Threads doesn’t just reward replies — it was built for them.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has said this more than once, and he hasn’t minced words on it, either: "The sum of all your replies is about as valuable as the sum of all the value of all your posts," he told Platformer.
Turns out, he wasn't exaggerating. We have data to back up just how powerful responding on Threads can be.
Replying to comments on your Threads posts can boost engagement by around 42% — the highest lift we've seen across any platform — according to Buffer data scientist Julian Winternheimer's analysis of over 128,000 Threads posts.
Julian found that when creators and brands engage back in their comments on Threads, their posts perform dramatically better relative to their own baseline. The platform's design actively rewards conversation in ways that other social networks don't.
His analysis spanned other major platforms too, and while every single one saw an engagement boost from comment replies, the effect on Threads was significantly higher. LinkedIn, in the second spot, saw only (can we even say only here?) a 30% boost.
Let's dig into what makes Threads different, how Julian analyzed the data, and what this means for how you show up on the platform.
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The analysis
To understand whether replying to comments actually moves the needle on Threads, Julian needed to account for a tricky reality: bigger accounts naturally get more engagement than smaller ones. Comparing them directly wouldn't tell us much.
So instead of asking "Do accounts that reply perform better,” he asked: "Does the same account perform better on posts where it replies versus posts where it doesn't?"
This approach — using what's called a fixed-effects regression model — lets us isolate the impact of replying by comparing each account to itself. All the variables that make accounts unique (follower count, niche, posting frequency) are already baked into the comparison.
Julian also ran Z-score analyses as a cross-check. This measures how each post performed relative to that account's typical engagement — basically, did this post overperform or underperform compared to what's 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 as random chance.
A few things worth noting upfront:
- This is correlation, not guaranteed causation. It's possible that posts that naturally take off get more creator replies simply because there's more activity to respond to.
- That said, this pattern showed up across all six platforms Julian analyzed (Threads, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky), with lifts ranging from 5% to 42%. Threads topped the list by a significant margin.
- Julian's Threads dataset included over 128,000 posts, which gives us solid ground to stand on statistically.
How replying to comments impacts Threads engagement
Posts where creators replied to comments saw about 42% higher engagement on average — even after controlling for whether the post received any comments at all.
Julian's analysis found that engagement wasn't just slightly higher for posts with replies — it was dramatically higher. Around two-thirds of profiles showed positive effects when they replied to comments.
The Z-score analysis backed this up. Posts with creator replies consistently scored above an account's typical engagement level, while posts without replies sat below.
What makes this particularly striking is the gap between Threads and other platforms. For comparison's sake, here’s a look at the impact on other platforms:
| Platform | Engagement lift (vs. baseline) |
|---|---|
| Threads | +42% |
| +30% | |
| +21% | |
| +9% | |
| Twitter/X | +8% |
| Bluesky | +5% |
Why Threads rewards replies more than any other platform
Critics were quick to dismiss Threads as a Twitter copycat at its initial launch in 2023. But three years on, the platform has amassed over 400 million monthly active users. It’s become clear that Threads was, as Meta promised, designed from the ground up to prioritize conversation over broadcasting.
The platform wants to be a place where people connect with each other, not just shout into the void.
The platform's architecture makes this really clear: replies get the same visual weight as original posts. When you scroll through your feed, a thoughtful reply sits at the same level as the post that sparked it.
"Elevating the reply to the same level as the original post allows for much more robust, diverse discourse," Mosseri explained in an interview with The Verge. "Which is part of the reason we didn't just try to shove this thing into the feed on Instagram or a separate tab."
The result is a platform where conversation is rewarded algorithmically.
Here's what happens when you reply to comments on Threads:
You extend the thread's lifespan: Each reply adds to the post's total engagement signals, which tells Threads' algorithm that this conversation is worth showing to more people. A post with active discussion stays in feeds longer than one that collected a few likes and went quiet.
You signal relationship strength: Threads pays attention to who interacts with whom. When you consistently engage with someone's comments, the platform learns that connection matters — and is more likely to show your future posts to them (and theirs to you).
You model the behavior you want to see: When people see you actually participating in the conversation you started, they're more likely to jump in themselves. It creates a virtuous cycle where engagement begets more engagement.
How to stay on top of your comments on Threads
Mosseri's advice to "reply much more than you post" sounds great in theory. In practice, it can feel a little 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 on Threads:
Don't think of your posts as finished products: Every post is an invitation to chat. Think of them as conversation starters. The real work (and the real opportunity) happens in the replies.
Your replies don't need 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 conversation rather than be the dominant voice.
Engage beyond your own posts: Mosseri has also emphasized the value of replying to other people's posts, not just comments on your own. When you add thoughtful replies to posts from people in your niche or community, you're increasing your visibility while building relationships.
Watch the ratio: If you're posting 5 times a day but only replying to a handful of comments, you're missing Threads' core mechanic. Try flipping that: maybe post 2-3 times and spend the rest of your time engaging with others.
This feels quite different from how most of us were taught to use social media. But Threads isn't most social media platforms!
Making comment engagement part of your Threads routine
The 42% engagement boost is compelling. But only if you can actually sustain the habit of replying consistently.
Here's what's worked for me (and what hasn't):
Treat Threads like a (really big) group chat: I check Threads more frequently than I check LinkedIn or Instagram, but for shorter bursts. Five minutes here, ten minutes there. I'm not scheduling posts and walking away — I'm popping in, seeing what's happening, adding to conversations.
Reply first, post second: When I open Threads, my first move is to check notifications and reply to comments on my recent posts. Only after that do I consider posting something new. This keeps me from falling into the trap of churning out content without actually engaging.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of done: Some days I write thoughtful, paragraph-long replies. Other days it's something lighter, like a thought paired with a GIF (peak millennial, I know). Both contribute to the conversation. Both signal to Threads that I'm present.
Use Buffer's Community feature to stay organized: As someone juggling 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 scrolling. It's free for up to 3 platforms, and it includes a Comment Score that tracks your reply consistency over time.
Set realistic expectations: You don't need to reply to every single comment to see results. Around two-thirds of accounts in Julian's study saw positive effects, which suggests that even moderate engagement makes a difference.
The key is consistency, not perfection.
Threads was built for replies
Julian's cross-platform study analyzed nearly 2 million posts, and Threads' 42% engagement lift stands alone at the top.
Threads really was built for replies: The architecture, the algorithm, the culture... everything points toward conversation being the primary activity rather than an afterthought.
If you're trying to grow on Threads, the math is pretty straightforward: spend more time engaging than broadcasting. Reply to comments on your posts. Reply to other people's posts. Keep conversations going.
The 42% boost isn't guaranteed for every post or every account, but the odds are strongly in your favor if you're willing to treat Threads like the conversation platform it was designed to be.
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