New Instagram Feature Allows Users to Pin Comments

Since May 2020, Instagram has been testing exciting new features to enhance the user experience. Among these features is the “Pin Comment” feature that just released on July 7th. This new Instagram feature allows users to select a comment and “pin” it, moving the comment to be the top comment. This way when anyone checks out the comments, the pinned comment is the first they see. With this feature you can pin your own comment, or a comment from one of your followers. Can’t decide what to pin? No worries! This new Instagram feature actually allows you to pin up to 3 comments per post.

It’s been a big year for Instagram introducing numerous new features to improve app users’ experience. With COVID-19, every company faced challenges. Instagram responded to some of their challenges by releasing a “Stay at Home” sticker that encourages social distancing and creates an online community on stories. In addition to that, we saw the new ability to post to multiple accounts, new ways to navigate story mentions, watch IGTV previews, and much more. This new feature is just another accomplishment for the app this year. YouTube and Twitter have had the pinning feature for quite a while now, so it was time for Instagram to get on board anyway.

If you didn’t know Instagram is owned by its parent company Facebook, who in recent weeks has taken quite a hit. As of now, the ending to the Facebook Ad Boycott is unclear, and Instagram has also seen the financial effects of this as a subsidiary. Looking back to 2019 however, Instagram brought in more than $20 million in advertising revenue so it’s not a shock they are able to release these new features so frequently. According to Bloomberg, this equates to over a quarter of Facebook’s sales!

How Instagram’s new feature works:

Step 1: Create a post!

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A post shared by NeoReach (@neoreach) on Jul 1, 2020 at 12:00pm PDT

Step 2: Read through the comments your followers left!

Step 3: Identify your favorites

• Pick these comments strategically. Make sure you select comments you want all of your followers to see!

Step 4: Slide right on the comment til you see a tack character.

Step 5: Select the Tack character and you’re done!

• Keep in mind, your commenter will be notified if you pin their comment.

Step 6: If you want to delete a pin, simply swipe back and retap the Tack.

When to pin a comment:

1. To spread positivity 

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the first part of a full body uke painting! dont drag me for using a makeup brush i misplaced all my good brushes fjdjks 🌻 POSITIVITY CHAIN! start by saying hi, then compliment someone above you in the comments!

A post shared by 🌻 noor!! 🌷 (@artsypeach) on Jun 27, 2020 at 10:04am PDT

As an influencer, you have a really special position where your followers look to you as a resource and friend! Pinning comments that spread the love and positivity can make your page a happy and motivating place to land on the Internet. This will set the tone for what to expect in the comment section and hopefully keep the trolls away.

If someone comments why they enjoy following you or gives you positive feedback on something you shared, pinning their comment can let new followers know what to expect from your account. Not to mention a good referral can also boost your following and engagement per post. We recommend testing this feature out to see what works best for you. Maybe comments with questions get more attention once pinned, maybe sharing others comments starts a conversation right on your page. The more the try out, the better you can use this feature to your advantage.

2. When your caption is really long

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Portrait of soprano Mattiwilda Dobbs photographed by James Abresch. ‪•‬ On July 11, 1925—Opera singer Mattiwilda Dobbs was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The fifth of six daughters, she sang her first solo at age six and began her musical studies in piano during her childhood. ‪•‬ A member of the last graduating class from Atlanta University Lab School, Dobbs earned her high school diploma in 1942. ‪•‬ Receiving her B.A. degree in music from Spelman College in 1946, Dobbs began her formal voice training under the direction of Naomi Maise and Willis Laurence James. After graduating, she studied with Lotte Leonard and Pierre Bernac and attended the Mannes College of Music and the Berkshire Music Center’s Opera Workshop. ‪•‬ Dobbs gained notoriety after winning a 1951 international music competition in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1953, Dobbs performed at the La Scala Opera House in Milan, making her the first African-American woman to appear in a principal role there. ‪•‬ After becoming the first African-American to play a major role for the San Francisco Opera in 1955, she debuted at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1956. Refusing to appear before segregated crowds, Dobbs did not perform in her hometown of Atlanta until 1962, where she appeared in front of an integrated audience at the Municipal Auditorium. ‪•‬ In 1973, Dobbs started teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. She also worked as a professor at Spelman College, the University of Illinois, the University of Georgia and Howard University. She ended her teaching career when she retired from Howard in 1991 and she retired from singing two years later. In 1999, Testament Records released “Mattiwilda Dobbs: Songs and Lieder,” a CD of her early recordings. ‪•‬ The aunt of former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, Dobbs has been married twice. Her first husband, Spanish playwright and journalist, Luis Rodriguez, died a year into their marriage. She then married Swedish newspaper journalist Bengt Janzon for nearly forty years until his death in 1997. Dobbs passed away on December 8, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.

A post shared by black history (@blackhistory) on Jul 11, 2020 at 10:58am PDT

It’s been shown that meaningful captions with stories or advice tend to do really well on Instagram. Posts that provide benefit to the viewers are usually shared more and get overall higher engagement. The new pinning feature is great for posts like these that may not fit the character limits of a caption. We’ll often see influencers write “continued in caption..” and the end of a long post. Now, they can pin that comment to the top so that readers can find it easily. In fact, if they can pin up to three comments to share everything they want to say!

3. To help strengthen your community

Pinning comments that you enjoy can strengthen your community in many ways. If you have a large following, this can be a great way to show your followers that you read their comments and value what they have to say. It also enhances your conversation. For example, maybe you shared a post about a new product and there are tons of frequently asked questions in your comment section. Pinning one comment with your reply allows you to be a better resource for more people in one comment! Another example of a comment to pin could be someone sharing a thoughtful statement about an important issue you discussed in your caption. Acknowledging new opinions and learning from one another is so important!

Let us know how you are using this new feature on our socials!

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