Build an email list from your comments
Turn a lead magnet and one keyword into a list you own — the email ask happens right inside the DM thread.
Before you start
- An Instagram Business or Creator account
- Something genuinely worth an email — a guide, checklist, template, or waitlist spot
- A post announcing it (or a story with a direct ask)
The steps
Set up the base automation
Create a comment automation on your lead-magnet post: keyword (GUIDE, CHECKLIST, WAITLIST), public reply, and the DM that will carry the link. The comment-to-DM guide covers this in detail.
Turn on the email-capture gate
Toggle Ask for email on the automation. Now the DM asks for their address before the link is delivered — a fair trade, made inside the conversation.
Write the ask in your voice
Default copy ships, but yours is better: "Love that you want this — drop your email here and I'll send it right over." One sentence, one ask.
Preview the full exchange
The live preview shows the whole thread: comment, opener, the email ask, their reply, the link card. Read it as a stranger would — the exchange should feel helpful, never extractive.
Set live and export as it grows
Every captured email lands on the person's contact. Export the list as CSV anytime from Contacts — ready for your email tool.
A working email pipeline: comment → DM → email → link, with every address attached to a contact you can export as CSV.
Questions, answered plainly
Do people actually give their email in a DM?
Yes — at higher rates than cold landing pages, because they asked first and the trade is explicit. The keyword comment is the raised hand; the email ask just names the price of the thing they requested.
Can I skip the email for some automations?
Absolutely — the gate is per-automation. Gate your best lead magnet; leave casual link drops ungated so they stay frictionless.
How do I get the emails into my email tool?
Export contacts as CSV and import — every mainstream email platform accepts it. The list is yours either way; no lock-in is the point.