Instagram DM Automation: How to Use It to Grow Your DTC Business

Facebook + Instagram.. the land of endless scrolling, food pics, and, of course, cats. But let's face it, as a business; you're not here to watch cute kitties all day.

You want to engage with your customers and boost your bottom line.. Especially when we're talking over 1 billion active users every month, of which 81% search for products on the platform before buying!

So, let's face it: keeping an Instagram business account for eCommerce companies can be a real pain in the you-know-what, especially when it comes to responding to all those direct messages (DMs).

That's where Instagram DM automation comes to the rescue! Yup, you read that correctly—we're discussing Instagram chatbots!

They'll deal with all those bothersome DMs so you can return to what you do best—scrolling through endless images of kitties and food—without having to worry.

Even better, your Instagram chatbot can pull followers into a chat funnel, and automatically nurture them through to the sales, every time they:

-Reply to your Instagram stories

-Comment on your organic posts

-Reels on LIVE videos

-Visit your bio

-Or even click on a comment on your Instagram ads.

In this article, we'll explain how to leverage Instagram marketing automation to grow your eCommerce brand as well as how these little bots, and their automated conversations, are forever redefining marketing on Instagram pages.

What Are Instagram Chatbots?

What exactly is going on with Instagram chatbots? They’re similar to virtual assistants, except on Instagram!

These cute little bots are made to engage with your potential customers, respond to direct messages (DMs) and comments in the same way that a real person would, but without the troublesome emotions and need for coffee.

Instagram chatbots can be used by businesses and influencers alike to generate leads, qualify leads, personalize product recommendations, sell, automate customer care on your Instagram page, answer those never-ending product inquiries, and even promote your latest and greatest items.

For businesses trying to increase customer engagement, save time, and increase revenue on Instagram, chatbots are a complete game-changer.

Brands like Nike, Snow Teeth Whitening, and Jenna Kutcher have used them as a crucial part of their social media marketing strategy to achieve all of these goals and more, so what are you waiting for? Your very own Instagram chatbot is just waiting to be unleashed.

How do Instagram bots work?

Let's discuss how these Instagram chatbots actually work. It resembles magic, but with more conditional-logic and less glitter.

When a user sends a direct message (DM) to your Instagram account, leaves a comment, replies to your story, or mentions you in their story, the chatbot is triggered and answers with a pre-programmed response depending on the user's message.

It's similar to having a personal assistant who always knows the appropriate thing to say, except that instead of being made of flesh and bone, they're built of ones and zeros.

Even better, if you use more advanced tools like Google's DialogFlow, these Instagram bots can even be capable of interpreting user intent using artificial intelligence (AI) and responding in context (like Chat GPT, but better *wink).

So, these Instagram chatbots have you covered whether you're seeking the best customer service, boosting sales, product information, or just want to talk with a robot friend.

How to build an Instagram chatbot?

So, let's discuss how these Instagram bots actually perform their magic. We start with a chatbot software, our personal choice being Manychat, but there are many more.

When you begin working with it, you'll notice it's similar to peering behind the curtain to see how the magician performed the trick, except instead of magic, it's all about Instagram automation and bot building: being able to create the right conversation flow to guide the chatbot's responses and engage your Instagram audience.

Imagine it as a choose-your-own-adventure book that you get to play with in real-time rather than reading.

After Manychat is connected to your Instagram account, and you've pushed live your first chat funnel, it automatically answers DMs and comments, requiring your involvement only for more difficult requests, where they notify the end user their conversation will be passed over to the human team, and even estimate a wait time based on the user's timezone:

These chatbots can also send users promotional messages and quizzes, which, once completed, allow the bots to generate customized recommendations based on the user's previous browsing behavior and the answers provided.

Can the Instagram Chatbot be integrated with Meta without breaking any rules?

Developing an Instagram chatbot is a piece of cake; all you need is chatbot platform and, if desired, a pinch of AI.

Once your bot baby is set up and ready to go, you can link it to your Instagram account to watch it slide into your Instagram DMs like a smooth operator.

Let's face it, if AI is included, the child will quickly surpass you in intelligence.

But don't worry, Manychat is a proud parent who can help you raise your little chatbot using the most up-to-date Meta-approved parenting techniques.

When your chatbot has fully developed and is associated with your Instagram account, it will be able to reply to DMs and comments more quickly than you can say "meta business suite."

Using Instagram Chatbots for Customer Service and Sales Growth

Responding to customer conversations from your Instagram followers manually is a big pain for eCommerce businesses.

That's where Instagram chatbots come in handy! You'll have more time to enjoy your avocado toast since these chatbots can automatically answer product questions around the clock and boost revenue, making Instagram shopping easy for everyone.

With an Instagram chatbot, you can automatically respond to frequently asked questions about products, shipping, and return policies, among other topics, even after business hours.

This frees up time for your human agents to focus on more complex customer inquiries, such as whether or not pineapple goes on pizza.

There's more, hold on! Instagram chatbots can help you close more sales by making tailored recommendations and offers to potential customers.

Similar to how your friendly neighborhood bartender might ask about your favorite beverage, chatbots can even ask users about their hobbies and preferences in order to provide product recommendations.

Instagram users can ask your bot for freebies and discounts using the keywords you supply in your Instagram stories, posts or BIO. An Instagram chatbot will then make clients feel like lottery winners, even if the discount is only 10%.

Let's face it: in a world where everyone expects unique instant treatment, attracting tons of Instagram users and boosting revenue requires a customized chatbot.

Is it difficult to create and connect a chatbot for Instagram?

What's that? You want to make your own Instagram bot? Not being a tech whiz doesn't mean you can't do it confidently and easily. Here is a quick and easy tutorial for you overworked social media managers:

Step 1: Choose the chatbot software. Multiple options are available, including Chatfuel, Chatmatic, and ManyChat. Simply choose one that meets your demands and budget.

Step 2: Begin by making a flow builder project. The chatbot flow adventure starts here! You can create the flow of your chatbot using a drag-and-drop builder. Get some fun conversation starters in there, make it fascinating and compelling, and perhaps sprinkle in a few dad jokes.

Step 3: Connect it to your Instagram account. Link your own chatbot to your Instagram business profile and double-check that everything is looking good.

Step 4: Extensively test your chatbot. Don't be lazy and only test it once; make sure it functions correctly by running it through several times, testing all possible paths.

If you have access to someone in your target audience, run it by them and make sure it's appealing to them. And if something doesn't work, don't get upset; just change the flow and try again.

Step 5: Push your chatbot live on your page. If you're happy with your chatbot, let it do its thing! Automate customer service, respond to product inquiries, and perhaps even flirt with your audience (just kidding...or not).

Instagram chatbot: key takeaways

To get down to brass tacks: automation has become an Instagram essential.

If you're sick of being tied to your phone, always responding to DMs, or simply looking for a new channel to drive incremental revenue for your business, it's time to harness the power of Instagram DM automation!

You can use IG chatbots to save time and focus on more vital areas of your business, such as binge-watching your favorite Netflix show or perfecting the art of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

By automating your DMs, customer satisfaction will immediately rise.

Why you ask? Being able to rapidly answer your clients' inquiries or send customers cool discounts, all while giving them the impression that they're being treated like a VIP (who doesn't like being treated like royalty?) is the key to increasing engagement and making them love you.

Also, by engaging with new customers, you'll be able to get unprecedented sales growth. And you don't need to be a coder to work with ManyChat and create your bot.

Therefore, if eCommerce is your game and you're ready to take it to the next level, stop spending time manually responding to those direct messages and start using Instagram DM automation immediately!

You'll be grateful for the extra free time, extra sales it brings, and more importantly, sanity.

If you like our stuff and want to keep up to date with Instagram DM automation, Facebook Messenger chatbots, and AI follow us for more chatbot content on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.

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