380: Warm Up New Instagram Followers with ManyChat’s Auto-DM Feature

[00:00:00] Hey there. I'm Bree Pair content creator, coach, and your host of the Thrive Podcast, and I'm here to help you build a brand you're proud of with clear strategy and real support. Let's dive in.

[00:00:18] Say hi to your new followers automatically. That's what is brand new with Instagram and MiniChat. As soon as I log into MiniChat, that is the first thing that I see. It is this fun little popup. Now, if you're not on MiniChat, this might be your sign to try it out. I'll drop the link in the description because MiniChat hooked us up to give you 30% off your first three months.

[00:00:43] So if you've been seeing this, it may have been circulating in your Instagram feed. Yes, you can now send a Hello. Thanks for following message to every new follower you get on Instagram. I think this is really exciting and I also think that there are going to be right and wrong ways to do this, and that is why I wanted to record this episode because I wanna walk you through the strategy that we are going to use and test out with this so that way we don't come across as spammy or impersonal, which is what I think will be the two.

[00:01:19] Big mistakes that content creators are going to make if they don't stop and fully think this through before they just set it up and start spamming people with these messages. So first off, it is really so easy to set up. As soon as you log in under automations, there is a new automation there that says, say hi to new followers.

[00:01:45] And you click that and it's gonna walk you through how to send them a message. So what are we saying and how are we going to use this strategically? What is that first message to that new follower going to be? Now I'm a huge fan of Natasha Willis and I have followed her advice over the years on many chat strategies.

[00:02:06] So we're gonna lean into her strategy. So the very first thing is we want to send a very genuine thank you message first. This is a new friend, and I have an analogy as I was like. Outlining this episode. So I want you to imagine that this new follower is a new to you friend walking into your home for the first time.

[00:02:29] They don't want to be hit with things to buy or try to make a decision on which room in your house they go into. They just wanna be ushered in probably to the living room and made to feel at home. So that's what we wanna do with this first message is a genuine, hello. I'm so happy you're here. Thanks for coming.

[00:02:52] Now you have your new friend in your home and we wanna get to know them. Maybe you've hung out once or twice. Maybe this is your first time hanging out, right? So we wanna get to know them. What we wanna do is ask them which of three topics they're most interested in. So I want you to think of this as asking your new friend in your house if they want coffee, can I get you some tea or water, right?

[00:03:18] Same type of analogy there. We want to see, Hey, what are you interested in? So what does your audience know you for? Okay, this is going to help us in determining what are these topics that we are going to present to our new friend. What does your audience know you for? What do they ask you questions about the most?

[00:03:40] Or what is the most appreciated content that will help you determine your three topics? So I want you to think through that. Now, before I tell you what to do after they pick one of those three topics, first be honest. How many times have you stayed up late scrolling, watching other creators burillo up and wondering, hi, when is it going to be my turn?

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[00:05:12] So just click. Bold Fluence in the description below, or head to thrive together. Blog slash bold. Fluence, it's time for your turn. Now let's talk about what to do after your new follower has picked one of those three topics. Once they pick, they're going to get another automatic DM with a link to a reel about that specific topic or a link to the thing that will be most helpful to them.

[00:05:37] So, for example, let's say you're a mom content creator and you just had a video go viral with 10 different things to get from Amazon to entertain your toddler. You're getting a ton of new followers from it, so you should adjust these three options accordingly with all of this strategy. What I think as content creators we should do is not just make this an automation that we set and forget.

[00:06:07] I think this is something that we should really use strategically and pay attention when we have a spike of new followers. Or maybe even with the change of different seasons and recognizing, oh, hey, this mama is probably struggling with figuring out how am I going to keep my kiddos entertained this summer?

[00:06:27] Or Oh my gosh, my kids are off for two weeks for the holidays. What are we gonna do? Right? There's different times of the years for different things for your audience. So keep that in mind. And again, I think that's one thing that is going to set you above the rest of the crowd doing these automations. So.

[00:06:44] If that was you with that example of, you know, getting a ton of new followers from that reel was go, that was going viral, you should probably have one of those options linked to something to keep your toddler entertained. Maybe an Amazon storefront, a blog post, or a freebie that you have with activities.

[00:07:05] So. You can send them to multiple places based on what you think your audience will appreciate the most. So if you're sending them to a reel, make sure it has a call to action to get them on your email list over to your website or to an affiliate link. Don't just send them to a reel that doesn't have another mini chat code attached to it.

[00:07:27] Because once they comment on those other reels that you send them to, they're gonna get other DM automations naturally. And this is going to help them feel seen rather than sold to. And that's the bottom line, and that's what's going to make you stand out above the rest. How can I make my new friend feel seen and not sold to?

[00:07:46] How can I help them? So I want you to really think through that as you're picking your three topics to, of options to give them. And then looking at like, okay, they pick this topic, where am I going to send them to? But not just like, alright, I'm gonna send them to all of these different things that are gonna try to make me more money.

[00:08:05] Right? Like, let's really think through. Yes, of course the angle goal is to make more money, but I think there are natural and gentle ways to share affiliate links as one of those topics, but doing so in a way that solves a problem, not just, oh, hey, here's my LTK, you should follow me there too. Instead, looking at where you knew friend might have come from, why they're following you, and what will benefit them the most.

[00:08:32] I don't know about you, but my friends and I send each other shopping links all the time, but it's because we ask for them or there's something we know will help that friend out a ton. So we're like, oh, hey, I just bought for this for my kid. Let me send it over to you. Or, oh, hey, loving these leggings right now, you need some.

[00:08:48] So there are natural ways to do it, but I think for all of these automations. Four, having a automation go to that new follower. Really take a second to think through this. Don't just run over to MiniChat and click to turn it on, and if you have, it's fine. Let's adjust it. Let's think through what can we do to nurture this new audience?

[00:09:13] Because if we nurture them, if we make them feel like a friend rather than just another follower. In the long run, that's going to help you have sustained growth and help you be a trusted one that they will wanna purchase from or click over to their your blog too, or buy your digital product, click on your Amazon storefront, right?

[00:09:33] They're going to trust you more. And that truly at the beginning of any friendship is what we need. We need trust. We need to establish trust and establish that we are there for them. So tell me, is this something you're gonna try? I think it can be an incredible way to nurture your growing Instagram audience.

[00:09:52] And like I said before, make sure you use our link in the description so you can get 30% off your first three months using MiniChat or just Head to Thrive together blog slash MiniChat. And that coupon will be there for you guys as well. I can't wait to see how you use this.

[00:10:11] If this episode helped you, help us grow, leave a review, share it with a friend, and tag us on social media. We can't wait to cheer you on.