Picture this: It's 2 AM. Someone in Australia just watched your reel about email funnels. They're hot. Ready to learn more. They DM you "interested!"
What happens next? In most cases... nothing. They wait. Interest cools. By morning, they've forgotten why they messaged you.
But what if they got an instant reply with your guide, tagged as "funnel-interested," and entered into your nurture sequence—all while you're sleeping?
That's the magic word play. One keyword triggers everything.
Why Auto-Replies
Auto-replies aren't about being lazy. They're about respecting momentum.
When someone takes action—DMing you, commenting, clicking—they're at peak interest. Every minute you don't respond, that interest drops. After an hour? They're onto the next thing. After a day? They forgot you exist.
Auto-replies catch people in the moment:
Instant gratification (they get value NOW)
Clear next step (no confusion about what to do)
Consistent experience (everyone gets the same quality response)
24/7 coverage (works while you sleep, eat, live your life)
You're not replacing human connection. You're ensuring no one falls through the cracks while waiting for human connection.
Pick Your Keyword
Your magic word is the key to everything. Choose wrong and it won't get used. Choose right and it runs itself.
Good Keywords:
START (action-oriented)
GUIDE (clear value)
READY (emotional trigger)
INFO (broad but clear)
LEARN (education-focused)
Bad Keywords:
INTERESTED (too long)
INFORMATION (hard to spell)
AWESOME (too generic)
123 (looks spammy)
Keep it to 5-6 letters max. One syllable is best. Make it feel natural to type.
Script & Deliverables
Your auto-reply needs to deliver value instantly while setting up the next step.
The Perfect Auto-Reply Script:
Yes! 🎯 Your [GUIDE NAME] is ready!
Download here: [SMART LINK]
This shows you exactly how to [SPECIFIC OUTCOME] without [PAIN POINT].
Quick question - what made you want to learn about [TOPIC]?
(Reply with your answer - I read everything!)
P.S. Check the link now - it includes [BONUS/URGENCY]
Real Example:
Yes! 🎯 Your Email Automation Playbook is ready!
Download here: bit.ly/email-playbook
This shows you exactly how to nurture leads automatically without writing 50 emails.
Quick question - what made you want to learn about email automation?
(Reply with your answer - I read everything!)
P.S. Check the link now - it includes my personal welcome sequence template!
Routing to /start
Every auto-reply should route to your /start hub, not random pages.
Why? Your /start page is optimized for conversions:
Matches what they asked for
Has proper tracking (UTMs)
Captures emails reliably
Tags them correctly
Triggers the right follow-up
Smart Link for DM Auto-Reply:
This tells you exactly how many leads came from DM automation vs other sources.
QA Checklist
Auto-replies break. Test yours weekly.
Weekly QA Checklist:
DM yourself the keyword (still triggers?)
Check response time (instant or delayed?)
Click your link (goes to right page?)
Verify UTMs (tracking properly?)
Submit opt-in (email delivers?)
Check tags (properly segmented?)
Review analytics (conversion rate healthy?)
Pro Testing Tip: Have three friends test it from different accounts. Sometimes platform restrictions or settings block certain users.
Example Results: Week 1: 100 people DM your keyword → 85 get the auto-reply → 40 click through → 25 opt in
That's 25% total conversion from DM to email list. Without lifting a finger after setup.
Ready to turn DMs into leads? Get the Automation Starter Checklist with proven auto-reply scripts. Want the complete system? Check out our Auto-Reply Toolkit ($47) with platform-specific setup guides.
Educational content only. No business, financial, or results guarantees. Implement at your own discretion.