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Ways to Use Instagram’s Direct Messaging

Ways to Use Instagram’s Direct Messaging

Instagram’s new Direct Messaging feature allows you to send images and videos directly to other Instagram users. This is very useful. It can help to deepen the customer-business relationship that you share with your followers. You can provide a new level of customer service. Of course, in order to do this you’re going to have to be a bit of a tease. You’re baiting new followers and teasing them to get them to come join your following. Here are a few ways how you can do this.
Sneak Peeks
Choose a few of your most loyal followers, around 10-15, and send them a special preview of something new that is going to happen in your business. Encourage them to repost it with a specific hashtag. If you’re lucky it may go viral and draw in more followers. If someone is interested in your products or company they’ll want to know what is going on, especially if it’s something like a sale and they can find out about it before everyone else.
Sales and Coupons
Speaking of sales, they’re great for pulling people in. Reward you followers with special discounts and exclusive coupons. In order for someone to receive a direct message, they must follow you, so this is encouragement for other people to begin following you. Choose people who are active on your page; the ones that comment, like and interact with the things that you post.
Data Collection
It doesn’t always have to be you who initiates the conversation. Perhaps a customer is having an issue with one of your products. Well now they can snap a picture of the issue and send it directly to you via Instagram and you can talk through the issue together, resolving it privately rather than alerting everyone to a potentially embarrassing situation.
Directly Sell An Item
You can send a photo of a product you are attempting to sell with a link to where it can be purchased. This is especially effective if you are having a sale on said item. It could be an exclusive price just for a select few people which will make them much more likely to purchase the item.
Host a Contest
Nothing attracts followers like a contest. But you’re essentially trying to tease people, so you can only have it open to a certain number of people, not just everyone. Post a picture and say something like, “First 100 commenters will be invited to participate in a secret contest!” Then send those commenters further instructions in how to participate in the contest.
Obviously, on a site light Instagram you want to have a photo contest. Choose the best photo and award a prize. Repost some of the best photos from the contest. People love to be in the spotlight, so they will most likely be quite happy that their photo was chosen to be posted on your page.