Social media algorithms are focused on engagement. Users’ comments and responses to content are critical factors in determining what your followers see on their news feeds.
How can I generate more comments on social media posts? It’s a question marketers are working hard to answer because how users engage with content determines which content will be featured in their news feeds.
Social media algorithms use information about how users engage to with content to select what to show them. The goal for marketers is to create an engagement strategy that opens the door to conversation and drives comments on your social channels. The more comments you garner, the greater your reach.
To help you get more comments on social media, Postmedia has curated best practices to help you boost engagement with your target audience on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
How to get more comments on Instagram
Instagram is on track to have nearly 1.2 billion monthly active users by 2023. Each month, more than 200 million accounts visit the platform’s Explore page to find content that aligns with their personal interests.
The Explore page is a collection of photos, videos, reels and stories that Instagram’s algorithm has automatically selected for specific users based on their past interactions on the channel. For businesses, getting featured on the Explore page is the most effective way to boost engagement on Instagram.
To land on the Explore page, create posts that trigger an emotional reaction and are relevant to your followers. This will encourage them to comment.
- Start by taking a close look at your buyer personas to understand their interests and concerns. Next, examine your followers’ accounts and see who they are following. Do they follow and comment on your competitors’ channels? What kinds of posts are getting them to comment? Use this information to create engaging posts that will resonate with your audience.
- Include relevant questions in your posts; questions that will inspire your target buyers to respond. When they do, take note of their answers and use what you learn to create compelling content.
- Be clear about what you want to achieve. While asking a question is a good way to boost engagement, it won’t help generate sales.
- Keep the conversation going. Respond to your followers’ positive comments. This tells them you’re interested in what they have to say and helps build a relationship. Since the goal is to enhance engagement, this is not the time to address negative feedback.
- Visit the Explore page to identify posts that make sense for you to comment on. It will spark interest in your profile and help you gain more followers – and comments.
- Join Instagram’s engagement groups, also called pods. These are essentially meeting places where members help one another enhance their brands by commenting on each other’s posts. Joining a pod will increase the comments you receive, which will increase your chances of being profiled on the Explore page.
- Create a contest. This is an opportunity to introduce your brand to the people most likely to make a purchase and entice them to return and engage with your regular posts. Ensure the prize is something your desired audience will appreciate and the contest is easy to enter. A call to action such as “To enter, comment on this post and tag a friend” will create a chain reaction of comments.
How to get more comments on Facebook
Facebook is focused on meaningful interactions. That’s why, in 2018, it changed its news feed algorithm to prioritize posts from friends and family over posts from businesses.
This doesn’t mean it won’t show posts from Facebook Business Pages. It does mean businesses have to work harder and make sure their content sparks conversation, as these are the pages that will appear higher in the news feed.
Facebook has identified key types of posts that create what it deems meaningful interactions that lead to discussion/comments:
- Posts that include videos. To increase the likelihood of engagement even further, post live videos, which, on average, garner six times more interactions than regular videos.
- Posts that include relevant updates or announce local events. These posts do particularly well when they are placed on group pages. Nearly 3 billion users log into Facebook each month. More and more, users are looking for niche communities and subcultures.
- Posts about issues in the news.
Tip: Tell your followers to select “see first in news feed” in their settings to ensure they see your posts. Posts that generate comments, replies to comments, reactions and shares all lead to a better ranking on Facebook’s news feed.
How to get more comments on LinkedIn
With nearly 900 million members in more than 800 countries, LinkedIn is the go-to social channel for professionals. It’s where decision makers stay current with trends in their industries, evaluate competitors and potential partners, and access and post thought leadership.
It’s not just for individuals. Nearly 60 million businesses have pages on LinkedIn. For B2B marketers, it is the most effective social channel to drive high quality leads and conversion rates. Audiences who see brand messages on LinkedIn are six times more likely to convert.
LinkedIn’s mission is to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful. To help deliver on this mission, its feed algorithm is focused on identifying the best conversations for its members to participate in based on reactions, comments and shares. The platform’s goal is to make sure all members have a chance to feel heard.
Be proactive. Comment on trending and relevant topics, and reply to comments you receive. Both tactics will encourage people to engage and re-engage.
The types of posts that generate comments and higher engagement on LinkedIn are:
- Stories. While the topics can vary, the key is to share real experiences and lessons learned, such as how you won new business or overcame a challenge.
- Posts that are designed to get people to share their opinions on topics. These posts can take the form of a poll or a question.
- Posts that expose common myths or false beliefs in an industry.
- Posts that include a call to action.
Tip: Text posts generate the most engagement on LinkedIn.
Two universal best practices: Create a posting schedule and post when your audience is most likely to be online.
According to the latest study by CoSchedule the best days to post, in order of ranking, are:
- Instagram: Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday.
- Facebook: Friday, Wednesday, and Monday.
- LinkedIn: Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday.
The study found the best times to post, in order of ranking, are:
- Instagram: 9 a.m., 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Facebook: 9 a.m., 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- LinkedIn: 11 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
The world’s leading social channels are all focused on creating opportunities for meaningful interactions among their users. For businesses, the best way to rise to the top of a users’ news feeds is to engage with them in conversation via comments.
