Mention is the act of posting or sending a message to a specific person on SNS or business chat tools.
By making good use of the mention function on SNS, you can increase awareness of your company’s accounts and activate communication with your fans and customers.
In addition, by using the mention function in chat tools, you can improve efficiency by “preventing messages from being overlooked” and “sending reminders in a way that is less stressful.”
In this article, we will explain the meaning and effects of mentions and the procedure for mentions.
By reading to the end, you will be able to understand the precautions and usage scenarios for mentions, and be able to utilize mentions for SNS operations and communication at work.
What is a mention?
Mention is a word that means “to talk about” or “to mention.” In SNS and chat tools, it is used to mean “a function that allows you to send and post messages to specified recipients.”
This chapter explains “Why use mentions?” and “The difference between mentions and replies.”
Why use mentions?
SNS is mainly used for posting to an unspecified number of people. Also, within an organization or group using a chat tool, there may be too many members and an unspecified number of people, so you may not know who you are talking to.
By using mentions to address specific people, you can talk to “specific people” on SNS or in chat groups. A feature of mentions is that you can specify the person you want to talk to from among many organizations, groups, users, and members.
Some people may think, “If I want to talk to a specific person, why not use a direct message (DM)?”
It’s true that you can talk to a specific person using DM, but DM can only be seen by the person you sent it to. On the other hand, with mentions, your messages can be seen by your followers and group members.
For example, if you want to introduce a specific account to your followers on SNS, it would be appropriate to use a mention instead of a DM. With chat tools, mentions are effective in cases where you want people other than the person in charge to know who has been assigned which task.
Difference from reply
One point that people who have just started using SNS tend to confuse is the difference between mentions and replies.
A quick summary of the differences between replies and mentions.
For example, if you want to respond to a specific message or post by saying, “I agree,” or “I have a question about this,” it is appropriate to use a reply.
Advantages of using mentions
Using the mention feature provides the following benefits:
Make your posts/messages stand out
You can use the mention feature to make your posts and messages stand out.
Depending on the SNS or chat tool, the following effects may be added automatically when you mention someone, or they may be added manually.
For example, when you mention someone in Teams, the mentioned name will be displayed in bold red to make it stand out.
Instagram also allows you to add animations and background colors to your mentions. Another effective technique is to add originality to your posts by adding the username of the person you mention by hand to the transparent mention.
Preventing the other party from missing confirmation
Another benefit of mentions is that they can be expected to have the effect of “preventing the other party’s confirmation from being omitted.” This is because, as mentioned above, mentions are intended to notify the person you specify here.
For example, when you mention someone on LINE, a push notification will be sent to the other person’s smartphone letting them know that you have been mentioned.
If you are notified of a mention, you will know that the message was directed to you and not other members, and you will likely think, “Is this something urgent or important? I should check the message.”
However, SNS and business tools also have a function to turn off mention notifications. If the other party has notifications turned off, the “effect of notifications to prevent omissions in confirmations” will be diminished, so be careful.
Can be used for urgent communication or reminders
Mentions are also effective for urgent contacts and reminders. By being notified of mentions, your posts will stand out and you can expect them to be checked immediately.
There are many people who keep the “most commonly used group chat screen” open on their chat tool while working. In such cases, by sending a message with a mention in the group chat, you can increase the possibility that you will be noticed quickly.
For example, in Teams, if there are 19 or fewer participants in the delivery option, you can select “Urgent” and be notified.
How to mention on LINE
We will explain how to mention on LINE, how it is different from a reply, and how to turn off mention notifications.
Mention in group talk/multiple talk
I will show you how to mention someone on the LINE group chat screen.
1. Enter “@” in the message input field of the group talk.
2. Friends in the group will be displayed as suggestions.
3. Select the person you want to mention from 2.
4. Leave a half-width space after “@○○”, enter your message as usual, and send.
You can choose multiple people to mention, or you can choose all of them. If you want to mention everyone, select “@All” that appears at the top of the list.
Please note that you cannot mention people you have not added as friends, people who are not in the group chat, or people you have blocked.
Mention on LINE VOOM
We will introduce the steps to mention someone on LINE VOOM (old Timeline).
1. Enter “@” on the LINE VOOM post screen
2. Select the person you want to mention from the list
3. Post text and photos as usual after “@○○”
In addition to receiving a push notification to the person you mentioned, it will also be posted on LINE VOOM notifications.
How to use with reply
LINE also has a “reply function” that allows you to reply to specific messages.
Use mentions when you want to specifically talk to someone. On the other hand, use reply when you want to specify a message and reply or comment.
For example, if you want to reply to a message from a while ago while a conversation is flying around on a group chat screen, “reply that allows you to identify the message” is appropriate instead of a mention.
Here’s how to reply on LINE:
1. Long press on the other party’s message
2. Select reply from the menu that appears
3. Type your message and send as usual
Turn notifications on/off
If you are mentioned on LINE, you will receive a push notification on your smartphone. Even if you turn off chat room notifications, you will still be notified of mentions.
If you think that you don’t need notifications even if someone mentions you, turn off mention notifications using the following method.
1. Select “Notifications” from the home settings menu
2. Turn off “mention notifications for myself”
If you turn off both chat room notifications and mention notifications, the notifications will disappear.
If you mention someone, keep in mind that if the other person has turned off mention notifications, it will be harder for them to notice you.
How to mention on Instagram
We will introduce how to mention people on Instagram and what to keep in mind.
The role of Instagram mentions
Mentions on Instagram have the role of “associating other users with your posts” and are mainly used in Stories.
When you mention someone in a story, your followers who see the story can access the mentioned account with a single tap. Also, if you mention someone, the other person will generally be notified.
Therefore, mentions are often used in the following situations:
Examples of the former would be things like “mentioning a newly created sub-account and introducing it to my followers” or “I found some cute clothes, so I’ll mention the account that sells the product and introduce it.”
For the latter example, you might say something like, “I’m going to post a photo from when I went out with a friend, so I’d like my friends to see it,” or “I’d like to express my gratitude to the staff at the cafe for their kind treatment.” It is commonly used in cases such as “.
You may also mention influencers to make them aware of your account. This is because if you are recognized by others and get mentions from others, you can expect the number of followers to increase rapidly. In order to grow your account and get people to buy your products via SNS, it is important to have people mention your account.
Mentions in text input
On Instagram, you can mention people with text or stamps. First, I’ll explain how to mention people using text input, separately for stories and feed posts.
How to mention someone in a story
I’ll show you how to mention someone in a story.
1. On the story creation screen, select “Aa” at the top of the screen
2. Select “@mention” on the text entry screen and enter the username after “@” (it is easier to choose from the displayed candidates)
3. When mentioning multiple users, enter “@username” on a new line.
4. Adjust text font, color, and alignment
5. Tap Done to close the character entry screen and post.
Even after posting a story, you can still mention someone by selecting “Add Mention” from “More”.
How to mention someone in a feed post
Here’s how to mention someone in a feed post.
1. Select an image/video on the feed posting screen
2. Enter your username after “@” in the caption
3. Select the user you want to mention from the displayed candidates
If you have been mentioned, the “@username” part will be in blue.
Mentions on stamps
I’ll show you how to mention someone with a stamp.
1. On the story posting screen, select the “square face mark (next to Aa)”
2. Select “@mention”
3. Enter the username after @ and select the person you want to mention from the suggestions.
4. Select the stamp pattern (font color and background color) and adjust the size and placement
5. Post
Mentioning with stamps is easy, so it is recommended for beginners.
repost
Reposting on Instagram means reposting another user’s post (feed, reels, story in which you are mentioned) to your own timeline.
Here’s how to repost “a story that another user mentioned to you” to your own story (if using the official Instagram app).
1. Check the DM mention notification
2. Tap “Add to Stories”
“Reposting a story that has been mentioned by another user” is “an advertisement that does not feel like an advertisement.” Also, the flow of “reposting when someone mentions you” is common on Instagram. If your account is mentioned and there is no problem with the content, please repost.
However, if the recipient does not allow reposting or the recipient’s account is private, you will not be able to repost.
How to respond other than reposting…
In addition to reposting, you can also respond by “replying with DM etc.” and “liking.” If the mention is slanderous or unrelated to your account, you can ignore or block it.
reply to comment
Here’s how to mention someone when replying to a comment.
1. Tap the comment you want to reply to
2. Tap “Reply” or “Reply to ○○ (username)”
3. Enter your reply and post
You can also mention someone in a comment reply by tapping “Reply” from the activity screen. Be sure to respond to comments, as this will be an opportunity to deepen communication with your followers and customers.
profile
I’ll show you how to mention someone on your profile screen.
1. Select self-introduction on the profile editing screen
2. Enter “@username” in the self-introduction and complete
For example, you can use it to “mention a subaccount on the main account’s profile screen to inform followers of the subaccount’s existence.”
If the mention part does not appear in blue, check whether there is a half-width space just before the @ or whether the @ is a half-width character.
Be careful
Here are some things to keep in mind when mentioning someone on Instagram.
Don’t mention too much
Don’t overdo mentions. If you do too much, you may be judged as a “nuisance user” or “spam”.
Please be aware that if you mention a large number of unspecified users or repeatedly mention specific users (such as influencers) that you do not know, there is a risk of being reported to the management.
Even if you want your account to be recognized, avoid using too many mentions.
There is a limit to the number of mentions per post
For Instagram, the maximum number of mentions per post is 10 users.
Even if you mention more than 10 users, a link to the other user’s account will not be created, and from the 11th user onwards, it will only be displayed as plain text.
If you want to mention more than 11 people, split your post into multiple posts.
There are accounts that cannot be mentioned.
On Instagram, you cannot mention the following accounts:
For example, some users limit themselves to only accepting mentions from people they follow because they’re afraid of being mentioned suddenly by people they don’t know.
If you don’t want to be mentioned
While there are happy cases such as being mentioned by a customer who bought your product, there are also times when you suddenly find yourself being mentioned in a post that has nothing to do with you.
If you feel like your account’s credibility is going to drop because you’ve been mentioned in strange posts, use the following methods to reject or limit mentions.
1. Tap the hamburger menu (three-line icon) on the profile screen
2. Tap Settings > Privacy Settings > Mentions
3. Select the range of permissions in the “People allowed to @mention” section.
You can reject all mentions or only accept mentions from people you follow.
Other ways to mention on SNS
We will introduce how to perform mentions on X (Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok.
X (Twitter)
I will introduce the steps to mention on X (Twitter).
1. Check the username of the person you want to mention
2. Open the post screen and enter the username after “@” (you can also choose from the displayed candidates)
3. Enter text as usual
4. Post
You can also post by tapping the “Post” button on the other person’s profile screen.
What is X’s username?
A user-specific ID consisting only of half-width alphanumeric characters and underscores. When you check the profile of each account, it is listed under the account name (display name).
Even on X, where there are a lot of posts floating around, mentioning someone will make it easier for your post to be noticed.
Additionally, if the post you mentioned gets spread (buzz), the person you mentioned will also receive a notification. Be careful, as posts that don’t make the other person happy may spread and cause stress due to a large number of notifications.
Facebook
You can also use the mention function on Facebook.
1. Open the post creation screen
2. Enter the user ID or group ID after “@” (you can also select from the list of candidates displayed)
By mentioning someone, you can make it easier for them to notice your comments and posts that you want them to see, and you can expect that communication will become more active.
You can also send messages with mentions on Facebook Messenger.
TikTok
TikTok also has the ability to mention people in videos and comments. Mentioning makes it easier for the other person to notice that you posted a new video or added a comment, so it can also be used as an announcement.
We will explain the steps to mention by posting a video and commenting.
How to mention in a video post
Here’s how to mention someone when posting a video:
1. Open TikTok and select the video you want to post
2. Select “@mention” below the description field
3. Select the person you want to mention from the list that appears
You can also enter “@” directly in the description field and select the person you want to mention.
How to mention someone in a comment
Here’s how to mention someone in a comment:
1. Display the comment section for the video
2. Enter “@” in the comment field
3. Select the person you want to mention from the list that appears
4. Enter your comment and send
However, if the other person has blocked you, you cannot mention them.
How to mention in business chat tools
We will show you how to mention someone in various business chat tools.
Teams
In Teams, you can mention “individuals/multiple people” and “teams/channels.” We will introduce each method.
How to mention an individual or multiple people
Here’s how to mention an individual or multiple people:
1. Enter “@” on the input screen
2. Enter the person’s name or email address after @
3. Select the person to mention from the displayed suggestions
4. If you want to mention multiple people, repeat entering “@” and selecting the person.
5. Enter your message and send
If you often contact specific members, it is convenient to create a “tag” and mention them in advance. For example, if you create tags such as “Manager class or above” or “Everyone in charge of ○○ project”, you can specify the tag and mention only those people (excluding private channels).
How to create tags in Teams is as follows.
1. Select “Manage Tags” from the “…” menu of the team for which you want to create a tag.
2. Select “Create tag”
3. Enter the tag name and members to be assigned to the tag and create.
By entering the tag name after “@” on the message input screen, you can mention the member assigned to the tag.
If you are unable to create a tag, the permission to create and manage tags may be set to “Only team owners”. Try asking the team owner to change your settings to allow team owners and members to create tags.
How to mention a team channel
Here’s how to mention “all members of a team/channel”:
| When mentioning all team members |
1. Enter “@” on the input screen 2. Enter “team”, “team”, or “team name” after @ (you can also select from the list of candidates) 3. Enter your message and send |
| When mentioning all channel members |
1. Enter “@” on the input screen 2. Enter “channel” after @ 3. Enter your message and send |
If your team name is long, leave the name string as is. If you erase even one character from the team name, you will not be able to mention them.
Slack
Here’s how to mention someone in Slack:
1. Open the message creation screen
2. Enter “@”
3. Enter the member’s name after @ (you can also choose from the list)
4. If you want to mention multiple people, repeat entering “@+name”
5. Enter message content and send
Chatwork
When you want to address a specific person in Chatwork, use “To”. How to use it is as follows.
1. Click “To” at the top of the message creation screen
2. Suggestions will be displayed, so select the person
3. If you want to mention multiple people, select all the people you want to mention.
4. Enter message content and send
summary
Mention is a feature that allows you to talk to a specific person on SNS or business chat tools.
If used wisely, it can help make business communication smoother and more efficient, and SNS operations such as Instagram can also lead to “widening awareness” and “spreading information.”
The method of mentioning someone is not difficult no matter what social media or chat tool you use. Basically, you can mention someone by entering the name (username/account name) of the person you want to mention after “@”.
However, when operating SNS, be sure to keep in mind the following points: “too many mentions can cause trouble” and “some accounts refuse mentions.”