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One of the most popular platforms for customer engagement is Instagram, where Direct messages have become an important tool for keeping in touch with the audience. However, just like any other type of communication, there are certain rules of etiquette when communicating via Direct. Adhering to these rules will help create a positive image of your brand, build customer trust, and ensure effective interaction.
In this article, we'll look at the benefits of using Instagram Direct for business, tips for communicating with customers, what you can send on Direct, how to handle the huge number of Direct conversations, Instagram Direct limitations, and more.
Benefits of using Instagram Direct for business
One of the most important aspects of a successful business is the ability to build and maintain relationships with customers. And Instagram Direct allows brands to connect with customers on a personal level by answering queries, providing support, and simply having conversations. This creates a sense of individual attention and care, which in turn increases customer loyalty.
Instagram Direct also allows businesses to respond to customer messages quickly. The speed of response can significantly influence a customer's decision to buy or cooperate, and also creates a positive impression of the brand.
Communication via Instagram Direct can significantly increase customer engagement. When customers feel that their requests and comments are important, they become more active and share their impressions and experiences with others.
For large or fast-growing businesses, it can be a challenge to handle all the messages. This is where automated responses and chatbots come in. Using Instagram Direct, businesses can implement automation for frequently asked questions, which makes communication much easier and ensures a quick response.
Instagram Direct provides an opportunity to receive direct feedback from customers. This allows businesses to respond quickly to any problems, identify the strengths and weaknesses of their operations, and constantly improve their product or service. Satisfied customers who see that their opinions matter remain loyal to the brand.
It's also a great channel for personalised promotions and events. Brands can send special offers, coupons, or sales messages directly to their followers, which increases the chances of a successful sale.
Influencers play an important role in promoting brands on social media. Using Instagram Direct to communicate with influencers allows businesses to establish and maintain effective partnerships.
What can you send in Direct?
Instagram Direct allows you to do more than just chat or send photos to your interlocutor, as it has much more to offer. So, for your convenience, we've provided a cheat sheet on what you can send in Instagram Direct:
Links to various sources.
Voice messages.
Text messages with an effect.
Gifs.
Emoticons.
Stickers.
Location.
Someone else's profile.
Videos and photos from your phone's gallery.
Stories or posts in the feed.
Instant photos.
Ordinary text messages.
Types of Instagram Direct mailings
Manually
This type of mailing means that messages are sent directly by the user, without the use of automated tools.
Advantages
The user can tailor each message to the recipient, which can increase the effectiveness of communication.
The ability to respond quickly to feedback and change the communication strategy depending on the situation.
Full control over every message sent.
Disadvantages
Time-consuming, especially if you need to send messages to a large number of people.
Errors are possible due to human error.
Examples of use
Sending individual offers or messages to loyal customers.
Respond to queries and comments in personal messages.
Automatic
Automated email campaigns use special tools or programs that allow you to set up and send messages automatically according to a predefined scenario.
Advantages
Significantly reduces the time required to send messages to a large audience.
Easily manage large volumes of messages without additional effort.
All messages are sent in a unified and error-free manner.
Disadvantages
It is more difficult to tailor each message individually to the recipient.
Using automated tools can violate Instagram's rules, which can lead to account bans.
It takes time to set up and optimise automation tools
Examples of use
Send automatic welcome messages to new subscribers.
Send out promotional offers or news according to a predefined schedule.
Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, so the choice between them depends on the specific needs and capabilities of the business or the user's personal strategy.
Golden rules of communication with customers
Respond as quickly as possible.
Show courtesy and professionalism in all situations.
Always use grammatically correct words and phrases.
Add the customer's name to your messages to personalise your communication.
Be attentive to the customer and thank them for their contact.
Communicate with the customer about their needs and problems, showing interest and understanding.
Make the customer feel that their request is important to you.
Provide clear answers to the customer's questions and detailed information as needed.
Always remain polite, even if the customer is unhappy.
Use emojis to add positivity and express emotions.
Structure of communication with customers on Instagram Direct
Greetings
Greetings
Introduction
Acknowledgement of your request
The main message
Answering a question/request
Providing the necessary information
Clarification of details (if necessary)
The final part
Offer additional assistance
Confirmation of actions/next steps
Closing (saying goodbye)
An example of a dialogue with a customer on Instagram Direct
Using this template, you will be able to effectively communicate with customers on Instagram Direct, providing them with quality service and support.
Customer inquires about product availability
Client: Good afternoon! I am interested in the availability of the Lavender scented candle.
You: Hello! Thank you for contacting us. I am [Your name], a representative of [Store name].
The Lavender scented candle is currently in stock. You can order it on our website or directly here on Instagram.
A customer places an order
Customer: Yes, I would like to order.
You: Thank you for your order! Please provide the following information for confirmation:
Your name
Delivery address
Contact phone number
After receiving this information, we will send you the payment details.
The client provides the necessary information
You: Thank you, [Name]! We will send you the payment details within the next 10 minutes. Once payment is received, your order will be shipped within one business day.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Have a great day!
Customer inquires about order status
Client: Good afternoon! I would like to know the status of my order.
You: Hello, [Name]! Thank you for contacting us. Your order was shipped yesterday and is currently on its way. You can track it by using this number: [Tracking number].
Is there anything else I can do to help you?
Manner of correspondence
Four styles of communication with customers in Direct:
Friendly and relaxed: This style is suitable for brands that want to create an atmosphere of easy and enjoyable communication. It is characterised by the use of colloquialisms, emojis and humour.
Example: "Hello! How can I help you today? 😜"
Professional: This style is used by brands that want to emphasise their competence and reliability. It is characterised by clear and concise speech, as well as the use of business vocabulary.
Example: "Good afternoon! Thank you for your message. Our team of specialists will be happy to answer all your questions."
Informative: This style is used by brands that want to provide customers with the clearest and most useful information possible. It is characterised by the use of facts, figures and statistics.
Example: "This phone model has a 4000 mAh battery that gives you up to 2 days of battery life."
Emotional: This style is used by brands that want to evoke certain emotions in customers, such as joy, excitement, or trust. It is characterised by the use of vivid language, imagery and rhetorical devices.
Example: "Don't miss this incredible offer! Only today you can buy this product with a 50% discount!"
The choice of communication style depends on several factors:
Target audience: It is important to consider the age, gender, interests and values of your target audience.
Type of product or service: Some products or services require more professional communication than others.
The overall tone of your brand's voice: Direct mail communication should be consistent with the overall tone of your brand that you use on other communication channels.
You need to speak the language of the interlocutor in the text. Put yourself in the customer's shoes, think like them, and try to adapt to their style. It is clear that the tone of the dialogue with a young man and an older woman will be different. But the brand's voice must be maintained.
How to handle the huge number of dialogues in Direct?
Quick answers in Direct
Quick replies are ready-made message templates that you can use to instantly respond to frequently asked questions or common messages. This is especially useful for businesses that receive many of the same requests every day.
For example, if you are frequently asked about your business hours, you can create a template that says "We are open from 9:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday."
Chatbots for Instagram
Chatbots are automated systems that can communicate with users via Direct, answering their questions or helping them perform certain actions. They can be used to automate many routine tasks. They can work around the clock, which allows you to maintain constant contact with customers.
Chatbots are created using special platforms that integrate with Instagram via the API.
Bots can be configured to answer specific questions, conduct surveys, provide information about products or services, etc.
Notes and Labels on Instagram
Notes and labels help you organise your Direct messages, which is especially useful for businesses with a large number of messages. Notes allow you to add comments to conversations, for example, "This customer is interested in the new collection."
Labels (or tags) are used to categorise conversations, for example, "Leads", "Complaints", "Important". You can create a label "VIP" to mark conversations with important customers and quickly find them in Direct.
Add customer information
This feature allows you to store additional information about a customer to have a more complete picture of each customer and provide a more personalised service.
You can add notes with customer information, such as their name, preferences, purchase history, etc., in the user profile or during correspondence. This helps to better understand customer needs and customise communication accordingly.
If a customer regularly buys a certain product, you can add this information to a note to offer relevant recommendations during the next conversation.
Instagram Direct limitations
Restrictions on sending messages:
Instagram may temporarily or permanently ban your account if you repeatedly violate the restrictions or use Direct to send spam.
You can send up to 100 messages to your followers.
You can send up to 50 messages to people who are not subscribed to you.
There are also restrictions on the size of texts. You can send one message with up to 500 characters. And for voice messages, the limit is 1 minute.
Limit on the number of messages:
This is the limit of messages you can send or receive in a certain period of time.
For new accounts (less than 6 months) - 50 messages per hour.
For old accounts (more than 6 months) - 100 messages per hour.
For all accounts - 150 messages per day.
If these limits are exceeded, you may be placed on a temporary message block for a certain period of time.
Message size limitations:
This is a limit on the number of characters that can be used in a single message sent to Direct.
If you exceed the limit, the message will be truncated or not sent.
The maximum size depends on the message type:
For text messages - 1000 characters
For video messages - 15 seconds
For voice messages - 60 seconds
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