Instagram is no longer just another platform for brands to run promotions. It’s a space where businesses can proactively engage with their customers directly, addressing their concerns, queries or even offering purchase assistance.

But the scale at which businesses need to promote themselves on Instagram, requires being able to manage multiple conversations at a time – and with the same consistency in quality. 

This is where Instagram DM automation comes in.

In this post, we’re going to share a step by step on how to set up Instagram DM automation. 

What is Instagram DM automation?

With Instagram DM automation brands and creators can use tools and software to automatically manage and respond to direct messages (DMs) on Instagram. It streamlines interactions, enabling brands to engage with their audience more efficiently. This automation can handle various tasks, such as responding to FAQs, sending welcome messages, sharing order updates, and following up with leads.

Benefits of Instagram DM automation

On Instagram, where timely engagement is of the essence, businesses might find it a struggle to manage the sheer volume of interactions. Automating Instagram DMs and comments transforms the way brands engage with their audience, enabling them to answer all FAQs, get more followers, turn commenters into loyal followers & build meaningful relationships.

 

For businesses, this means saving time, boosting efficiency, and ensuring no customer interaction goes unanswered. For the audience, it translates to quicker responses, better support, and an overall seamless experience.

 

With free Instagram DM automation, brands can now unlock these benefits without incurring additional costs, making it easier than ever to deliver timely, consistent, and impactful engagement.

Ways to Automate Instagram DMs

Instagram DM automation enables businesses to get efficient with their customer communication and deliver prompt, personalized responses. 

 

Here are the best ways to automate Instagram DMs:

Auto replies

– What it does: Automatically sends pre-set responses to common questions or customer queries.

– Use case: Answer FAQs like store hours, pricing, or order status instantly without manual intervention.

– Benefit: Saves time while ensuring customers receive immediate responses, enhancing their experience.

Quick replies

– What it does: Provides pre-saved templates for commonly sent messages, which can be used with a simple shortcut.

– Use case: Ideal for responding to repeated inquiries or sending promotional messages.

– Benefit: Reduces typing effort, improves response time, and maintains consistency in communication.

Automated Bots

– What it does: AI-powered bots handle complex interactions, offering dynamic, conversational responses based on user input.

– Use case: Engage in personalized conversations, guide customers through product selection, or resolve support tickets.

– Benefit: Provides scalable and intelligent automation, ideal for managing high message volumes while creating meaningful engagement.

Top 5 Instagram DM Automation Templates for Auto-Replies

Here’s a list of 5 Instagram DM automation templates that creators and brands can use to setup auto replies on Instagram direct messages

1. Welcome Messages:

				
					Hey [NAME],

👋 Thanks for reaching out to us. We're here to help! 

Let us know how we can assist you, or check out our FAQ section for quick answers: [Link]."

2. Order inquiry

				
					Thank you for your message! To track your order, please share your order ID or visit our tracking page: [Link]. 

If you have additional questions, we're here to assist!

3. Product information request 

				
					Looking for details about [Product Name]? Here’s everything you need to know: [Link]. 

If you need help choosing, feel free to ask!

4. Out of office/after-hours response 

				
					Hi! Thanks for your message. We're currently unavailable, but we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

Our working hours are [Timeframe]. Meanwhile, you can explore our offerings here: [Link].

5. Discount or Promotion Inquiry 

				
					Great news! 🎉 We're running an exclusive [Discount/Promo] on [Product/Service]. 

Use code [CODE] at checkout to save [Amount]! Offer valid until [Date].

Pro tip:

 

Always personalize auto-replies with placeholders for customer names or specific products to enhance the interaction. These templates ensure you stay responsive while providing value to your audience.

Tips to craft engaging automated responses

Here are some ways in which you can make your automated responses on Instagram more engaging: 

 

1. Start with a warm greeting that offers to help the consumer make an informed purchase decision. 

 

2. Keep your messages concise to avoid overwhelming the customer. Provide the required information in short, clear sentences. 

 

3. Add a touch of personality using emojis to make messages feel more personal and approachable; but don’t overdo it. 

 

4. Take into account follow-up queries to address common questions. For example, “You can return our products within 30 days. Click here to request a return: [link]. 

 

5. End your messages with a clear call-to-action to encourage the consumer to take the next step. 

 

6. Ensure you have a seamless handoff set up between the chatbot and human agents for complex queries to resolve issues with more empathy. 

Choosing the right Instagram DM automation tool

The very first step to setting up automation on Instagram is choosing the right tool. While there are several solutions that offer to automate DMs or comments, we recommend looking for those that offer features like quick replies, custom automation workflows, AI chatbots and CRM integration. 

 

Here’s what you need to consider: 

1. Ease of use – The tool should offer a user-friendly interface for setting up and managing automated workflows. 

2. Inbox – The solution should offer a streamlined inbox to view, manage and monitor ongoing conversations. 

3. Integrations – Ensure compatibility with your e-commerce platform, CRM, analytics and other tools. 

4. Scalability – Choose a solution that helps you easily scale the number of automated workflows you can set up on Instagram. 

5. Cost – Opt for a tool that offers pricing plans suited to different stages of your business without sacrificing essential features. 

Step by step to set up Instagram DM automation

Here’s how the experts at Interakt set up a strategic Instagram DM automation workflow to help businesses boost engagement: 

1. Connect your Instagram business account

Once you have an automation solution in place, connect your Instagram account to provide the API access to it. This typically requires setting up a business or creator account on the platform to complete the authentication process. 

2. Define your automation goals

Take note of what you want to achieve from automation. Is it responding to FAQs faster, assisting with purchases, order tracking or gathering feedback? This will help create a streamlined workflow. 

3. Map out the customer journey

Instagram is used as a discovery channel for most consumers. So ensure you identify the key touchpoints in your customer journey where automation can provide value. This can include greeting new followers with a welcome message, answering product-related queries, sharing product pricing or even assisting with purchases or returns.

4. Set up automated workflows

Use the customer journey to design your automated workflow. We recommend setting up Instagram DM automations for both comments and message interactions. Using a solution like Interakt, you can use trigger words/ inputs to initiate a workflow for FAQs or even complex queries that help track orders, upsell and cross-sell products or start refund/ return processes.

5. Personalize responses

Using integrations with your e-commerce platform and CRM, ensure that your automated responses are personalized. This can include using the customer’s first name, past interactions, purchases and preferences to keep the conversation as natural as possible.

6. Integrate with your e-commerce stack

Apart from your e-commerce platform and CRM, look at other integrations like the logistics service provider, marketing tools, analytics platforms and other solutions. This will help you create a consolidated view of the Instagram DM automation performance and business impact. 

Conclusion

As Instagram becomes the new search engine to discover new products and engage with brands, it’s important to set up Instagram DM automation. 

We are already seeing businesses of all sizes leveraging this capability to engage customers and drive them towards making purchases through the platform. 

If you have been struggling with limited saved responses on Instagram DMs.

Automate Instagram With Interakt