A Practical Guide on How To Find Mentions On Instagram

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People talk about brands on social media, whether or not you pay attention to them. Your customers are sharing their honest opinions about your products and services on social platforms like Instagram, and this user-generated content can make or break your business. How to Measure Brand Awareness on Social Media. For this reason, measuring brand awareness on social media is crucial for understanding your online reputation and improving it over time. One way to find out what people say about your brand is by finding mentions on Instagram. This practical guide will teach you how to find mentions on Instagram.

Brandwise’s social media engagement software helps you take your social media brand awareness to the next level by helping you find and track mentions of your brand, no matter who they come from.

What Are Instagram Mentions?

An Instagram mention happens when someone tags another user in their post, Story, comment, or caption using the @username format. It’s a direct way to bring another user or brand into the conversation on Instagram, making it an essential feature for communication and engagement on the platform.

For example, a customer might tag a brand in their Story to share a product review. A content creator could mention a collaborator in their caption. A follower could tag their friend in a comment to draw their attention to a specific post. Mentions are fundamental for interaction and acknowledgment, creating direct notifications that invite the tagged user to engage.

Why Instagram Mentions Matter for Brands

Instagram mentions are more than just a tagging feature; they’re a powerful tool for brand visibility, engagement, and customer interaction.

Building Brand Awareness

When users mention your brand in their Stories, posts, or comments, it exposes your name to their followers. This natural exposure builds credibility and trust within your niche audience.

Example

A happy customer tags your brand in a post about your product. Their followers see the mention, leading to potential new followers and customers for your brand.

Engaging Directly With Your Audience

Mentions allow brands to interact with users in real-time. Responding to mentions creates a connection and shows customers that their feedback or content matters.

Stat Insight

According to social media engagement studies, brands that reply to customer tags and comments see a 33% increase in customer loyalty and retention.

User-Generated Content UGC

Mentions often result in UGC, where users share content about your brand. This content can be reshared to your profile to enhance authenticity and trust.

Pro Tip

Use tools like Brandwise to monitor mentions and identify high-quality UGC for repurposing.

Tracking Customer Sentiment

Mentions provide insight into what people are saying about your brand. Positive mentions build credibility, while negative ones highlight areas for improvement. For example, a customer might mention your product with a concern. Addressing it promptly can turn a potential issue into a positive experience.

How Instagram Mentions Work

Post Mentions

A brand is tagged directly in the caption or image of a post. For Example, “Loving my new shoes from @brandname!”

Story Mentions

Users tag brands in their Instagram Stories. These tags appear in the brand’s DMs and can be reshared in the brand’s own Story. For example, a customer is sharing a Story featuring your product.

Comment Mentions

Users tag accounts in the comment section of posts. For Example, “@friendname, check out this awesome deal from @brandname!”

Bio Mentions

Some users or affiliates mention brands directly in their Instagram bio, signaling endorsement or affiliation.

The Power of Instagram Mentions for Businesses

Instagram mentions act as digital word-of-mouth, amplifying your brand's reach and connecting you directly with your audience. They’re an opportunity to build relationships, gain insights, and foster loyalty while organically expanding your brand’s visibility. By leveraging mentions effectively, brands can Identify potential ambassadors and influencers, boost their social proof, and improve customer satisfaction by engaging with tagged content.

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How to Find Instagram Mentions

1. Use Instagram Notifications to Find Mentions

Finding mentions on Instagram starts with checking your notifications. To do this, open the Instagram app and tap the heart icon at the bottom of the screen. Here, you can see all the interactions your posts have received. Look for tags or mentions in posts, Stories, or comments under "Mentions" or "Tagged You."

Pro Tip

Regularly checking your notifications helps ensure timely responses to mentions. Responding quickly builds engagement and shows your audience that you care.

2. Check Your DMs for Story Mentions

When someone tags your brand in their Instagram Story, you’ll receive a notification in your Direct Messages (DMs). Open the DMs by tapping the paper plane or Messenger icon in the top-right corner. Look for messages saying, “@yourbrand mentioned you in their Story.” Tap the message to view the Story, and consider resharing it to your own Story if it aligns with your brand's image.

Pro Tip

Add a "Thank you for mentioning us!" message when resharing to make the original poster feel acknowledged.

3. Search for Mentions in Comments

Mentions often happen in the comments section of posts when users recommend your brand to others: Go to posts where your account is tagged or your product is featured. Look for comments that include your @username. Respond to these comments to engage with the user and their audience.

4. Use Instagram’s “Tagged” Feature

Instagram has a dedicated section for posts where you’re tagged: Go to your profile by tapping your profile picture in the bottom-right corner. Tap the "Tagged" icon (it looks like a person inside a square). Browse through the posts to see what others are sharing about your brand.

Pro Tip

To keep this section clean, remove tags from irrelevant or inappropriate content. Tap the post, select the three dots at the top-right corner, and choose “Remove Tag.”

5. Leverage Third-Party Tools for Mention Tracking

While manual methods work, they can be time-consuming for brands handling high volumes of mentions. Use tools like Brandwise to automate the process:

Track Mentions Across Platforms

Brandwise identifies and organizes Instagram mentions across posts, Stories, and comments.

Engage Smartly

Its AI generates suggested replies, saving time while maintaining authenticity.

Monitor Sentiment

Gain insights into whether mentions are positive, neutral, or harmful to prioritize engagement efforts.

Pro Tip

Automating mention tracking with tools like Brandwise lets you focus on building relationships rather than sifting through notifications.

6. Monitor Hashtags Associated with Your Brand

Sometimes, users don’t tag you directly but use hashtags related to your brand. Use Instagram’s Search Bar to look for branded or product-specific hashtags to find these.

Example

#YourBrandName or #YourProductName. Browse through the posts under these hashtags to find potential mentions. Show appreciation by liking or commenting on the content.

7. Search for Unlinked Mentions

Not all mentions are tagged. Users may talk about your brand without using your @username. To find these, Use Instagram’s search function to look up your brand or product name. Check for posts, comments, or captions that mention your brand without tagging it. Engage with the users by thanking them or answering any questions they might have.

Practical Tips for Managing Mentions

Set a Daily Reminder

Spend 10-15 minutes daily checking notifications and mentions.

Engage With Every Mention

Like, comment, or reshare relevant mentions to foster goodwill and community engagement.

Turn Mentions into Opportunities

If a customer shares positive feedback, ask if you can feature it as a testimonial or case study.

Why Tracking Mentions Matters

Finding and engaging with Instagram mentions is essential for Building trust with your audience, promptly addressing concerns or negative feedback, and cultivating user-generated content that boosts brand credibility.

Let’s Talk About Brandwise

Brandwise is an intelligent social media management tool. At its core is an advanced AI that continuously learns and improves, automatically moderating comments on ads and posts while generating intelligent replies to comments and messages. This powerful tool streamlines workflow by consolidating social media interactions in one place and provides valuable AI-driven insights, identifying top FAQs and concerns to enhance customer engagement strategies.

For brands struggling with high-volume social media interactions, Brandwise offers an efficient solution to automatically hide negative comments, provide AI-generated responses, and gain a deeper understanding of customer engagement patterns. Try our social media engagement software for free for 7 days to grow your social media accounts rapidly!

Top 5 Tools to Track Instagram Mentions

Instagram mentions can come in tagged and untagged formats, and keeping track of them all is essential for measuring brand awareness on the platform. Effectively tracking Instagram mentions can be time-consuming if done manually. Fortunately, several tools streamline the process, helping you stay on top of your brand mentions, engage with your audience, and derive actionable insights. Here are the top tools to consider:

1. Brandwise

Brandwise is a robust social media management tool powered by AI. It is designed to help brands track mentions, moderate comments, and generate intelligent responses.

Features

AI-powered mention tracking across posts, Stories, and comments.

Automatic sentiment analysis to categorize mentions as positive, neutral, or negative.

Suggested AI-generated responses for quick and consistent engagement.

Centralized dashboard for managing interactions across multiple accounts.

Benefits

Saves time by automating the mention-tracking process.

Improves customer relationships through personalized and timely responses.

Provides data-driven insights to refine your social media strategy.

Pro Tip

Use Brandwise to uncover untagged mentions and respond with thoughtful engagement, boosting your brand reputation.

Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management tool with powerful analytics and tracking capabilities.

Features

Comprehensive mention tracking across multiple platforms, including Instagram.

Advanced analytics to measure engagement and audience sentiment.

Customizable notifications for real-time mention alerts.

Benefits

Ideal for large teams managing multiple social media accounts.

It helps analyze the performance of user-generated content.

Pro Tip

Set up filters in Sprout Social to prioritize mentions from key influencers or brand advocates.

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular social media tool that allows brands to track mentions and engage with their audience.

Features

Stream monitoring for mentions, hashtags, and specific keywords.

Integration with Instagram for real-time mention tracking.

Content scheduling and analytics for seamless management.

Benefits

Perfect for small to medium-sized businesses managing social media on a budget.

It enables you to respond to mentions directly from the platform.

Pro Tip

Use Hootsuite’s “streams” feature to create a dedicated feed for brand mentions and hashtags.

4. Mention

Mention is a real-time media monitoring tool that helps brands track online mentions, including Instagram.

Features

Tracks are mentioned across Instagram, blogs, forums, and news sites.

Sentiment analysis to gauge audience perception.

Customizable dashboards for tracking metrics and mentions.

Benefits

Offers insights beyond social media by monitoring brand mentions across the web.

It helps identify trends in how your brand is discussed online.

Pro Tip

Use Mention to track competitor mentions and compare audience engagement strategies.

5. Awario

Awario is a social listening tool that monitors mentions and tracks conversations across multiple platforms.

Features

Monitors Instagram mentions hashtags, and related keywords.

Provides competitor analysis to benchmark your brand’s performance.

Sentiment analysis and engagement tracking.

Benefits

It is ideal for tracking brand reputation and audience sentiment over time.

It helps uncover potential influencers discussing your brand.

Pro Tip

Use Awario to identify high-impact mentions and prioritize engagement with influencers or loyal customers.

How to Choose the Right Tool

When selecting a tool for tracking Instagram mentions, consider the following:

Business Size

Tools like Hootsuite are great for smaller businesses, while Sprout Social suits larger teams.

Budget

Free or low-cost tools like Hootsuite offer essential features, while premium tools like Brandwise provide advanced functionalities.

Features Needed

If you need sentiment analysis, tools like Brandwise and Mention are ideal.

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Brands of all sizes and industries benefit from building awareness and recognition on social media. As brands grow their social following and social media interactions, they become more trustworthy in the eyes of consumers. Enhancing social media brand awareness also improves the performance of marketing campaigns.

The more familiar consumers are with a brand, the more likely they are to engage with its ads and purchase its products. Building social media brand awareness also helps with business goals beyond marketing, like attracting top talent and gaining business partners. Try our social media engagement software for free for 7 days to grow your social media accounts rapidly!