How to Set Up Auto Reply on Instagram Direct Messages

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In November 2020, Facebook rolled out an update, after which Facebook Messenger Instagram Direct merged into one system. It lets users set up an autoresponder on Instagram for free. In the article, we will take a closer look at how to do this.

Please note that this is not a Quick Reply feature; we will talk about this one in our upcoming articles.

This is an autoresponder that you might need in the case when people text you in DM, and Instagram sends an automatic response without any third-party tools.

How to Set Up an Auto Reply On Instagram

On Instagram, you can set up two automatic replies options: Instant reply and Away message (to notify when you are not online). The setup is done through the Facebook Business Suite. But before that, check that all the requirements for this are met.

Tip: to attract new customers to your Instagram business page, use Combin Growth. This tool helps you find and engage with your target audience, detect the active audience of your competitors and communicate with them, find relevant influencers and auto like, comment and follow users on Instagram.

Steps to Prepare

To set up an automated response, you need to take a few preparatory steps, and then proceed directly to setting up:

  1. Switch to a Business account on Instagram if not yet.
  2. Create a Facebook business page.
  3. Link this business page on Facebook and an Instagram profile.
  4. Turn on permission to manage Instagram messages.

To do this, go to the Account Settings, then to the section “Privacy — Messages” and at the bottom, activate the Allow access to messages option.

Instant reply

With this feature, you will be able to automatically respond to the first message a user sends you on Instagram. Here’s how to set it up.

  1. Open your business page on Facebook connected to the Insta account you need and go to the Business Suite section.

2. Next, go to the “Inbox” section and open “Automated Responses”.

3. Find and click “Instant reply”, and then click on the button “Edit message” below.

4. Next, in the platform section, select “Instagram”, and enter the message text.

The message should be no more than 500 characters with spaces, you can use emoticons, insert a client’s name or other variables (website, address).

5. Click “Save”.

Now, all users will receive an auto-reply in response to their first message.

Note that if you have instant replies enabled together with the Away message on, people will receive the Away message instead of instant replies. So make sure the Away message is off when you’re not offline.

Away Message

You can enable it manually or set up a weekly schedule to enable it automatically. This is a message that is sent if you’re not online or cannot reply. Let’s figure out how to set it up.

  1. In the “Inbox — Automatic replies” section in the Facebook Business Suite, click on “Away Message” and then the “Edit” button at the bottom of the page.

2. Next, enter the message text below, just as with the instant reply.

3. Choose when the message should be sent.

Cases of Using Auto Responses on Instagram

  1. Introduction or greeting

Whether you are a freelancer, consultant or anyone who can provide people with professional services, tell them about yourself. Alternatively, if this is a brand account, you can write a text about the company, share your deals and offers info, pricing information, and more. You can also make a short presentation of your services.

2. Preferred way to contact you

If you manage your account yourself and you don’t always have enough time to read DMs on Instagram, then it is better to set up the “Away” message.

In such a message, you can add your business hours, show other ways to contact you such as in messengers or email, as well as the preferred way to contact you, with a promise of an instant response.

3. Shipment and payment details

If you run an Instagram eCommerce business, the most frequently asked question in your DM is about your shipment and payment methods. Probably after prices and available sizes if you sell clothing.

If that’s the case, describe all the details of how the delivery works in an instant reply.

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