Must-Ask Questions to Connect with Your Audience on Instagram

Engagement is one of the key metrics of success on Instagram, and the best way to foster engagement is by building a genuine connection with your audience. While high-quality visuals and compelling captions are essential, asking the right questions is a powerful tool to get your followers to interact with your posts.

Whether you want to boost comments, gain insights into your followers’ preferences, or simply spark a conversation, asking thoughtful and engaging questions can help you achieve all that. In this article, we’ll explore some must-ask questions that can help you connect with your audience on Instagram.

Why Ask Questions on Instagram?

Before diving into the types of questions you should ask, it’s important to understand why engaging your audience with questions is so effective.

1. Encourage Interaction

Instagram’s algorithm tends to favor posts with high engagement, which means the more people comment on your post, the higher the chances it will appear on the Explore page or in your followers’ feeds.

2. Gain Valuable Insights

Asking the right questions can help you learn more about your followers’ preferences, opinions, and behaviors, allowing you to tailor your content and products to their needs.

3. Build a Community

Asking questions can turn your followers into a community. When you create opportunities for your audience to share their thoughts, it cultivates a sense of belonging and loyalty.

4. Improve Customer Relationships

Engagement through questions helps humanize your brand. It makes your audience feel heard and valued, which is essential for building long-lasting customer relationships.

Must-Ask Questions to Boost Engagement

Here are some types of questions to ask on Instagram, each designed to engage your audience in a meaningful way:

1. Poll Questions

Polls are an easy way to boost interaction. Instagram’s Poll Sticker in Stories allows you to ask your audience to choose between two options. These questions tend to get quick responses and are perfect for learning about your followers’ preferences.

Examples:

• “Coffee or tea to start the day?”
• “Which do you prefer: Summer or winter?”
• “Would you rather shop for clothes or shoes?”
• “Do you prefer sweet or savory snacks?”

2. Opinion-Based Questions

Ask your audience for their opinions on topics related to your brand, industry, or trending topics. These types of questions often spark interesting conversations and help you engage with your followers on a deeper level.

Examples:

• “What’s your favorite trend of the season?”
• “What’s your go-to fitness routine?”
• “Do you prefer online shopping or in-store shopping?”
• “What’s one thing you wish brands did differently?”

3. Personal Experience Questions

These questions encourage your followers to share personal stories or experiences. People love sharing their experiences, and these questions can make your content more relatable and human.

Examples:

• “What was the best vacation you’ve ever been on?”
• “Tell us about your favorite childhood memory.”
• “What’s one thing you’ve learned in the last year?”
• “What’s your top productivity tip?”

4. Would You Rather Questions

These playful, hypothetical questions can be a fun way to engage your audience, and they often prompt funny and creative responses.

Examples:

• “Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?”
• “Would you rather give up your smartphone for a week or give up social media for a month?”
• “Would you rather be able to time travel or read minds?”

5. “This or That” Questions

“This or that” questions are simple and quick for your followers to answer, making them perfect for engagement. You can use this format to ask your audience to choose between two items or concepts.

Examples:

• “Sneakers or heels?”
• “Instagram stories or feed posts?”
• “Cake or cookies?”
• “City life or country life?”

6. Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

Fill-in-the-blank questions are great for sparking creativity and encouraging participation. They make your followers feel like they have something to contribute to the conversation.

Examples:

• “My favorite weekend activity is __________.”
• “The best book I’ve read this year is __________.”
• “If I could travel anywhere right now, I’d go to __________.”
• “The thing I love most about my city is __________.”

7. Storytelling Questions

Ask your audience to share stories, whether it’s about their favorite experiences with your product, a fun memory, or something related to your niche. Storytelling helps you foster a deeper connection with your followers.

Examples:

• “What’s your most memorable experience with our brand?”
• “Tell us about a time you had an amazing adventure!”
• “What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you this week?”
• “What’s a hobby you’ve recently started and love?”

8. Feedback and Improvement Questions

Getting feedback from your audience helps you improve your products, services, and content. It also shows that you care about their opinions.

Examples:

• “What type of content would you like to see more of from us?”
• “How can we make your experience with us even better?”
• “What do you think of our latest product launch?”
• “Is there something we could do differently to serve you better?”

9. Visual Engagement Questions

Visual-based questions encourage your followers to engage with your content in a more interactive way. You can ask followers to pick their favorite from a set of images or to comment on the look of a product.

Examples:

• “Which color do you prefer for this new design—red or blue?”
• “Which outfit do you like the most: A or B?”
• “Can you guess where this photo was taken?”
• “Which dessert looks the best: 1, 2, or 3?”

10. Polls with Multiple Options

Multiple-choice questions give your followers more than two options to choose from, which can make the conversation more interesting. Instagram’s multiple-choice poll options in Stories are perfect for these types of questions.

Examples:

• “Which of these features would you like to see more in our products? (Quality, Design, Durability, Price)”
• “Which content do you prefer? (Tutorials, Behind-the-Scenes, Product Reviews, Challenges)”
• “What would you want us to focus on next? (New Collection, Sales, Sustainability, Customer Service)”

Tips for Asking Questions on Instagram

1. Be Clear and Concise: Keep your questions simple and easy to understand. Avoid making them too complex, as your followers might not take the time to answer them.

2. Timing is Key: Post your questions at times when your audience is most active to encourage higher engagement. You can experiment with different times and use Instagram insights to find what works best.

3. Use Engaging Visuals: Pair your questions with eye-catching visuals—whether it’s an appealing photo, video, or graphic—to grab your audience’s attention.

4. Encourage Conversation: Respond to the answers you get. Show that you value your audience’s input by liking or replying to their comments.

5. Stay on Brand: Ensure that your questions align with your brand’s voice and values. The goal is to strengthen your relationship with your audience, so stay authentic in your approach.

Conclusion

Asking questions on Instagram is a simple yet effective way to enhance engagement and build a stronger relationship with your audience. Whether you’re looking to gain insights, generate discussions, or spark creativity, the right questions can encourage your followers to interact and share their thoughts. By using a mix of fun, opinion-based, and feedback-driven questions, you can foster a more meaningful connection with your audience, ultimately leading to higher engagement, more loyal followers, and greater brand success.