Working the DMs - Why neglecting your inbox could be delaying your business growth.

We often neglect our DMs because they often take too much time, energy and effort to respond to but by neglecting the DM inbox, we’re actually neglecting the potential leads coming into our business!

Who would’ve thought?

Our DMs are often the last place we look for validation. We spend so much energy pining over our likes and followers, creating content to gain more comments and engagement- and yet we overlook the inbox where we might already have willing prospects!

Neglecting your messages (yes, late replies included) drives away hot leads, displaces demand and makes you miss out on opportunities to build relationships with prospects.

Much more damaging than you thought, huh?

Intrigued?

Well, here’s a little more.

Instagram allows you to use the DM feature to DIRECTLY engage with your audience.

When someone shows up in your DMs, even if they’re asking a very simple question or making a comment- it shows that they are interested! These are what I like to call, HOT LEADS.

These leads are people who may have been considering your offer or maybe have been following you for a while and are beginning to develop an understanding of the importance of your offer.

That right there, is interest.

And where there is interest, there is potential!

With just a little bit more nurturing, these prospects might actually become clients! But how can you convert them if you aren’t even acknowledging them?

We nurture the potential clients in our DM inbox by:

1. Responding to their questions, comments and concerns with care

Sure- you can automate a response, but if you truly want to play by Instagram’s algorithm- you need to put in the work to respond, relate and engage in a conversation with them. Remember, Instagram is a relational platform.

Ask genuine questions, show genuine interest. Engage with people not necessarily with the intention to close a sale immediately, but with care and concern for WHY they were showing interest.

When people feel heard and understood AND they are given the space to share why, they feel acknowledged and will be more open to hearing your offer.

Prompt them gently to share where they’re at and try to understand the reasons behind their interest or concern. So many people go cold turkey into a DM conversation, directly trying to close a sale without being relational first and it puts people off.

When you take the time to engage properly, you’ll not only have their attention but you'll also be able to provide them an offer that is a LASER FOCUSED answer to their problem. Something they won't be able to resist!

2. Increasing touch-points

If you are already actively engaged with someone in the DM, you can increase your touch points with them by commenting, liking and responding to their posts and stories. Doing this will enable you to bump up on the algorithm.

This will help increase your visibility to that person and the chances of them engaging with your content. Instagram's algorithm is based on relationship and engagement. So, the more you are actively engaging with a person- the higher the likelihood of you being shown on their feed.

The more a person sees you on their feed, the more inclined they will be to consider your offers! Partner that with strategic content pieces and a bulletproof sales funnel- you'll be signing clients left, right and centre!

3. Building trust

Even if you don’t close a sale in the first conversation or get much out of it, by being genuine in the DMs, you can build trust with your prospects. Trust goes a long way because it builds loyalty.

Once loyalty is established, this person will continue to trust you as the expert at what you do and is more likely to sign on with your offers/ services. And even if they don't, they'll have you in the back of their mind as the go-to person in the future or even to recommend to their friends!

Building trust also means they become your informal ‘brand ambassador.' They’ll organically promote you and engage with your content simply because you are a person of value to them and they see worth in your content!

Remember, creating shareable content begins with relatability. People will naturally share what they relate with. And you know what a share means right?

Let's save that for next time!

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