5 Reasons Comment Bots Don't Work in 2024 (and 1 Solution)

The use of automated tools for increasing interaction on social media platforms has become increasingly common. Among these tools, the concept of comment bots has been of large interest to many with plenty of ready-made solutions as well as tutorials on how to build comment bots from scratch.

Initially, these bots, programmed to post generic comments, were a popular strategy for account growth. However, over the past years, the effectiveness of such tactics has diminished as we’re observing a growing demand for authenticity and meaningful connections.

So let’s first understand what comment bots are and explore five reasons why comment bots don’t work to increase your engagement and grow your account in 2024. We also explore what’s needed to make comment bots more effective and finally look at Comment Generator, a tool representing a significant leap forward from traditional comment bots.

Table of contents

• What are Comment Bots?
• 5 Reasons Why Comment Bots Don’t Work
• What Comment Bots Need to be More Effective in 2024
• The Solution: Comment Generator for Instagram and Threads
• Conclusion

What are Comment Bots?

Comment bots are automated programs created to post comments on platforms like Instagram, Threads, and others. They often allow the user to write a bunch of comments, which are then posted randomly on selected hashtags, users or locations.

Comment bots are mostly available in either of the following ways:

Browser Extension

As a browser extension, comment bots can access your account and post comments in your name automatically. At its core, the user can configure the bot’s comments and define any conditions or triggers for posting. This is an easy and user-friendly way to get started with comment bots as it doesn’t require a complicated setup or technical know-how.

Web Application

As a web application, comment bots often require your account login details or at least your platform cookie (e.g. Instagram session cookie), which they use to run the automation workflow on your behalf. These applications often provide additional functionalities like result tracking, analytics, or exports.

DIY Implementation

Programming languages such as Python or Node.js come equipped with libraries that allow you to create your own comment bot for Instagram, Threads & Co. in only a few minutes. Popular open-source frameworks, such as Selenium, can programmatically login to your account and perform actions such as browsing by hashtag, liking posts and commenting.

5 Reasons Why Comment Bots Don’t Work

Comment bots often promise to boost your visibility, to expand your reach, or to take your profile to another level. However, here are five reasons comment bots won’t bring you the results they promise.

1. Randomly Posted Comments Lead to a Negative Perception

People are increasingly becoming adept at noticing bot-generated or fake comments, especially when comments are irrelevant to the conversation or context (due to the finite set of responses these bots can employ), making it obvious that the comments are automated.

This can lead to a negative perception of the bot and the person or organisation it represents, especially if the bot is seen as trying to deceive or manipulate.

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A post shared by Felix | Comment Generator | Chrome Extension (@this_comment_is_auto_generated)

2. User Distrust

People may distrust or disregard responses from bots, especially in platforms where authentic human interaction is valued. When they suspect that a comment is generated by a bot, it undermines the sense of genuine human connection.

This skepticism typically leads to a lack of engagement with bot-generated comments, making these tools not a good choice to include in an engagement or growth strategy in 2024.

3. Lack of contextual understanding

The responses of comment bots are generic and not personalised, as they lack the ability to understand the context of the post. Furthermore, comment bots can’t be used effectively for engagement strategies that involve commenting in different languages. This results in less engaging interactions that won’t drive traffic back to your account.

4. Lack of Emotional Intelligence

Responding empathetically is crucial in many social interactions, especially in sensitive or emotionally charged situations. People with high emotional intelligence can express themselves clearly and empathetically, making it easier for others to understand and connect with them. Commenting bots, however, lack emotional intelligence due to the fact that they aren’t able to read and understand the context of the post or caption.

5. Risk of your account being blocked

Since most comment bots run on autopilot, it’s quite easy for social media platforms to detect these automations and penalise the respective account. Furthermore, comments posted by bots can be considered a form of spam and can lead to negative consequences too, including the suspension of accounts or legal actions.

What Comment Bots Need to be More Effective in 2024

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of comment bots, especially in situations that require the depth, empathy, and understanding of a human response.

However, the latest developments in generative AI have created new possibilities, which you could have only dreamed of just a year ago. Large language models, such as ChatGPT by OpenAI, have demonstrated very well that it IS possible to create automation systems that DO understand context to create unique comments that are authentic and empathetic.

However, implementing generative AI in comment bots is complex and requires a more elaborate strategy, as it involves multiple steps to read, understand, and reply to the context of a specific post. Moreover, based on your background or business purpose, the intention behind the comment may also change. For example, you may want to disagree with what your competitor posted or send a humorous response to stimulate higher user engagements.

The Solution: Comment Generator for Instagram and Threads

Let me introduce you to Comment Generator, a Chrome extension, which takes a different and immensely more sophisticated approach to growing your engagement on social media than traditional comment bots.

How Comment Generator works

Comment Generator is a browser extension that integrates with Instagram or Threads via your Google Chrome browser. The extension embeds four emoji buttons, which are made available next to the comment area. These buttons represent different commenting styles: genuinely agree, politely disagree, act surprised, and be funny. Once clicked, the extension accesses the post’s caption or title and uses generative AI to produce an authentic and genuine response.

How Comment Generator is Different From Traditional Comment Bots

Comment Generator does not rely on templated messages. In fact, you can’t provide templated responses because every comment is unique and tailored to the post’s context. And even though it doesn’t fully automate commenting (you still have to go to the post and click a button to generate a comment), this approach is so much more effective that you only need to spend 10-20 minutes a day to blow up your engagement.

Examples of real reactions

The following screenshots display real reactions from users that received AI-generated comments on their posts. You can see the genuine reactions these comments produced (highlighted)

Conclusion

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of comment bots, especially in situations that require the empathy, depth, and understanding of a human response. However, it's important to note that not all users are equally skilled at detecting bots, and some sophisticated bots, such as Comment Generator, can now mimic human behaviour convincingly enough to qualify as a great helper for your upcoming engagement and growth strategy.