Replying to your discussions can increase engagement by 42%

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has said this more than once, and he doesn’t mince words: “The sum of all your replies is about as valuable as the sum of the value of all your posts,” he shared. Platformer.

It turns out he wasn’t exaggerating. We have data that shows how powerful commenting on Threads can be.

Responding to comments on your Threads posts can increase engagement by approximately 42% – the highest increase we’ve seen on any platform – according to Buffer data scientist Julian Winternheimer analysis of over 128,000 Threads posts.

Julian found that when creators and brands re-comment on Threads, their posts perform significantly better compared to their own baseline. The platform’s design actively rewards conversations in ways that other social networks don’t.

His analysis also included other major platforms, and while they all saw increased engagement from comment replies, the effect on Threads was significantly greater. LinkedIn, in second place, only saw (can we just say here?) an increase of 30%.

Let’s take a look at what makes Threads different, how Julian analyzed the data, and what this means for the way you appear on the platform.

The analysis

To understand whether replying to comments actually moves the thread on Threads, Julian had to consider a difficult reality: larger accounts naturally generate more engagement than smaller ones. A direct comparison wouldn’t tell us much.

So instead of asking, “Do accounts that respond perform better,” he asked, “Does the same account perform better on messages it replies to than on messages it doesn’t reply to?”

This approach, which uses a so-called fixed-effects regression model, allows us to isolate the impact of a response by comparing each account against itself. All the variables that make accounts unique (number of followers, niche, post frequency) are already factored into the equation.

Julian also performed Z-score analyzes as a cross-check. This measures how each post performed relative to that account’s typical engagement. In fact, did this post perform better or worse than what is normal for that brand or creator?

Both methods pointed to the same conclusion. And when you see that kind of consistency, it’s hard to dismiss it as a random coincidence.

A few things worth mentioning up front:

• This is a correlation, not guaranteed causality. It’s possible that posts that naturally rank well will receive more comments from creators simply because there is more activity to respond to.
• That said, this pattern emerged across all six platforms Julian analyzed (Threads, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky), with increases ranging from 5% to 42%. Threads topped the list by a significant margin.
• The Julian’s Threads dataset included over 128,000 posts, which statistically gives us a solid base to stand on.

Posts where creators have responded to comments they’ve seen 42% higher engagement average – even after checking whether the post received any comments at all.

Julian’s analysis showed that engagement was not only slightly higher for posts with replies, but dramatically higher. All around two-thirds of the profiles showed positive effects when they responded to comments.

The Z-score analysis supported this. Posts with creator comments consistently scored above an account’s typical engagement level, while posts without comments scored below.

What makes this particularly striking is the gap between Threads and other platforms. For comparison, here’s a look at the impact on other platforms:

Why Threads rewards answers more than any other platform

Critics were quick to dismiss Threads as a Twitter copycat upon its initial launch in 2023. But three years later, the platform has amassed more than 400 million monthly active users. It has become clear that, as Meta promised, Threads was designed from the ground up to prioritize conversations over broadcasts.

The platform wants to be a place where people connect with each other and not just shout into the void.

The architecture of the platform makes this very clear: replies are given the same visual weight as original posts. When you scroll through your feed, a thoughtful reply is on the same level as the post that prompted it.

“By raising the response to the same level as the original message, a much more robust and diverse discourse is created,” Mosseri explains in an interview with The edge. “That’s one of the reasons why we didn’t just try to put this thing in the feed on Instagram or in a separate tab.”

The result is a platform where conversation is algorithmically rewarded.

This is what happens when you reply to comments in Threads:

You extend the life of the wire: Each reply contributes to the post’s overall engagement signals, which tells Threads’ algorithm that this conversation is worth showing to more people. A post with active discussion will stay in the feeds longer than a post that has collected a few likes and remained silent.

You indicate how strong the relationship is: Threads pays attention to who communicates with whom. When you consistently respond to someone’s comments, the platform learns that connection is important – and your future posts are more likely to be shown to them (and theirs to you).

You model the behavior you want to see: When people see that you are actually participating in the conversation you started, they are more likely to jump in themselves. It creates a positive spiral in which involvement leads to more involvement.

Mosseri’s advice to “reply a lot more than you post” sounds great in theory. In practice, it can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re used to platforms where posting is the primary activity and engagement is secondary.

Here’s how to think about it differently in Threads:

Don’t think of your posts as finished products: Every message is an invitation to chat. Think of them as conversation starters. The real work (and the real opportunity) happens in the answers.

Your answers don’t have to be long: Sometimes “Exactly!” or “I hadn’t thought about it that way” is enough to keep a thread going. The goal is to participate in a conversation rather than be the dominant voice.

Go beyond your own messages: Mosseri also emphasized the value of responding to others’ posts, and not just your own comments. When you add thoughtful replies to posts from people in your niche or community, you increase your visibility while building relationships.

View the ratio: If you post five times a day but only respond to a handful of comments, you’re missing out on the core mechanics of Threads. Try switching it around: maybe post 2-3 times and spend the rest of your time interacting with others.

This feels very different from how most of us were taught to use social media. But Threads isn’t most social media platforms!

The 42% engagement boost is convincing. But only if you can actually maintain the habit of answering consistently.

Here’s what worked for me (and what didn’t):

Treat Threads like a (really big) group chat: I check Threads more often than LinkedIn or Instagram, but in shorter periods. Five minutes here, ten minutes there. I don’t schedule posts or run away; I come by, see what’s happening and add something to conversations.

Respond first, then post: When I open Threads, my first step is to check notifications and respond to comments on my recent posts. Only then do I consider posting something new. This keeps me from falling into the trap of publishing content without actually being involved.

Don’t let perfection be the enemy of done: Some days I write thoughtful, paragraph-long responses. Other days it’s something lighter, like a thought combined with a GIF (peak millennial, I know). Both contribute to the conversation. Both notify Threads that I am present.

Usage Buffer’s Community Feature staying organized: As someone who juggles multiple platforms, having all my comments in one place has been a lifesaver. I can see which Threads posts have unanswered comments without opening the app and getting sucked into the scrolling. It’s free for up to three platforms and includes a response score that tracks the consistency of your responses over time.

Set realistic expectations: You don’t have to respond to every single comment to see results. About two-thirds of the stories in Julian’s study showed positive effects, suggesting that even moderate involvement makes a difference.

The key is consistency, not perfection.

Threads are made for replies

Julian’s cross-platform research analyzed nearly 2 million posts, and Threads’ 42% engagement increase ranks alone at the top.

Threads are really built for answers: the architecture, the algorithm, the culture… everything points to conversations being the primary activity and not an afterthought.

If you’re trying to grow with Threads, the math is pretty simple: spend more time engaging than broadcasting. Reply to comments on your posts. Respond to others’ posts. Keep conversations going.

The 42% boost isn’t guaranteed for every message or account, but the odds are strongly in your favor if you’re willing to treat Threads as the conversation platform it was designed to be.

More Threads resources