In this article, you can learn how to automate all of those DM conversations in your Instagram Messages.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to get your Instagram account started and set up.
1. Create a Facebook Business page
2. Create an Instagram account
3. Link your Facebook business page to your Instagram account
4. Sign up for Manychat
5. Learn all of the key features
6. Prepare your flows!
Create a Facebook Business Page
Before heading to your Instagram account, you’ll need to create a Facebook Business page. This is a crucial step for later on when creating your Instagram account.
In order to connect Instagram (IG) to Manychat, your IG account must be connected to a Facebook Business page.
Follow the steps below:
- Find Pages in the left-hand sidebar in Facebook:
- Click create new page
- Fill out the appropriate details.
- By default, this should appear to be a Business Page, but it's always a good idea to double-check. You'll see some business management tools on the left-hand side. Leave this page open.
Create an Instagram account.
Examples include:
- @mydoggie
- @waterbottle
- @1234
Follow the steps below to create your account:
- Go to your profile.
- Click on your photo in the bottom right.
- Click on your handle name at the top.
- Click on your handle name to open up the slider.
- Click “Log in or Create a New Account”.
Select “Create New Account”
- Create your account handle.
Fill out additional information and then opt to SKIP connecting to Facebook. You’ll do this step later in the process.
How to turn your Instagram account into a Business or Creator account
In order to use Instagram Automation by Manychat, you need to turn your new IG account into a Business or Creator account.
Note: If your account has over 500k+ followers, you must use a Business account.
Use this step-by-step guide to turn your account into a Business or Creator profile.
- First, go to your account profile.
- Click the “hamburger” icon in the top right of your profile.
- This opens a slider window.
- Click Settings>Account
Scroll down to the bottom of your settings and you’ll see a blue button to Switch to a Professional Account
- Next, you’ll see “Get a Free Professional Account”.
- Click Continue.
- Provide the category information that is being asked.
- Click Continue.
- Either select Business or Creater here.
- Select Next.
Connect your Instagram account to Facebook
One of the final steps of creating a Business account is to connect it to Facebook.
Because you’ve already created a Facebook Business page, you can connect it from Instagram. Otherwise, you can connect Instagram to Facebook from the Facebook page.
Follow the steps below to connect your IG account to Facebook:
- Pick the Facebook Business Page that you created earlier.
- Click Next.
Here’s how to connect Instagram to Facebook from the Facebook page if you accidentally skipped the previous step.
- First, navigate to your Facebook page, and on the left sidebar, scroll down to where you can see the Settings button.
- Click on Settings.
- In Settings, scroll down to Instagram.
- Click “Connect Account”.
- Give access and click “Continue”.
If "Connected Instagram Account" appears in your Settings, then your Instagram account and Facebook Business Page are connected.
Note that some delays with connection are possible. If you encounter an unknown error, first, wait 5 minutes and refresh the page. It's possible that Facebook takes some time to connect the page prorely.
If that doesn't help, check the connection troublesshoting guide.
How to create a Manychat account for Instagram Automation
At this stage, you should have the following:
- An Instagram Business account
- A Facebook Business Page
- An IG account and Facebook Business Page connected together
Now, you can now sign up for a Manychat Instagram Automation account.
Sign up for a new ManyChat account
You can create a new account by going to ManyChat.com or from within your ManyChat account.
If you already have a ManyChat account, we recommend that you create a new account for this Instagram account.
- Go to your existing ManyChat account and in the bottom left, click “My Profile.”
Click “Add New Account”.
- Next, go through the ManyChat account creation process.
- Select Instagram as your channel.
- Select your Instagram account. If you don’t see your account, click the support article down below.
- Complete the on-boarding questionnaire
- If you encounter any issues with connecting your Instagram account, If that doesn't help, check the connection troublesshoting guide.
After you've created a ManyChat account on Instagram, review any of the instructional tours to learn how to use key Instagram Automation features.
Instagram Automation features and Flows
Now you’re all connected.
The image above is your “home base” of ManyChat. From here you can access:
- Instructional tours
- Instagram Automation Video Course
- Case studies
- One-click install Templates
- And more content to help you get inspired and started
Since you now have access to Instagram Automation via this account, we highly recommend that you also build out Flows that you expect to use on your account.
Once you build your Flows, you can easily copy and paste them to your account. While you won’t be able to “export” Flows to another account, you can simply copy and paste them by using the trusted Cmd +C and Cmd + P!
If you really want to be ambitious, you can always create templates of your own Flows, and then “install” your own Template to your account. This approach allows you to save and install other ManyChat objects like Custom Fields, Tags, Conditions in one click. Check this guide on how to create Templates.
Watch the Instagram Automation Video Course to get started.
