Instagram comments are important. The first reason is that comments allow you to connect with your target audience where they “hang out” online. Instagram (IG) is one of the biggest social media networks for people of all ages, including your potential customers. When IG users comment on your Instagram posts, you’re actually building a relationship with them, ultimately building brand loyalty and convincing your audience to make a purchase. Instagram comments are also good indicators of what content performs best. Since the goal of social media is to raise brand awareness, increase reach, and convert customers, use comments to judge what type of content is (and isn’t) working well.

 

 

Finally, comments are a core part of Instagram’s algorithm, which determines how many people see your content. Instagram wants to show exciting, new, and interesting content in a user’s news feed. So, posts buzzing with engagement are much more likely to fit the bill than ones met with radio silence. In fact, some sources report that the number of comments on an Instagram post is more important than the number of likes it gets.

The bottom line? High engagement rates on your Instagram post will maximize its mileage. You’ll get placed higher in your followers’ news feed and maybe grab a spot on the Explore page — a feature used regularly by 500 million potential followers.

 

Write an engaging caption

Although Instagram is a visual platform, there is a place for great written content. Each Instagram feed (or grid) post has enough space to write a caption that describes the content, or points a follower to do something in the form of a call to action (CTA).

When it comes to writing Instagram captions, it’s best to use conversational, human-friendly language. Although customers actively use Instagram to shop, coming across as too sales-y can be off-putting.

 

 

Include the most important part of your message at the very beginning. Instagram cuts off your caption at 125 characters, prompting users to expand the post in order to read the remainder.

Speaking of length, how many characters should your Instagram caption be?

There is no hard-and-fast rule. A caption can be engaging and powerful if it’s several paragraphs or a single sentence. However, research shows that Instagram posts with 1-50 characters tend to get the highest engagement from accounts with fewer than 1 million followers.

 

Run a contest

Instagram users love a competition or giveaway. Not only can it generate leads for your business, but Instagram contests work wonders for boosting engagement rates and driving comments on your posts.

Not convinced? Consider the fact that contests attract 64 times as many comments as non-contest posts.

Run an Instagram contest that asks followers to tag a friend in the comments section as part of the entry requirements. This can have a snowball effect as more and more people tag their friends, creating a ton of activity in your Instagram comments.

Another option is to run a caption competition where entrants suggest a caption for the photo in your post. This can have the added benefit of driving humorous engagement and rich content in the comments section.

 

Use “fill in the blank” or “finish the sentence” prompts

Just like questions are a powerful way to drive engagement, unfinished sentences and “fill in the blank” prompts can get Instagram followers to comment on your posts.

In this instance, give users the start of a sentence or a statement, making it easy for them to share their answer in the comments. It’s easy to create a simple graphic, and next to no time for people to share their one-word answer.

 

Ask questions

It seems obvious, but by asking questions, you’re explicitly telling your followers that you’re interested in having a conversation with them. So, for each post you’re sharing on Instagram, ask relevant questions to your industry, products, or services. You could also run an emoji poll, giving followers two options to leave as a comment.

When using this tactic, always be super clear about what you want them to do. Spell out the fact that you want followers to comment with a response. Research shows that posts with the word “comment” in the caption attract more comments than those without.

 

Include a call to action in your image

Although Instagram captions are important, there is a slight problem: Not everybody reads them. In fact, almost two-thirds of Instagram users say they don’t always read captions.

What does that mean for the captions you’re pouring your heart into? The simplest workaround is to include a call to action (CTA) in your actual photo or image.

We’ve already mentioned that asking people to comment can have a positive impact on engagement levels and driving comments. Adding a small “comment below” CTA message on your actual photo, as well as your caption, can convince scrollers to stop and comment.

 

As you can see, there are several ways for social media marketers to fine-tune their Instagram strategy and get more comments. Remember to write engaging captions, use relevant hashtags, and include real people in your Instagram posts.