Over the past year, one thing has become clear: comments aren’t just reactions anymore. They’re active inputs into how brands, creators, and platforms move.

Here’s what we see coming next.

We’re already seeing audiences influence product direction positioning, and messaging directly in the replies. From feature requests to aesthetic preferences, comments are increasingly where ideas get tested and pressure-tested. In 2026, the line between audience and co-creator gets thinner.

Instead of hunting for long reviews or expert opinions, people are scrolling comment threads to see how something really landed. A few honest replies often carry more trust than a polished testimonial. Collective sentiment is becoming the shortcut.

High view counts are losing their shine. What brands actually want to know is whether a post sparked trust, relevance, or intent. Comment sections make that visible. In 2026, campaign success will be judged less by how many people saw it - and more by how people responded.

Creators and brands are already designing content with conversation in mind: built-in prompts, easter eggs, moments made to be quoted or memed. This isn’t about “engagement bait”, but creating space for audiences to participate and steer the narrative.

Memes, screenshots, image replies, and inside jokes are doing more of the talking. A single image can communicate sentiment faster than a paragraph ever could. Understanding comments in 2026 will require cultural fluency, not just keyword analysis.

Across all of these shifts, one thing stands out: more decisions are being influenced in public, in real time, and in threads that used to be ignored.

Creative direction, brand perception, and buying intent are increasingly visible in how people respond to content - what they repeat, challenge, joke about, or latch onto together.

The comment section is where those signals accumulate fastest.

On our radar this week: a reminder that some of the strongest campaign ideas don’t come from brainstorms or briefs…they’re sitting right there in the comments.

Speaking to Nili Kamolidinova from Top Golf, Link in Bio author Rachel Karten shared how the team were able to turn a single comment into a viral campaign.

After a viral comment joked about whether a broken net would be fixed in time for a work Christmas party, Topgolf leaned into the moment - tracking the repair in real time and ultimately throwing an actual party for the commenter.

What the Siftsy team has been reading, saving, and talking about this week.