Pinning a comment on a live video allows the broadcaster to highlight specific comments during the live stream. This can be useful for calling attention to important messages, questions, or feedback from the audience. Here are the key things to know about pinning comments on live videos:
What is a pinned comment?
A pinned comment is a comment that has been “pinned” to the top of the comment feed by the broadcaster of the live video. This pins the comment so it stays visible to all viewers, even as new comments are added during the live stream.
Pinning a comment makes it stand out from the normal comment flow so viewers are more likely to notice it. Some key features of pinned comments:
- Pinned comments are highlighted with a distinctive icon or style to differentiate them.
- They remain at the top of the comment feed for the duration of the broadcast.
- Broadcasters can pin multiple comments during a live video.
- Viewers cannot pin comments, only the broadcaster can.
Why would you want to pin a comment?
Here are some common reasons a broadcaster may want to pin comments during a live video:
- To highlight important announcements or updates: Pinning a comment that shares an important announcement ensures viewers see it.
- To answer common questions: Pinned comments can be used to answer frequently asked questions from the audience.
- To feature feedback or ideas from viewers: Broadcasters can pin interesting or insightful viewer comments to share them with everyone.
- To acknowledge big donations or support: Pin a comment to thank a viewer who made a large donation.
- To promote a goal or call-to-action: Pin a comment that shares an important CTA, like asking viewers to like, subscribe or follow.
In general, pinning comments allows broadcasters to curate and highlight the most relevant, interesting or important comments in real-time during a live stream.
How to pin a comment on popular live streaming platforms
The specific steps to pin a comment vary across live streaming platforms and apps. But in general the process follows this pattern:
- The broadcaster locates the comment they want to pin during the live video.
- They select an option to pin the comment. This may be an icon, button or menu option.
- The comment is then pinned and highlighted for all viewers.
- To unpin the comment, the broadcaster selects another option to unpin it.
Here are details on how to pin comments on some popular live streaming platforms:
YouTube
- Hover over the comment and click the “Pin” icon that appears.
- A pinned comment will show a highlighted style and “Pinned” label.
- To unpin, click the “Unpin” icon that appears on a pinned comment.
Facebook Live
- Click the three dots “…” icon next to a comment.
- Select “Pin Comment” from the menu.
- Pinned comments will show a pinned icon on the right side.
- To unpin, click the three dots then “Unpin Comment”.
Twitch
- Click the icon with two arrows going in opposite diagonals on a comment.
- This icon pins or unpins the comment when clicked.
- Pinned comments get a yellow pinned icon highlight.
Instagram Live
- Tap and hold on a comment, then tap the pushpin icon.
- Pinned comments will have a pinned highlight.
- To unpin, tap and hold then tap the unpin icon.
LinkedIn Live
- Hover over a comment and click the “Pin to top” option.
- Pinned comments will show at the top until unpinned.
- Hover and click “Unpin” to unpin a comment.
Best practices for pinning live video comments
To use pinned comments most effectively, keep these best practices in mind:
- Pin strategically – don’t overuse pinned comments or they will lose impact.
- Pin early and often – don’t wait to pin interesting comments.
- Highlight engagement – pin great questions, ideas or feedback from viewers.
- Pin selectively – stick to important, relevant comments.
- Unpin when done – comments can be unpinned when no longer needed.
- Moderate as needed – pinning won’t preclude comment moderation.
Pros and cons of pinning live comments
Pinning comments on a live video has both advantages and disadvantages:
Potential pros
- Highlights important information for viewers
- Lets you respond efficiently to common questions
- Builds engagement by featuring viewer comments
- Provides way to moderate comment flow
- Allows promoting specific CTAs or updates
Potential cons
- Too many pinned comments can be distracting
- Requires monitoring comments in real-time
- Pinned comment could include inappropriate content
- Excessive pinning looks like an endorsement of the comment
- Viewers may differ on which comments are most relevant
Conclusion
Pinning comments provides live video broadcasters a useful tool to make the most relevant viewer comments stand out during a live stream. Strategic use of pinned comments can enhance the viewer experience, build engagement, and allow broadcasters to moderate and shape the conversation in real-time.
But it does require attentive comment moderation by the broadcaster to ensure pinned comments align with the goals of the live video and the expectations of the audience. Like any social media activity, there are pros and cons to consider when determining if and how to incorporate pinned comments as part of your live video strategy.
| Platform | How to Pin a Comment |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Hover over comment and click “Pin” icon |
| Facebook Live | Click three dots and select “Pin Comment” |
| Twitch | Click icon with two diagonal arrows |
| Instagram Live | Tap and hold on comment, tap pushpin icon |
| LinkedIn Live | Hover over comment, click “Pin to top” |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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