December 18, 2024

3 Ways to Grow Engagement in Instagram Direct Messages

Rachel Boyles

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Instagram isn't just about pretty pictures anymore. With over 2 billion active users each month, it’s become one of the most powerful tools for businesses looking to connect with customers. But here’s a surprise for many brands—Instagram Direct Message (DM) is a hidden gem for boosting engagement and driving conversions.

Yet, many businesses still don’t maximize this opportunity. Why? Managing direct messages is often seen as time-consuming, unscalable, or reliant on delayed responses that lose potential customers. Until now.

With AI-powered agents, brands can streamline their Instagram DM interactions, meeting customers in real time and converting chats into sales moments. The strength of this channel lies in its organic nature - engaging directly through actions users already take like commenting on posts or replying to stories.

With Instagram Direct Messages, you can encourage customers to start conversations in three impactful ways:

Comment-to-DM Interactions
Replies to Stories
'Send Message' Ad CTAs

Here’s how these strategies can help you tap into Instagram’s true potential.

Why Marketers Need to Prioritize Instagram Direct Messages

Instagram isn’t just about discovery—it’s about driving action. 44% of Instagram users shop weekly on the platform, making it a key funnel for connecting consumers to brands.

Behavior is changing and moving away from pure feed engagement, and we know you've seen it with your own brand accounts. Even Instagram app CEO Adam Mosseri acknowledges the dramatic shift in how users interact with the app, stating, "More friends post to stories and send DMs than they do posts on the feed."

Here’s where the real opportunity for businesses lies—managing DMs isn’t just about answering questions anymore. It’s about creating tailored experiences that feel as good as chatting with a trusted friend. With agentic technology, it’s become scalable, efficient, and incredibly personal.

Here are three ways to entice your audience to strike up a conversation.

1. Encourage Engagement with Comment-to-DM Posts & Reels

Marketers know the power of comments for algorithm ranking—but did you know comments can also launch direct conversations? With Comment-to-DM, you not only encourage comments, but you create opportunities for private, personalized interactions in Instagram messages.

How Comment-to-DM Works:

On a feed post, prompt your followers to comment with a certain phrase to receive something in return.
When they comment with the phrase, your Tildei AI agent direct messages the user automatically with relevant, corresponding information.
The AI agent can continue the conversation, answering questions and guiding the customer toward conversion.

Comment-to-DM Use Case:

A beverage brand promotes its newest flavor lineup by sharing a vibrant post with the CTA, "Want 10% off? Comment ‘NEW’ below!” When a customer comments “NEW” under the post, they receives a DM instantly from the brand with the discount code. The AI agent is at the ready to answer any follow up questions and provides tailored recommendations based on their response. The overall experience drives purchase intent and enhances the customer journey.

An Instagran post where someone has commented "NEW" alongside a DM conversation with a 10% off offer followed by messages where the customer asks questions and the brands replies with recommendations.

2. Inspire Story Replies with Reply-to-Story CTA

Instagram Stories are both high-impact and deeply engaging. 500 million users tune into Stories daily, spending an average of 20 minutes each day swiping through updates. But beyond passive views, replies are a powerful tool to boost visibility and engagement.

How Reply-to-Story Works:

Post a story with a CTA asking followers to reply with a specific word (e.g., “SALE” or “SPRING”) to learn more.
When the viewer replies with the trigger phrase, Tildei’s AI agent automatically replies back to them with the information, codes, or next steps.
Once the conversation begins, the AI agent can take it further, answering questions, helping find the perfect product, or connecting them with customer service.

Reply-to-Story Use Case:

An outdoor brand teases followers with an early-access ski sale on their Instagram Story. The caption reads, "Reply ‘SKI’ to unlock exclusive deals!" When followers reply, they receive a DM with their early-access code and additional support from the AI agent, like curated recommendations for ski gear.

An Instagram story with an image of a skier. The text reads "Reply with 'ski" to get early access to our winter sale

3. Run Ads That Start Conversations with Send Message CTAs

Instagram ads are already a marketing favorite for driving traffic, but adding the ‘Send Message’ CTA takes engagement one step further. Clicking this CTA triggers a DM conversation, allowing customers to connect directly with your AI chat assistant.

How a 'Send Message' Ad Works:

Design a Meta ad that aligns with what your ideal customers need and a reason to have a conversation.
Use the ‘Send Message’ CTA to bring users straight into a direct conversation with your brand.
Your branded AI agent can handle queries, provide personalized suggestions, and seamlessly guide customers through their buying decision.

'Send Message' Ad Use Case:

A home goods brand launches an ad for a “Perfect Chair” quiz. With a ‘Send Message’ CTA, customers immediately receive a DM from the AI agent inviting them to take the quiz. After taking it, the AI agent offers tailored chair recommendations based on their input, answers any design related questions, and sends them a link to purchase.

Why Tildei is the Key to Instagram DM Success

Instagram DMs represent an incredible opportunity to create tailored marketing experiences, but it takes the right tool to unlock their potential. That’s where Tildei’s AI agents come in.

Here’s how Tildei turns your DMs into revenue:

Harness the Conversational Triggers: ****Comment-to-DM, reply-to-story, and ad-to-DM are all accessible out of the box with Tildei and ready to use instantly.
Tailored Interactions in Real Time: Tildei’s AI agents engage with customers using your unique brand voice, delivering thoughtful, human-like responses with guardrails in place.
Data-Powered Insights: The agent pulls relevant product info (e.g., pricing, sizes, or availability) directly from your knowledge base (or your Shopify catalog if you're a Shopify store), enabling seamless and accurate recommendations.
Full Lifecycle Strategy: Activating conversations with your customers in their DMs is more than just a one off campaign. You can create different trigger phrases for different campaigns, for different stages of the lifecycle, and get them to engage again and again.
Conversations Across their Lifetime: Once you customers experience communicating with your branded AI agent, they can continue to come back with new questions, customer service, and guidance for new purchases.

Real-Life Success Story:

One Tildei-powered brand saw a 43% click through rate and 10% transaction rate just by leveraging reply-to-story strategies. These interactions turned passive viewers into loyal, paying customers—all through automation.

Take the Next Step in Instagram Marketing

Instagram Direct Message isn’t just a new channel—it’s the channel to connect meaningfully, scale relationships, and drive conversions. With Tildei, you can harness the power of AI to create personalized conversations that matter.

Are you ready to elevate your Instagram marketing strategy?

Launch your AI-powered Instagram DM experience with Tildei today.

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