Staring at your telephone's tiny screen and typing on its tiny keys to respond to each Instagram DM you receive is not the most efficient way to interact with your customers.

Only those days are over.

Equally of 2020, any Instagram user in the world can ship an Instagram DM online, from their PC or Mac, likewise as from their telephone.

Now, your brand now has more than options when replying to Instagram DMs. And considering more than than 200 million users visit at least i business profile each day, there's a good chance some Instagram users will reach out to your brand directly via DM.

Bonus: Salve time and download 20 gratis, customizable Instagram DM templates for your make , including greetings, partnership requests, FAQ responses, replies to complaints, and more.

What does "DM" mean on Instagram?

DM ways direct messaging.

On Instagram, DMs are private letters between i Instagram user and another user, or group of users.

Instagram DMs don't show up in your brand's feed, profile or in search. And they won't for your followers, either. Only you and those yous are communicating with can see the straight letters.

On Instagram, DMs are sent by Instagram Direct. Recollect of this equally an email inbox where individual messages are collected.

On both desktop and mobile, access Instagram Direct to see your Instagram DMs by clicking on the paper aeroplane icon.

Instagram Direct paper plane icon

When you see a red numbered notification over the paper airplane icon, you'll know there's an unread DM to be read.

Unread Instagram DM red icon

How to ship Instagram DMs on your figurer (PC or Mac)

Anyone with an Instagram account tin create or reply to Instagram DMs from the browser version of the app, from a desktop estimator, without any special downloads or features. This makes information technology easier for your make to respond to an influx or high volume of DMs.

(If that high volume of DMs is coming from more one Instagram account or several profiles across different social media platforms, y'all're meliorate off using a social media management tool like Hootsuite to handle DMs — more than on that in the next section!)

Whether you're replying to an Instagram DM on a PC or creating an Instagram DM on a Mac, the process is the aforementioned:

1. Log into your make's Instagram account

Log in to instagram.com using whichever spider web browser y'all prefer. At that place is no specific Instagram DM browser to utilise.

ii. Click on the paper airplane icon

To navigate to Instagram Direct, click on the paper airplane icon in the web folio'south elevation right hand corner.

Instagram Direct paper plane icon top right hand corner

3. Encounter all your Instagram DMs

All your brand's direct messages and interactions show hither. Unread direct letters will show showtime in the listing.

You'll as well see the option to create a new DM. Click on the bluish Send Message push button to brainstorm a new interaction.

Your Messages folder

Type in a user's handle to begin a new i-on-one interaction. Yous tin message whatsoever make or user that you follow.

Or create a group for an Instagram DM. On Instagram Straight, yous can send DMs to up to 32 people.

From your desktop, you can as well like, copy or report a DM by clicking on the iii buttons side by side to the Instagram DM.

Like Copy Report Instagram DM

4. Send other users' content

Equally well equally written messages, Instagram DMs can include photos, polls, GIFs, Instagram Stories and IGTV clips. Your make might want to collaborate with users by sharing other users' content in a DM.

Navigate to the photograph, video or IGTV you want to share privately. Click on the newspaper airplane icon under that post.

Share other users' content in a DM

And so, select how you want to share that content.

Share content options

By clicking on Share to Direct, you tin can type in the Instagram user you desire to ship the content to directly via Instagram DM.

How to send Instagram DMs from the Instagram app

Sending Instagram DMs from the Instagram app is just as piece of cake:

1. Open the app on your telephone

Download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play.

two. Click on the newspaper aeroplane icon

This will open all your Instagram DMs.

Instagram DMs mobile app

3. Engage with your users

Reply to customers' queries by tapping on the unread message and writing a response in the Message bar.

Engage with users by responding to DMs

And merely like on desktop, y'all can cull one-on-one DMs or send to a group of up to 32.

four. Share others' content

Whatever time you see the newspaper airplane icon, click on it to ship that content privately.

Bonus: Save time and download 20 costless, customizable Instagram DM templates for your brand , including greetings, partnership requests, FAQ responses, replies to complaints, and more than.

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Share content privately

How to ship Instagram DMs using Hootsuite (on desktop and mobile)

If you manage more than one Instagram account or your make receives DMs on more than 1 social media platform, a social media management tool like Hootsuite tin relieve you a lot of time.

With Hootsuite, you can respond messages and comments from all of your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts in one social inbox. No more clicking through countless browser tabs to check for new DMs, or accidentally forgetting to respond until customers go fed upwards.

To start answering Instagram DMs using Hootsuite, follow these unproblematic steps:

1. Connect (or re-connect) your Instagram profiles

If you're new to Hootsuite, follow this guide to add an Instagram account to your dashboard .

If you've previously used Hootsuite for Instagram analytics or scheduling, but you oasis't connected Instagram with the Hootsuite Inbox yet, follow these steps to re-connect your business relationship .

In both cases, you will be prompted to follow a few simple steps to authenticate your account.

Once you lot're done, brand certain that your Instagram profile settings allow sharing messages with your Hootsuite account:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Privacy.
  2. Tap Messages.
  3. In Continued Tools , use the Allow Admission to Messages switch to enable sharing.

Instagram settings - enagbling access to messages

Notation: Hootsuite Inbox is uniform with Instagram Business organization accounts.

2. Go to your Hootsuite Inbox

In your Hootsuite dashboard, navigate to the Inbox.

Hither, you lot can come across interactions from your continued Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

Hootsuite Inbox dashboard with Instagram messages

The Inbox collects four types of Instagram messages:

  • Straight letters
  • Replies to your Instagram Stories
  • Quick reactions to your Stories
  • Mentions of your account in other users' Stories

Hootsuite Inbox in Hootsuite mobile app

iii. Respond to Instagram DMs

All that'due south left is to engage with your followers.

Follow these social media client service best practices to make sure your message responses are ever on fleek. (Does anyone say on fleek anymore? Asking for a Millennial friend.)

If you're office of a team managing social media DMs, you can easily assign messages to other squad members (who will be notified past electronic mail) and sort your inbox past assignment, social network, bulletin type and date.

How to delete Instagram DMs

Depending on your brand's social media policy, you lot may want to delete Instagram DMs.

To delete Instagram DMs from your PC or Mac:

1. Navigate to Instagram Straight

Click on the newspaper plane icon in the top navigation bar.

two. Click on the communication y'all want to delete

Then click on the information icon past the user's profile picture.

3. Click Delete Chat

That will bring upwards this screen:

Delete Chat screen

Then, y'all can choose to Delete Chat. This will simply delete the conversation for you. It will still be visible for the others included in the conversation.

Besides under the "Details" department, there is also the option to Cake, Written report or Mute Messages. Muting but means you won't get notifications for new incoming DMs for this chat.

To delete Instagram DMs using the mobile app:

1. Navigate to Instagram Straight

Click on the paper airplane icon in the navigation bar.

2. Swipe or hold the advice thread you want to delete

If you're using iOS, swipe left on the message yous want to delete. If you're using Android, printing and agree the thread you want to delete.

This brings up two options. Mute the bulletin to stop seeing new notifications for this thread. Or delete the message.

Mute or delete Instagram message from mobile app

three. Click Delete

This activity will only delete the chat for you lot.

8 best practices for sending and responding to Instagram DMs

Engaging with your customers and responding to Instagram DMs is simply one way to effectively use Instagram for business concern and proceeds more Instagram followers.

Here are some essential tips to go on in listen.

Ready notifications for Instagram DMs

Make sure your brand sees all the new, incoming Instagram DMs that it receives.

On both desktop and mobile, navigate to Settings. Choose Notifications (or Push button Notifications if you're on desktop).

Then under Direct Messages, make sure the From Everyone (if you're working on desktop) options are selected.

Set up notifications for Instagram DMs

And make sure all the On (if you lot're working on mobile) options are selected. This will ensure your brand sees all its new incoming DMs.

Set up notifications for Instagram DMs mobile

Employ Instagram Quick Replies

Chances are, your brand is going to go a lot of like questions over Instagram Direct. Instead of typing out the same reply, relieve time by making the most of the Instagram Quick Replies feature.

Ready up a Creator Business relationship with Instagram. Not only will this enable the Quick Replies characteristic, it volition provide more options for organizing and managing your Instagram DMs, like the ii-tab inbox.

Observe Quick Replies as an pick under Settings. To create a Quick Reply:

  • Click on the "+" push button in the tiptop correct hand corner.
  • Type out a reply to a ordinarily asked question.
  • Cull a one-word keyboard shortcut for that message.

When replying to an Instagram DM, type the one word into Instagram Directly. Click the blue "Insert a quick reply" button" and the total response you lot've saved will autofill.

Acknowledge when a new message has been received

That style, even if your squad isn't able to respond to the directly bulletin immediately, your customer isn't met with silence.

Y'all might:

  • Give thanks the customer for getting in touch.
  • Let them know their message has been received.
  • Set an expectation for how long it will take the squad to get to their query.

This helps foster a human relationship betwixt the user and your brand. It also boosts customer service, setting expectations for when that customer can expect a conversation with your brand.

Then follow upwards promptly

Don't leave your customers hanging!

And the faster your brand can reply, the better. According to the analysis and advisory firm Convince & Convert, 42% of customers who complain to a company over social media expect a response within 60 minutes.

Waiting too long to respond to a customer could result in them losing trust in your brand.

Write in your brand voice

Whatever your brand's tone, be sure to use that same voice in your Instagram DMs.

Remember to:

  • Exist authentic and personable. Show your client they're interacting with a existent person who cares nigh their experience with your brand.
  • Don't employ jargon. Avoid using these words and phrases.
  • Brand sure communication is easy to understand. Irony, sarcasm and jokes might be misinterpreted by the reader or crusade offence. Leave no room for misinterpretation.

Make sure in that location are no spelling mistakes

Brand sure your writing reflects your brand in a professional mode.

Bank check for typos, spelling mistakes and grammar errors. Read over your DM for catamenia. And if your visitor manages multiple brands and has multiple Instagram accounts, brand sure y'all're working with the right account.

Continue your writing brusque and sweet

If someone is reaching out to your brand directly, they want an reply speedily. And then avoid the chit-chat. Get right to it.

Address your customers' DM right away. Write in a manner that is piece of cake to read. Write short sentences.

And don't fear short paragraphs.

Doing all this makes it easier for customers to find the reply to their query.

Don't forget to sign off

Finally, bring closure to the chat past:

  • Request the customer if there'south anything else they need aid with.
  • Thanking them for their concern or loyalty to your company.
  • Wishing them a great mean solar day.

Closing off is a personable mode to communicate, but also ensures your client doesn't experience snubbed or shut downward before the conversation is over.

Meliorate your response time and efficiently engage with followers by responding to Instagram direct messages alongside all your other social messages in Hootsuite Inbox. Effort it gratuitous today.

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