How to Triple Your Sales Using Instagram DM Automation
- CA Bhavesh Jhalawadia
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- Posted on
The phrase “link in bio” is practically a relic of a bygone era. While it was once the go-to method for driving traffic from Instagram, a new, far more powerful strategy has emerged: Instagram DM automation. This isn’t just about a few extra clicks; it’s about building a direct, scalable pipeline to new customers. In fact, many businesses are tripling their sales and gaining an unfair advantage simply by leveraging the power of direct messages.
The Problem With Ignoring Your DMs
The head of Instagram has stated that direct messages are where people are most active, with over 600 million conversations happening daily across Meta platforms. Despite this, most businesses are missing out on 50% or more of the potential traffic they could be getting from their Instagram content. This is a massive missed opportunity.
The businesses that are winning are the ones that are leveraging underpriced attention. Just like Gary Vee capitalized on Google AdWords to grow his dad’s wine business from $3 million to $60 million, savvy marketers are now turning their attention to Instagram DMs as the new frontier of underpriced attention.
By using a tool like ManyChat, you can stop relying on a single link in your bio and instead, use your posts to start conversations that lead to sales.
Nine Ways to Drive Sales With DM Automation
Here are nine effective strategies to set up automated conversations that convert followers into customers.
1. Post and Reel Comments
This is one of the most effective ways to drive engagement and sales. In your content, ask people to comment a specific word (keep it simple, seven characters or less, no numbers). When a user comments the keyword, an automated public reply will thank them and remind them to check their DMs. At the same time, an automated private message is sent, containing the promised resource or offer.
The private message should be conversational and friendly, like you’re talking to a friend. Include a greeting, a reminder of what they asked for, and the benefit they will get. Then, use a clear call to action like “just click the button below to get access.” This simple phrase has been shown to increase click rates by 5-30%.
2. Story Replies
Instead of telling people to click a link in your story, tell them to reply with a specific word. This is more effective because it takes advantage of a user’s ingrained behavior of replying to stories. The automation should be set to trigger on all stories that contain the specific word or reaction. For instant gratification, set the automation delay to 0 seconds. You can also “like” their response to make the interaction feel more personal.
3. Your Bio
Use your profile bio to direct people to your DMs. Your call to action should be clear, concise, and ideally on the second or third line. For example, “DM me the word ‘GUIDE’ for our free homesteading guide.” When setting this up in ManyChat, you can use the “message is” trigger to fire only when the exact word is used, and a “message begins with” trigger to catch variations where people add extra text.
4. Story Mentions and Tags
When someone tags you in their story, you can trigger an automated message. This can be a great way to re-engage with your existing community. The message should be more natural since they didn’t explicitly ask for it. For example: “Hey, thanks for the tag! By the way, if you want to learn more about [topic], just tap the button below.” Split the message into two parts: a friendly opening and then the button with the offer.
To prevent sending multiple messages to the same person, use an automation that adds a tag to the user’s profile after the first message is sent. This creates a condition where the message will only be sent if the user doesn’t already have that tag.
5. Conversation Starters
You can pre-prompt people in the DMs with options or common questions. These “conversation starters” appear as buttons when a user opens a new DM with your account. A button could say “Get your free guide,” and clicking it would lead them directly into the automation.
6. Direct Links
This is a powerful method for driving traffic from outside of Instagram. You can generate a specific link that, when clicked, will take a user directly to your DMs and automatically send a pre-programmed message. These links are clickable from emails, websites, or can be turned into QR codes.
7. Instagram Ads
You can set up your Instagram ads to prompt users to either comment a specific word or click a button to receive an automated message. A great strategy is to use a two-step process in the DM. The first message introduces the offer, and a quick reply button prompts the user to “Send it over.” Clicking this button sends a second message with the actual link to your landing page. This two-step process helps you better track your conversion rates.
8. Instagram Live Comments
During an Instagram Live, you can tell your audience to comment a specific word to get a special offer. This is a win-win because the automation works for both live viewers and those who watch the recording on your feed.
9. Broadcast Channels
You can leverage your broadcast channels by sharing your direct link (from method #6) with your subscribers. When they click the link, they are taken directly to your DMs and receive the automated message you’ve set up for your freebie or product.
The Power of DM Automation
The key to all of these strategies is using a tool like ManyChat to connect your Instagram account and run the automations. It’s essentially an email marketing platform for your direct messages, allowing you to build and nurture a list of engaged followers.
By implementing these nine strategies, you’re not just waiting for people to find a single link. You’re proactively starting hundreds of conversations every time you post, turning your content into a powerful, automated sales engine.