The #1 Way to Use Instagram for Blogging to Skyrocket Your Blog Growth

by | July 2021 | 18 comments

There are quite a few ways you can use Instagram for blogging. But letโ€™s talk about the best way to grow your blog with Instagram!

Instagram is a fabulous way to connect with your audience and convert them into fans โ€ฆ if you know how to use Instagram to your advantage.

Sure, posting consistently and engaging with people are both key for growing your Instagram following. But why stop there? 

You should be maximizing Instagram by putting your followers to work for your blog. 

So letโ€™s look at how to use Instagram to drive traffic to your blog and skyrocket your blog growth!

And while weโ€™re at it, letโ€™s also cover how you can easily gain new email subscribers and grow your email list with Instagram.

Iโ€™m going to tell you the #1 way to use Instagram for blogging! This simple strategy will motivate your Instagram followers to visit your blog and sign up for your email list as well. Score!

BTWโ€ฆ Letโ€™s be friends on the โ€˜Gram! Go ahead and follow me on Instagram real quick before I give you my game plan for growing your blog with Instagram.

How To Use Instagram for Blogging

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How To Use Instagram for Blogging to Skyrocket Your Blog Growth

To use Instagram for blogging to its full potential, you need to connect with your followers. And you do that by communicating with them.

Itโ€™s great to get new Instagram followers. But donโ€™t let them go to waste. You need to make the most of those new followers by turning them into your blog audience.

It starts by opening up a line of communication with them. Let them know youโ€™re a real person. Tell them why they should follow you and how you can help them.

But whatโ€™s the best way to do that? Thereโ€™s a specific communication feature with Instagram that, when used properly, will skyrocket your blog growth.

Wanna know what it is???

Saved Replies! Have you heard of this incredibly helpful (and probably underutilized) Instagram feature? And more importantly, have you been using them?

Iโ€™m going to tell you exactly how to use Saved Replies to your blogging advantage. This blog growth strategy will easily drive traffic to your blog and multiply your email subscribers.

There are lots of ways you can use Instagram for blogging. But you need to be using this secret strategy for the best way to grow your blog with Instagram! #Instagram #Instagramtips #blogtraffictips #bloggingtips #bloggrowth Click To Tweet

What Are Instagram Saved Replies

Before we get into how to use Instagramโ€™s Saved Replies for blogging, letโ€™s start with the basics. What are Saved Replies?

Rather than re-typing the same messages over and over (because who wants to do that?), Saved Replies allow you to easily reuse your most used Direct Messages (DMs).

I am obsessed with this super handy Instagram feature! Because Iโ€™m all about working smarter, not harder. Are you with me? ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™€๏ธ

Saved Replies save a ton of time and make it a breeze to DM your new followers. Now letโ€™s get into why you should be DMing your new followers.

You may also like: Facebook Groups for Bloggers: Everything You Need to Know to Skyrocket Your Blog Growth

Why You Need to Use Instagram Saved Replies

Like I said, you need to connect with your Instagram followers by communicating with them. And a great way to do that is by sending them a Direct Message (DM). 

Donโ€™t get me wrong. Iโ€™m not trying to downplay the importance of commenting. Comments are key for engagement. You should be commenting on other peopleโ€™s posts as well as replying to their comments on your posts. 

Butโ€ฆ comments are NOT going to drive traffic to your blog or get you new email subscribers.

Thatโ€™s where DMs with Saved Replies come in. With Saved Replies, itโ€™s super easy to reach out to your new followers with a DM. And unlike post comments, you can actually include a link in your DMs! 

By including a link in your messages, youโ€™ll make it effortless for your followers to visit your blog and sign up for your email list.

Thatโ€™s where Instagram for blogging is at! And thatโ€™s how your blog growth with Instagram is going to happen.

How To Set Up Your Saved Replies

To be able to use Instagramโ€™s Saved Replies, youโ€™ll first need to set up your Instagram Account for Business

Saved Replies are an Instagram feature thatโ€™s only available for Business Accounts. Luckily, Business Accounts are free, and Saved Replies are the best part about them (IMO).

 Hereโ€™s how to set up your own Saved Replies to start sending DMs to your new followers:

1. From your Instagram profile, click on the 3 lines in the top right corner to open the menu

Step 1 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

2. Click on Settings

Step 2 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

3. Go to Business

Step 3 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

4. Click on Saved Replies

Step 4 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

5. Tap on the + in the top right corner to add a new Saved Reply

Step 5 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

6. For the Shortcut, give the Saved Reply a one-word name to use as a keyboard Shortcut (for example, I use โ€œintroโ€ for the first message I send to my new followers)

7. For the Message, type the full Message you want to send new followers with the Saved Reply

8. Click on Save when youโ€™re done

Steps 6-8 - Creating a New Saved Reply for Instagram for Blogging

Wondering what type of messages you should send and what you should say in them? 

Grab this free Instagram Saved Replies Swipe File with the exact messages I send when I get new Instagram followers. It also includes templates to customize the messages for your blog!

Free Instagram Saved Replies Swipe File

You may also like:ย How To Easily Set Up Your Instagram Account for Business to Succeed

How To Access Your Saved Replies to Send Them to Followers

There are a few different ways you can access your Saved Replies when sending a DM to your new Instagram followers:

Option #1

1.Click on the + sign in the bottom right corner

Option 1 Step 1 - How To Access Your Saved Replies for Instagram for Blogging

2. Click on the message bubble with 3 dots

Option 1 Step 2 - How To Access Your Saved Replies for Instagram for Blogging

3. Choose the Saved Reply you want to use (it will be inserted into the message)

Option 1 Step 3 - How To Access Your Saved Replies for Instagram for Blogging

Option #2

1. Type the keyboard shortcut for the Saved Reply you want to use (for example, if you used โ€œintroโ€ as the Shortcut for your first message, type โ€œintroโ€)

2. The message bubble with 3 dots will turn blue showing that it recognizes the shortcut

3. Click on the blue message bubble with 3 dots to insert the Saved Reply into the message

Option 2 Steps 1-3 - How To Access Your Saved Replies for Instagram for Blogging

How To Use Your Saved Replies to DM New Instagram Followers

Now that you have an Instagram Account for Business and created your Saved Replies, itโ€™s time to start using them. This is the Instagram for blogging strategy you need to be using!

1. Send an Introduction Message

The first message you send to your new Instagram followers should be to introduce yourself and thank them for following you. 

You can give a little background on yourself as well as your blog to let them know what itโ€™s about. Be sure to include a link to your blog and ask them to check it out.

You can also ask them to let you know what they think of your blog. By asking them for feedback, youโ€™re encouraging them to write you back. This creates engagement!

When I send my intro message, I get quite a few replies. Sometimes people thank me for reaching out and introduce themselves as well. Itโ€™s a great way to open up a line of communication with new followers!

How To Send Your Introduction Message

1. From your Instagram feed, click on the โ™ก in the top right corner to access your notifications

Step 1 - How To Send Your Introduction Message for Instagram for Blogging

2. Look for people who have followed you recently, and click on their image to go to their profile (do NOT click on โ€œFollowโ€ for them, just go to their profile)

Step 2 - How To Send Your Introduction Message for Instagram for Blogging

3. When youโ€™re on their profile, click on โ€œMessageโ€ to send them a DM

Step 3 - How To Send Your Introduction Message for Instagram for Blogging

4. Insert your โ€œIntroโ€ Saved Reply and hit Send

Step 4 - How To Send Your Introduction Message for Instagram for Blogging

2. Send a Follow Up Message

Like I said, sometimes people will respond to my intro message. But they usually donโ€™t. So then I send them a follow up message. 

And even if they do respond to my first message, I still send the follow up message. Thatโ€™s because I want to take it a step further by offering something of value to my new followers. 

This is how you grow your email list!

Offer them an opt-in freebie or access to your free resource library. Make sure you include a link to the landing page on your blog. This gives them a quick way to sign up for your email list while also giving them a goodie.

*PRO TIP: Do NOT use the landing pages offered by your email service provider. Thatโ€™s just driving traffic to their website instead of your blog (boo!). Instead, create landing pages for your freebies on your blog to drive traffic straight to your site and capitalize on those visitors.

By giving them a specific reason to visit your blog, this follow up message will drive traffic to your site. And at the same time, it also makes it easy for your followers to sign up for your email list! #winwin

Let me tell youโ€ฆ Offering free resources in a follow up message has been a huge hit with my followers!

Even if my followers donโ€™t respond to my initial introduction message, most of them do respond to my follow up message.

And so many people have replied to my follow up freebie offer with excitement and a heartfelt thank you. How rewarding is that?!

Here are some replies Iโ€™ve received to my follow up message from people who didnโ€™t respond to my first intro messageโ€ฆ

Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Follow Up Message Response
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Follow Up Message Response
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Follow Up Message Response
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Follow Up Message Response

I love giving my Instagram followers something that will be helpful to them. And in return, itโ€™s given my email list an amazing boost in subscribers!

How To Send Your Follow Up Message

1. Before you start sending your intro message to your new followers, start each day on Instagram by first going into your Messages

Step 1 - How To Send Your Follow Up Message for Instagram for Blogging

2. Look for the intro messages you previously sent the day before, and click to open them one by one

Step 2 - How To Send Your Follow Up Message for Instagram for Blogging

3. Send those people another message as a follow up offering them a freebie 

Iโ€™ve found that this is the easiest way to send follow up messages to people Iโ€™ve already sent my intro message to. 

Rather than sending a bunch of intro messages to new followers and then trying to figure out who I need to send a follow up message to, I can just get the follow up messages out of the way first. 

Itโ€™s much more simple to track messages this way. And I can make sure I donโ€™t miss anyone. When youโ€™re using Instagram for blogging, every follower counts!

You may also like: How to Get Free Instagram Followers: Gain 500+ New Instagram Followers in 1 Week

3. Reply to Message Responses

I always reply to people who respond to my messages. And I highly recommend that you do the same. This is how you connect with your followers and build a relationship with them.

If they take the time to reply, return the favor. Make the effort to DM them back. By acknowledging their message, youโ€™re showing them that you actually took the time to read their message and respond.

This goes a long way! And theyโ€™ll remember you for it. Theyโ€™ll also be more inclined to take the time to engage with your posts going forward. This will be a huge factor in your organic Instagram growth!

As far as the response itself, I have a generic Saved Reply I typically use to respond. But if they tell me something personal about themselves (like their name or details about their situation), I try to use that information in my response to personalize it.

I also tell them to let me know if thereโ€™s anything I donโ€™t have yet in the way of a freebie that theyโ€™d find helpful. By asking for feedback, Iโ€™m keeping the line of communication open. Itโ€™s also a good way to potentially get helpful ideas of new opt-in freebies to create.

Iโ€™ve had incredible success with this Instagram for blogging strategy and the messages I use! In fact, here are some of the responses Iโ€™ve received from my followers after messaging themโ€ฆ

Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers
Instagram for Blogging Saved Replies Responses from Followers

But feel free to mix things up and create your own messages. Just make sure you follow my 3-step Instagram for blogging strategy with DMing:

  1. Reach out to your new followers to introduce yourself and thank them for following you
  2. Offer them something of value
  3. Always reply to them if they message you back

You may also like: 10 Easy Tips for How To Grow Instagram Followers Organically

BONUS TIP: Another Crucial Way To Use Instagram for Blogging

Besides just new followers, everyone else who visits your Instagram profile and checks out your posts also needs to be converted into blog visitors and email subscribers!

But how do you convert them? With the one link youโ€™re allowed to include in your Instagram bio.

You need to make that link count and promote your blog on Instagram!

Instead of just sending your Instagram audience to one link, you should direct them to a landing page featuring multiple links. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA) in your Instagram bio giving folks a reason to click on your link.

Divi Template for Instagram Links Page shown on Phone

Also, use your post captions as a CTA by telling your audience to click on the link in your bio. That way you can reference blog posts, freebies, products, or more in your Instagram posts. 

So where do you get one of these landing pages? There are Instagram bio link tool landing pages you could use like Tailwindโ€™s Smart.bio, Laterโ€™s Linkin.bio, or Linktr.ee. But with those services, youโ€™re sending your blog traffic from Instagram to another website rather than your blog. Boo for stolen traffic!

You should be sending your Instagram audience directly to your blog! And the way you do that is by creating a landing page on your website for all the links you want your Instagram audience to have easy access to.

Iโ€™ve actually made a template for an Instagram Links Landing Page that you can fully customize with your branding and links! Grab yours here!

You may also like: 5 Creative Ways to Promote Your Blog on Instagram For Free

Get Your Divi Template for Instagram Links Landing Page

Wrapping Up How To Use Instagram for Blogging to Skyrocket Your Blog Growth

Now that you know what Saved Replies are all about and how to integrate them into your blogging game, you should be ready to start DMing your new Instagram followers with them.

This underutilized and easy to implement Instagram for blogging strategy will take your blog to the next level by growing both your blog traffic and your email list!

And on top of that, it will also boost your engagement on Instagram to grow your Instagram followers! Itโ€™s a win-Win-WIN! Whatโ€™s not to love?!

Grab the FREE Instagram Saved Replies Swipe File for the exact messages I use that you can customize to your liking. Then get started with Saved Replies today and watch Instagram skyrocket your blog!

And while youโ€™re at it, get your Instagram Links Landing Page Template too! Use it to grow your traffic by driving your Instagram audience directly to your blog or website.

Leave a question or comment here!

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How To Use Instagram for Blogging
How To Use Instagram for Blogging
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18 Comments

  1. Kayla DiMaggio

    Wow! I had never heard of saved replies before! This was fascinating and I am going to give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      This strategy is going to completely change your Instagram and blogging game, Kayla! So excited for you to try it out and start using Saved Replies to boost your blog traffic!

      Reply
  2. Miranda Balogh

    This strategy is very well thought out. I had never heard of saved replies and I had never considered sending introduction messages. You’ve given me some helpful new ideas, so thanks for sharing them!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Thanks so much, Miranda! I hope you start implementing this Instagram strategy for bloggers and see a huge boost in both your Instagram engagement and your blog traffic!

      Reply
  3. George McMillan, Jr.

    Wow. This was by far the most useful Instagram strategy post for bloggers I’ve ever read. I do receive save replies every now and then but never knew there was a specific name or strategy for them. Just figured they were automated responses. And most were annoying, didn’t include links, and were just asking me to follow someone else or join their coaching program. I’m going to try this out, thanks!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Thank you, George! You just made my day! ๐Ÿฅฐ So happy to hear that you found this post helpful and are going to give this Instagram strategy a try.

      Reply
  4. Aditi Jain

    I love IG growth hacks. Being a social media manager, setting systems to get the most out of your socials is really important. Have been meaning to try out the introduction message for a while now. Looks like will finally give it a try.

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Right, Aditi?! I love Instagram growth hacks too! And this Instagram strategy has been super helpful to me as a blogger. I’m glad you’re going to give it a try. Saved Replies will be your new BFF! ๐Ÿคฉ

      Reply
  5. Kyle | Coding in Crayon

    I really want to grow an IG account for my blog, but I’m lost.

    I greatly appreciate this strategy as I am super new to the platform for business.

    Thanks so much for this great tip, both of them!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Happy to help, Kyle! ๐Ÿ˜ Instagram is overwhelming enough as it is. But when you’re trying to use Instagram to promote a blog, it can be downright scary and feel like a lost cause. When you use this strategy though along with my other Instagram posts, you’ll be well on your way to Instagram for blogging success!

      Reply
  6. Karen | Online Blog & Business Help

    Oooh, I didn’t know about the saved replies feature! Thank you for this! This will save me some time for sure. I love a good social media hack!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Yay for social media hacks! ๐ŸŽ‰ You’re going to love the Saved Replies, Karen! They’re a must-have for how much time they’ll save you as well as how much engagement they’ll get you and traffic they’ll drive to your blog. #gamechanger

      Reply
  7. Nina

    Great post. Instagram can be overwhelming for some. I will definitely share with my branding and marketing clients. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Thanks, Nina! There’s so much that goes into using Instagram. It can definitely be overwhelming, especially without a helpful strategy. I appreciate you sharing this post with your clients and hope they find it helpful!

      Reply
  8. Kari

    Such a detailed post! I love screenshot instructions as I am a very visual learner! Thanks for making it easy to start using your Instagram tips!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      I’m the exact same way, Kari – very visual! ๐Ÿ‘€ Glad you found the instructions clear with the screenshots. Hope this Instagram strategy works as good for you as it has for me!

      Reply
  9. simplyjolayne

    Thanks for sharing about the saved responses. I had no idea. Now I can up my Instagram Game even more!

    Reply
    • Briana Nickas

      Your blogging and Instagram games won’t know what hit them once you start using this strategy with Saved Replies! ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
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