I’m going to tell you something you already know. It’s obvious, but it’s worth repeating because I don’t even do it myself.
If you respond to people who comment on your posts, you will get more engagement. In fact, according to Buffer and Social Media Today, replying to comments has a massive impact on how your content performs.
Here’s what the data shows:
- Threads posts with comments see 42% more engagement if the creator replies
- LinkedIn posts see a 30% increase
- Instagram posts see a 21% increase
- Facebook sees a 9% bump
- Twitter sees an 8% increase
There are other factors at play, like the caption and context, but the principle is the same: reply to people and your posts do better.
“Yes, Eric, we know this already.”
I know you know. But it’s still worth hammering because I see agents post and ghost all day, including myself. And from experience, when I used to comment back to everyone while building The Broke Agent, it helped solidify my brand voice. It was also really fun.
4 Reasons Comments Help Boost Engagement
When you reply, four things happen:
1. You’re forced to actually read your comments.
This helps you understand what your audience thinks and what they want more of.
2. You get an extra opportunity to show people who you are.
On The Broke Agent, the sarcastic replies are sometimes better than the actual posts. A lot of people got to know me because of how I responded, giving them a better feel for my voice. The funny comments back sometimes brought me more joy than creating the content.
3. Comments = the beginning of more conversations with potential clients.
Once you start to get a feel for who is commenting on your content, you can take the conversation deeper in the DM’s and eventually into your database.
4. If you stop replying to people, your engagement drops.
I’ve seen this on my own posts. I haven’t replied like I used to, and my numbers have dipped. So I’m writing this as accountability for myself too.
Creative Ways to Comment
Here are a few strategies to reply to people who have left a comment on your post:
Reply with a Reel.
If a comment is really good or really triggering as a hook, hold the comment and reply with a Reel. It gives you more content and boosts engagement on the original post.
Respond with a Question.
If someone comments “wow I love this house” and you respond “what’s your favorite part,” they answer again. Suddenly one comment turns into three.
Use Their Name.
Lindsey Jo gave this tip on this week’s Walk Thru. It personalizes your comments and encourages more because it feels like an actual shoutout. It also proves you’re not a bot.
Watch the episode here:
Use Keywords.
Instagram is more SEO friendly than ever. The more keywords your post has, the better.
For example, if the post is about a new listing in Carlsbad, San Diego, using words like “Carlsbad, San Diego, house, home, new listing,” etc, will make your post more searchable.
Reply in the First 15 to 20 Minutes.
Nobody likes showing up to a party when nobody is there. More comments early signals activity and encourages others to join in. People don’t want to comment on a post with zero engagement. Get in there early and keep the momentum going.
If you have to, use your alternate accounts that I know you have.
Now Start Commenting
So there you go. Something you already knew, but maybe needed to hear again. If you reply to people, they are more likely to reply again. Don’t forget it.
By the way, Alyssa Curnutt is about to drop her hyperlocal course inside BAMx. She breaks down everything she does to create hyperlocal content: how she films, how she partners with businesses, all of it.
We’re releasing it next week, so get your seven-day free trial now so you don’t miss it.
Have a great weekend.
