Instagram DM Templates: B2B SaaS Founders
Ready-to-run Instagram DM sequences for B2B SaaS Founders, on the 3 / 5 / 10-step framework.
Niche-tuned Instagram DM sequences you run from inside SocialMedia DMs, built on the 3 / 5 / 10-step framework. Save a sequence as a message template, set your variables, and let it run.
How these templates work
You (the founder or your team) send these DMs; the prospect receives them — a founder, RevOps or growth lead, or owner at a company that would actually use your software. Every message is in your voice, selling your product — lead with the problem they’re living with, never “I built a tool.” The pattern that works on IG is observation → curiosity → soft ask → value → demo — the cold-email pattern (pain → product → CTA) dies here.
Adding a template
In your dashboard, go to Message Templates and click New Template.
Give the template a clear name (e.g. B2B SaaS Founders · Pro · Step 1A) and copy any send below into the message body. Each “separate send” is its own bubble — save it as its own template.
Leave {FirstName} exactly as written — it’s the one variable that auto-fills from the prospect’s profile.
Replace anything in [square brackets] with something true before sending. The platform never fills these in for you.
Filling in the placeholders
{FirstName} auto-fills from the prospect’s profile — keep it as written. Everything in [brackets] you complete by hand before sending, with something true. A specific, hand-written reference reads as a real message; identical wording repeated across DMs is what gets accounts flagged.
| Placeholder | What it’s for | What to type |
|---|---|---|
[the problem] | (Per prospect) The problem your software solves, or the topic this founder posts about. | The main fill-in — a specific reference, not a vague category. e.g. “founder-led sales”, “RevOps reporting”, “onboarding drop-off.” Not “scaling” or “growth.” |
[their company] | (Per prospect) The prospect's company name. | Drop in their real company. e.g. “Acme”, “the team at Northwind.” |
[your product, one line] | (Set once) A one-line, plain description of your product. | No feature dump, no link. e.g. “a tool that automates X for teams like yours.” Write it once when you build the preset. |
[reference their actual reply] | (Per prospect) A callback to what they actually said earlier. | Quote or paraphrase their real words from the thread. |
[specific detail] | (Per prospect) A real, specific detail from their post or angle. | The exact point they made that most people skip — pulled from their actual content. |
[public milestone] | (Per prospect) A real, public milestone. | Only something real and public — a raise, launch, or headcount move. e.g. “your seed round.” No invented figures. |
[the before state] / [the after …] | (Proof) A real before/after you can stand behind. | Only a verifiable result — no invented win rates or projected outcomes. No real example yet? Use the insight-led variant instead. |
[a similar company/role] | (Proof) A comparable customer you can honestly cite. | Name a real customer only with permission — no invented logos or testimonials. |
[the most common sticking point] | (Per prospect) The specific first hurdle most teams hit. | Name the real first obstacle on this problem, specific to their world. |
[type the insight / teardown …] | (Instruction) You write the actual value here. | Type the real reframe, missing first step, or teardown directly into the DM, tailored to their company. Deliver it as text before any link. |
[the real, specific shift that happened — only what you can verifiably back up] | (Proof) A genuine, verifiable customer outcome. | Only what you can stand behind. If you don't have one yet, swap the step for a category insight or skip it. |
Before you send
No links in the first message — ever. Instagram flags accounts that send links to non-followers. The first link goes no earlier than the resource step, and ideally only after they’ve said “yes, send it.”
Three more ground rules:
- Voice-match the platform. IG isn’t LinkedIn. Founders who run their own IG reply to DMs that read like a peer reaching out, not a pitch.
- Message one has a single job: earn a reply. Not book a call, not pitch — just start a real conversation.
- Warm the account and vary your copy. Ramp sending volume gradually on newer accounts, and vary opener wording per send — identical copy across DMs gets flagged. See Keeping Your Instagram Account Healthy.
Across the industry, well-structured Instagram DM conversations have been shown to convert at 7–20%, versus 1–3% for standard Instagram ads (CreatorFlow); replying within five minutes converts roughly 21× higher than after an hour (Icekulfi); and average brand response time on Instagram is 10+ hours — so speed is an edge.
Pro Plan — 3-Step Sequence
3 steps · ~4 days
Light volume, high personalization. Best when your prospect has engaged with your content, or you've engaged with theirs first. One clean path: earn a reply, give value, open a low-friction door to a demo or trial.
DAY 0 — Observation opener
hey {FirstName} — your take on [the problem] actually stuck with me, most people in the space hand-wave that part↓ separate send
genuine q since you clearly live in this: are you handling [the problem] with something built in-house rn or still doing it the manual way?Test A vs B. A: React to their Story with 👀 or 💭 first if one exists, then send. Two sends — split on ||. No link, no product name yet. [the problem] = the problem your software solves or the topic your prospect posts about. The only job of step 1 is a reply. B: Use when there's no recent Story to react to. Two sends — split on ||. No link. Lead with THEIR problem, not your product. Keep it peer-to-peer, founder-to-founder.
DAY 2 IF REPLIED — Peer reframe + soft value
makes sense 🤝 quick context — i run [your product, one line: e.g. a tool that does X for teams like yours], built it because i kept hitting the exact [the problem] wall myself↓ separate send
what's eating the most time on that for you right now — the setup, or keeping it running once it's live?Send only if they replied to step 1. Two sends — split on ||. Describe your product in one plain line — no feature dump, no link. One question. You're diagnosing, not pitching.
DAY 4 — Low-friction demo/trial CTA
totally fair if it's not the priority this sprint. one thing that might save you time either way — i can send a 2-min walkthrough of how we handle [the problem] so you can just see if it's even relevant, no call needed↓ separate send
or if it's easier, there's a free trial — you can poke at it yourself in 5 min. want the link?Two sends — split on ||. First link goes HERE at the earliest, only after they've engaged — never in step 1. CTA = a short async walkthrough OR a self-serve trial, whichever your funnel supports. Insert YOUR demo + trial link. Offer the lowest-friction next step, not a hard demo booking.
Scale Plan — 5-Step Sequence
5 steps · ~8 days
Mid-funnel. Qualified but cold prospects. Two value touchpoints, a diagnostic probe, and structured A/B testing on the highest-leverage steps — the opener and the value tease. The currency here is a demo or trial, not a lead.
DAY 0 — Observation opener
{FirstName} your post on [the problem] hit — the angle on [specific detail they made] is the part most founders skip↓ separate send
are you solving that in-house right now or is it still on the back burner like it is for most teams your size?Test A vs B. A: React to their Story first if one exists. Test A vs B over ~50 sends per variant. A wins with founders who post actively. Two sends — split on ||. No link, no product name. Replace [specific detail] with something real from their post. B: B tends to win with larger founders who've gone numb to saw your post openers. Two sends — split on ||. Names a shared pain without pitching. Earn the reply first.
DAY 2 IF REPLIED — Build rapport + diagnostic
appreciate the reply 🤝 i build [your product, one plain line] — but honestly i try to understand where someone actually is before throwing a tool at it↓ separate send
when you think about [the problem] for [their company], is the harder problem getting it set up right, or keeping it running without it becoming your job?Send only if they replied. Two sends — split on ||. One plain product line — no feature list, no link. The diagnostic question frames the exact problem your software solves. High-intent replies come from here.
DAY 4 — Value tease
this might actually be relevant — we recently helped [a similar company/role] go from [the before state] to [the after — a real, verifiable result you can stand behind]↓ separate send
want me to walk you through how? takes 2 lines.Test A vs B. A: A wins with results-focused founders. Two sends — split on ||. Replace ALL brackets with a REAL, verifiable result you can back up. Do NOT invent numbers, logos, or outcomes. If you have no real example yet, use Variant B. B: B wins with founders who like frameworks and is safe before you have proof. Two sends — split on ||. No client claims, no invented results.
DAY 5 AFTER YES — Deliver the value (text first, no link)
here's the gist —↓ separate send
[type the 2-3 line insight or the before/after directly in the DM — the reframe, the missing first step, the one thing you'd change for THEIR setup]↓ separate send
genuinely no strings. but if you want to see how this'd actually look inside [their company], i can show you in a quick screen-share 👀Only send if they said yes in step 3. Two sends — split on ||. Deliver the value AS TEXT in the DM first — link/resource only after they ask. Customize the insight per prospect. No demo pressure yet — the door just opens.
DAY 8 — Soft demo/trial CTA + open door
{FirstName} — based on what you said about [reference their actual reply] + where you're taking [their company], this might genuinely be a fit↓ separate send
no pressure at all — but if you want, i'll send a 5-min walkthrough or drop you a trial link so you can decide for yourself, no call required. which's easier?Two sends — split on ||. Reference their REAL earlier reply. CTA = async walkthrough OR self-serve trial — let them choose the low-friction path. No outcome guarantees, no invented results. Insert YOUR walkthrough + trial link.
Enterprise Plan — 10-Step Sequence
10 steps · ~15 days
Higher-ACV, multi-stakeholder targets that need several touches before a demo. Multi-touch nurture interleaving DMs with Story reactions and post Saves. The engagement steps are not optional — they're what make the DMs feel earned.
DAY 0 — Passive priming
DAY 1 — Observation opener
that take on [the problem] is exactly the thing i think most teams get wrong. how's it actually playing out at [their company] rn?Test A vs B. A: Wait for them to post a Story about a goal, a problem, or a win. React 👀 or 💭 first, then send. Test A vs B. No link, no product name. One question only. B: B wins for funded/scaling companies; A wins for content-active founders. Two sends — split on ||. Replace [public milestone] with something real and public. No invented figures.
DAY 3 — Reciprocal value tease
reason i asked — this is the exact thing i build for, and i've been collecting what actually moves the needle on [the problem] vs what just sounds good in a sales deck↓ separate send
happy to share what's working when you've got a sec, no strings 🤝Two sends — split on ||. Soft intro of what you do — still no link, no demo push. No client claims, no outcome promises yet.
DAY 5 — Teardown / resource offer
hey {FirstName} — looked through how [their company] is approaching [the problem] and spotted 2-3 things i think would unlock more without much lift. want me to type them up right here?↓ separate send
no pitch. just the feedback — honestly helps me too, i learn from how teams at your stage think about this.Test A vs B. A: A wins with prospects clearly already putting in work. Delivered AS TEXT in the DM — no link, no video. Two sends — split on ||. Keep the feedback specific and real — generic observations get ignored at this ACV. B: B wins with teams still figuring out their approach. Delivered as text — no link. Two sends — split on ||. Fill [sticking point] with something real and specific to their world.
DAY 6 AFTER YES — Deliver the value (text first, no link)
ok here's the gist —↓ separate send
[type the real teardown / framework points directly in-DM — 2-3 specific, useful observations tailored to [their company]]↓ separate send
that's where i'd start. lmk what lands and what you'd push back on 👀Only send if they said yes in step 4. Two sends — split on ||. Value goes in the DM as text first. No link until they ask. Customize fully to their company — generic = ignored in B2B.
DAY 7 — Engagement touch
DAY 9 — Re-engage with a real question
hey — did those land okay? genuinely curious where you'd push back. i keep refining how i frame [the problem] based on what actually clicks for teams at your stageSoft re-engage if no reply to step 5. No emoji — keep it grounded and peer-level. Not a disguised pitch — a real question.
DAY 11 — First demo/trial CTA
{FirstName} — if [the problem] is anywhere on the roadmap, would a 20-min look at how we handle it end to end be useful? i'll show, you critique, no deck↓ separate send
if a live call's a pain, i can also just send a recorded walkthrough — your call.Test A vs B. A: A wins with prospects clearly evaluating now. Two sends — split on ||. CTA = a working demo, framed as show + critique, not a sales pitch. Always offer the async fallback. Insert YOUR walkthrough link. B: B is unconventional but lands with skeptical, calendar-guarding founders at higher ACV. Two sends — split on ||. Lead with value, not a meeting ask.
DAY 13 — Proof drop
sharing this bc the timing might land — [a similar company/role you can honestly cite] came to us stuck on the same [the problem] thing and [the real, specific shift that happened — only what you can verifiably back up]↓ separate send
we keep onboarding deliberate so it's done right. want me to hold a slot while you think it over?Two sends — split on ||. Replace ALL brackets with a REAL, verifiable customer story you can stand behind. Do NOT invent results, logos, or testimonials. If you have no real example yet, swap this step for a concrete category insight or skip it. No fabricated proof.
DAY 15 — Graceful breakup + open door
{FirstName} — gonna stop here so i'm not the person permanently in your DMs 🤝 three things before i go:↓ separate send
1. the feedback i shared is yours, use it however you want 2. if now's not the right time, zero worries — i mean that 3. if [the problem] becomes the priority, you know where to find me↓ separate send
genuinely rooting for what you're building either way ✨ talk soon ✌️Three sends — split on ||. Quiet exit with a permanent open door — tends to generate inbound weeks or months later. No link; the door stays open conversationally.