How To Use Manychat To Monetize Your Instagram Followers

Instagram (and X and Facebook) are great for growing an audience. But turning that attention into income?

That’s where most creators get stuck. They get stuck thinking about vanity metrics.

Follower counts, likes, retweets (if they’re even called that anymore), shares, etc.

Smart creators don’t concern themselves with this kind of thing; instead, they focus on what matters: getting engagement on offers and launches and growing their email lists.

Manychat helps automate your Instagram DMs so you can scale conversations, promote products, and build revenue all inside your Instagram DMs.

Here’s how to use it effectively.

What Manychat Does for Instagram

Manychat works all of its magic from inside your DMs. It’s fully automated, so you program what you want it to do, set it, and it runs 24/7.

This keeps all your activity inside Instagram which Meta likes, and it means you don’t have to respond manually to hundreds of DMs.

For engagement and growing your mailing list, there’s nothing else quite like it right now which is why I consider it an essential tool for professional creators.

Key Features:

• Auto-replies to post comments and story mentions.
• Interactive flows built with a drag-and-drop editor.
• Audience segmentation based on replies or actions.
• Integrations with email, SMS, payment tools, and CRMs.
• Quizzes and polls to gather insights and boost engagement.

You can build simple or complex funnels inside DMs, no coding required. Manychat handles the flow, meaning you can focus on content and building out your brand.

How To Monetize Instagram Using Manychat

I’ve used Manychat since 2023 across a variety of projects, both my own and when working with clients.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the many, many ways you can use Manychat to engage and monetize your social media followers.

Build an Email and SMS List

This is the single most important thing you can do. You need to be obsessed with getting as many of your followers off Instagram and into your mailing list.

Why? Because when they’re inside your mailing list, you own them. Not Meta.

How to do it:

• Use keyword triggers in comments or stories (e.g., “GUIDE”).
• Send a DM that asks for an email or phone number.
• Deliver a freebie like a checklist or eBook in return.

Go big on value with this kind of thing. Solve a problem, show them how to do something cool. This is you making a first impression, so make it count.

Think of it like a first date.

Sell Products Directly Through DMs

Turn comments into instant product pitches. If you already have an audience, this can act like rocket fuel for sales.

I’ve seen creators do five and six figure launches inside 24 hours using this technique.

It’s 1000x faster than organic search and the results, if everything’s implemented correctly, it works better than targeted ads.

How to do it:

• Trigger a DM when someone comments a keyword (e.g., “SHOP”).
• Send them a direct product link or exclusive discount.
• Use flows to guide users to the right item or service.

Fewer steps mean faster sales. The product lands in their inbox while they’re still interested which usually equates to significantly higher conversion rates.

Promote Affiliate Products & Brand Deals

Push affiliate links or sponsored promos with automation. If you work with brands or have partnership deals in place, this technique is brilliant.

For instance, say you start working with a new brand. They pay you $1500 for a promotion. If your campaign goes exceptionally well, next time you can bill them for $2500.

And if you’re a straight-up affiliate marketer, this approach is gold. Combine it with a discount code and, baby, you got yourself a stew!

How to do it:

• Auto-send affiliate links based on a keyword trigger.
• Build a branded flow that explains the offer and includes required disclosures (#ad, etc.).
• Track engagement through Manychat to show value to partners.

Why it works:

Affiliate offers get seen immediately, not buried under posts or lost in bios. They feel personal and the recipient has already mentally committed to converting.

Sell Digital Products or Services

If you’re a creator, digital products should be your bread and butter, the thing that generates most of your revenue.

Whether it’s a tool, a course, or a premium content package, this approach, in my experience, is the fastest way to create buying customers.

How to do it:

• Use DMs to deliver product info, testimonials, and checkout links.
• Qualify leads before booking consultations or coaching calls.
• Use reminders for webinars, product launches, or time-sensitive offers.

Why it works:

You automate the sale while still offering a personalized experience.

Boost Engagement & Build Community

An engaged audience is a happy audience, and happy people buy more stuff. By regularly engaging with your followers, you become a presence in their life, part of their subjective reality.

If you’re solving problems for them, helping them do things, and offering tonnes of value, they’ll be loyal to you until, well… you stop being useful.

Ask questions, get feedback, do a weekly AMA. Whatever. Using Manychat makes it a cinch.

How to do it:

• Run quizzes and polls inside DMs to make followers feel involved.
• Auto-reply to FAQs so people get fast answers.
• Send welcome DMs to new followers introducing your brand or offers.

Drive Traffic to Other Platforms

Instagram isn’t your only monetization tool, if you’re savvy. You might have a website or a YouTube channel or a Twitch account.

Use Manychat to make your Instagram followers aware of these other platforms.

Ask them to read or watch guides, to join a community, use testimonials and video teasers to get them excited about it.

How to do it:

• Use DMs to send links to YouTube videos, blog posts, or podcast episodes.
• Promote your Patreon or premium content using keywords in stories or posts.

Best Practices for Using Manychat

To get the most out of Manychat (or any automation tool, for that matter) you need to understand the basics of copywriting and conversation rate optimization (CRO).

You also need to be honest, authentic, and transparent. Basically, don’t be another snake oil, internet sleeze bag.

Here are some basic rules of thumb for running simple and effective Manychat campaigns.

Use Clear CTAs

Every message should lead to one clear action. Tell users exactly what to do, like “Click the link to download,” “Reply YES to get started,” or “Tap here to shop.”

Avoid vague phrases like “Check this out” or “Take a look.” Clarity increases clicks and reduces drop-offs.

Segment Your Audience

Not everyone wants the same thing.

Tag users based on how they enter your flow, what they interact with, or what topics they engage in.

Send targeted messages based on these segments, such as fitness tips to one group and product discounts to another.

The more relevant your message, the better your results.

Make It Feel Human

Automation should not feel robotic.

Use first names, conversational language, and short, friendly sentences.

Break up long blocks of text and use natural timing between messages to mimic real conversation.

The goal is to build trust, not sound like a script.

Test and Optimize Everything

Your first setup will never be your best.

Test different entry points, lead magnets, call-to-action wording, and message sequences.

Use Manychat’s analytics to track open rates, clicks, and where people drop off.

Keep improving based on what the data tells you.

Stay Legally Compliant

Always ask for permission before collecting personal information.

Use opt-in prompts and include clear disclosures for how you will use their email or phone number.

Follow Instagram’s policies, privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, and Manychat’s platform rules.

This protects your audience and your account.

Lead With Value

Before asking for a sale, offer something helpful.

This could be a free guide, a tip, an exclusive discount, or a useful resource related to your niche.

When people see value first, they are more likely to trust you and buy later.

Build a relationship before making a pitch.

Final Thoughts & Things To Keep In Mind

Manychat is one of the most useful tools in my tech stack. I don’t like using a lot of tools, but I’d consider this one to be a desert island essential.

If I had to cut costs by 90% immediately, I’d make sure I had enough to cover the cost of Manychat.

The reason for this is because, unlike so many creator-focused tools, the ROI it generates far exceeds the cost of running it.

You can automate leads, drive traffic, sell products, and grow your business all inside Instagram DMs.

And for the way things work right now with everyone on social media, not leveraging something places you at a huge disadvantage.