Should you Send a Welcome DM to Your New Instagram Followers?
The upwardly trendy have been coming out in full force over the last few months with this (not so new) Instagram ‘strategy’.
I’m blaming quarantine.
The Instagram Welcome DM!
The Dm that accounts are sending to new Instagram followers after that coveted follow button has been clicked.
You have either: sent these to your new Instagram followers, or, you have been on the receiving end of one of these DMs.
I am not a huge fan of the Instagram Welcome DM nor do I teach them to my Instagram coaching clients as a ‘strategy’, and that is for these solid 4 reasons:
1) It’s Either Impersonal or a Waste of Time
There’s no in-between on this one. If you are sending a welcome DM to your new Instagram followers you are either a) copying + pasting the same message each time, or b) sending a personalized message.
If you are copying + pasting the same welcome DM over and over, then it’s super impersonal.
Not copying + pasting the same welcome DM?
Then you are spending time (seconds, minutes, whatever) clicking over to their profile to find out what their name is, and looking around to get a sense of who they are before you craft a personalized message.
In which case, you are wasting that precious non-exchangeable time of yours.
Now is not the time to spend your time putting the effort into crafting those messages!
Wait until they’ve warmed up to your brand and you know what they are looking for and why they are there to be helped.
2) You are Creating a Habit of Policing New Followers
Sending welcome DMs to each and every new Instagram follower means that you are chained to that app, my friend.
We don’t yet know the intent of your new follower. Are they here to stay? Looking for a follow back? Followed you because their spammy automation ‘made them do it’?
Now take these broken chains and learn to fly again!
If you are taking the time to write out a thoughtful, personalized welcome DM (see above point ‘b’) then you are spending more time getting to know them than they potentially spent clicking that follow button.
Again, for now, your time is better spent elsewhere.
3) Treat people The Way You Want to be Treated
How often have you found yourself dying to chomp at the bits and open a new DM from someone you don’t know asking you how things are going in your business?
You know the messages, “Hey blank! I came across your profile, and want to know more about what you do (so I can ultimately find your weakness and sell you something!)”
<cricket sounds?>
Yeah me either.
That welcome DM is creating a first impression of you and of your brand.
Would you ever walk up to another business owner at a networking event and ask those same questions about their business if you were face to face?
I’m guessing not.
Don’t lose sight of yourself and your brand’s mission just because you are in a race to test out this new ‘marketing strategy’ that everyone claims you NEED!
Which brings me to my next point…..
4) You Are Missing Out on a More Meaningful Connection
You got way too personal with that welcome DM, spending time scouring around for the who, what, where, when, and why.
You’ve now spent your time trying to make a connection the very second they followed you, and that new follower ran back into their Instagram hole.
Long meaningful, mutually beneficial connections take time, and they don’t happen in the course of one welcome DM.
Forming those connections is not something we can ‘skip over’ or cut to the chase with simply by sending a welcome Dm to each and every new Instagram follower.
We have to strive to put the work in with time, not up-front.
Still want to welcome or acknowledge your new Instagram followers, without using a welcome DM?
1) Make sure that the link in your bio is an optimized link tree full of valuable resources that guides new followers through your brand
Here’s where you can for real help, serve, and make connections!
What resources do you have available for new followers in that ‘link in bio’?
Is there a free guide, a blog post, or a downloadable tool that they can take action on?
This is the place to show off what you have!
2) Follow them back
Social media is not meant to be a one-way street.
Connection is a two-way street and I am personally a huge fan of the follow back.
Following a new follower back is the quickest way to bridge the gap, (if you needs tips on how to be strategic about the follow back, you can pick up a copy of >> The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Engagement here <<)
You now have access to each other’s content and you can begin the journey of forming a deeper connection with them.
3) Engage with their content
Not entirely sure of your new follower’s commitment to sticking around, but want to acknowledge them?
Engage with two of their most recent posts!
Like both posts and leave a comment on one.
Boom. Done. Hit the easy button!
