Instagram is great for engagement, but we know all that likes and comments don’t pay the bills.
Online marketer Amy Porterfield was feeling this, too. She wanted more than just vanity metrics from her Instagram…she wanted actual sales.
So, with the help of Miami-based marketing agency, School of Bots, she built a hands-off, always-on Instagram DM marketing funnel that turned casual followers into paying customers.
Now, she’s got 36,057 new email subscribers and $2.8 million in revenue to show for it. And that’s just in the first 12 months.
Excited to learn how she did it? So were we!
The “Why Work Harder?” Approach
Amy Porterfield is a New York Times bestselling author of Two Weeks Notice and host of the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast.
And she’s got an impressive official resume to boot: a thriving eight-figure business, a community of 50,000+ students, a podcast that boasts 49+ million downloads, and all of this packed into a 32-hour workweek (yes, really!).
But like any business, she hit a wall: She wanted to sell more to her 400,000+ Instagram followers without sending them to her bio link dead-end or drowning in DMs.
That’s when School of Bots partnered with Amy to launch Instagram DM Automation.
Together, they launched 19 Instagram automations in 10 months, handling everything from lead gen to book sales.
#1: How to Fill up Your Webinar Without Landing Pages, Ads, or Headaches
Amy Porterfield already had a popular evergreen masterclass, The Relaxed Business Owner’s Guide to Building a Profitable Email List.
But she wanted to attract sign-ups without running more ads or forcing people to sign up on a clunky landing page.
So, she swapped out the old-school opt-in funnel of post → landing page → sign up, for an Instagram automation funnel using Manychat.
How it works
- Step 1: Amy posted a carousel about how she lost 5,000 Instagram followers overnight — every creator’s worst nightmare — and why email is the only audience you truly own.
- Step 2: At the end of the post, she told followers, “Comment LIST1 to get instant access to my free masterclass.”
- Step 3: When they commented, Manychat instantly DM’d them the registration link. (So if folks get distracted, the link is in their DMs for later!)
- Step 4: Take a deep breath because…3,243 people signed up, and 83% of those came straight from this automation! 😯
The results
- 85% of people who commented ended up registering (vs. the typical 30-40% on landing pages)
- 3,243 new leads collected
- 83% webinar registration rate
Why this works (and why you need it, too)
The old way: Send folks to a landing page and pray to the internet gods that they don’t get distracted.
The new way: Keep them inside Instagram, where they’re already engaged, and make sign-up so easy, they can do it right in the DMs.
Swipe this strategy
Share a post or story about your freebie or masterclass. Set up an automation in Manychat that captures each follower’s details, including their email address, and sends them a link to your masterclass right in the DMs, so they don’t lose it.
(You can also send a reminder within the first few hours so they don’t forget! Just make sure you follow Meta’s 24-hour rule for DM automation.)
Want a shortcut? ‘Course you do. Use our “Boost webinar sign-ups” template.
#2: How to sell out your book (or offer) straight from the DMs
Amy wanted to sell more copies of her book, Two Weeks Notice, without sending followers on a scavenger hunt for the purchase link.
So, here’s how she used Instagram DM Automation to do the selling for her.
How it worked
- Step 1: Amy posted a Reel about her book, announcing a limited-time bonus for everyone who purchased.
- Step 2: In the call to action, she told followers, “Comment BOOK to get the bonus!”
- Step 3: When they commented, Manychat sent them the purchase link and bonus details.
- Step 4: Amy landed 924 confirmed purchases and 2,650 new leads added to her list.
The results
- 2,650 emails collected
- 924 confirmed purchases
- 35% purchase conversion rate
Why this works (and why you need it, too)
The old way: Send folks to a link in bio…that nobody clicks.
The new way: Get the “buy now” link straight into their DMs. (Psst: Use our template “Auto-DM links from comments” to do this!)
Swipe this strategy
Post a Reel about your book, guide, or offer. Use Manychat automation to send the purchase link the second someone comments. That’s right — they don’t have to wait til you’re online, and you don’t have to manually send the link!
Bonus tip: If your product sells out, use this strategy to waitlist customers for your next launch.
#3: How to get 85% of your IG Live viewers to hand over their email
Instagram Lives are great for engagement, but if you’re not capturing leads while you’re live… Well, you’re leaving money on the table.
Amy used Manychat with her Instagram Live to turn viewers into buyers and subscribers without them leaving the app.
How it worked
- Step 1: She set up Instagram Live DM automation in Manychat.
- Step 2: She pinned a comment with a CTA to her live video, so even viewers who popped in for a few seconds could opt in.
- Step 3: Anyone who commented received a DM with more info and the offer link.
- Step 4: And here’s the best part: 85% of people who commented gave their email address in the DMs.
The results
- 85% opt-in rate for leads who engaged during her Lives
Why this works (and why you need it, too)
The old way: Tell people to “DM me after the live” and keep your fingers crossed that they actually do it. (Hopefully. Maybe. Keep prayin’ to those Internet Gods!)
The new way: Automate the whole thing so leads opt-in instantly, even if they only watch for 10 seconds.
Swipe this strategy
- Set up Instagram Live DM automation using our “Sell more on IG Live” template.
- Pin a comment with a call to action and your magic keyword.
- Label your Lives clearly (for example, “Comment BOOK to get on my preorder list!”).
Now, every Instagram Live session becomes a lead-generation event.
The Final Results
Amy didn’t waste hours manually replying to DMs. She didn’t have to pray to the Internet Gods, hoping one post would convert higher.
Over 10 months, Amy clocked:
- 18,634 emails
- $1.4 million in revenue
- 19 chat funnels
And what’s even more amazing is that 100% of these results came from free, organic content.