Getting more comments on Instagram starts with one direct question and a reply

Place your question at the very end of your caption, just before any hashtags.

Questions remove the biggest barrier to commenting, not knowing what to say. The difference between a question that gets comments and one that gets ignored usually comes down to specificity. The weak versions are vague.

The strong versions tell the reader exactly what to type.

• Would you eat this for breakfast or save it for dessert?
• What's one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
• If you could only keep one app on your phone, what would it be and why?

What you can try now: Place one question at the end of the caption.

It doesn't matter if it's a one-word comment or a paragraph.

A "This or That" post presents two options and asks followers to pick one by commenting their choice. When someone only needs to type "A" or "coffee," the barrier to commenting drops to almost zero. Both count as engagement signals that expand your reach.

Pick two things your audience has a clear opinion about.

• Choose two options with no obvious right answer.
• Keep the caption short and direct.
• Reply as soon as comments start coming in.

What you can try now: Write the one-word choice people can comment.

Test out your engagement rates on Instagram when you post at different times.

The answer varies depending on your industry, your followers, and what type of content you're posting. Figure out the time when your followers are more willing to stop and leave a comment. Determine your publishing schedule based on the results.

We recommend posting no more than once per day.

• The best hour depends on your industry and your followers.
• Test engagement when you post at different times through the week.
• Post no more than once per day so earlier posts are not lost.

What you can try now: Post at the hour followers stop and comment.

Engagement through comments remains a pillar on Instagram, though it's on a gentle downward slope.

Instagram engagement rate per post is calculated as the sum of likes and comments on the post divided by the total number of followers that page has. The result is then multiplied by 100. Getting followers to pause and say something requires more intentional prompts.

The result is then multiplied by 100.

• Add the likes and the comments on the post.
• Divide that sum by the page's followers.
• Multiply by 100 to read the rate.

What you can try now: Divide comments by followers and read the rate.