Questions to Ask on Instagram: 75+ Ideas to Increase Engagement in 2026

Want more comments on your Instagram posts? Ask questions. It's the simplest engagement hack that actually works. Questions invite your audience to participate, turning passive scrollers into active community members. Here are 75+ question ideas and strategies to increase your Instagram engagement.

Why Questions Work on Instagram

The Psychology of Questions

Questions trigger a response instinct. When someone asks you something, your brain naturally wants to answer.

Why questions work:

• Break the scroll - People pause to consider their answer
• Lower the barrier - Easier to comment than craft an original thought
• Create conversation - Comments lead to more comments
• Improve algorithm signals - Engagement signals content quality to Instagram

Types of Instagram Questions

Poll Questions: Binary choices (this or that) in Stories

Open-Ended Questions: Invite detailed responses in captions or Stories

Question Sticker: Let followers ask YOU questions in Stories

Engagement Questions: In caption or comments to spark discussion

Questions for Instagram Stories

This or That Questions

Perfect for quick polls and high participation:

1. Coffee or tea?
2. Morning person or night owl?
3. Beach vacation or mountain getaway?
4. Netflix or YouTube?
5. Text or call?
6. Cook at home or eat out?
7. Summer or winter?
8. Sweet or savory?
9. Dogs or cats?
10. Books or podcasts?

Industry-Specific This or That:

• Fashion: Sneakers or heels?
• Food: Spicy or mild?
• Fitness: Cardio or weights?
• Travel: Planned trip or spontaneous?
• Business: Email or Slack?

Questions for the Question Sticker

The Instagram Question Sticker lets followers submit questions for you to answer. Unlike poll stickers with set options, question stickers allow open-ended responses.

Pro tip: You're limited to three lines of text for your question prompt. Keep it concise.

Invite followers to ask YOU:

11. "Ask me anything about [your expertise]"
12. "What do you want to know about [topic]?"
13. "Questions about [recent announcement/launch]?"
14. "Behind the scenes questions?"
15. "What should I post about next?"

Emoji Slider Questions

Rate something on a sliding scale:

16. "How excited are you for [upcoming event]?"
17. "How's your Monday going?"
18. "Rate this [product/idea/photo]"
19. "How badly do you need coffee today?"
20. "How ready are you for the weekend?"

Story Question Prompts

21. "What's your biggest challenge with [topic]?"
22. "One word to describe your week?"
23. "What are you working on today?"
24. "Unpopular opinion you have about [industry]?"
25. "Best advice you've ever received?"

Questions for Instagram Feed Posts

Conversation Starters

Questions that invite discussion in comments:

26. "What's one thing you wish you knew before starting [activity]?"
27. "What's your go-to [product/tool/resource] for [task]?"
28. "Tell me your biggest win this week!"
29. "What's on your [to-do list/wishlist/bucket list]?"
30. "What does [term/concept] mean to you?"

Opinion Questions

Invite followers to share their perspective:

31. "Do you agree or disagree: [statement]?"
32. "Hot take: [opinion]. Thoughts?"
33. "What's your take on [industry trend]?"
34. "Is it just me or [relatable observation]?"
35. "What's overrated in [your industry]?"

Experience Questions

Get followers sharing their stories:

36. "What's the best [purchase/decision/trip] you've made this year?"
37. "When did you first discover [topic/brand/hobby]?"
38. "What mistake taught you the most?"
39. "Describe your perfect [day/weekend/vacation]"
40. "What's something you've changed your mind about?"

Preference Questions

Easy to answer, high participation:

41. "What's your favorite way to [activity]?"
42. "If you could only [eat/watch/read] one [thing] forever, what would it be?"
43. "Early morning or late night for [work/workouts/creativity]?"
44. "What song is on repeat for you right now?"
45. "What's your comfort [food/show/book]?"

Questions by Industry

For E-commerce/Retail

46. "How do you style [product]?"
47. "What color should we make next?"
48. "What's on your wishlist?"
49. "How did you discover our brand?"
50. "What product do you want us to bring back?"

For Food/Restaurant

51. "What dish should we add to the menu?"
52. "What's your go-to order?"
53. "Dine in or takeout?"
54. "What cuisine should we try next?"
55. "What food trend are you loving/hating?"

For Fitness/Wellness

56. "What's your workout split this week?"
57. "Morning or evening workouts?"
58. "What keeps you motivated?"
59. "What's your recovery routine?"
60. "Biggest fitness myth you've heard?"

For B2B/Professional Services

61. "What's your biggest challenge right now?"
62. "What tool can't you live without?"
63. "What's your productivity hack?"
64. "How do you stay ahead in [industry]?"
65. "What skill are you developing?"

For Content Creators/Personal Brands

66. "What content do you want more of?"
67. "What time zone are you in?"
68. "How did you find my account?"
69. "What's one thing you want me to cover?"
70. "What would you ask if we met for coffee?"

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

A variation that works well:

71. "My favorite part of [topic] is ____"
72. "I couldn't survive without ____"
73. "This week I'm focusing on ____"
74. "The best thing about [season/time] is ____"
75. "If I could change one thing about [topic], it would be ____"

How to Ask Questions Effectively

Placement Matters

In Captions:

• Put the question at the end
• Make it the clear call-to-action
• Or put it first to hook readers

In Comments:

• Pin your question to the top
• Ask a follow-up question in comments
• Creates dedicated discussion space

In Stories:

• Use interactive stickers
• Follow up with answers
• Create response highlights

Make Questions Easy to Answer

Tips for better questions:

• One question per post
• Use simple language
• Give context when needed
• Make it relatable to your audience

Respond to Answers

Questions are conversation starters, not ends:

• Reply to comments within the first hour
• Ask follow-up questions
• Like responses to acknowledge them
• Feature great answers in Stories
• Create content based on responses

Time Your Questions

Best Times to Post Questions:

• When your audience is most active
• Typically evenings and weekends
• Avoid posting during peak work hours
• Check your Instagram Insights

Advanced Question Strategies

The Controversy Approach

Share a mildly controversial opinion and ask if people agree:

"Hot take: You don't need [common thing]. Agree or disagree?"

Caution: Keep it light. Avoid genuinely divisive topics unless that's your brand.

The Nostalgia Play

"What's something from the [90s/2000s/your childhood] you wish would come back?"

Nostalgia triggers emotional responses and high engagement.

The Future Question

"Where do you see [industry/trend/yourself] in 5 years?"

Gets people thinking and sharing aspirations.

The Recommendation Ask

"What's one [book/podcast/tool] you'd recommend to everyone here?"

Creates valuable content from your community while driving engagement.

The Behind-the-Scenes Invite

"Want to see how I [process/create/work]? Comment 'yes' and I'll share!"

Gauges interest while driving engagement.

Measuring Question Success

Metrics to Track

• Comment count: Did questions increase comments?
• Comment quality: Are people giving thoughtful responses?
• Response time: How quickly do comments come in?
• Saves: Are people finding questions valuable?
• Shares: Did the question spark sharing?

A/B Testing Questions

Test different approaches:

• Open-ended vs. binary questions
• Question in caption vs. comments
• Different topics and themes
• Various posting times

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I post questions on Instagram?

Include a question in 30-50% of your posts for best results. Too many questions can feel demanding. Mix questions with other content types like educational posts, behind-the-scenes, and promotional content.

What if nobody answers my questions?

Start with easier questions (this or that, emoji ratings) to build the habit of engaging. Answer your own question first to model behavior. Ask questions about topics your audience cares about. Make sure you're asking when your audience is actually online.

Should I respond to every comment on question posts?

Yes, especially when you're building engagement. Responding shows you value participation and encourages more comments. At minimum, like every comment and respond to as many as possible within the first hour.

Which works better: polls or open-ended questions?

Polls get higher participation (low effort to vote). Open-ended questions get fewer but more meaningful responses. Use polls for quick engagement and open questions when you want real feedback or conversation.

Official Resources & Further Reading

• Instagram Help Center: Using Stickers - Official guide to question stickers
• Instagram Blog: Questions Sticker Announcement - Feature introduction
• Tailwind: 10 Expert Tips for Question Stickers - Advanced strategies

Related Instagram Guides

• Instagram Content Ideas for Business - More content inspiration
• Best Time to Post on Instagram - Optimize timing
• Instagram Marketing Strategies - Grow your account
• Instagram Reach Guide - Understand your metrics

Free Instagram Tools

• Instagram Caption Generator - Generate engaging captions
• Instagram Post Generator - Create compelling posts
• Instagram Hook Generator - Craft attention-grabbing openers
• Instagram Content Ideas Generator - Get content inspiration