Since much of today’s communication is online, companies must reach customers where they are most active. Since Instagram is a leading visual and message platform, it is an important part of digital brand interactions. Instagram messaging in combination with Salesforce’s CRM system takes social media communication and turns it into information-rich customer management. If businesses want to get the most from Salesforce Instagram integration, they should look for creative ways to use it.
In this blog, we’ll look into five advanced ways to build smart messaging experiences using Salesforce’s Instagram tools. Using these techniques means you prioritize matching your workflow, sending relevant messages and having a set way of interacting, to create a messaging plan that is future-proof under Salesforce.
1. Develop routings that use Instagram actions
It’s easy to miss interaction-driven routing when looking at Salesforce’s Instagram integration. Instead of just saving incoming Instagram messages, companies can design workflows that sort the messages to the best agent or team based on the meaning within the messages.
With the 360 SMS App, you can associate your Instagram messages with Salesforce standard or custom objects and use logic to route them. For example:
- Messages that include the words “price” or “quote” can be directed automatically to your sales team.
- Complaints are transferred into support queues when they are recognized with specific language.
- As soon as someone follows your business account, a lead can be created and nurturing work assigned.
Because of this, response is faster, fewer messages are sent to the wrong address and social listening is added to regular CRM functions.
2. Include visual cues in your layout to cause Salesforce to take specific actions.
There’s more to Instagram than simply writing text. Images, videos or screenshots generally show if a product catches a buyer’s attention or addresses their issues. Few Instagram-Salesforce connections actually take advantage of images.
If businesses use smart tagging and AI recognition in Salesforce, along with platforms like 360 SMS and Salesforce Einstein Vision, they can scan incoming Instagram media for things they have set up to recognize. For example:
- Seeing a product screenshot can immediately record a user’s interest in that particular SKU.
- A damaged item in a picture can lead to a return or to support being requested.
- Having a story mention or tag can create a referral workflow.
As a result, the company changes unorganized content into events they can track in CRM and allows teams to grow their context-aware messaging with less effort from employees.
3. Move Instagram Message Threads into Permanent CRM Files
A lot of companies view Instagram DMs as quick or unimportant, causing important details to get lost. Every Salesforce message thread on Instagram needs to stay visible on the related record: lead, contact, opportunity or even case.
With 360 SMS, conversations are kept in threaded form inside Salesforce. This supports:
- One dashboard shows all of a team’s previous conversations with customers.
- Interactions are stored with a timestamp for use in compliance or resolving disputes
- You can see messages turn green when the information has been read and answered.
As a result, reps can all speak to customers in the same way, no matter if they move between roles or raise concerns to different departments. Waypoints in a customer’s journey prove to be helpful insights for analyzing their actions.
4. Customize your outreach using the analysis from Instagram data through Behavior Segmentation.
There’s more to Salesforce Instagram messaging than just support. You can contact your audience by reacting to likes, comments, who they follow and what they write on your story replies.
Thanks to apps like 360 SMS and those on AppExchange, you’re able to put Instagram involvement data into Salesforce fields. From this point, you can divide your recipients based on behavior, then run personal campaigns on their actions or send particular messages.
Examples include:
- A brand’s account feed may sometimes offer you a welcome message and a discount code.
- Many likes in a short time can mark a user as a high priority for the business.
- If someone comments on one of your posts, they may automatically be put into your custom nurture campaign.
Because of this behaviour-based segmentation, we send messages when they mean the most to the recipient and focus on what they like the most.
5. Make sure there is consent and compliance in everything you do on Instagram.
Just as SMS and email must do, Instagram direct messaging also needs to consider user consent, privacy and signing up for the service. When you add Instagram messaging to Salesforce, make sure your strategy follows the rules for gaining people’s full consent.
There are tools in 360 SMS that let you handle opt-ins right inside Salesforce, including opt-ins from Instagram. Every message, whether it comes in or goes out, can be saved for checking and if someone opts out or reports a problem, the following messages are immediately blocked.
Working with GDPR- and TCPA-aware tools allows you to integrate with Instagram Messaging APIs in alignment with the law. If workflows are properly structured, users will not get promotional messages if they have opted out and the reversal of consent will apply to every channel at once.
How Instagram Can Become a Formal CRM System
Instagram isn’t just for branding or influencers now—it’s the main place customers go to ask questions, offer feedback and indicate they want to buy. By linking their Instagram messaging to Salesforce, companies are able to work with those signals using systems of orderly data, smart routing and compliance.
360 SMS allows you to use your Salesforce environment with Instagram in ways that go much deeper than basic messaging. By using cross-channel mapping, intent-aware workflows and one conversation history, teams can now combine social interactions into their CRM system.
If you want your team to use Salesforce with Instagram messaging, first ensure the platform you select supports automatic mapping, workflow triggers and tracking behaviours—and proceed from that base.
Do You Want Instagram Direct Messages Connected to Your Salesforce Strategy?See how the 360 SMS App supports turning your Instagram activities into a larger and integrated sales communication platform. Route your request for a demo to see how your organization can move from unstructured replies to better organization within Salesforce.