussion about the content. However, the number of comments does not by itself show that users understood, agreed with, valued or acted on the communicated message. Comments can also be negative, unrelated, duplicated or spam. Use this indicator mainly to monitor interaction with content and interpret it together with audience exposure and measures linked to the communication objective. Where useful, analyse what people say in their comments to identify common questions, feedback, concerns or themes.

Determine the indicator's value by using the following methodology:

 

1) Define the measurement scope before collecting the data. Specify the social media platform, account, content and reporting period. If relevant, also specify whether paid, organic or both types of content are included. Use the same scope when comparing results over time.

 

2) Check the platform’s current definition of comments and use its own analytics where available. Check whether replies, comments removed or held through moderation, and comments made by the organisation or campaign team are included. Platform definitions and reporting practices can differ and may change over time.

 

3) Record the number of comments reported for each item of content included in the measurement scope. Where possible, record or export the figures at a consistent point after publication. If campaign-team comments or replies can be reliably excluded, exclude them; otherwise, retain the platform-reported figure and document what it includes.

4) To determine the indicator’s value, sum the comments received by the selected content. Do not interpret this total as the number of people who commented. The same user can make several comments or comment on several posts and therefore contribute several times to the total.

This data can be disaggregated by social media channel, and, if relevant and feasible, also by content type and paid versus organic content.

1) A high number of comments is not automatically a positive result. Comments can express support, criticism, questions, confusion, unrelated discussion or spam. Do not infer sentiment or communication success from comment volume alone.

2) Comments can provide useful qualitative feedback. Where relevant, review recurring questions, concerns, misconceptions, suggestions and other themes and use these insights to improve future communication. Some platforms now provide automated comment-topic or summary tools, but important findings should be checked against the underlying comments.

 

3) Interpret comment counts in relation to audience exposure and the amount of content published. For example, 100 comments from content reaching 4,000 users is different from 100 comments from content reaching 50,000 users. Where available, report reach or impressions alongside comments and state the number of posts included. Do not compare raw comment totals across platforms or reporting periods without considering these differences.

4) Comment counts can change after data collection because users or platforms may delete comments or because comments are removed or held through moderation. For repeated monitoring, collect data at a consistent point after publication and note any important differences in moderation settings or platform definitions.

5) Comments represent people who chose and were able to comment; they should not be treated as representative of everyone reached by the content or of the wider target population. A small number of highly active users may generate a substantial share of comments.

Also consider using the following indicator:

• Engagement Rate (shows the level of interaction relative to the audience reached)