The Comment Economy: Why 'Price?' Is the Most Valuable Comment on Instagram

A "price?" comment is the single most valuable thing a stranger can type under your post, because it is a purchase decision waiting on one fact. Likes say "nice". Saves say "later". "Price?" says "now, if the number works". Viralyze was built after its founder, Kushagra Kumar, watched creators lose sales when "price?" and "link?" comments went unanswered, and the fix is to answer every one by DM within a second.

Why is "price?" worth more than a like?

Because it carries intent and it is public. The person has already decided the product looks right. They are asking the only thing a reel cannot show. If you answer fast with a way to pay, a large share of those people buy. If you answer tomorrow, they have bought something else or forgotten.

It is also a signal to everyone else reading the comments. A thread full of "price?" with no replies looks abandoned. A thread with "Sent you a DM 💌" under each one looks like a business that is open.

Why should the answer go to DM, not the comments?

Three reasons. First, a price in the comments gets argued with in public, while a price in a DM starts a private conversation. Second, a DM can carry a checkout link, a PDF or a booking page; a comment cannot do much. Third, the DM becomes a contact you keep, with the originating comment as context.

Instagram allows one private reply per comment within 7 days. Viralyze follows that rule automatically, so each "price?" gets exactly one DM, inside the window.

How do you set up a "PRICE" keyword?

It takes about a minute and no flow builder.

1. Open the Viralyze app, pick the post, or choose "any post" so every reel is covered. 2. Add keywords: "PRICE", "price?", "kitna", "how much", "cost". They are not case-sensitive and typos are handled. 3. Write the DM: the price, one line on what is included, and the checkout link or product page. 4. Add a public reply such as "Sent you a DM 💌" so the thread shows you answered. 5. Test with a sample comment using the live tester, then go Live.

Once it is Live, the DMs go out whether you are at your desk or shooting the next reel.

A concrete example: a handmade candle brand

A small candle brand posts a reel of a soy candle being poured. The caption says "Comment PRICE for the full set". The keyword DM reads: "Hi! The 3-candle gift set is ₹1,250 with free shipping in India. Grab it here, pay by UPI." The link is a product checkout page at 0% platform fee.

A second keyword, "BULK", sends a different reply with corporate gifting rates and a booking link for a 15-minute WhatsApp call. Different keywords, different replies, one post. Every buyer and every bulk enquiry lands in the contacts list with a source tag.

What do you lose when "price?" goes unanswered?

The sale, obviously, but also the data. Every unanswered "price?" is a buyer you cannot follow up with, a reel you cannot attribute revenue to, and a thread that tells the next viewer nobody is home.

The Viralyze funnel shows each automation as comments, matched, delivered, clicked and signed up. If "price?" comments are high and clicks are low, the DM needs a better first line. That is a fixable problem. An empty inbox of unanswered comments is not.

Frequently asked questions

**Should I put the price in the caption instead?** You can, but then you get no comment, no DM, no contact and no engagement lift. The keyword turns a passive reader into a conversation.

**What if someone comments "price" on an old post?** Choose the "any post" trigger and the automation covers old posts too, as long as the comment is within Instagram's 7-day reply window.

**Does a "PRICE" DM work in Hindi or Hinglish?** Yes. Viralyze replies in the commenter's language, English, Hindi or Hinglish, and matches Hinglish keyword spellings like "kitna hai".

Start the 7-day free trial of Viralyze today, no card needed, and never leave a "price?" comment waiting again.