Instagram Comments Ultimate Guide [Pin, Edit, Hide, & More!]

You’ll never guess just how HUGE of an impact Instagram comments can bring to your business…

With a bit of creativity, you can use comments to:

• Create more content
• Increase sales
• Understand your audience more
• Validate your buyer persona
• Get insights for product improvement
• Etc.

You just need to learn how to manage your comments efficiently and get as many comments as you can.

The good news is, that’s what this guide is all about.

Continue reading to learn how to get more comments, why they matter, and how to manage them efficiently.

What you’ll learn:

• What are comments for Instagram?
• Why do Instagram comments matter?
• How to get more comments on Instagram
• How to respond to an Instagram comment (like a pro)
• How to turn off comments on Instagram
• How to block Instagram comments with specific keywords
• How to hide offensive Instagram comments
• How to pin Instagram comments
• How to edit Instagram comments
• How to delete Instagram comments
• How to find Instagram comments
• Instagram comments: Frequently Asked Questions
• Utilize comments for Instagram marketing success

What are comments for Instagram?

Instagram’s comment system enables users to voice their feedback, opinions, suggestions, questions, and thoughts on a piece of content posted on the platform. Other users can view, like, or reply to comments—sparking conversations and bringing more exposure to Instagram content.

Comments can be added to regular Instagram feed posts, reels, and videos. However, they can’t be added to Instagram stories, which only allow responses via direct messages (DMs). 

To write a comment, look for the speech bubble icon at the bottom of feed posts or on the righthand side of reels. Tap the icon, write your comment, and finish up by tapping the ‘Post’ button.

Why do Instagram comments matter?

From an end-user’s perspective, the comments system completes the Instagram “social networking” experience. 

After all, it will be extremely tough to reach new connections, grow relationships, and exchange ideas in a public forum with just likes, shares, follows, and DMs. 

For marketing agencies, Instagram comments are a great way to ramp up user engagement, raise brand awareness, build authority, and get more followers. It shows that your client has an active user base that appreciates their content and is willing to contribute to their brand growth. 

In addition to bolstering your client’s authority on social media, here are five additional benefits of real Instagram comments:

1. Use expertise to answer questions

Comments provide ample opportunities for your client to showcase their expertise. 

Every once in a while, followers drop questions and statements that warrant a response. Providing expert answers to these comments will show not just the original commenter, but everyone else who sees the conversation, that your client knows their stuff. 

2. Grow your client’s Instagram community

The comment section is integral to the community aspect of the Instagram app. It enables public conversations to take place beside your client’s content, generating repeat views, increasing user engagement numbers, and developing relationships between followers. 

3. Cleverly insert hashtags

Inserting hashtags into post captions improves the searchability of Instagram content. 

But if you prefer captions to be short, clean, and stylized (thus, leaving no room for hashtags), inject viral hashtags for Instagram into comments instead. With the right steps, comment hashtags will even help you go over the 30-hashtag limit per post. 

Tip: Use IG tools that can automate first comments with hashtags on Instagram posts.

4. Extract valuable customer insights

Brands on Instagram can get tons of valuable feedback from existing customers through comments. This enables them to identify problems and kinks that are only visible from a consumer’s perspective. 

You can also respond to customer feedback on your client’s Instagram account to build their reputation and buyer confidence. 

According to statistics, consumers consider businesses that respond to reviews and feedback to be 1.7 times more trustworthy. 

5. Get user-generated content

Testimonials and positive feedback delivered as comments for Instagram posts are powerful user-generated content (UGC). 

Just take screenshots of positive comments and feature them in your next marketing content—be it a blog post, case study, banner ad, or another piece of content on Instagram. 

With a healthy flow of real comments going into your client’s Instagram account, you’ll have an endless supply of UGC to fuel your marketing for months. 

6. Boost visibility

Just like other social media platforms, Instagram’s algorithm factors in engagement signals, including likes, shares, and comments. This influences the discoverability of your content on the platform. 

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How to get more comments on Instagram

Squeeze the most value out of Instagram comments with tactics that help you (or your client) get more of them. 

Here’s how to get more comments on Instagram: 

1. Automate a first comment

If you want comments, use a social media management platform like Vista Social to automate a first comment and get the ball rolling. 

Kickstart a conversation with your client’s audience by asking a question, encouraging them to tag someone, or by saying something funny. Alternatively, use first comments to inject Instagram posts with more hashtags for maximum discoverability. 

To automate a first comment, create a post using Vista Social and use the “Leave first comment” field. 

2. Respond 

Respond to existing comments to open up conversations that other users can jump into. 

This is also a surefire way to get into your target audience’s notifications. But to reap the full benefits of responding to comments, focus on sharing value through meaningful messages. 

Answering a question, for instance, will encourage other followers who have other questions in mind to ask away. They may also ask follow-up questions in case they weren’t satisfied with your first response. 

Crafting constructive responses that are conducive to conversations is more challenging than you think, especially if you need to respond to negative feedback. 

Jump ahead to the next section for more tips on responding to Instagram comments. 

3. Use Instagram reels

Publish Instagram reels to cut through the social media content noise and reach your target audience.  

Reels come with multiple tools for jacking up user engagement. Users can remix reels, answer polls, like, share, and—of course—leave comments. 

Since Instagram reels use videos, they also offer plenty of creative freedom to invite viewers to share their thoughts. You can use text overlays for CTAs, verbally request comments, and more. 

All these, on top of the discoverability provided by the dedicated “Reels” main menu button, make reels extremely effective in generating comments. 

Below are a few tips to help you utilize Instagram reels for getting comments: 

• Structure your reels right. Research the best Instagram reels length for the video type you want to share. Use a captivating intro to hook viewers and finish strong with a direct Call-to-Action (CTA) that requests comments. 
• Use stickers. Instagram reels stickers let you highlight takeaways without requiring viewers to finish the whole video. Stickers can also incorporate interactive elements into reels, like polls, quizzes, emoji sliders, and more. 
• Ask questions. Bring up thought-provoking questions and ask users to comment their answers. Raise the stakes by offering rewards to the first handful of users who can answer correctly. 
• Use reels to provide commentary. Sharing your thoughts on a trend, recent event, or popular Instagram post is highly likely to draw reactions. Avoid backlash by analyzing the social media community’s sentiments first before recording and uploading commentaries. 

Must-read: Instagram Reels vs Story

4. Comment on other posts

Write comments on other users’ posts to get their attention and encourage them to visit your client’s page. 

Use funny things to comment on Instagram to make your client’s brand more approachable and invite more users to reach out. Some examples are: 

• “Thanks for the like! Upon checking, you haven’t followed our page yet… what gives? 🤔”
• “Our jaws are literally on the floor right now. (Seriously, send help!)”
• “We can be best friends if you follow these steps: 1) head to our page, 2) click ‘Follow.’ It’s that easy!”

Whatever you do, don’t use “copypasta” comments that contribute nothing to the conversation. Only use comments that, while humorous, convey a meaningful message—from showing appreciation to inviting more followers. 

5. Ask followers to tag their friends

Encourage followers to tag their friends in the comments if they found your post helpful. 

Use lines similar to: 

• “Tag a friend who needs this information”
• “Tag your friends and see what they think!”
• “Tag someone who will love this post!”

You might be surprised how many people prefer tagging people over sharing posts via DMs. This helps users maintain a clean inbox, which is meant for personal and private conversations. 

By tagging friends, Instagram users also let other people react and join in. You can also drop in to share your thoughts and get the conversation rolling—again, appearing in your audience’s notifications list with each response. 

6. Make it a contest 

Incentivize commenting by including it as a mechanic in a contest.

Social media users love free things. And to them, just a chance to win something in exchange for a like, share, or comment is a no-brainer. 

The easiest way to generate comments with an Instagram contest is to host a caption contest. Simply post a funny picture, invite your client’s followers to write a caption, and pick the best one to decide the winner. 

You can incorporate more contest mechanics that are easy to do, but bring maximum marketing value to your client’s Instagram account. 

For example, in addition to writing a caption, you may also ask participants to tag a friend and share your post via Instagram Stories. 

7. Use natural, human language

Use a language that your target audience understands to encourage conversations. 

Don’t stick to formal corporate speak when writing captions, inserting automated comments, or responding to existing comments. Rather, use friendly, natural language spoken toward real users to attract commenters. 

To help your team implement this strategy consistently, build a swipe file of commonly-used phrases and words on Instagram, such as:  

• “Straight fire”
• “Great weekend”
• “Great pic”
• “Big guy”
• “Gorgeous”
• “Cutest thing”
• “Heart-eyes emoji”
• “Cute” 
• “Cutest outfit”
• “Heart blow”
• “Fresh look”
• “Big dreams” 
• “Best thing”
• “Good Lord”
• “Best friend”
• “Such an angel”

Should you buy Instagram comments?

As a social media agency, you should be aware of existing businesses that straight-up offer followers, likes, and comments on various social media platforms. 

Some businesses offer a comments service that can deliver short-term results. 

However, bought comments don’t represent actual engagement from real people. They’re better described as vanity metrics, and their real value comes from the impression they make on other users. 

With dozens—if not hundreds—of comments on your post, other users may be encouraged to chip in their thoughts. But there are savvy users on Instagram that can smell spam from a mile away. 

If these users detect that you buy comments, they may publicly call you out and ruin your client’s reputation on Instagram forever. 

How to respond to an Instagram comment (like a pro)

Instagram brands that respond to their audience are seen as more authentic and trustworthy. 

You can help your clients achieve that status by building a strategy for responding to comments—even random comments—in a professional and value-oriented manner. 

Here’s how to respond to Instagram comments to generate more engagement:

1. Double down on positive comments

Incite positive commenters to take the next step and introduce a path to conversion. 

Instead of simply showing your appreciation, invite them to check out your client’s blog, subscribe to their newsletter, look at their other Instagram content, and more. 

2. Show your human side with humor

Respond to jokes or other funny comments that match the audience’s humor. 

It may not have a direct impact on your client’s social media performance or conversion rates. But it’s a great way to stimulate user engagement and improve your client’s brand image. 

3. Track comments using social media listening

Round up high-stakes conversations using a social media listener that actively scans for keyword mentions. 

Vista Social lets you run multiple social media listeners to find users who talk about your client’s brand or products. Just click ‘Listening’ from the dashboard, click ‘Add Listener,’ and enter the keywords you want to include or exclude.

How to turn off comments on Instagram

From a marketing standpoint, social media comments are generally seen as assets. But, in some cases, they can be a liability. 

Brands can temporarily disable comments on Instagram for damage control and as means of preventing further negative press. 

Here’s how to turn off Instagram comments: 

Step 1: Launch the Instagram app. 

Step 2: Go to your client’s profile and open the post you want to turn off comments for. 

Step 3: Tap the triple-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner. 

Step 4: Tap ‘Turn off commenting.’

How to block Instagram comments 

Countless brands have trouble with Instagram users who deliberately antagonize them. 

If your client has this problem, an easy fix is to block those users from commenting. 

Here’s how to block comments on Instagram: 

Step 1: Go to your client’s profile and tap the hamburger menu icon in the upper-right corner. 

Step 2: Tap ‘Settings,’ ‘Privacy,’ and then go to ‘Comments.’ 

Step 3: Tap ‘Block Comments From’ and enter the name or username of the account you want to block. 

Step 4: Tap the blue ‘Block’ button next to their Instagram account when it appears.

How to hide offensive Instagram comments

If you don’t want to block users, but would like to disable hate speech or harassing comments, you can hide those comments instead using Instagram’s built-in tool. 

Here’s how to hide Instagram comments that contain specific keywords:

Step 1: Go to your client’s profile, tap the hamburger menu icon, and open ‘Settings.’

Step 2: Select ‘Privacy’ and tap ‘Hidden Words.’

Step 3: Switch on the ‘Hide comments’ toggle under “Custom words for messages and comments.” Then, tap ‘Manage custom words and phrases’ to specify the keywords you want to block. 

Step 4: Enter the offensive words into the “Add Words or Phrases” field and tap ‘Add.’ You can add multiple words at the same time as long as you separate them with a comma. 

Optional: Enable ‘Advanced comment filtering’ if you want to enhance the default language filter for Instagram comments. 

How to pin Instagram comments

Getting a massive number of comments in a single post can be a double-edged sword. 

First, it becomes taxing—almost impossible—to respond to every one of them. You need to carefully pick out the best comments you will respond to. 

Secondly, the top comments may get flooded by the constant stream of questions, opinions, suggestions, and feedback from other users. 

Good thing Instagram allows users to pin up to three comments so they always stay on top. 

Here’s how to pin a comment on Instagram: 

Step 1: Open Instagram and go to the post you want to pin comments on. 

Step 2: Look for the comment you want to pin. 

Step 3: Swipe on the comment to the left and tap the pin icon.

How to edit a comment on Instagram

Everyone makes mistakes, including seasoned social media managers typing on a mobile keyboard. 

Unfortunately, there’s no way to edit a comment once it’s already posted. You can only delete your comment and write a new one. 

Alternatively, you can reply to your own comment and indicate the corrections with an asterisk. Just hit ‘Reply’ below your comment and write your corrections. 

Most real Instagram users should understand what you’re trying to do. And for the most part, mistakes in comments aren’t a big deal.

How to delete Instagram comments

Even if you hide offensive comments or block accounts that antagonize your client, negative comments that harm your client’s brand can still slip through the cracks. 

In these rare cases, you need to step in and delete the offending comment yourself. 

Here’s how to delete a comment on Instagram:

Step 1: Launch the Instagram app and look for the post with the offensive comment. 

Step 2: Look for the comment you want to delete and swipe left. 

Step 3: Tap the red trash can icon to delete the comment. 

Bonus: Use Vista Social’s social listening tool to spot comments that contain potentially harmful words. 

How to find Instagram comments

Active social media agencies interact with truckloads of content all the time. You can easily lose track of conversations and comment threads, especially if you manage multi-platform accounts. 

On Instagram, you can look for a comment you posted in just a few steps. 

Here’s how to find your comment on Instagram: 

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and head to your client’s profile. 

Step 2: Tap the hamburger menu icon in the upper-right corner and tap ‘Your Activity.’ 

Step 3: On the “Your activity” page, tap ‘Interactions.’

Step 4: On the “Interactions” page, tap ‘Comments.’ Swipe through the list or sort the comments chronologically to find the right comment. 

Instagram comments: Frequently Asked Questions

What are good comments for Instagram?

Short comments for quick likes on Instagram: 

• “Watch out, world.” 
• “Mind. Blown.”
• “Best Instagram post to date.” 
• “Photo worth it.”
• “Fire as always.”
• “Instagram life.”
• “Hope you see this.”
• “Beauty.”
• “Finally.”

Where do you find Instagram comments?

To look for comments you posted on Instagram, go to your profile, open the settings menu, and tap ‘Your activity.’ Head to ‘Interactions’ then tap ‘Comments’ to scan your comments. 

Why are the comments not showing on Instagram?

If comments are not appearing all over your Instagram app, you may have a slow internet connection. But if comments don’t appear only for specific posts, their owners may have blocked you or turned off comments entirely. 

Utilize comments for Instagram marketing success 

Vista Social can help you track important comments using a streamlined interface.

It also lets you automate first comments, schedule Instagram posts, manage direct messages (DMs), and more. 

For a taste of what Vista Social can do for your Instagram campaign, click here to start a free trial.