We’re ashamed to say that Instagram launched pinned comment in July and we realised it now.

Why the mortification? Because we are a brand that continuously pushes the bar of making socials a safer and more honest place that thrives on community. 

The pinned comment feature is a significant step towards the goal. 

Wondering how? Then you landed on the right post!

Instagram Pinned Comment: The What, The How And The Why

Instagram has slowly been working on tackling trolls and their negative and bullying comments. 

  • They made it possible to delete comments in mass.
  • They gave you the freedom to restrict repeat offenders.
  • And they left it to you to choose who can or cannot mention or tag you.

Pinned comments are just one more currency in this bank. 

So, what are pinned comments?

It is a comment moderation tool available to creators (like you), brands, and even social media managers. 

You can pick any three comments from your post and pin them. They’ll stick to the top of your comment thread.

Do note that you cannot pin your own comment. But if you’re strategic about it, you can pin a comment to which you have answered. 

Once you pin someone’s comment, they’ll get a notification. In case you accidentally pin a comment, you can un-pin it.

instagram pinned comment

(credits: Instagram)

How do you pin a comment on Instagram?

Easy-peasy.

  • If you use Apple, then swipe left on a comment. If you use Android, tap on it.
  • You’ll see the options to reply, delete, report, and a new pushpin icon. 
  • Tap the icon and et voila, the comment is pinned. 

Why should you use Instagram’s pinned comments?

We all know comments are part of a creator’s bread and butter. They give you more engagement. They are a window to your community. They help you knit stronger bonds. 

That’s why you should use pinned comments. They let you keep a check on what people are saying on your posts and moderate them. With pinned comments, you can:

  • Immediately refute misinformation. 
  • Answer questions that are asked repeatedly. 
  • Tackle bullying and trolling.
  • Get the spotlight on comments that start conversations. 

Let’s unpack how pinned comments help creators further.

1. You can answer FAQs.

Reviewing a product? Announcing a collaboration? Or merely creating a tutorial? Irrespective of what you are posting, your followers will have some questions. 

Respond to those that you know people are going to ask again and again and pin them!

  • It’ll make them visible to all and prevent you from answering the same old questions several times. 
  • It’ll ensure that no misinformation is spread about the product, tutorial, brand collaboration, etc. 

FYI, you can always use those pinned FAQs as captions for further posts on the content. 

2. You can promote conversations.

Pin a comment that offers food for thought, and you can unleash a world of conversation within your community. Read: up your engagement exponentially. 

Remember by pinning comments you’re not just engaging followers with you. You also push them to make connections and interact with each other. 

How do you do that? If you’re a creator with a fun voice and tone, pin a hilarious comment. It will prod others to comment with their own puns. 

If you’re a creator who is vocal about mental health, pin comments that help others battle the same, or invoke positivity. 

A great way to spark conversations in the comments is to end your post caption with a question. Or use a fill in the bank. It will encourage followers to reply, and then you can pin the best answer to get the conversation ball rolling. 

3. You can take accountability. 

If the COVID crisis has taught us one thing, then it is that followers want creators (and brands) to speak up on important issues. And when you do that, as any creator worth their salt is wont to do, your community will ask follow-up questions. 

For instance, if you advocated for charity donation during the lockdown, people would like to know what actions you are taking or how you use their money. A perfect example is Kusha Kapila and her Ketto fundraiser to distribute face shields to healthcare workers.  

It is called being held accountable for your actions, and pinned comments are a great way to show your community that you aren’t afraid of it. 

When followers ask you tough and difficult questions in the comments, answer them. Then pin them!

It will create more trust in you by proving that you are an authentic and transparent creator working for the greater good of the community. 

5. You can build hype on sponsored posts. 

The holy grail of any creator who wants to earn is sponsored posts. You get those when your content quality is top-notch, and the engagement rate is high.

We’ve already mentioned that comments are an exceptional tool for upping engagement. But did you know that pinned comments can take it even further? How?

By pinning comments on sponsored posts that are positive. Let’s say you review a hairdryer, and one of your followers uses it. They gush about the product in your comments. 

If you pin that comment, your followers will see that it is a product that real people truly utilise and love! And that produces more hype because it shows credibility and develops trust. 

When others see the pinned comments, they are more likely to check out the product you are talking about and even buy it. 

Plus, these helpful testimonials are the best method to fight trolls who spam your thread. Why? Because they push all negative comments down the line (and of course you can always delete those).

And even if no one responds with an awesome testimonial, they will ask you questions. That’s enough to start conversations. 

Instagram’s Pinned Comments Are A Must Use!

All in all, pinned comments keep your followers informed, save you from repetitive queries, help you understand your audience, get more engagement on posts, and more. 

All this makes using Instagram pinned comment a must. 

If not that, then think about this. By pinning a follower’s comment, you make them the centre of attention, and that’s just another means to make people love you!

About the Author

Astha

A lover of words who feels she has marginal talent but caviar dreams. When by a pen name for a long time because this introvert is too shy to have their real name live on the internet. Now finally learning to embrace it. And, oh, their thng is books!

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