How to Get Your Instagram Followers to Comment More?

If you are someone who spends a few hours daily scrolling through your Instagram feed, you may have already noticed this – Instagram’s algorithm has changed. The posts you see on your feed are not in chronological order anymore. And ever since the likes on Instagram are being hidden, comments have become the most important mode of engagement to get visibility.

With Instagram’s algorithm that keeps changing, it becomes imperative for social media marketers to keep pace with it. At present, posts are being organized on their level of engagement. This means if your posts get more likes and comments, they will appear higher in the Instagram feed. So, how do you make more users leave a comment under your Instagram posts?

In this article, we have rounded up some handy Instagram tips that you can use to get more comments on your posts and grow your real Instagram followers.

1. Run an Instagram Contest or Giveaway

When it comes to getting more engagement on your posts, Instagram contests and giveaways are second to none. Think about it. We all love to win free stuff. Use that to your brand’s advantage by introducing contest rules that involve following your account, liking the post and tagging your friends in the comments section.

Another way is you could make the contest a weeklong campaign where the users are required to comment each day. Lastly, you could also ask your followers to post their photos while tagging your brand in the post. This not only boosts your Instagram likes but also leads to follower growth. Win-win in every department.

2. Reciprocate Engagement

This is one of the most powerful and sure-shot ways to get more comments on Instagram. Make a list of all the accounts that regularly interact with your posts. Visit their profiles one at a time and leave a few comments or likes on their latest Instagram posts. This thoughtful gesture goes a long way in encouraging them to keep engaging with your posts as they know their efforts are not one-sided. This also works with accounts that are already following you. Agreed, this can be quite a time-consuming task, but it is worthwhile in the long run.

3. Respond to Your Comments

Another simple and direct trick to get more real comments on your Instagram posts is to reply to your comments. More comments give you more visibility and Instagram engagement. As it is with any form of social media, replying to comments on Instagram too gives your followers a sense of community. They feel like they are part of some common interest. Before you know it, one user’s comment may lead to a conversation thread other users might want to join into. Responding to comments encourages your followers to leave more in the future and strengthens your relationship with them.

4. Host an Instagram Takeover

An Instagram takeover is when one Instagram account takes over another’s feed, usually for a day. They are done from the perspective of an influencer, a colleague or another enterprise in your industry. The idea is to churn fresh content and bring innovative ideas to the table that can generate more engagement too. This win-win strategy ensures the host as well as the guest benefit from the takeover. So, whether you are taking over someone’s account or someone is hosting yours, you both stand to gain from it. Takeover works excellently to boost the comments on your post as the spotlight shines on both the host and the guest.

5. Get Creative in Asking People to Comment

If you want more comments on your Instagram posts, the most obvious thing is to ask for them. However, instead of coming across as desperate to get more likes and posts, think out-of-the-box. When you are creative with your approach, your followers won’t avoid you like the plague thinking ‘Oh there he/she comes again!’.

Instead of pinging every Instagram user in your list to drop a comment, why not post a funny photo with ‘caption this’? Or, posts with captions like ‘Agree or Disagree?’ You can tell your followers the best answers get a shoutout and you will pin their comment. This can make things interesting and exciting for your followers almost like a mini-Instagram contest. And you know what’s the best part? You don’t even have to arrange for a prize!

6. Post Photos of Your Furry Friends

People who don’t love to see cute animal photos and videos simply don’t exist. This is why animal Instagram accounts go viral so often and earn huge amounts of money similar to human influencers. Whether you have a cute puppy in your office or a colleague’s pet, see if your audience is responding to your posts.

7. Ask Relevant Questions Under Your Posts

Here’s a pro-tip – if you want your comments section to grow into a thread everyone wants to be a part of, ask thought-provoking questions users will associate with. You will get Instagram engagement by posting creative captions like ‘yay or nay?’ or ‘agree and disagree’ too. But if you want the conversation to flow, ask questions that will prompt your users to participate. What could be better than a post that makes people want to answer and comment without you having to push them for it? It’s the best-case scenario.

For instance, if you are going to interview someone over a live feed, you can create a buzz around the event by posting related posts. You can ask your followers to comment on what would they like to ask the person you plan to interview.

8. Use Relevant Hashtags

No matter what social media platform you are on, hashtags play a pivotal role in connecting you with people who share the same interests as you. When you use hashtags on a particular post, your post pops up whenever someone searches that same hashtag. For instance, if you are doing a book post, you can use hashtags such as #BooksOnInstagram, #Booknerds, #Booklovers and #Bibliophiles. When a reading enthusiast opens their Explore tab and searches one of these hashtags, your post can show up. As per studies, posts with at least one hashtag have shown to result in 12% more engagement.

9. Tag People, Brands and Locations

We all love to tag our friends to posts that are super fun and relatable. This helps build a connection. You also get introduced to new users who might like your content. So, everyone gets to benefit from this. Apart from tagging people, you should also tag locations to encourage a sense of closeness. Suppose you run a local café, tagging your local area in the posts can promote your brand and help reach more people. 

Pro Tip: Tagging within the photo or video is better than tagging within the caption. It sends an instant notification to the people or brand you tag.

10. Choose Peak Posting Times

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to determining what’s the best time to do an Instagram post. Depending on the industry you are in, your followers and the type of content you post, your peak posting times can vary. Whether it is in the middle of the day or later in the evening, find out when are your followers willing to engage the most. The best thing to do would be to track your engagement rates on Instagram at different timings throughout the day and week. Monitor the results and grow your comments section.

11. Post Videos

Instagram has introduced features such as Reels and IGTV videos that encourage video content. In 2016, viewers spent 40% more time watching videos on Instagram and this is only going to rise. To invite more comments from your followers, consider posting engaging videos that compel them to stop and take notice. Ensure your content is gripping or can help them in some way – anything that would make them comment. You can write within the caption requesting your followers to comment on what they thought of the video. If it is good, there is a high probability they won’t shy away from commenting.

12. Be Regular with Your Posts

If you have a business account, being inactive or posting after long gaps can seriously hurt your profile. When you post regularly, you become more relevant and up-to-date. Posting regularly at the peak times of the day allow your brand to reach more people. It can help build connections and drive follower growth. Eventually, you will have more people to comment and react to your posts.

Key Takeaways
Consider the above-mentioned Instagram tips to get your followers to comment more on your posts. The engagement and interactions you will see in return by following these tips will be natural and boost your follower count too. Once you start getting more comments on your posts, find out which tips are working best in your favor. Stick to them to take your account to the next level, one post at a time.