Bad press is forthcoming and constant in any industry, and social media often bears the brunt of such negativity. Perhaps that’s why Instagram, following in YouTube’s footsteps, now offers the option to pin comments under posts.
Pinning a comment typically refers to placing said comment at the very top of the comment section (say “comment” one more time, I dare you). However, Instagram comment-pinning doesn’t just apply to the comment section itself: Any pinned comments will appear directly under the post when scrolling, negating the need to open the thread at all.
This is incredibly handy for anything from highlighting positive user reviews to calling out a voice that mimics or adds to the message you hoped to send with your initial post. In fact, the applications here are virtually endless; Lifehacker even suggests using the pin feature to update followers on winners of virtual give-aways or other competitions, for example.
To pin a comment, you’ll need to use the Instagram mobile app on Android or iPhone. Once at the comment you want to pin, you can swipe from right to left over the comment and then tap the thumbtack icon that appears. Keep in mind that you can’t pin a comment from your feed–you’ll have to open the comments section by tapping the top comment before you can adjust anything.
Removing a pinned comment is as simple as swiping left and then tapping the pin again.
You can’t use the Instagram website to pin comments, but that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given Instagram’s limited functionality on desktop. Both iOS and Android users should be able to access the pin feature immediately, but if you find your Instagram app doesn’t allow it, try updating and restarting. Instagram is set to roll the feature out universally, so you shouldn’t have to wait.
Being able to call attention to community voices is especially important in 2020, and Instagram’s implementation of this feature couldn’t be more timely. It’s clear that there are substantial marketing and outreach implications for pinned comments, but this is also a chance for users to highlight culturally significant standpoints or alternative positions where appropriate. As people begin engaging with this feature in earnest, we can only hope to see it used in such a capacity.
Jack Lloyd has a BA in Creative Writing from Forest Grove's Pacific University; he spends his writing days using his degree to pursue semicolons, freelance writing and editing, oxford commas, and enough coffee to kill a bear. His infatuation with rain is matched only by his dry sense of humor.
