'We're at peak brand saturation': Why the comments section is becoming a cultural hub

"But all that ad activity isn't going unnoticed by social media users - and their behavior isn't unaffected either. At a Federal Trade Commission antitrust trial earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that users were posting less - numbers had declined, he said, the last two years in a row. With our feeds filled less than ever with updates from friends and more than ever with what Zuckerberg called "entertainment and learning about the world and discovering what's going on,""

"Today, a report out of social shop OK Cool sheds light on this emerging paradigm, which sees social media users shifting their focus to private channels and the "new town hall" of the comments section. Based on a survey of 2,700 global social media users, the research finds 77% of users saving the "unfiltered" sides of themselves for private chats, close friends groups and 'Finstas,' while 33% say online culture "is happening exclusively in the group chat.""

"So with posting in decline and private channels on the rise, where are people now showing up on public channels? In the comments section, the research finds. 91% say they spend time in the comments section of social platforms, with a third saying they spend time commenting themselves. 65% said comments sections are funnier than the creators themselves. What's the answer for brands - dive feet-first into a comments-section-first social strategy?"

Social media posting has declined for two consecutive years, with feeds containing fewer friend updates and more entertainment, learning, and discovery. Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged falling posting numbers at a Federal Trade Commission antitrust trial. WPP Media's Advertising 2030 found marketers narrowly split on whether most people will use platforms privately while public social spaces become promotional. A survey of 2,700 global users by OK Cool found 77% reserve unfiltered selves for private chats, close-friends groups and 'Finstas,' and 33% say online culture occurs exclusively in group chats. Public engagement has migrated to comments: 91% visit comments, one-third comment, and 65% find comments funnier than creators. Brands should be cautious about comments-first strategies.

Read at The Drum