Instagram’s rolling out another way to encourage more interaction, this time via comments on Stories, which are then visible to all who view that Story content.
As you can see in this example sequence, shared by Taylor Loren, some IG users are now being notified of a new Stories commenting option.
As per the notification:
“You can now comment on Stories. Comments are visible to anyone who views the story”.
Stories comments are displayed along the bottom of the frame, above the function controls and viewer details, so they’re not intrusive. And it could add another way to get more people talking about Stories updates, with prompts that function, essentially, as comment highlights displayed on the main screen.
Instagram’s been trying to find new ways to get people engaging in the app, as more and more users switch to private DMs for discussion and sharing. Indeed, according to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, IG users now post a lot more to stories, and send a lot more DMs, than they post to the main feed.
Which limits interaction, but Instagram’s been trying to counter this through tools like Notes, which enable users to leave conversation prompts at the top of the inbox tab.
Notes has been a big hit, growing “at a wild pace” according to the app.
But even more important, Instagram reported last June that teen users create notes at 10 times the rate of non-teens. That’s a user cohort that Instagram really wants to keep a hold on, and interacting, and building your social graph, remains a key differentiator for the app over TikTok.
Which is why the platform has since expanded notes to profiles, Reels and feed posts, and added a range of additional Notes features.
Comments on Stories seems pretty similar in application, providing another way for users to highlight chat prompts based on the posted content, with a view to sparking more discussion and engagement.
Of course, creators can also switch off Stories commenting if they choose, so they won’t have these comments displayed on their content. So there is a way to maintain the presentation integrity of your creations, but allowing Stories comments could be a good way to boost your reach, by generating more engagement with your content.
Which no doubt IG will be banking on to get more people to use it. Because again, more comments equals more interactions, which equals stronger ties to your network in the app.
And network effects can’t easily be replicated, which might keep people more attached to Instagram.
It’s an interesting update either way, which could prompt more activity.
UPDATE (9/2): Meta has now officially launched Stories comments. By default, only followers who you follow back can leave a comment, but you can change this to all followers.
