Simply said, if you don't have an Instagram account, you're missing out. 

Instagram (IG) is one of the biggest picture and video-sharing sites in the world, with more than 1 billion active users every month, and 500 million of those, use the story feature every day. 

Thanks to IG's extensive capabilities, brands, influencers, and marketers love using the site to advertise and sell directly through the app. 

And because Instagram users can engage and communicate directly with companies, all businesses, marketers, and influencers have a unique chance to develop brand recognition and convert all users from total strangers into devoted customers. 

When we talk about Instagram, businesses need to understand that producing eye-catching content is just not enough. 

They need to keep up with messages and comments 24/7 or risk losing one of the biggest opportunities for revenue right there in their DMs. 

About 400 million users message a business every day, can you picture that? It’s like the armies of Mordor are running towards you and they’re all hungry for your products. 

Businesses must set aside time to develop responses.. but that sounds grueling and crazy time-consuming, right?

Well, Instagram Automation and its automated DM capabilities are here to save the day.

Like Aragorn or Luke Skywalker getting there at the last minute of the third act, Automated Instagram DMs will save you time and energy by having prewritten, personable replies automatically sent to users, providing them with the information they need.  

So, ring bearer, ready to discover what Instagram Automation is and how you can use it to improve your Instagram marketing approach? From responding to user inquiries to turning casual shoppers into paying consumers, stay tuned and we’ll tell you all about it.  

What is Instagram Automation? 

Instagram Automated Direct Messages allow brands, marketers, and influencers to streamline and improve their Instagram marketing with scheduled posts and replies. 

And tools like Manychat allow you to sync up your favorite CRM tools to gather vital user data that is pure gold for your ad team. 

Apart from being able to send automated messages, Instagram Automation enables marketing and customer care teams to jump into real-time discussions with customers at any moment, just in time to step in for the hardest queries and nail the three-pointers at crucial moments. 

The bottom line is, automating Instagram saves time and money while increasing sales and quality leads.

“How?” I hear you asking. Well, glad you did, because IG Automation can help marketers, companies, and influencers right away by: 

• Generating sales by providing answers to product-related questions, such as "Will this fit a size 0?", before directing customers to a purchasing page;
• Provide time-saving and automated responses to frequently asked queries, such as "Do you offer free shipping?";
• Creating high-quality leads through automated lead qualification and nurturing;
• Improving interaction with followers by streamlining routine tasks, such as replying to comments and mentioning people in Instagram Stories;
• Design highly personalized product recommendations;
• Scaling Instagram Ads that generate dialogues with customers, such as Story Ads that invite users to "DM me this word."

Integrating automation into your Instagram messages adds a completely new level of engagement to your marketing efforts.

And the truth is, Instagram Direct Message automation is so powerful because it will empower your customers to self-solve their queries and get to checkout so much faster than before. 

You can utilize Instagram's Stories feature and other native tools to automate dialogues with customers and boost IG's engagement beyond a simple story reaction. 

Whether it's more sales, better leads, more followers, or better customer service, this deeper, longer engagement translates into actual business results.

Instagram Automation features

Now that you know the basics of Instagram Automation, you might be wondering what the actual main advantages of using it are.

So, young padawan, are you ready? 

The short answer is, the advantages are legion!

An Instagram bot created using a tool like Manychat (or any other chatbot software out there) provides you with:

• Automated, customized interactions are produced quickly using the flowchart-based interface.
• Conversations and replies to Keywords that are automatically triggered by the messages and questions that users send you on Instagram.
• Tools that automatically respond to messages, and react to comments posted online.

• The capacity to reply to all IG account Story Mentions and business automation. 
• Instagram Messaging Ads that are scalable and reliable.
• Pre-populated, editable buttons that help initiate conversations are available for brand-new clients or followers,
• The ability to collect and store data provided by customers, such as phone numbers and emails using your favorite CRM

And this list is just like a game of Snake, it just keeps getting longer and racking up more positive points with no end in sight. 

How can YOU use Instagram Automation?

This all sounds great but it might seem to you like there are no concrete ways to use the power of Automated Instagram Messages to change your Instagram Marketing Strategy and how you do business on the platform.

Good news! There are a few methods to leverage Instagram Automation to provide your followers with a unique chat experience, and we’re about to tell you all about them.  

Suitable leads

Automate the lead qualification process inside Instagram DM to qualify leads. 

Collect user information to continue the chat by triggering chatbot retargeting on everyone who doesn't buy

Discounts and freebies

Who doesn’t love coupons right?

You can get a user's phone number and email address in return for a giveaway or coupon.

Ask IG folks to message you using a certain term in a post. 

The triggered flow will activate and instruct the automation to gather the user's contact information for the giveaway or voucher when they message you with the keyword. 

Promote on Instagram

Run an Instagram ad and direct users to IG DM via the call to action (CTA) in the ad. 

Then take advantage of the native button capability in Ads Manager to build up IG Buttons on the ad that opens to Instagram Messaging. You give the buttons a specific keyword!

You can also ask the user to message you with a certain term by running a Story Ad. 

Your flow will be activated whenever the keyword is sent to you inside Instagram Direct Messages.

Pretty cool, huh?

Chatbot Retargeting

Now, after all the cool discount codes, personalized messages, flowers, and puppies, what happens if a potential customer just up and abandons their cart?

Maybe in the past, it meant having to spend who knows how much money to chase them around the internet, sometimes not even being able to get to talk to them after all that.

No longer.

With chatbot retargeting you'll be able to follow up on your Instagram followers FOR FREE, ask them what kept them from buying and, even better, pivot to a better offer or discount code to woo them again to checkout.

This one is a real game changer, (time) and money saver.

Does it sound like something you would've loved to know about sooner?

I know, we get that a lot.

Set up a demo call or sell a course.

By requesting the user to enter a keyword in IG DM, you can set up a registration flow.

Lead the user through the next automated flow to either buy a course or convince them to schedule a demo or consultancy call.  

Send out lead magnets to all new Instagram subscribers. 

Create a rule to send a message to all incoming subscribers, including Story Mentioners, so that all IG opt-ins are pushed into a flow.

Create a quiz

Make a quiz to get your audience to tell you more about themselves!

For instance, if you work in real estate, create a questionnaire to find out more about the income ranges and characteristics of prospective homebuyers.

Although these are great for any industry, particularly for e-commerce brands. 

The Verdict: Instagram Automation FTW!

Instagram automation provides customers with a new channel for communicating with your company that, right now, very few companies are using. 

AND it can be leveraged to accomplish a variety of business objectives, including the generation of leads, the upselling of items, and the delivery of customer care.

Chatbots and automation are like the Lebron James of the e-com world, everyone is talking about them but few know all they can do once you let them get on the court and play.

If you want to know more about Instagram and Facebook automation, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more.