Mention

What is a mention?

A mention is when you reference another account using the @ symbol followed by their handle, like @trypost. The name turns into a tappable link to their profile, and in most cases the account gets a notification that you referenced them. It works in captions, comments, replies, and stories across Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, LinkedIn, and the rest.

Why a mention matters

A mention is the connective tissue of social. It pulls another account into the conversation, credits a source, and often earns a reply, a share, or a repost back to their audience. For brands, a steady stream of customer mentions is free distribution and proof that real people are talking about you.

Mention vs tag

People use these interchangeably, but there is a useful distinction:

• Mention: typing @handle in text (a caption, comment, or reply). It links the account and notifies them
• Tag: attaching an account to the media itself, like tagging a person in a photo or a product in a shoppable post. Tags can show up on the tagged account's own profile depending on settings
• Overlap: both notify the other account; mentions live in copy, tags live on the media

How to use mentions well

• Credit creators and sources when you repost or quote, which builds goodwill and encourages reshares
• Watch your mentions as a feed of unprompted user-generated content. Every customer who mentions you is handing you social proof you can reshare
• Do not over-mention big accounts hoping for a response. Tagging brands you have no relationship with reads as spam
• Reply to mentions quickly. Responding turns a one-off mention into a conversation and signals an active, attentive account