Whether the comments department of your YouTube video is a lovefest or Snark Urban center, the fact is, it's a place where conversations about your brand are going to be happening — good, bad or ugly.

YouTube comments are an opportunity for the site's 1.seven billion unique monthly visitors to share what they beloved, detest or only must troll. It'southward like the internet's own personal Thunderdome, but while it tin can exist a place for negativity, YouTube comments tin as well exist a powerful opportunity for positive community building and date.

So! If YouTube is role of your social media strategy and y'all desire to make the most of your presence there, managing your comments effectively (with moderation, replies and analysis) is disquisitional.

Not only does it testify your fans and followers that you lot care about what they take to say, engaging with comments has the added benefit of boosting you in the YouTube algorithm. Videos with lots of likes, replies and moderation tend to prove up higher in search results.

Want to become the master of moderation? Read on for everything you need to know virtually comments on YouTube, and become that conversation going.

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Moderating comments that appear on your video is important (and we'll get to the details of that in a minute) but as a brand, you'll want to pipe up with your own commentary, too.

Why? YouTube comments are an opportunity to testify off your dazzling wit… or composure if you're one of those serious brands who prefers making tear-jerking ads over farthermost bike trick videos. And comments from a brand account specifically are a adventure to infuse your brand with a sense of authenticity and humanity.

Subsequently all, each comment you leave is another reference and exposure to your brand (and a chance to make a great impression on the YouTube algorithm). Get chatty! Beginning a conversation (on your own video or in another user'southward annotate department) or chinkle in with your (on-brand) two cents elsewhere.

To make a annotate:

  1. Underneath the video itself, notice the comment section.
  2. Type your message in the Add a comment field. (If y'all're writing on your telephone, y'all tin can tap the comment section to expand information technology.)
  3. Click Comment to post.

example of YouTube comments

Proceed in listen that a) you tin only comment on public videos (or unlisted ones). And b) once yous post your comment, it will be public, also, and associated with your YouTube account. Then if y'all're representing your brand, brand sure your bulletin is the correct tone, like this one from a meditation studio on a chillhop playlist.

Highlighted comment Healing Vibrations YouTube channel

Considering knowing how to brand a comment is simply i part of the equation; how to make a expert comment is another. A successful YouTube comment from a brand should offering some value, and go beyond trying to brand a auction.

Try sharing an interesting observation, cracking a joke, revealing helpful information or showing compassion or care for a fan. And if you lot can't plough on the charm (we all accept off-days, it's OK!), a humble thumbs up or heart tin can still go a long mode to show that you lot're listening.

A highlighted comment in YouTube is an automated characteristic, ane intended to flag the content creator'due south attention.

If y'all receive a notification about a reply to ane of your comments, or a notification about a new comment on one of your videos, you lot'll click through to the comments department and find that specific comment highlighted for easy reference.

In other words: YouTube highlights noteworthy comments for you to assistance make sure new letters or important responses don't get lost in the oversupply. The highlight volition disappear in one case you've seen the comment or engaged with it.

Video makers can besides manually highlight comments, to flag them for ease of replying later. But click on the timestamp (located next to the commenter'south username) of a comment to practise so. Ta-da!

This comment from an Animate being Crossing fan, for instance, was made a month ago, merely clicking on the timestamp highlighted information technology right at the acme of the comments section, making it easier to review and respond to.

Highlighted comment from Animal Crossing fan

If you're peckish a trip downwards YouTube memory lane (oh, you were so young!), looking back on comments you lot've left on YouTube is easy.

  1. Go to Comment History.
  2. Click or tap the content to go to the original identify you posted your comment.

Google My Activity your YouTube comments

Note that if y'all've commented on a deleted video, or your comment has been removed for violating YouTube'due south lawmaking of conduct, you lot won't see it logged here. Your trolling is lost in the sand of fourth dimension. Sorry!

Not to brag, just annotate moderation is what Hootsuite's YouTube integration really excels at.

Hootsuite helps social marketers efficiently manage their YouTube community by making information technology simple to appoint with comments.

Via the Hootsuite dashboard, y'all tin:

  • Delete comments on your own videos.
  • Cake specific users from commenting on videos on your aqueduct.
  • Delete your own comments from any video at whatsoever time.
  • Publish your own comments on your moderated videos without going through the moderation procedure.
  • Reply to comments on your videos.
  • Approve comments on your videos.

Hootsuite Streams

Here's how:

  1. Get to Streams, and and so go to a YouTube Moderate or Likely Spam stream.
  2. Select Approve, Delete, or Answer below the comment.

Try it for free

How to answer to comments

If someone has asked you a question or left a passionate notation, don't get out 'em hanging. Respond to comments and keep the conversation (and appointment) flowing.

On YouTube, head to your YouTube Studio page and cull Comments from the left-hand carte du jour. If y'all've set up comments to auto-publish with no moderation, you can review them via the Published tab.

YouTube Studio channel comments and mentions

If comments need blessing, they'll exist lingering in the Held for Review tab. (Make sure you lot approve or delete them inside threescore days or they'll exist deleted automatically!)

The filter bar at the pinnacle of either tab allows y'all to filter by specific text, by comments with questions, by unanswered comments, and more — an extremely helpful tool if you're dealing with a chatty audience.

channel comments and mentions filter bar

In YouTube Studio, you can reply with the smart reply feature (in which YouTube auto-generates responses), or hit Reply to type a unique message in response. While you're here, you can besides give comments a thumbs upwards, thumbs downwardly or a heart icon. Here, you tin can as well pivot a comment to the top of your video's watch page.

How to answer to YouTube comments in Hootsuite

If you'd rather utilise Hootsuite Streams for your YouTube comment moderation (we beloved to see it), you have a couple of options for replying:

  1. Enter a reply in the text box below the comment, and then printing Enter.
  2. Alternatively, y'all may select More Deportment adjacent to the comment, select Reply, enter your reply, and and so press Enter.

More Actions option next to YouTube comment

How to search for a YouTube comment

  1. In YouTube Studio, tap Comments on the left-hand of the folio.
  2. Select Search from the menu on the Published tab and type the text you're hunting for.

Using Hootsuite? It's piece of cake to just add a search stream to your dashboard. This tin help y'all pull upwards comments you lot desire to either revisit or respond to in moments.

Hootsuite edit YouTube search stream

You lot can search for content using keywords and sort the information by engagement uploaded, relevance, view count and rating. If y'all want to revisit a most liked YouTube comment on one of your videos, this is the characteristic to use. Get your hunt on!

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How to delete comments

Want to get rid of a annotate that you lot've written (sometimes emotions run loftier when you're watching weiner dog races, we get it!), or an unsavory comment someone has left on your video?

  1. Hover over the summit right of the annotate.
  2. Select Delete (the trash can icon) to remove the comment.

delete YouTube comment

That being said: your audience will notice when comments are deleted, and some brands tin can get a bad reputation for shutting down audition complaints or dialogue. Censorship is rarely a practiced expect, so use this ability with discretion. With great power comes bully responsibility.

How to report comments

If a comment is in violation of YouTube's community guidelines — think threats, spam or harassment, phishing, or inappropriate comments — y'all tin can study information technology to the caput honchos for removal and disciplinary action (a.thousand.a… JUSTICE!)

Log into your YouTube Studio account and click the three dots right next to the like, dislike and middle options. From in that location, you'll have the option to click the red flag and report a comment.

click red flag to report comment

If you do so, make sure that the post is in articulate violation of YouTube'south guidelines, otherwise, the platform is unlikely to accept action.

How to turn on comments on YouTube

  1. Head to YouTube Studio and click on the gear icon (Settings) on the left-hand side.
  2. Select Community.
  3. Pick your preferred annotate option.

Settings hold all comments for review

The default setting is for potentially inappropriate comments to be held for review before publication, but you can switch settings to permit all comments, hold all comments for review, or disable comments birthday.

If you choose the "hold all comments for review" setting on your aqueduct, yous'll be able to approve YouTube comments right from Hootsuite.

Or, if you lot choose to leave the automated filter on, you lot can customize the filter to your liking by adding moderators, blessing or hiding specific users or setting it to block certain words.

How to turn off comments on YouTube

See higher up! In YouTube Studio'south Community settings, change the comments setting to "disable comments" to prevent the public from posting comments at all.

If you've got a typo to fix or a clarification to make, it'south simple to edit a annotate you've left.

  1. Hover over the top right of the comment.
  2. Select Edit (the pencil icon) to make changes to your comment.
  3. Revise history!

At present that you're a comment whiz, you'd meliorate give your audition something to talk about. Check out our complete guide to YouTube marketing, and then explore dandy tips for getting more than views and building your YouTube subscriber base.

Let Hootsuite brand growing your YouTube channel easier. Schedule your videos, moderate comments, and promote your work on other social channels—all in one place! Sign up gratis today.

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