A comment is work: someone has to read, think and type. Posts that leave nothing open after viewing rarely receive any, even when people like them. The task is to build posts so that a reply is the obvious next step.

The guide starts with the question, moves on to post text and story stickers, and ends with what happens after the comment, because that determines whether someone writes a second time.

Step 1 of 5

Ask a question that can be answered in one sentence

General prompts ("What do you think?") get little response because they give no direction. Better are questions a customer can answer immediately without thinking: "Which flavour would you try first?" or "How many years has your heating system been running?".

Take questions from your customers' everyday experience. If you collect ten questions that keep coming up in the shop or on the phone, you have material for months.

ChecklistStep 01

Ten real customer questions have been collected.
Each post contains at most one question in its text.
Each question can be answered in one sentence.

Step 2 of 5

Let the post text end with the question

The question belongs at the end of the post text, not in the middle. Anyone who has read that far is ready to answer. Let the image or the Reel offer something to respond to: a choice, a before-and-after, an opinion that can be disagreed with.

You only need a note in the image ("Write it in the comments") if the question does not appear there.

ChecklistStep 02

The question is at the end of the post text.
The post offers a choice or takes a position.

We design and produce posts and reels with questions and polls every month in your visual style.Instagram offer from Social Rocket

Step 3 of 5

Use stickers in Stories

In Stories, question and poll stickers give people a simple way to respond: a tap is enough instead of writing a text. Answers to the question sticker are initially visible only to you, not to the public; you decide what to show. This lowers the barrier, especially on topics such as price or budget.

Pick up the answers in a later Story or post. Anyone who sees that their answer was used will respond again next time. Polls are useful for testing: before a post, ask which of two variants people prefer.

ChecklistStep 03

Each week, one Story includes a question or poll sticker.
The results have been picked up in a later Story or post.

Step 4 of 5

Reply quickly and with substance

A comment should receive a reply within a day that is more than a heart. Pick up what was said, ask a follow-up question or point to a suitable earlier post. That turns a comment into a conversation, and others read along.

Define who replies. Without clear responsibility, comments are left lying. For enquiries about price, appointments or personal data, switch to messages.

ChecklistStep 04

One person is responsible for comments, and a deputy too.
Comments are reviewed at least once a day.
It is agreed when to switch to the direct message inbox.

Step 5 of 5

Respond to criticism visibly

A critical comment under your post is public, and so is your reply. A factual, friendly reply that offers a way to solve the problem shows others how you treat customers. You can hide or report posts that are abusive or breach the rules.

Do not delete criticism just because it is uncomfortable. Vanished comments get noticed.

ChecklistStep 05

There is a standard sentence for replying to criticism that the team knows.
It is defined when a comment is reported or hidden.

How to tell after four weeks that it is working

After four weeks, what should show is a practice, not a number:

A list of questionsTen customer questions that work as a post, and that show which ones have already been asked.
A fixed response timeOne day as the upper limit and someone responsible for it.
A recognized patternYou see which type of question comes back most often.

Frequently asked questions

Should I ask for comments?

A specific question works better than the request. Only ask if the question is not yet in the text.

What to do about spam comments?

Report or hide them. Instagram offers filters for certain words, which can be set up in the settings.

Should employees comment privately?

An honest opinion under one's own name is fine. If you conceal your connection to the company, it is misleading.

Agency · Instagram

Posts for Instagram by Social Rocket

We design your presence on Instagram uniquely and produce posts and reels every month in your visual style, with questions and polls on request.

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SREditorial team Social Rocket. This guide was written by our editors and is reviewed regularly. It contains no links to providers that sell followers, likes or views.