After a year of Story reactions, Instagram users can now respond to Stories with more than just an emoji. We can now comment on each other’s Instagram Stories, all thanks to the new Hype Comments feature,

Keep reading to find out what the feature is, how it works, and how it may impact your Instagram strategy.

What are Instagram’s New Hype Comments?

Instagram introduced Hype Comments at the end of 2023. It can be turned on and off in Settings, but may not be available for everyone yet.

Hype Comments allow users to comment on Stories. Similar to the reactions feature introduced about a year ago, comments are visible to everyone who views the Story. The top comment will show up at the bottom of the image. Clicking the top comment expands the window so you can view the rest.

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Why Another New Feature?

We can’t have an Instagram feature release without mixed opinions. While some creators are excited about the new feature and potential engagement boost, others worry that it doesn’t align with Instagram Stories as a private sharing use case.

Here’s why we think Instagram added the ability to comment on Stories:

After recognizing that Instagram users post Stories and send DMs more than they post in the Feed, the platform shifted development to reflect those priorities.

Currently, Story replies are still sent in the DMs as a default. Hype Comments offer an alternative, more interactive way to respond. The ability to leave Hype Comments may reduce the number of Story replies creators get in the DMs. This would be great for larger creators, as an overwhelming amount of Story replies can make Instagram DMs practically unusable.

And now that creators can pin Hype Comments to their Instagram Stories, they no longer need to screenshot and post DM replies.

How Does the Instagram Stories Algorithm Treat Hype Comments?

As with all new features, it’s possible (but unproven) that using Hype Comments will help the algorithm prioritize your Stories. Even if this isn’t the case, Hype Comments can still give your Instagram Stories an algorithmic boost. The Instagram Stories algorithm’s main ranking factors are user engagement, viewing history, and closeness.

The more engagement a Story gets, the better it will perform. Previously, Instagram Stories engagement was measured based on Story reactions and replies via DMs. Hype Comments are yet another engagement signal for the Instagram algorithm.

The fact that Hype Comments are public may also work in the creator’s favor, since it takes a lot less courage to leave a public comment than a private reply.

6 Tips to Boost Your Instagram Story Engagement

#1 Introduce Your Sticker

If you want your audience to interact with your sticker, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Let them know you are asking a question, poll, etc. If it makes sense, also tell them why. For example, if you’re posting a question sticker to collect audience questions before a Q&A, you can include text above your sticker saying something like “Ask me questions for my next Q&A!”

That way, you can entice your audience to interact with your sticker instead of tapping past it.

#2 Add a Tap-Back Slide

Adding a tap-back slide a couple of stories after your sticker can help boost participation. It’s not uncommon for Instagram users to tap through stories super fast. The tap-back slide gives users who would’ve interacted with the sticker a second chance.

#3 Decorate Your Sticker With Branded Elements

Decorate your sticker slide with backgrounds, GIFs, and doodles relevant to your brand. That way, you can garner more attention, personalize your sticker to your brand, and make it stand out.

#4 Prioritize Meaningful Interactions

Make sure your stickers have a purpose. If you throw up a sticker just to boost your interactions, your audience will likely pick up on that. Instead, prioritize posting stickers that ask meaningful questions.

#5 Highlight Viewer Engagements

Use the new Hype Comments feature to highlight how users are reacting to your Story. Highlighting Story replies can boost engagement by acting as social proof, sparking conversation, and encouraging other users to join in by submitting their own replies.

#6 Post a Series

Creating a consistent Instagram Stories series around a specific concept or theme helps keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. To maximize the impact, you can check your analytics to find the best time to post.

Wrapping Up

Instagram's new Hype Comments feature is shaking up how we engage with Stories. Now, your followers have the chance to leave public reactions to your Stories that convey more than just an emoji. By jazzing up your stickers, keeping it real with your audience, and highlighting your new Story replies, you can boost engagement and take your Instagram Stories from one-sided conversations to full-on interactive discussions.