Instagram appointment booking automation

Want more appointments booked from the people who message you on Instagram? This template sends your booking link to everyone who asks in your DMs, even when you are busy, and reminds anyone who has not tapped it.

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Instagram appointment booking automation

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Someone DMs you RESERVE and gets your booking link in reply, plus one nudge 2 hours later if they have not tapped it. Four versions to copy.

Ask people to DM you RESERVE. Each one gets the message "You can pick a time and book here." and a "Book online" card with the button "Pick a time". A tap puts them in the folder "Bookings: clicked". If they have not tapped it 2 hours later, Inrō sends one nudge: "Have you checked the link yet?"

Whole Get more bookings from your DMs flow in Inrō, from the RESERVE keyword trigger to the folder and the reminder

What the template does, step by step

1. Someone DMs you RESERVE

The flow starts when someone sends you a DM that contains the keyword RESERVE. It can be any message in the conversation, the first or a later one. The word can sit inside a longer message, in capitals or not, so "Can I reserve for Friday?" and "RESERVE" both start it. "Reserved" and "reserves" count too.

Inrō waits 5 seconds after a person's last DM before it reads what they sent (message grouping), so "Hi" followed by "RESERVE" counts as one message.

2. Your message, then the booking link

First comes a short message: "You can pick a time and book here." Then a link card titled "Book online", with the button "Pick a time". The link in the card is an example address until you paste your own booking page (see below).

DM keyword flows on Inrō get a 20.9% click rate (Inrō production data). That is a figure for DM keyword flows in general, not a result of this template.

3. A tap files them in a folder

When someone taps the link, Inrō adds them to the folder "Bookings: clicked", a label that groups those contacts so you can find everyone who opened your booking page.

Book online card with a Pick a time button: a tap adds the Bookings: clicked folder, no tap gets a nudge after 2 hours

Inrō records who tapped the link, not who booked: the booking itself happens on your booking page.

4. No tap after 2 hours: one nudge

If the person has not tapped the link 2 hours after it went out, Inrō sends one nudge: "Have you checked the link yet?" Nobody who tapped gets it.

The 2 hours is only the wait before the nudge. The link keeps working after it, so a tap the next day still opens your booking page and still adds the person to the folder.

What to change before you turn it on

The trigger comes set up: a DM that contains RESERVE, in any message of the conversation.

Inrō DM trigger: when someone sends you a DM that contains the keyword RESERVE

Check six things before you go live:

The keyword. Keep RESERVE, or pick a word that fits what you book. Say it where people will see it: your bio, your stories, your captions.
The booking link. The "Book online" card points to an example address. Paste your own booking page. To tell your Instagram visits apart in your analytics, tag the address first with the UTM link generator.
The message and the card title. Change "You can pick a time and book here." and "Book online" so they name what you book: a session, a table, a fitting.
The nudge. Change the 2-hour wait or the text "Have you checked the link yet?" if either does not fit your business.
The folder. When you copy the template, Inrō creates a "Bookings: clicked" folder in your account if you do not have one. Rename it if you like.
Turn it on. A copied template lands in your account turned off. Switch it on once the link is yours.

Versions for coaches, creators, shops and local businesses

Same steps in each. Every version changes the wording and the folder, and most change the keyword. Each name below opens that version to copy.

Coaches: sessions. Keyword BOOKME. Message: "Pick a time that suits you here." Card "Book a session", folder "Sessions: clicked", and a softer nudge: "No rush, your link is just above." Coaches version

Creators: brand calls. Keyword BOOKME. Message: "You can pick a time for a call here." Card "Book a call", folder "Brand calls: clicked". Creators version

E-commerce: fittings. Keyword FITTING. Message: "You can pick a time for your fitting here." Card "Book a fitting", folder "Fittings: clicked". E-commerce version

Local businesses: appointments. Keyword RESERVE and the base message, with the card "Book an appointment", the folder "Appointments: clicked" and the nudge "No rush. The link is just above if you need it." Local business version

More flows for clinics that book consults: Instagram automation for clinics.

Best tips for your scenario

Tell people the word where they already look. Write "DM RESERVE to book" in your bio, your stories and your captions. If you share a link that opens a DM with you, made with the Instagram DM link generator, put the word right next to it so people know what to send.
Add the words your followers type. Any keyword in the trigger's list starts the flow. "Reserved" counts but "reservation" does not, so add it as a second keyword, or add "book".
Give each automation its own keyword. The base and Local versions both use RESERVE, and the Coaches and Creators versions both use BOOKME. If you run more than one, change the word in each trigger, or put them in a priority folder: a folder of automations where only the highest one in the list runs when several match the same message.
See who booked as well as who tapped. The link card records taps. If you book through Calendly, swap it for the Calendly booking link step, which uses the Calendly integration to record the appointment itself.
Use the right flow for the request. If people DM you for a price on a job rather than a time slot, the quote request template sends them your quote form instead. To book calls from comments with a qualifying question first, use Book calls from Instagram comments.
Jump in by hand when someone has a question. Your reply in the Inrō inbox or in Instagram stops the automation for that person (mid-flow interruption), so the nudge does not land in the middle of your conversation.

FAQ

Which version should I copy?

The one that names what you book: sessions for coaches, brand calls for creators, fittings for shops, appointments for local businesses. If none fits, copy the base template and change its message and card title to your own words.