IG Designated Message Replies Tutorial: Automating Response Functionality in 30 Seconds

Community marketing is currently one of the most popular forms of digital marketing. This is primarily because it allows businesses to easily reach potential customers, who, in turn, find it simpler to inquire about products or services directly on social media. Therefore, swiftly responding to customer messages is a critical factor for successful community marketing. That said, if a business receives a high volume of customer messages daily on Instagram, they may not be able to manually reply instantly to every inquiry, potentially missing out on valuable business opportunities. It is highly recommended that businesses utilizing Instagram for community marketing implement Instagram’s provided auto-reply feature. This allows you to automatically respond to incoming Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) when staff members are unavailable or occupied with other tasks. This article outlines the benefits of setting up the IG auto-reply feature and provides a guide on how to configure Instagram's automatic message response functionality.

Benefits of Setting Up IG Auto-Reply

Configuring the Instagram automatic message reply offers the following advantages:

• Time and Resource Savings: The auto-reply function significantly reduces the time and effort spent by staff members on replying to repetitive inquiries.

• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Using auto-replies ensures that customers receive an appropriate response immediately after sending a message, thereby improving customer perception and satisfaction with your business.

Streamlined Workflow: Even with a high volume of inquiries, the auto-reply function can automatically screen and address common questions. This allows your team to focus their attention on messages that require more personalized or expert handling.

Steps to Configure Instagram Auto-Reply

Step 1: Access Instagram Professional Account Settings

To utilize the auto-reply feature, you must first ensure your Instagram account is set up as a Professional Account or a Creator Account. Next, navigate to your account page, and select "Settings" to verify the Professional Account status.

Step 2: Configure the Automatic Reply

Once your Instagram account is verified as a Professional Account, tap the "Messenger" icon in the top-right corner. Then, under "Set Up Automated Responses," click on "Get Started." On this page, you can customize your automated reply content. For example, you can set a general response like, "Thank you for your message! We will reply to you during our business hours." Alternatively, you can configure responses tailored to specific common questions.

Step 3: Set Up Automated Responses for Specific Questions

In addition to setting up a general reply, you can also configure answers for designated frequently asked questions. Under the "Questions" section, tap the "Add Question" button. After adding each question, the system will prompt you to input both the question text and the automated response (answer).

Step 4: Save Settings

Once all configurations are complete, remember to click the "Done" button in the top-right corner to save your settings. Your automatic reply feature will then be fully configured.

Instagram's automatic reply feature allows businesses to maintain customer interaction even during busy periods. While this feature is highly convenient, it should be regarded only as a temporary solution and cannot fully replace genuine human responses. After an automatic reply is sent, staff members should still follow up with customer messages periodically to prevent the loss of potential revenue opportunities. Start for free immediately to discover how our analytical tools can empower your business to enhance its community marketing performance.