How to Respond to Instagram Comments [in 2024]

Social media has become a primary marketplace for many businesses, and for others remains the core means of engaging with potential customers.

When you or your business receives a comment on your Instagram story or Instagram post, it’s crucial that you deal with it appropriately. Learn how to respond to Instagram comments in this article. 

Why You Should Respond To Instagram Comments in 2024

You’re probably going to receive lots of different types of Instagram comments, from spam comments and negative feedback from haters to positive comments which show your business in a kind light.

Both as a means of customer service and social networking, it’s really important that you learn how to respond to a comment on Instagram.

Promotes Engagement and Boost Your Business

Replying in the comments section of your Instagram posts acts as a form of a conversation between you and the social media user/potential customer on the other end. It shows that you as a business care enough about the people you serve to engage with them, in turn increasing their engagement with you.

Showing your followers, as well as other Instagram users elsewhere on the Instagram app, that there is an open dialogue between your business and the general public will also promote wider engagement and boost your business’ standing in the public eye.

When it comes to increasing their engagement, customers will appreciate professional responses. There is a right and a wrong way to respond. The best practices for responding to Instagram comments are as follows:

• Reply within a few hours because this shows you appreciate the feedback and are engaged with your followers
• Be polite and respectful because these are real people you’re responding to and your replies are public
• Keep it brief because this keeps the conversation moving and your followers engaged
• Being personal and engaging makes you more relatable

Strengthens Your Brand

When we think of ‘branding,’ we tend to think of logos, colors, and slogans, and indeed those things remain important. In the era of social media, however, brand means so much more. Today’s consumer is far more concerned with the ethics and team behind a brand than they are with the branding itself.

Via your social media account, potential customers will make a judgment call on your business’s character, and it’s up to you to prove to them that your business is worth interacting with.

This is why learning how to respond to Instagram comments is so important – it gives you a 1-1 opportunity to strengthen your brand’s reputation.

Identifies and Addresses Gaps Within Your Business

Each Instagram comment is also an opportunity to identify and address gaps within your business. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but social media users and influencers aren’t shy when it comes to saying what they truly feel in the comment section.

Whilst it’s important not to get too wrapped up in offensive comments or any other negative social media comments, there are some comments which will give you insight into the things your business could be doing to meet customer expectations and desires.

For example, as a sandwich shop posting Instagram photos of your menu, the comments section might alert you to a lack of vegan/vegetarian or other specific dietary options. You could then address this issue and reach a wider market in real terms.

Increases Customer Loyalty

Lastly, you should learn how to respond to an Instagram comment because each time you do so, you are fostering an increasingly strong sense of customer loyalty.

Think about it, if you were to leave a comment on the Instagram account of your favorite local pizza place, and they replied directly to you, either via Instagram DM (direct message) or in the comments section, you would feel seen and heard, and would instinctively feel a stronger connection to that pizza place.

By taking just a little time each day to carry out this digital form of customer service, you can increase existing customer loyalty exponentially.

Most Common Kinds of Instagram Comments 2024

Not all Instagram comments are the same, and there are even those which you can pretty much ignore (they’re not intended for you, or nothing good will come of replying to them).

It’s worth taking a look at the various types of Instagram comments so that you’re better prepared to deal with them when they start coming in from your own followers.

Positive Comments

Positive feedback is always welcome, as are positive comments. Positive comments are the type that says something nice and complimentary, either about the post itself (“This looks amazing!” / “Got to get me one of these!”) or about the business as a whole (“I love you guys!” / “Favorite pizza joint in all New York!”).

In the days of Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews, commenters rarely logged in to say nice things. Thankfully, those days have changed, and with the ease and availability of social media platforms, followers are more willing than ever to drop you a positive comment on your recent post on Instagram.

Negative Comments

Unfortunately, negative comments do also abound on social media, from Facebook pages to Instagram inboxes. These comments are usually not posted to be constructive or kind but instead to be critical of your business. You shouldn’t take them to heart, but you should address them.

If you’re receiving one negative Instagram comment in a blue moon, you’re probably doing a good job overall, and the comment is more a reflection of the person than you. However, if you start to receive a slew of negative comments, this could indicate wider failings in your business.

Neutral Comments

Neutral Instagram comments are neither particularly positive nor negative. They might be spam, or they might be constructive (but not necessarily negative) criticism. They may in fact have very little to do with your particular post or Instagram profile and so may not warrant a response.

Still, it’s always worth reading these types of comments carefully to make sure you haven’t missed anything that does merit a response.

Questions

Questions are probably the most important types of comments to look out for. If someone leaves a positive, negative, or neutral comment, they’re not necessarily looking for a reply. Sure, they’d appreciate one, but if you somehow miss their comment it’s not going to be the end of the world.

Questions, on the other hand, are specifically asking for a reply. These questions could be anything from “When are you open?” to “Do you have a vegan menu?” or “Does the venue have disabled access?”. You’ve got to be prepared to answer all sorts of questions and do so in a professional way.

Shares And Mentions

Shares and mentions are comments in which your followers tag each other or their friends on Instagram who aren’t yet aware of your business in order to draw their attention – usually because they think the people they tag will like what you’re posting about.

If you see comments mentioning other people (“@[USERNAME]”), you can go ahead and ignore them; you don’t have to reply. However, if the comment mentions you, then it’s definitely something you should reply to.

Similarly, if someone shares your post on their Instagram story, you’ll get a specific notification saying so. It’s worth resharing this story onto your own and thanking them for their support and kind words.

How To Respond To Positive Instagram Comments 2024

It’s always worthwhile taking the time to send a quick reply to positive social media comments. Let’s take a look at some stock responses you can use when learning how to respond to nice comments on Instagram. 

• “Thank you for the kind words! We’re glad you enjoy our account.”
• “Thank you for the support! We appreciate it.”
• “We’re glad you enjoy our account, and thank you for the compliments.”
• “We’re glad you enjoy our photos, and thank you for the kind words.”
• “We’re so happy you like our content! Thank you for following us.”

How To Respond To Negative Instagram Comments

As much as it might be quite tough at times to draft a response to negative comments, it’s really important in order to show others that you take all feedback seriously.

Learn how to respond to negative comments on Instagram by taking these examples as inspiration, and consider following up any negative comment with a similar private message to the user in question.

• “Thank you for your comments. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our post, but we appreciate your feedback.”
• “Thank you for your feedback! We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our post, but we appreciate your input.”
• “Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our post. We appreciate your input and will take your suggestions into consideration.”
• “Thank you for your honest feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our post, but we appreciate your comments.”
• “Thank you for your input. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our post, but we appreciate your feedback.”

Best Practices in Responding to Instagram Comments

You can draw inspiration for response copy from our sections above, but Instagram comment replies are always more effective when written from the heart. Let’s look at the best practices you should employ when writing good Instagram replies.

Be Professional at All Times

Negative comments can sometimes feel like a personal attack and can make you want to tell the person on the other end of social media what you really think, but that is never a good idea!

Always be professional in your language and tone. This also goes for your responses to positive comments; appearing overly friendly or informal may also tarnish your business’ reputation.

Personalize Your Response

As we’ve said, take as many Instagram comment reply ideas as you want from our examples above, but make sure to personalize your response. Use your brand’s established ToV (Tone of Voice) whilst taking time to consider the commenter’s point of view.

Reply Within A Few Hours

It’s not always possible to respond to Instagram comments as and when they come in, but the best replies are those which reach the original comment within a few hours – or at least within a day.

If replying to negative comments, a swift response may be the difference between the comment section spiraling out of control and not.

Always Be Polite And Respectful

Show your customers respect and manners – even when they show you none – and this can only reflect positively on your business. 

Keep Your Response Short And Brief

If you feel that the comment you’re replying to warrants a response longer than a couple of short sentences, it’s much better to send the user a private message via DMs; otherwise, the comment section begins to get messy.

Moreover, long replies to comments can be counterintuitive – social media is about short, sharp, snappy interactions; interactions that take too long might be construed as being a bit weird.

How Can I Track Instagram Comments?

When starting out as a small independent business, chances are you are the only person in charge of your social media. If the comments start pouring in thick and fast, they can quickly become overwhelming.

Even for bigger businesses and brands, tracking Instagram comments would be impossible were it not for a team of people and software.

Set-up Monitoring Streams

There are various different software and social media management tools that you can subscribe to and employ to track your Instagram comments sections, among an array of other Instagram user interactions.

These monitoring streams are often available at tiered price levels and allow you to monitor all comments or just alert you to ones containing specific keywords, or on specific posts.

Diligently Track All the Comments, Replies, and Mentions

Alternatively, you can keep tabs on your notifications just as you would with a personal page, checking in every few hours or once a day to monitor all of the comments, replies, and mentions you’ve received and reply to them one by one.

FAQs

How Can I Respond to Comments on Instagram Live Video?

When hosting an Instagram Live video via your business account (which can be a great way to increase brand engagement), you can respond to comments by speaking directly to the commenter during the video. You cannot reply via text.

How to Reply to an Instagram Comment on a PC?

Whilst you cannot post content on Instagram from a PC, you can still use Instagram via the website or app and reply to comments by clicking on the post in question and then clicking ‘Reply’ below your chosen comment.

How to Reply to Multiple Comments on Instagram?

Unfortunately, you cannot reply to multiple comments on Instagram at the same time. The only way you could emulate a similar effect is by mentioning (using @) multiple commenters in a single comment which relates to their similar questions.

How to Pin, Report and Delete Comments on Instagram?

You can pin comments you’re proud of or report and delete offensive/spam comments on Instagram. To do so, simply tap and hold the comment on your smartphone and then tap the relevant icon at the top of the page.

How to Report Comments, Bots, and Spam Commentary Pollution?

If you’re being spammed with comments from bots and spam accounts, then you should report the comment as such by using the method described above in FAQ #4, and then also choosing to block the account when given the option.

Conclusion

If you came here wondering, “How do I respond to comments on Instagram?” then hopefully, we’ve cleared things up for you. When replying to comments posted to your Instagram business account, remember to always be cordial, professional, short, and sweet. Good luck!