Not-so-spoiler alert: you don’t own your Instagram followers. If Instagram goes down (remember that random afternoon when everything froze and you thought, “What do I even do now?”), you lose access to your audience.
Even when it’s running smoothly, only about 10% of your followers see your posts, which means your hard work is only doing about 10% of what it could be doing.
That’s why I started building bridges from social to something I actually own: my email list. No algorithms, no “account disabled” messages, no praying my content gets pushed to the right people.
And the best part? Email subscribers convert. On average, each one can bring in about $1 per month in revenue, and unlike followers, they’re people who’ve raised their hand to hear directly from you.
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Why Moving My Audience from Instagram to Email Changed Everything for Me
A few years ago, during a big launch, Instagram had one of its infamous outages right as I was opening cart. I remember sitting there thinking, “All of my eggs are in a basket that just crashed.”
That was my lightbulb moment: I needed a way to stay connected to my people no matter what. That’s when I got serious about list-building, and when I found Manychat.
It changed how I show up on social media. Now, even when I take a social break or post less often, my email list keeps growing quietly in the background.
Let’s say someone sends you a DM, like, “Hey, I’m interested in your course.” Instead of manually answering hundreds of these messages every day, you let Manychat send your followers the information they need. Manychat automatically responds to the message for you based on how you’d like it to respond for you!
So let’s walk through how you can set that same system up: one that keeps working while you’re living your life, not glued to your phone.
It’s still all me and one of my favorite tools that transformed how I launch, promote, and sell on Instagram. (And if you’ve never tried it, you can get a FREE month of Manychat Pro when you click here and use the code JENNA)
How to Grow Your Email List Using Manychat (The 3-Step Formula That Works)
One of the most effective ways to grow your email lists is by giving away a freebie, like a checklist, masterclass, or eBook. Make sure you’re offering something of clear value, so your audience can’t resist handing over their email address in exchange for your freebie.
My three-easy-step Manychat strategy:
- Create a post or Reel promoting your freebie.
Example: “Want my free masterclass on list-building? Comment MASTERCLASS below and I’ll DM you the link!” - Add your magic keyword.
This keyword (“MASTERCLASS”) is what triggers your automation. - Let Manychat do the rest.
Once someone comments your keyword, they’ll automatically receive a DM asking for their email address and a link to your freebie.
With this single strategy, you’re tackling a handful of goals all at once. You’re saving dozens of hours a week, serving your followers, ramping up your engagement, connecting people to your offers, and growing your email list.
That’s how you turn casual followers into email subscribers without spending hours responding manually.
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Step-by-Step: How I Set Up My First Manychat Automation
I still remember setting up my first automation, and honestly? I was surprised by how simple it was. Within minutes, I had my first workflow live and working perfectly. Once I saw that first email roll in automatically, I thought, “Um, why didn’t I do this sooner?”
Through this step-by-step guide, you’ll see visually what setting up your automation will look like so that the process of message automation doesn’t feel overwhelming. Try this template and see what happens when you launch your first Manychat automation!
First, create your Manychat account and then connect your Instagram account. (Be sure to use code JENNA to get a FREE month of Manychat Pro!)
From there, you’ll start to link together your automation plan (i.e. what you want to happen when someone comments that trigger word).
To build your automation, go to Manychat.com and follow these steps:
1. Create your Manychat account
Start your own account and connect your Instagram profile. (Use code JENNA for a free month of Manychat Pro!)
2. Start a New Automation
From your dashboard, click Automation → New Automation and give it a name you’ll recognize later (trust me, this helps when you start running more than one).
3. Select “Instagram” as your starting point.
Your audience will engage with your trigger word, like commenting it under your Instagram post or in your DMs as a reply to your Instagram stories.
4. Capture their email address.
Add a “User Input” step. This is the part where Manychat asks for their email address. Choose “Email” as the reply type, turn both toggles on green, and you’re good to go.
Connecting Manychat to Your Email Platform
Before your automation can deliver those emails into your list, you’ll need to connect your email provider.
Manychat integrates directly with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and Hubspot.
If you’re using my favorite platform, the ever-innovative Flodesk, connect it through Zapier or Make. The first time I set it up, I was shocked by how easy it was. It took less than 10 minutes and it’s been seamless ever since.
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Once you’ve connected your email software, head back to your Manychat automation and follow these steps:
- Inside Manychat, click “Actions”
2. Choose your email provider or Zapier connection.
3. Follow the pop-up instructions to ensure each new subscriber gets added to your email list.
Run a quick test to make sure it’s working (yes, I sent a message to myself just to check… highly recommend).
Setting Up the Magic Keyword Trigger
This is the fun part: where your automation actually comes to life.
In the same automation, we’re going to set up a keyword trigger that fires up when someone comments the word “masterclass.” The strategy with choosing a good trigger word is that it’s specific to the offer you’re sharing.
- Click “+ New Trigger.”
2. Choose “User comments on your post or Reel.”
3. Pick the post you want this automation to work on.
4. Add your keyword (like “MASTERCLASS”) and don’t forget to include variations like “MasterClass” or “masterclass.”
5. Optional: add a comment reply like, “Check your DMs for the link!”
6. Save your automation, set the trigger to “Comment Reply,” and click Set Live.
And that’s it! Your automation is live! Now, every time someone types your magic word on your post or Reel, they’ll receive your message in the DMs where you deliver your freebie, and you ask for their email address.
When I did this the first time, I refreshed my DMs every few minutes just to watch it work. (It’s a little addictive, consider yourself warned.)
Tips for Converting Followers Into Subscribers (From Real Experience)
Once your automation is live, don’t just set it and forget it. Test, tweak, and make it part of your ongoing strategy.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way:
- Make your posts irresistible. Think like your audience. What would make you pause the scroll? The clearer your offer, the better your conversions.
- Show up consistently. You can re-share the same automation multiple times with new Reels or captions. I do this all the time, and it’s how I keep growing my list without constantly reinventing the wheel.
- Experiment with your DM copy. I’ve tested messages like “Drop your email below” versus “Where should I send your freebie?” The second one always performs better, because it feels more personal.
- Keep your keyword simple. Avoid something too long or complex. (Learned that the hard way when I tried “LISTBUILDINGMASTERCLASS.” Don’t do it.)
Keep in mind that you don’t have to overthink your offer. It just needs to be compelling enough for someone to want to give you their email address. And if you’re just starting from scratch, don’t panic. Everyone starts at zero. I did, too.
If you’re sitting at the email list-building starting line with a question mark on where to even begin, sign up for my free training where I’ll share my 3 secrets to go from ZERO subscribers (or zero strategy) to an engaged email list of buyers.
Don’t stay comfortably uncomfortable on social media if tomorrow, one glitch could mean you losing all your traction, audience, or entire account. Even if Manychat simply gets you out of your phone and into the parts of your business that need you even more, I would count that as a win. But as you’ll discover, it can help you do so much more!
Get your first month of Manychat Pro for FREE!
Use code “JENNA” when you sign up to get a full month of FREE messaging automation!
