Sales DM templates: the 2-part DM that gets replies

Someone comments "how much?" under your post. Your DM arrives a few seconds later: "It's $240." They read it, think "fair enough", and go back to scrolling. You answered correctly, and the conversation still ended.

That is the most common way a sales DM fails. Not with a wrong answer, but with an answer that leads nowhere. This article shows a simple fix, the 2-part DM, with eight templates you can copy and a few before-and-after rewrites.

In short:

• A DM that sells does two things: it answers, then it offers one next step.
• After a comment, your first DM is the only message you can send until the person writes back. Make it complete.
• Templates below cover price, sizes, links, bookings, freebies, quotes, waitlists and tickets.
• After the DM, tag the contact. The follow-up is a person's job, not the automation's.

The 2-part DM

Part one is the answer. Whatever they asked, in one or two short lines: the price, the sizes in stock, the delivery time, the link.

Part two is one next step. A single, easy question that moves things forward:

• "Which size do you usually wear?"
• "Is this for you or a gift?"
• "Which day works better?"

The answer satisfies the curiosity. The question gives it somewhere to go. Without the second part, even a perfect answer is a dead end.

Why the first DM has to carry everything

When someone comments a keyword, the automation can send them one private reply. Until they reply back, that is the only message they will receive from you. Anything else you add to the same flow after it is sent straight away and, unless the person already had an open conversation with you, it does not arrive.

So the first message can't be a warm-up. "Hi, thanks so much for your comment!" spends your only shot on nothing. Put the answer, the link and the question in that one message. Once they reply, a normal conversation opens; the 24-hour messaging window explains what you can send from there.

8 sales DM templates you can copy

Replace the parts in square brackets. {{first_name}} fills in the person's first name where the platform provides it. On Instagram comment DMs, Instagram only shares the handle, so it reads "there", as in "Hey there". Write your templates so that still sounds natural.

1. Price

Hey {{first_name}}, the [product] is [price] and ships in [days] days. Here it is: [link]. Is it for you or a gift?

2. Size or variant

Hey {{first_name}}, the [product] is in stock in [sizes]: [link]. Which size do you usually take?

3. Product link

Here you go: [link]. Orders placed today get [small bonus]. Anything you want to know before checking out?

4. Booking

Hey {{first_name}}, this week's free slots are here: [link]. Mornings or evenings for you?

5. Freebie (guide, checklist, plan)

Here's your [freebie]: [link]. When you've read it, reply CALL and I'll send you times for a free 15-minute chat.

6. Quote

[Service] usually starts at [price]. Reply with [three photos / the size of the space] and I'll send an exact quote today.

7. Waitlist

You're on the list, doors open on [date]. Early-bird pricing goes to the waitlist first, and you can grab your spot here: [link]

8. Tickets

Early-bird is [price] until [date]: [link]. Are you coming on your own or with friends?

Template 5 asks for a specific word on purpose. A reply of "CALL" can start a separate DM keyword flow that sends your booking link, so the next step happens automatically, triggered by the person.

Before and after: three rewrites

The information is identical in each pair. Only the closing sentence changed, and that sentence is what turns a reply into a sale.

Copy-paste setup: price question to booked call

A full example for a furniture maker, using a comment flow and a DM keyword flow together.

Flow 1, comment trigger:

• Keyword: PRICE, on the oak bench post only
• First DM:

Hey {{first_name}}, the oak bench is $320, made to order in about two weeks: https://yourshop.com/oak-bench
Want a different length? Reply MEASURE and I'll send the size options.

• Public reply variants: Sent, check your DMs, {{username}} just sent it over, In your inbox now
• Tag: price-oak-bench

Flow 2, DM keyword trigger:

• Keyword: MEASURE
• Message: the size options, plus a link to request a custom order

Flow 2 only runs when someone replies MEASURE, so it lands inside an open conversation, where buttons and images work too. See buttons and quick replies for what you can send there.

Making a DM sound like a person

• Use the name when you have it, and write lines that still work as "Hey there" when you don't.
• One emoji at most, and only if it matches how you usually write.
• Short sentences. It's a chat, not a newsletter.
• One question per message. Two questions usually get none answered.
• Read it out loud. If you wouldn't say it at your counter, rewrite it.

After the DM: tag, then follow up yourself

The automated message opens the door. A person walks through it.

1. Tag each contact by what they asked about, such as price-oak-bench or sizes-wrap-skirt. You can then filter for them later, as described in segmenting contacts from DMs.
2. Give it a day. Plenty of people need time before buying.
3. When they've replied, answer personally in the inbox: "Still thinking about the bench? I can send a photo of it in a real living room."

The automation can't chase people who never replied, and it shouldn't try. The human follow-up is where much of the selling actually happens, and it's quick when the tag already tells you what they wanted.

Mistakes that cost sales

• Answering and stopping, with no next step.
• Opening with a thank-you line instead of the answer.
• A wall of text with every product detail and your full returns policy.
• Asking for an email before giving anything.
• Building a multi-message sequence after a comment. Only the first message arrives.

If you are still choosing the word people comment, start with 20 comment keyword examples by industry.

Summary

A sales DM has two jobs: answer the question, then offer one easy next step. After a comment, that first message is all you get until the person replies, so make it complete, with the link inside. Keep it short, ask one question, tag the contact, and leave the follow-up to a person. Every template above runs on the free plan, see pricing for what each plan includes.

FAQ

How long should a sales DM be?

Two to four short lines is usually enough: the answer, the link and one question. If it needs scrolling on a phone, it's too long for a first message.

Can I send a follow-up automatically if they don't reply?

No. The automation can only send more messages inside an open conversation, which starts when the person replies. Follow up yourself from the inbox once they have, or ask them to reply with a word that triggers your next flow.

Should I put buttons in the first DM after a comment?

No. The first reply to a comment is sent as plain text, so link buttons are turned into written links and reply buttons are dropped. Write the link into the text from the start.

Do these templates work on Facebook?

Yes. Comment keyword triggers also work on Facebook Pages, and the 2-part structure is the same. Comment your keyword from a second account before you go live, so you see exactly what arrives.

Sales DMs on Instagram with Chat33

Comment and DM keyword triggers, tags, random public replies and tracked links, on the official Instagram API.