Instagram Keyword DMs for Giveaways and Product Launches
A keyword campaign asks people to DM or comment a word, such as “WIN” or “EARLY”, to enter a giveaway or get early access to a launch. AeroChat replies to every keyword on Instagram, records each entry in Google Sheets or Airtable without duplicates, and adds people who opt in to Klaviyo or Mailchimp for the launch email.
What happens today
A giveaway post brings in hundreds of comments and DMs in a few hours. The team replies to as many as it can, copies usernames into a spreadsheet and tries to spot people who entered twice.
For a launch, people who asked for early access get a reply days later or not at all. When the product goes live, there is no clean list of who wanted it.
How it runs on Instagram
- Your post or story asks people to comment or DM a keyword, for example “EARLY”.
- AeroChat picks up the keyword in a comment or a DM. For comments, it sends one private reply to the person’s DMs.
- It checks your Google Sheet or Airtable for the username, so each person is entered once.
- For a giveaway, it explains the rules and the closing date from your knowledge base, and records the entry with the username and time.
- For a launch, it sends the early-access link or the launch date, and asks if they want an email when it goes live.
- If they say yes, it adds their email to Klaviyo or Mailchimp with the campaign tag.
- Questions about the prize, delivery or eligibility that it cannot answer go to your team in the inbox or on the mobile app.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When someone comments or messages “EARLY” (example) on Instagram, follow these steps.
- Search the Google Sheet “Launch list” (example) for their Instagram username. If they are already on it, say: “You’re already on the early-access list. We’ll be in touch on launch day.”
- If they are new, say: “You’re in. The new collection opens on 15 November (example). Want the early-access link by email?”
- If they say yes, ask for their email and add them to our Klaviyo list “Early access” (example).
- Add a row to the Google Sheet with their username, email if given, the date and the source (comment or DM).
- If they ask about prices or sizes, answer from our knowledge base.
- If they ask something we cannot answer, hand the conversation to our team.
Send only one private reply per comment. Reply in the customer’s language.
Change the keyword, date and list names to your own. For a giveaway, replace the launch steps with your rules and closing date. Pick the winner yourself from the sheet.
Connect the systems behind it
- Google Sheets. AeroChat checks for an existing entry and adds each new one as a row.
- Airtable. AeroChat records entries in your base if you run campaigns there.
- Klaviyo. AeroChat adds people who opt in to your launch list, tagged by campaign.
- Mailchimp. AeroChat adds subscribers to your audience with the campaign tag.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
Meta’s rules on Instagram
For keywords left as comments, Meta allows one private reply per comment, within 7 days of the comment. Keywords sent as DMs open a 24-hour window for automated replies. Instagram has no way to message entrants later outside those windows, so collect an email for launch-day news. Replies typed by your team, such as telling a winner they won, can go out within 7 days of the person’s last message.
Also on WhatsApp, TikTok and web chat
The same keyword workflow runs on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, the chat on your website and email, and entries from every channel land in the same sheet. See WhatsApp opt-in and opt-out handling.
Who uses it
Brands that run launches and giveaways use it, including fashion stores, beauty stores, restaurants and caterers and tuition centres filling holiday programmes.
Read more: using Instagram broadcast channels for a product launch.
Questions
How do I run a giveaway with keyword DMs on Instagram?
Ask people to comment or DM a keyword. AeroChat replies to each one, explains the rules and records the entry in a Google Sheet or Airtable, one row per person. You pick the winner from the sheet.
Can AeroChat stop people entering twice?
Yes. It checks the sheet for the Instagram username before it records an entry, and tells repeat entrants they are already in.
Can I message everyone who entered when the product launches?
Not on Instagram, unless they messaged you in the last 24 hours. That is why the recipe asks for an email and adds it to Klaviyo or Mailchimp for the launch-day message.
Which AeroChat plan do I need?
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. Starter includes 500 AI responses and 3 seats, Growth 2,000 and 10 seats, and Advanced 5,000 and 25 seats. Pick the plan by how many entries you expect.
Run your next launch on keyword DMs
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On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: comment to DM automation and ads that open an Instagram DM.