Instagram announced that the app is adding a comments section to its Stories feature.
The new tool, which makes comments visible instead of appearing in the form of a private message, is available only to users who are followed by the Story’s creator.
Users do have the option of turning the option off.
Instagram said it implemented the new tool to potentially increase user engagement and create more community-focused experiences.
It comes after a continued increase in Instagram users who opt to communicate through private DMs or closed groups away from advertisers.
‘If you look at how teens spend their time on Instagram, they spend more time in DMs than they do in Stories, and they spend more time in Stories than they do in Feed,’ head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said in a podcast.
Instagram launched a new tool today that will allow select users to have their Instagram Story comments be public
Instagram implemented the new tool to potentially increase user engagement and create more community-focused experiences
Nine out of 10 Instagrammers follow at least one brand on the platform.
Instagram also offers methods like sponsored posts, influencer marketing campaigns, and shopping features.
Some of these marketers are social media influencers who promote brands or products.
Influencers have also used Instagram Broadcast Channels – a one-to-many messaging tool creators can invite their followers into and engage with them without needing to use direct messages.
The only users who can see the comments are those who follow the Instagram Story creator
Social media users have mixed feelings toward the new Instagram Story tool
Various influencers expressed excitement about the tool and how it will potentially increase conversations with followers.
‘It’s going to make Stories feel more like livestreaming, and I wonder if that’s where things are trending,’ influencer Ariana Nathani told Business Insider.
‘It’s obviously going to keep people in the Stories feed for a lot longer, which I’m excited about as someone who posts more Stories than in-Feed posts.’
Influencer Anushka Purohit is also thrilled about the change due to its encouragement in public conversations.
‘I’ve been waiting for a feature like this for so long because I’m always in a dilemma of whether I want to post something on my Story or on my Feed because I want there to be conversations about everything I post,’ Purohit said.
Multiple users on X tweeted about the new tool and also gave their opinions.
