top of page
Group 1680481172.png

Case Study: 5K Followers in 30 Days Using ReplyRush DM Automation

  • Writer: Denish Vithani
    Denish Vithani
  • Aug 28
  • 5 min read

TL;DR: A lifestyle creator grew +5,127 followers, generated $8,420 in direct sales, and collected 2,311 emails in 30 days by launching a comment‑to‑DM workflow with ReplyRush. The playbook below shows the exact setup, scripts, metrics, and iteration schedule so you can replicate it


ree

1) Creator Profile & Starting Point

  • Niche: Lifestyle & beauty tips (Reels-first strategy)

  • Starting audience: 24,380 IG followers; average 18K views per Reel

  • Monetization: Affiliate links + a $29 digital preset pack

  • Problem: High engagement on Reels, but low link clicks because followers rarely visit bio/links later

  • Hypothesis: Turning comments into instant DMs would remove friction, boost link clicks, and convert warm interest on the spot


Primary KPI: follower growth


Secondary KPIs: DM opt‑ins, link click‑through rate (CTR), email captures, revenue from tracked UTM links


2) Experiment Design (30‑Day Sprint)

  • Objective: Add 5K net new followers and generate $5K+ in revenue within 30 days

  • Levers:

    1. Comment ➝ instant Auto DM with the offer and link

    2. Follow‑Gated DMs: bonus preset given only after user follows

    3. SendBack reminders to non‑clickers (24–48h later)

    4. Story Replies ➝ DM: capture viewers who reply to polls/quizzes

    5. Email Collector inside DM for long‑term nurture

  • Measurement: UTM links per campaign; GA4 + Instagram Insights; ReplyRush analytics


Success criteria: ≥ 5,000 new followers, CTR ≥ 35% from DM, email capture rate ≥ 20%


3) ReplyRush Setup (Exact Steps)

This is the precise configuration used in the case study. Adjust copy to match your niche.

  1. Connect Accounts

    • Instagram set as Creator account; linked Facebook Page

    • Connect IG + FB inside ReplyRush

  2. Create Campaign: “Preset Launch – July”

    • Trigger: Comments containing any of: preset, filters, edit, send, link, buy

    • Comment Auto‑Reply (public): 12 rotating variants confirming “DM sent”

    • Auto DM (first message):

      • Script A (see §6) with preview + CTA button “Get Presets”

      • Attach UTM link: ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=dm&utm_campaign=preset_launch&utm_content=scriptA

  3. Enable Follow‑Gated Bonus

    • If not following ➝ user receives a quick prompt: “Follow to unlock a free sample preset”

    • On follow, send bonus DM with sample + tutorial

  4. SendBack Reminders

    • 24h after first DM if no link click ➝ SendBack Message #1

    • 48h after if still no click ➝ SendBack Message #2 (value-led, not pushy)

  5. Email Collector

    • After link click, ask: “Want my 3-day editing mini‑course?” ➝ collect email (1‑tap form)

  6. Stories & Live

    • Add a story keyword (“PRESET”) + quiz

    • Anyone who replies “PRESET” or engages with the quiz gets the same DM flow

  7. Safety & Compliance

    • Daily caps set per ReplyRush recommendations

    • Message spacing to avoid spam‑like bursts

    • Clear opt‑out: “Reply STOP to opt out.”


4) Creative & Content Plan (4‑Week Calendar)

Week

Focus Reel Themes

CTA to Trigger Comments

Bonus/Follower Hook

1

Before/After edits, quick tips

“Comment PRESET if you want my settings”

Free sample preset after follow

2

Behind‑the‑scenes editing

“Type EDIT if you want my workflow PDF”

Workflow PDF gated by follow

3

UGC & testimonials

“Comment FILTERS for discount link”

15% off code (expires in 72h)

4

Timelapses, Q&A

“Type SEND to get my new release”

New preset bundle teaser + early‑bird pricing

Posting cadence: 5–6 Reels/week, 4–6 Stories/day featuring polls/quizzes.


5) Scripts That Converted (Copy You Can Reuse)

Public Comment Replies (rotate 12x)

  1. “DM sent ✅ check your inbox.”

  2. “Just messaged you the link 📩”

  3. “Got you! Look in DMs.”

  4. “Sent it—enjoy! ✨”

  5. “Shared via DM now.”

  6. “It’s in your inbox 👍”

  7. “Message delivered—have fun!”

  8. “All set! Check messages.”

  9. “Details sent privately 📥”

  10. “Pinged you in DMs!”

  11. “ReplyRush sent it instantly 🚀”

  12. “Just dropped it in your DMs.”


Auto DM – Script A (First Touch)

Subject line (preview): “Your editing presets + bonus”

“Hey! Here’s the preset pack I use on almost every Reel. Grab it below—plus I’ll send a free sample if you follow me now.


• Preset Pack ➝ [Get Presets] • 2‑min setup video included


If you want the free sample, just hit follow and I’ll unlock it automatically. Have questions? I’m right here.”


Follow‑Gate Bonus (after follow) “Thanks for the follow! 🎉 Here’s your free sample preset + a quick tutorial. If you love it, use SAMPLE15 for 15% off the full pack in the next 72 hours. [Download Sample]”


SendBack #1 (24h) “Quick nudge—did you still want the presets? The sample is free after you follow, and the full pack is discounted for 72 hours. [Get Presets]”


SendBack #2 (48h) “Last call on the intro discount. If it’s not the right time, no worries—save this link for later. [Get Presets] Reply STOP to opt out.”


Email Collector Prompt “Want my 3‑day editing mini‑course with Lightroom tips? I can send it via email so you can keep it. Drop your best email to receive Day 1 now.”


6) Tracking & Analytics

Links & UTM

  • Every message variant used a unique UTM utm_content for precise attribution

  • GA4 events: dm_click, checkout_start, purchase mapped to campaign names


ReplyRush Metrics Monitored

  • DM send volume, DM delivery rate

  • Keyword trigger hit rate per Reel

  • Click‑through rate (DM ➝ link)

  • Follow‑gate unlock rate

  • Email capture rate

  • SendBack recovery clicks


Instagram Insights

  • New followers per day, follower sources

  • Reel reach vs. comments and saves


7) Results (30 Days)

Follower Growth

  • Start: 24,380 → End: 29,507 (+5,127, +21%)


DM Performance

  • Unique users who received a DM: 12,640

  • Link CTR from first DM: 38.9%

  • Additional clicks from SendBacks: +13.2% incremental

  • Follow‑gate unlock rate: 41%

  • Emails collected: 2,311 (opt‑in rate: 22% of link clickers)


Revenue

  • Preset pack sales: $8,420 (UTM‑attributed)

  • Affiliate revenue lift (conservative): +$1,160


Costs

  • ReplyRush plan: Boost tier

  • Creative production: existing backlog (no extra spend)


ROI (direct)

  • Direct ROAS: >10x vs. tool cost

  • Lifetime lift expected via email list + new followers


8) What Actually Moved the Needle

  1. Frictionless timing: Comment ➝ immediate DM beat bio link by a wide margin

  2. Follow‑Gated bonus: Free sample tied to follow delivered 41% unlock rate

  3. SendBacks: Recovered ~13% more clicks from distracted users

  4. Story keyword: Extra surface area (non‑commenters still entered via DMs)

  5. Short CTAs: Capitalized keywords (PRESET, EDIT, SEND) boosted trigger accuracy


What didn’t work

  • Over‑explaining in the first DM (lower CTR). Keep it short ➝ link ➝ proof

  • Posting fewer than 4 stories/day reduced keyword triggers noticeably


9) Replicate It: Your 7‑Step Playbook

  1. Define one irresistible hook (e.g., sample preset, mini‑course, template)

  2. Create a ReplyRush campaign with 5–8 trigger keywords

  3. Write a 3‑line first DM + a clear button; attach a unique UTM link

  4. Turn on Follow‑Gated bonus that delivers immediate value (no bait‑and‑switch)

  5. Schedule SendBacks at 24h and 48h with fresh angles (bonus, FAQ, urgency)

  6. Add a story keyword + quiz/poll daily to catch non‑commenters

  7. Measure & iterate weekly: prune low‑CTR scripts, promote top hooks, refresh triggers


10) Risk Controls & Compliance

  • Respect Instagram rate limits; stagger sends

  • Offer a visible STOP opt‑out in DMs

  • Avoid banned keywords; keep messaging helpful and relevant

  • Keep value first; no misleading claims or false scarcity


11) Weekly Iteration Log (Template)

Week 1

  • Baseline creative (before/after, quick tips)

  • Trigger keywords live; measure initial CTR


Week 2

  • Swap Script A/B; introduce discount code

  • Add Story quiz with keyword reply


Week 3

  • UGC/testimonials; refine Follow‑Gate reward

  • Expand SendBack copy angles


Week 4

  • Product Q&A + timelapses

  • Final push; publish recap Reel of before/after success


Use this table to track:

Week

Reel Count

Total Comments

Trigger Hits

DMs Sent

CTR

Follows

Emails

Sales

1









2









3









4










12) Case Study Assets You Can Copy

  • Public comment reply pack (12 variations) — see §5

  • DM Script A + SendBack #1/#2 — see §5

  • Follow‑Gate bonus template — see §5

  • UTM builder: Keep utm_source=instagram, vary utm_content by script


13) Conclusion

Turning post comments and story replies into instant, value‑first DMs collapsed the distance between interest and action. With ReplyRush, the creator made that conversion path automatic—rewarding follows, salvaging distracted users with SendBacks, and building an owned email list for long‑term revenue.


This is a replicable, low‑lift system. Start with a single irresistible hook, wire it into ReplyRush in under an hour, and iterate every week.


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page