Your fans are already engaging with your content on Instagram - now make it count!
With Instagram Auto DMs, you can instantly drop fans a signup link whenever they comment on your posts or message you directly.
It's the fastest way to turn engagement into signups, sales and streams!
Why does this work?
Comments fuel the algorithm - asking fans to comment boosts your reach, ensuring future posts are shown to a wider audience.
Fans get rewarded instantly with early access, exclusive previews or pre-sale opportunities.
Where do I start?
Before you can start sending automated Instagram DMs, you must connect your Instagram account via the integrations menu. To do this, head to:
Settings > Integrations > Instagram
From here, follow the onscreen instructions!
⚠️ Please Note: Your Instagram account must be a Business Account in order to use the Instagram DMs feature.
Create a new automation
To create a new Instagram DM automation, head to:
Engage > Automated Broadcasts
Create a new automated broadcast and select Instagram DM.
Set your trigger type
Your automated Instagram DM utilises one of two triggers:
Direct Message (a fan messaging the artist on Instagram)
Comment (a fan comments on a post on Instagram)
Triggers can be limited with a trigger word or phrase - this means that your automated DMs are only triggered by DMs/comments that contain the chosen word/phrase.
As an example, if your automation is set to Reply (comment) with a trigger phrase of 'tour,' it can be triggered by any of these:
"Can't wait to see you on tour"
"When will you tour in my country?"
"Summer tour yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!"
Automations will not be triggered if the word/phrase is misspelled, such as:
Toor
Tuor
Tor
If a trigger phrase is not selected, any comment or DM will trigger the automation while it is active.
💪 Top Tip: Use one of each trigger for your campaign.
If you'd like a DM to trigger when a fan comments or DMs, simply create an automation for each. You can even use the same trigger word/phrase for both!
⚠️ Please Note: You cannot run 2 of the same automation with the same trigger word/phrase.
e.g. running two automations set to Reply (comment) with 'tour' as the trigger phrase won't work.
Compose your message
Add your messaging to the 'DM Text' field - as you add your message, a live preview will be displayed.
Your DM also requires a link to an Openstage landing page. This link can be selected from the drop-down menu underneath the 'DM Text' field.
Additional options
The Details tab has a number of options for fine tuning your Instagram automation, including:
Start and End dates - here you can set the time frame for your campaign. It's important to ensure your start date is before you post any CTA to fans!
⚠️ Please Note: Once the end date has been reached, the automation will deactivate and cannot be restarted.
To run the same automation again, duplicate the automated broadcast and set a new end date.
Only send once - here you can choose whether the automated broadcast is sent to each fan once, or every time they trigger the automation.
Once you're happy with your automation, hit Activate and your automation will be listening for triggers!
Promote the trigger
Once you automation is complete and activated, you can promote your trigger phrase on Instagram!
🙌 Top Tip: Provide a strong call to action for fans.
Once the automation is in place, you can drive engagement by directly asking fans to comment your trigger phrase.
This can be great for:
Pre-sale campaigns - "comment 'x' and I'll send you a link to sign-up and gain access to the pre-sale!"
Pre-save campaigns - "comment 'pre-save' or 'name of song' to get an exclusive audio/video snippet."
Exclusive content campaigns - "big news tomorrow, comment 'x' to ake sure you're the first to hear it!"
Pricing & Budget
Cost: £0.02 per delivered message.
No Credit Top-Ups: You’re billed only for successfully delivered messages.
Set a Budget: The automation stops sending once that budget is reached (no surprises).
Monthly Invoicing: Charges accrue on your invoice; if you spend £100 in total, you’ll be billed immediately.
Track Spend: View real-time budget usage in a chart and adjust or pause anytime.
Pricing transparency and simplicity is paramount to us at Openstage. Set your max budget, see exactly how many DMs that equates to, and only pay once messages have been sent.
Performance & Follow-Up
Check Your Inbox: View and directly reply to DMs in your Inbox alongside inbound SMS messages. Any manual replies must be sent within 24-hours of a fan’s most recent interaction with you on Instagram (per the guidelines below).
Pending Status: Fans who trigger a DM but don’t complete signup receive a “Pending” fan status. If they do not complete signup within 7 days, their status will become Opted Out.
Performance: coming soon
Rules & Guidelines
Per Meta’s rules:
The 24-hour rule: Artists have 24 hours to respond to a fan’s most recent message or comment. After which, you can only send message with specific message tags or if the user initiates the conversation again.
The 7-day window: After 24 hours of a fan’s last interaction, artists can only send manual messages (not automated) through a human agent (e.g. using your Instagram app) for up to 7 days, using specific message tags like “event update” or “purchase update”.
See our latest information on Instagram Business and Creator accounts, as well as any troubleshooting tips and frequently asked questions.