The inDM blog
Tactics, teardowns, and product notes for creators who mean business.
Latest how-to guides
All guides →Collect emails from Instagram, automatically
Turn a lead magnet and one keyword into signups: the automation asks for the address in the DM, or sends them to your form, the moment they ask for it
Follow along → About an hour to set up, then a few minutes a dayHow to get your first 100 followers on Instagram, starting from zero
Here is how to get your first 100 followers on Instagram: make the account public, say who it is for in your bio, post reels that make sense to strang
Follow along → About ten minutesHow to write an Instagram bio that says who the page is for
Here is how to write an Instagram bio: say who the page is for, what they get from following it, and one next step, in 150 characters or fewer. Open E
Follow along → About 20 minutes for your first reelHow to make Instagram reels, step by step
How to make Instagram reels: tap Create, then Reel, record clips or add them from your camera roll, add audio and text, choose a cover and tap Share.
Follow along → About 30 minutesHow to start an Instagram account from scratch, step by step
How to start an Instagram account from scratch: create it in the app with an email or mobile number, choose a username, add a photo and a bio of up to
Follow along → About 30 minutesHow to sell on Instagram DMs: from first comment to paid order
How to sell on Instagram DMs comes down to three moves: let the buyer raise a hand first, answer their question in the DM within minutes, and send one
Follow along → About ten minutes to set up, longer to write the rulesHow to run an Instagram giveaway with comment automation
You run an Instagram giveaway by posting the prize, asking people to comment one word to enter, and letting an automation send every entrant a confirm
Follow along → About two minutesInstagram story link sticker: how to add it, style it and fix it
The Instagram story link sticker puts a tappable link on a story. Capture or upload your story, open the sticker tray, tap Link, paste your URL, then
Follow along → About five minutes, plus the wait for your data exportHow to cancel an Instagram account: deactivate it for now or delete it for good
To cancel an Instagram account, choose between deactivating, which hides it until you log back in, and deleting, which schedules permanent removal 30
Follow along →What is an Instagram aesthetic, and how do you build one?
An Instagram aesthetic is the set of choices that makes your posts recognizable at a glance. How to build yours in an afternoon, eight looks to borrow
Read → October 13, 2026What are Instagram caption templates, and which one fits your post?
Instagram caption templates are reusable caption shapes with blanks for your topic, offer and keyword. Twenty-one to copy, grouped by goal, plus the l
Read → October 13, 2026What is an Instagram series, and how do you make one?
An Instagram series is a run of connected posts or reels. Instagram's Link a reel tool connects reels. How to make a series today, with 12 ideas.
Read → October 13, 2026What are Instagram metrics, and which ones matter?
Instagram metrics are the numbers Insights shows for your account and each post. Instagram's own definitions of views, viewers and interactions, and w
Read → October 13, 2026What is the right Instagram post size?
The Instagram post size that keeps full quality is a photo 1080 pixels wide, from 1.91:1 to 3:4. Reel, story and profile picture sizes, from Instagram
Read → October 13, 2026Where is the Instagram professional dashboard, and what does it show?
The Instagram professional dashboard sits on your profile and in Settings and activity, under Insights. Where to find it, what it shows, and why it ma
Read → October 13, 2026How do you build an Instagram quiz funnel that ends in an email?
An Instagram quiz funnel needs a bridge, because a quiz sticker tap cannot start a DM. How a story quiz, a keyword reply and an email ask fit together
Read → October 13, 2026What are some Instagram story ideas that get people to reply?
Instagram story ideas grouped by goal: learn, show the work, build toward a date and invite a reply. Which sticker fits each, what Instagram says, and
Read → October 13, 2026Instagram trends 2026: what has Instagram announced so far?
Instagram trends 2026, limited to what Instagram and Meta announced: dated, sourced and in order. What changed for reach, creating, earning and watchi
Read → October 13, 2026What is Mavely, and how does it work now that it has become Later?
Mavely is an affiliate network that has operated as Later since 1 September 2026. Who can join, how it pays and whether you can send its links by DM,
Read → October 13, 2026What is ShopMy, and how do you join it and get paid?
ShopMy turns creator recommendations into commission links, and joining means applying to a waitlist. How it works, how it pays and how to use it on I
Read → October 13, 2026How does the Target creator program work, and how do you join?
The Target creator program is three programs, not one: Partners, Club Target and Ambassadors. Who can join each, what each pays and the rules, from Ta
Read → October 13, 2026Valentine's Day Instagram campaign ideas for 14 February 2027
Valentine's Day Instagram campaign ideas for creators and small shops: posts, stories, DM offers and collabs, with dates for Sunday 14 February 2027.
Read → October 13, 2026What is B-roll, and how do you use it in Instagram reels?
What is B-roll? The footage you show while the main footage plays on. How it works in Instagram reels, 21 shot ideas, how to place it in Instagram's e
Read → October 13, 2026What is Instagram AI, and what can Meta AI do on Instagram?
Instagram AI is Meta AI inside the app: chat, message rewriting, Story tools, Reels translation and creator AI replies. Where each lives and what it c
Read → October 12, 2026What happens to Instagram automations when a client leaves an agency?
When a client leaves an agency, their Instagram automations stop once the agency disconnects the account or the client removes inDM's access. The clie
Read → October 12, 2026What are the best Instagram filters? What Instagram itself says
Instagram filters are applied after you tap Next, and Instagram publishes no ranking of them. How photo, video and Stories looks work, and which names
Read → October 12, 2026What is the best time to post on Instagram?
The best time to post on Instagram is when your own followers are online. Five 2026 studies disagree on the hour, so here is where they agree and how
Read → October 12, 2026Can you schedule Instagram posts?
Can you schedule Instagram posts? Yes: in the Instagram app, in Meta Business Suite, or with a scheduling tool. Who qualifies, the limits, and what yo
Read → October 12, 2026How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?
How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram? None for selling your own offer, 500 for Gifts, 1,000 for the marketplace and 10,000 for Su
Read → October 12, 2026How much should an agency charge for Instagram DM automation?
How much to charge for Instagram DM automation depends on setup, retainer or both. Offers read on 12 October 2026 run from $299 to $2,000 and up for a
Read → October 12, 2026What are good Instagram bio ideas? 36 to copy by goal
Instagram bio ideas for creators, shops and personal pages: 36 original bios, five fill-in templates, and Instagram's 150-character and 5-link limits.
Read → October 12, 2026What is an Instagram carousel, and how do you make one?
An Instagram carousel is one post of up to 20 photos and videos that people swipe through. The slide limit, image sizes, how to reorder slides, and a
Read → October 12, 2026How do you tell real Instagram collab messages from scams?
Instagram collab messages can land in Requests, a spam folder or a Partnership messages folder. How to check the sender, read the offer and spot a sca
Read → October 12, 2026What is an Instagram comment bot, and what do you do about each kind?
An Instagram comment bot is either spam leaving comments you can filter, or automation that answers your own posts. How to spot, stop and use each kin
Read → October 12, 2026How does the Instagram creator marketplace work?
The Instagram creator marketplace needs a public professional account with 1,000 followers. How to join, where brand messages land and how you get pai
Read → October 12, 2026Where are Instagram creator tools and controls, and what is inside?
Instagram creator tools and controls live in Settings and activity under For professionals. Where to find the menu in the app and on the web, and what
Read → October 12, 2026Creator vs business account on Instagram: what is the difference?
Creator vs business account on Instagram: two professional accounts that share almost every tool. What differs, how to create a business account, and
Read → October 12, 2026What is an Instagram DM bot, and which kind does Instagram allow?
An Instagram DM bot sends messages when someone comments, replies to a story or sends a keyword. Instagram allows bots that use its own login, not one
Read → October 12, 2026Which Instagram DM templates can you copy for each situation?
Instagram DM templates for eight situations, written to stay inside Instagram's rules: comment replies, link delivery, follow and email asks, story re
Read → October 12, 2026How do you run an Instagram group buy with comment-to-DM?
To run an Instagram group buy with comment-to-DM, post the sale, ask followers to comment one word, and let the automation send each of them the purch
Read → October 12, 2026What are the best Instagram hacks? Twelve real features and where to find them
Twelve real Instagram hacks, grouped by goal, each with where to find it and the limit Instagram's Help Center states. No loopholes and no outside too
Read → October 12, 2026What are Instagram Instants? Who sees them and how long they last
Instagram Instants are disappearing photos sent to Close Friends or followers you follow back. Who can see them, how long they last, and what Instagra
Read → October 12, 2026Why are my Instagram message requests not showing?
Instagram message requests not showing usually means the message sits in another folder: Requests, Spam, Hidden requests, or General. A short order fo
Read → October 12, 2026Which Instagram monetization tools can you use?
Instagram monetization tools compared: what Subscriptions, Gifts, Badges, Bonuses, the creator marketplace and affiliate partnerships each ask for.
Read → October 12, 2026What is an Instagram newsletter, and how do you start one?
An Instagram newsletter is either Instagram's own broadcast channel or an email list grown from your followers. What each is and how to start, from so
Read → October 12, 2026What is a niche on Instagram, and how do you choose one?
What is a niche on Instagram? The topic and the people your account is known for, how to choose one, and how to test it before you commit.
Read → October 12, 2026What are Instagram reel hooks, and how do you write one?
Instagram reel hooks are the first seconds of a reel. What Instagram says about them, how to write one, and 24 templates grouped by what each hook is
Read → October 12, 2026How do Instagram subscriptions work, and who can offer them?
Instagram subscriptions need a professional account with 10,000 followers in one of 49 countries. What subscribers pay, what creators keep, and how to
Read → October 12, 2026What are Instagram trial reels, and who can use them?
Instagram trial reels show a reel to people who do not follow you first. Who qualifies (200 or 1,000 followers), how to post one, and what happens aft
Read → October 12, 2026Instagram vs TikTok for creators: which one should you pick?
Instagram vs TikTok depends on where your audience is and what you want viewers to do next. Pew's US numbers, Instagram's own tools, and what to check
Read → October 12, 2026Should an agency use the ManyChat affiliate program or one plan for every client?
The ManyChat affiliate program pays an agency 30 to 50% of a referred client's payments for 12 months, read on 12 October 2026. One plan for every cli
Read → October 12, 2026How do agencies sell Instagram DM automation to clients?
To sell Instagram DM automation to clients, package it as a done-for-you service: plan the keywords and messages, connect the account, run the automat
Read → October 12, 2026Does your social media tool already do Instagram DM automation?
Yes: Hootsuite, Vista Social and Metricool now include Instagram DM automation. What each plan counts and costs at 15 and 30 client accounts, read on
Read → October 12, 2026How does the Walmart Creator program work, and who can join?
The Walmart Creator program pays commission on purchases made through your links. Who can join, what it pays and the rules, from Walmart's own pages,
Read → October 12, 2026Can you white label Instagram DM automation for your clients?
You can white label Instagram DM automation at the message level: on Growth and both agency plans the DMs carry your client's brand alone, but the app
Read → October 9, 2026Does ManyChat have an agency plan?
No. ManyChat has no separate agency plan: it bills every Manychat account on its own, and each one connects a single Instagram account. What it offers
Read → October 9, 2026How do you give an agency access to Instagram without the password?
To give an agency access to Instagram without the password, use Instagram's Shared access for posting and replying, Meta Business Suite partner access
Read →