Instagram Product Recommendations From Your Catalogue
Product recommendations on Instagram mean a customer who asks “what would you suggest?” in your DMs gets the answer a good shop assistant would give. AeroChat asks a few questions about what they need, picks matching products that are in stock from Shopify, a Google Sheet, Airtable or Square, sends the links, and records the customer’s interest so your next message to them is relevant.
What happens today
Customers DM “which one is best for me?” after seeing a post. Answering well takes a few questions and a look at what is in stock, so the reply is short or late.
The person answering recommends what they remember, not what is in stock. What the customer said they wanted is lost when the DM thread scrolls away.
How it runs on Instagram
- A customer asks for a suggestion in a DM, a story reply or a comment. For a comment, AeroChat replies privately and continues in DMs.
- It asks two or three questions, such as who it is for, budget, size, skin type or occasion.
- It reads your catalogue and stock, and picks two or three products that match and are available.
- It sends each product with the price, one line on why it fits, and the link.
- It writes what the customer was looking for to your records, such as a row in a sheet or tags on their profile in Klaviyo, when they share an email.
- If the customer wants a personal consultation or a custom order, it hands the conversation to your team with their answers.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When someone on Instagram asks what we recommend, follow these steps.
- Ask who it is for and what they need it for. For skincare, ask their skin type. For clothing, ask their usual size (example).
- Ask their budget if they have not said.
- Pick up to three products from our store that match and are in stock in their size. Never suggest an item that is out of stock.
- For each product, send the name, price, one sentence on why it suits them, and the link.
- If they want to be told about new arrivals, ask for their email, then add them in Klaviyo with the tag Interest: their choice (example).
- If they ask for a video consultation or a custom piece, hand the conversation to our stylist team (example).
Do not push a product they have said no to. Reply in the customer’s language.
Change the questions to the ones that matter for your products.
Connect the systems behind it
- Google Sheets: products, stock and the attributes AeroChat matches on, such as skin type or occasion.
- Airtable: a product base with tags and stock that AeroChat filters to pick matches.
- Klaviyo: saves what the customer was looking for as profile tags, for your later email campaigns.
- Square: live catalogue and stock for shops that sell through Square.
- Shopify, WordPress and Instagram catalogues. Built in. AeroChat reads products, variants and stock directly.
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
A business can message someone on Instagram only after they message first, and automated replies must go within 24 hours of their last message. Product suggestions and promotions are allowed inside that window. A person on your team can reply by hand within a separate 7-day window, which is not for automated replies. A comment allows one private reply within 7 days of the comment. After a click-to-Instagram-Direct ad, you can reply for up to 7 days from the customer’s first message.
Also on WhatsApp, TikTok and web chat
The same workflow runs on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, web chat and email, from the same catalogue.
Who uses it
- Fashion stores: outfits suggested by occasion and size, from what is in stock.
- Beauty stores: routines suggested by skin type and concern.
Read more: Conversational selling through Instagram DMs.
Questions
Can AeroChat recommend products in Instagram DMs?
Yes. It asks what the customer needs, picks matching in-stock products from your catalogue and sends them with prices and links.
Will it recommend something that is sold out?
No. It reads stock when it picks products, and the recipe tells it to skip anything out of stock in the customer’s size.
Can I send recommendations to customers later?
Only within 24 hours of their last message for automated replies, or by hand within 7 days. For later offers, ask for an email and use your email tool, or WhatsApp with the customer’s opt-in.
Which plan do I need?
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. Starter has 500 AI responses and 3 seats, Growth 2,000 and 10 seats with payment links, and Advanced 5,000 and 25 seats.
Give every Instagram shopper a personal suggestion
Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store
Not on Shopify? Start your 7-day free trial.
Related: product questions and payment links in Instagram DMs.