7 New Instagram DM Features for Services Businesses

If you're a services business on Instagram, you know that all the action goes down in the DMs. That's where you court and close clients, so it's no surprise that Instagram has invested in building out its functionality.

Some of these features are really high-leverage, while others are somewhat marginally useful. You can read the official announcement, but we're going to explain each one and how you can use it here. ⬇️

1.Reply while you browse

Quickly reply to a message without having to leave the Instagram Home feed. If you're using Instagram for business, it's imperative that you stay focused when you're on the platform. Getting distracted is easy while scrolling, and you might be tempted to leave potential clients sitting in your DMs. Use this quick reply feature to address DMs as they come in, and close those clients faster by making a better impression and demonstrating efficacy.

2. Quickly send to friends

Re-share content without navigating away from the Instagram Home feed by tapping and holding the share button. Make your potential and actual clients feel even more on the inside by using this feature to share content with them that they might enjoy. Every conversation with them doesn't have to be a sale or a pitch, show that you understand them in some way by including them in your content curation.

3. See who’s online

The best time to reach someone or get their attention is when they're online (duh). You can reasonably expect to receive a response, and actually have a conversation. A sales process with a potential client can last a long time when you're communicating asynchronously. So don't underestimate how effective a live conversation can be with closing clients with less time and effort!

4. Share a song

Share a 30-second preview of a song via integrations with Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify (coming soon). It's about to be easier than ever to share your podcast to Instagram!

5. Send messages quietly

Send messages without notifying friends by adding “@silent” in your message. This is great for people who want to share a lot with their community but don't want to be too spammy! Whether you're dropping a few memes into a thread or telling a story, you can use this feature to avoid blowing up people's phones or annoying them in certain situations.

6. Switch chat theme

This feature can make sharing screenshots of your conversations as testimonials or a behind-the-scenes look at your interactions a lot more aesthetic. You can leverage your brand in content like this a lot more conveniently, and lessen the need for edits and Canva workshopping to share content from your DMs.

7. Create a poll in group messages

Sometimes it's easier to carry on a conversation when there's a group of people when others can carry part, or even most, of the conversation. A great way to start a conversation with a group is by starting a poll. If you're already doing this in your Facebook Group, this will feel very familiar! If you haven't tried leveraging the power of polls to drive conversations, now's a good time to try!

These features are currently being rolled out in select countries only and will be rolled out more widely in the coming weeks and months.