When people think of video marketing today, they think of Reels, the format that’s taken over creators, brands, and businesses alike.
Their short and engaging nature is why they effectively capture attention, grow the brand’s reach, and build stronger connections with the audience.
However, higher visibility brings engagement management challenges, making it difficult for brands to keep up with the surge in comments, messages, and interactions. Responding to all of them manually can become a nightmare.
That’s where you can hand the job off to Instagram automation and keep the momentum going even on scale, and this blog post will jot down the right way to do it.
Why Instagram reels matter for engagement
Short-form videos have shaped a new category of viewers who crave quick, engaging content delivered in just a few seconds. According to Wyzowl, 73% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service by watching short-form videos.
This shift highlights why reels have become critical for anyone trying to boost visibility and connect with audiences in a crowded digital space. Instagram itself prioritizes reels heavily in its algorithm because it is one of the platform’s fastest-growing formats.
Visibility from the format is just the beginning. Real growth on Instagram comes from engagement, the likes, comments, shares, and saves that tell the algorithm your content matters and is pushed to the feeds of the masses.
Responding and engaging with any customer’s activity puts you at the forefront of the algorithm, a sign of active community building that it loves.
This is where automation can make a real difference. Creators and brands can automate responses on reels and maintain active conversations even during off-hours, and keep engagement levels high without employee burnout.
Setting up automated replies for reels comments
Here’s how to get started with setting up automated replies that help maintain momentum without sacrificing authenticity:
Tools for automating comment responses
The real challenge isn’t finding an automation tool for your replies, it’s finding one that still feels human.
One popular option is Interakt, a customer engagement platform that allows you to create smart auto-replies tailored for Instagram comments. Interakt lets you set up custom triggers for price queries, creative giveaway automation, and custom auto replies that feel more intentional rather than generic.
Another great tool is ManyChat, which lets you create automated workflows for sending links, replying to DMs and comments, and helps you find more customers or grow your reach across the platform.
Personalizing automated replies to encourage conversation
Automation shouldn’t come at the cost of sounding robotic. Personalizing your replies is non-negotiable, even the automated ones, because that’s you directly communicating with your audience, and your chance at leaving a mark.
Use interactive messaging elements like names, products, emojis, asking open-ended questions, and more to sound genuine and increase your chance of turning casual viewers into loyal followers.
For example, an appreciation comment like “Love this reel” can trigger a response such as:
-“Thanks so much, [Name]! 🤗 Glad you enjoyed it, more coming your way soon! 🎬✨”
Meanwhile, an inquiry comment like “Where can I get this?” should trigger a response along the lines of:
-“Hey [Name], so happy you’re interested! 🛍️ Check out the link in our bio for all the details.”
Using Instagram DMs to continue engagement
Here’s how you can take your public visibility up a notch, from comments to DMs:
Sending automated follow-ups to engaged users
One great automation messaging strategy is to move engagement from the comment section to private conversations, followed by sales or support. You can trigger a DM automatically when someone engages with your reels to keep the conversation alive.
Going out of your way to connect with your customers in a personal capacity to offer exclusive value helps you build rapport when done right. You can start off with a simple thank you workflow to show your appreciation, or be creative to boost your chances of engagement.
For example – “Hey [Name]! Thanks so much for the love on our latest workout reel 💪 If you’re interested, we have a free 7-day fitness challenge you might love! Want to join us?”.
Converting reel viewers into leads via DMs
Beyond engagement, you can use DMs to strategically turn Reel viewers into actual leads. By offering freebies, exclusive content, or special offers via automated DMs, you create natural pathways for viewers to step into your sales or nurture funnels.
Make sure you find an effective way to monetize the engagement patterns, and don’t forget to maintain a genuine, friendly tone in your workflows.
For example – “Thanks for checking out our latest skincare drop! 🌿 We’re offering a free sample kit this week. Would you like the details?”
This approach gives you permission to pitch while providing immediate value, making the user feel seen rather than sold to.
Strategies to boost engagement on reels
Here’s how you can keep your content game going strong alongside automation:
Using trending audio and hashtags
A fast way to get more eyes on your reels is by leveraging trending audio tracks and relevant hashtags. Instagram’s algorithm often favors content that taps into current trends, boosting discoverability through the “explore” and “reels” tabs.
For example, Sephora’s reel with popular “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) audio helped them rack up massive engagement while subtly promoting their products.
Encouraging user-generated content
Another high-impact strategy is encouraging your audience to create and share their own reels featuring your brand. User-generated content (UGC) not only builds trust but also multiplies your reach as users share your brand with their own followers.
For example, Outdoor brand GoPro ran a challenge inviting users to share their best adventure videos using the hashtag #GoPro and win a cash prize, driving thousands of UGC submissions.
Measuring reel engagement success
After creating and automating reels engagement, here’s how you can keep improving and refining your strategies using analytics:
Tracking likes, shares, and saved content
Brands resort to tracking views and likes by default, but saved content and shares are often stronger indicators of true engagement and content value.
Likes show basic appreciation, can translate into multiple narratives, and don’t always mean deep interest. Shares signal that viewers found your content valuable enough to send it to someone else, a huge trust signal to Instagram’s algorithm.
Saves, on the other hand, are extremely powerful. When someone saves your Reel, it tells Instagram that your content is worth revisiting, increasing the chances of your post being boosted further.
Adjusting automation strategies based on analytics
Analyze all your workflows to find what’s working, what isn’t, and standout patterns or behaviors for optimization. Use these insights to better your automated responses, like adjusting the tone, efficiency, personalization elements, and more, or come up with more creative workflows that translate to sales.
Conclusion
Engagement and community building have transformed into a critical element of success for brands and creators on Instagram today.
But managing every comment and interaction manually isn’t realistic at scale. Automation offers a helping hand to stay responsive, nurture conversations, and maximize your reels’ impact.
