Messaging Managed! How to Track and Organize Your DMs

Picture this: you’ve decided to use your social media messaging as a direct marketing tool. You do the research, start crafting and sending your targeted DMs, and before you know it… your inbox is flooded with replies! On the one hand, you’re probably excited to get an amazing response to your campaign. But, you might also be thinking, “How am I going to manage ALL of these responses?”. Don’t stress! Check out our favorite tips for effectively managing your DMs and how to keep track of where your potential clients are in the pipeline.

Keep Your DMs Organized

Your social media inboxes are very similar to your email inbox; the main difference is that your email filters out spam, and other non-important messages. As a business account on Instagram, you have the option to sort messages into two inboxes: primary and general. Any messages that are inquiries or ongoing conversations should go into your primary inbox. Everything else can stay in general!

Pro-tip: If you have more than one coworker or employee managing your social media DMs, be sure to have them sign the bottom of their messages so that you know who is handling the conversation! If the conversation is over, you can send an emoji or ‘like’ the message so that when your team members are checking the inbox, you can see that the interaction is complete.

Always Respond in a Timely Manner

This is especially important when you are working on building your pipeline! You want to maintain your clients’ level of excitement and engagement. When you don’t answer messages it can make your clients feel like they are unimportant. Turn on your phone and desktop notifications so you know when messages come in. Then, try to set aside small chunks of time throughout the day to check in. This way, you can establish a good relationship with your clients and make sure your inbox doesn’t become overwhelming!

Did you know you can also incorporate your Facebook Messenger into your website? This is another way for your customers to get real-time answers to their questions, and for you to build a good rapport with them! Here’s a guide on how to add in the feature.

Track Your Responses

Now that your inbox is under control, let’s talk about managing your direct marketing tactics! Once you have your plan in place, create a reliable tracking system for your interactions. The easiest way to do this is  to add to your existing CRM system by using a good old-fashioned Excel spreadsheet. Every time you start a new direct message to someone, add their information into a tracking spreadsheet. Be sure to include their name, social media handle, date of when the message was sent, and who sent the message. When they respond, put down the date and summary of the interaction, and add any additional information to their contact profile.

For example, let’s say you’re a photographer and you started a direct marketing campaign for new event bookings. Here’s an example of what your tracking sheet could look like:

As you can see, this tracking form isn’t complicated, but it does include EVERY detail you have on your potential client. This is especially important when you need to carry a client along your pipeline and pass along their information and your interactions to a new person. If you don’t have a tracking sheet set up yet, here’s a great template to get you started!

Starting a new direct marketing campaign through messaging may seem daunting at first, but once you have everything set up, it really becomes more of a consistent routine rather than a challenge. It may take time to see traction, but once the ball gets rolling, you’ll be able to see quantifiable results and garner new customers!

How do you integrate social media direct messaging in your marketing? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, we’re here to help you brainstorm and kick start your campaigns.

Happy messaging!?

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