Most creators we talk to want the same thing: content that brings money, not just views. The reel already works and hundreds of people comment. What happens next, in the DMs, decides whether any of it turns into sales.
This autumn we talked with creators and small brands that use Chatfuel about what happens after the comment, and looked at the public side of their funnels: captions, comments and bios. Three comment-to-DM funnels came up again and again, and they build on each other. Most creators start with a link, add a consultation when people start asking for help, and grow into a ladder once Instagram becomes the business. Which one fits you today depends on one question: what do you sell?
First, the rule behind every DM funnel
After a comment, Instagram lets you send the person one private message. Until they reply, you can't send another. Once they reply, the conversation can continue. So the first DM has one job: get a reply. A short question does it ("Want the link? Just reply YES"). A message that is only a link doesn't, and the people who don't click are gone.
Funnel 1: The link funnel
Who it's for: you sell something ready: a course, a template, a printable, a product in your shop. Or you're just starting and want the simplest thing that works.
How it works: the caption says "Comment GUIDE". The person comments, gets a short public reply, and the DM brings the link. It's simple, quick to launch and the most common funnel we see.
A first DM that works: "Here's your guide! Quick question: are you just starting out or already selling? I'll send you the one tip that matters most for you." The link goes out, and the question gives the person a reason to reply. Their answer opens the conversation, and you learn who they are.
Where it usually breaks: the link is the only message. People who open the DM later, or don't click, never hear from you again. And the questions people leave under the post (the price, shipping, "do you ship to my country?") go unanswered, even though they come from buyers.
What makes it work: a first DM with a reason to reply, answers to the questions people actually ask, and one reminder for the people who went quiet.
What to count: replies to the first DM, sales.
You've outgrown it when people keep asking things the link doesn't answer: "Is this right for me?", "Can you look at my situation?". They're asking for you, not for the file. That's the next funnel.
Funnel 2: The consultation funnel for coaches and experts
Who it's for: you don't have a recorded course, or your best product is you: consultations, coaching, sessions, treatments. Your content shows what you know, and the business is the call or the appointment.
How it works: the comment gets a free resource, like a checklist or a short guide. Then the conversation asks one or two questions about the person's situation. People who fit get a booking. People who aren't ready get a smaller next step.
What the conversation looks like:
- The checklist arrives with one question: "Which of these feels hardest for you right now?"
- The person answers: "Number 3. I never know what to charge."
- The reply: "That's the most common one, and it's exactly what we sort out in a 30-minute call. Want me to send you a few times this week?"
Three messages, and a stranger from the comments is booking a call about their own problem.
Where it usually breaks: the free part arrives, and the paid part never appears in the chat: it lives only in the link in bio. People who write back with a real situation and a deadline get the same link as everyone else. And a call booked by text ("does Thursday work?") without a reminder often turns into a no-show.
What makes it work: after the free resource, ask about the situation, offer the call to the people who fit, and send a reminder before it. Send anything sensitive to a human.
What to count: calls booked, calls that happened, calls that became clients.
You've outgrown it when your calendar is full and the same questions come up in every call. That's knowledge you can package into a product, and the start of a ladder.
Funnel 3: The upsell ladder
Who it's for: you want Instagram to be the business, not a side channel. You have free things people love and more than one paid product: something small to start with, a main program, maybe a membership.
How it works: the comment gets the free thing, the free thing points to a small paid step, and the small step leads to the main one. Over days and weeks, the conversation moves the person up:
| Step | What it is | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Guide, recipe, quiz, checklist | Brings the comment and the first reply |
| Small paid step | A short consultation, a mini-course, a starter kit | The first purchase; shows you what the person needs |
| Core | Program, class, course, treatment | The main sale |
| Recurring | Membership, monthly group session, refills | Keeps the person with you |
Where it usually breaks: the ladder runs over weeks, but the conversation doesn't. "Message us on WhatsApp for details" sends the hottest people to a personal phone, with no history of what they asked. Instagram only lets you write within 24 hours of the person's last message. And the person who bought the first step becomes just another chat in the inbox, so nobody offers them the second.
Why automation matters most here. A ladder is a long relationship, and you can't keep it in your head. You need to know, for every person, what they got, what they asked, what they bought and when they went quiet. Good automation keeps that history for you, shows who's on which step and who's ready for the next one, and follows up on its own. Without it, the ladder exists only on paper.
Where the upsells are. Most of the money in a ladder comes after the first purchase:
- A fitness creator: a free 7-day plan, then a paid 4-week program. In week 3: "How's it going? Want to keep the rhythm after week 4?" leads to monthly coaching.
- A baking teacher: a free recipe, then a paid online class. The week after the class, people who bought it get an offer for the advanced class or an ingredient kit.
- A nutrition coach: a free checklist, then a paid consultation, then a 3-month program. When it ends, monthly check-ins keep the client.
- A skincare brand: a routine quiz, then a starter set. A refill reminder goes out before the set runs out.
- An educator who runs live events: a free training, then an event ticket. People who showed up get a VIP upgrade or a mentorship offer.
The moments to watch for are the same in every niche: right after a purchase, when someone asks about something beyond their current step, when a past buyer comes back with a question, and before something runs out.
What to count: contacts collected, people who moved up a step, repeat purchases.
How to pick your DM funnel
| You sell | Funnel | First DM | Next step | What to count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A ready product: course, file, item | Link funnel | The link plus a reason to reply | A reminder for those who went quiet | Replies, sales |
| Your time: calls, sessions, treatments | Consultation funnel | The free resource plus a question | Qualify, then book | Calls booked and held |
| Several products, from free to paid | Ladder | "Where should I send it?" | The next step over days and weeks | Step-ups, repeat purchases |
You don't have to pick forever. Start with the funnel that matches what you sell today, and move up when your DMs tell you to.
Where Chatfuel fits
Fuely AI runs the conversation behind each funnel: it replies to the comment, talks in the DMs the way you would, collects a contact, books the call and hands the chat to you when a human is needed. Every chat keeps its history and the contact details the AI collected, leads move through stages as they go, and the same AI can pick up on WhatsApp, so the next step doesn't depend on someone's personal phone. For step-by-step setup, see our help center.
Summary
- Instagram gives you one message after a comment until the person replies, so the first DM's job is to get a reply.
- Ready product: the link funnel. Give a reason to reply, and remind the people who went quiet.
- You sell your time: the consultation funnel. Ask about the situation after the free resource and book the people who fit.
- Instagram is the business: the ladder. Keep the whole history in one place, and offer the next step at the right moment.
FAQs
What is an Instagram DM funnel?
It's the path from a comment to a sale, run inside Instagram DMs. The caption asks people to comment a word, an automation sends them a private message, and the conversation takes them to a link, a booking or a purchase.
Why do people comment but never click the link?
Usually because the link was the only message they got. If they open the DM later, there's nothing to bring them back. Give them a reason to reply, then follow up.
Can I message someone again if they didn't reply to my first DM?
Not after a comment. Instagram allows one message until the person answers. That's why the first DM should invite a reply.
Which DM funnel is best for coaches without a course?
The consultation funnel. Give a free resource, ask about the person's situation, and offer a call to the people who fit.
How do I upsell people who already bought from me?
Keep their history: what they bought, what they asked, when they went quiet. Then offer the next step at a natural moment: right after a purchase, when the current program is ending, or when they come back with a question.
How do I move people from Instagram DMs to WhatsApp?
Ask for the number as the way to receive something, and continue there with the context of what they asked. Outside the 24-hour window, WhatsApp messages go out as approved templates.
