Instagram DM Templates: B2B SaaS Founders
Ready-to-run Instagram DM sequences for B2B SaaS Founders, on the 3 / 5-step framework.
Niche-tuned Instagram DM sequences you run from inside SocialMedia DMs, built on the 3 / 5-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 1) and copy the message below into the message body.
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
Avoid CTA links. Sending links in cold DMs, especially at volume, is one of the fastest triggers for Instagram restricting or shadow-flagging an account. Do not use a link as your call to action. Get the prospect to reply, ask a question, or hand you their contact, then coordinate the next step in the conversation. A link is only acceptable at the very end of a sequence, to a prospect who has clearly engaged and asked for it. Never in message one, never as your default CTA, never at volume.
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. Earn a reply, give value, then open a low-friction next step.
DAY 0 — Opener
Hey {FirstName}, your take on [the problem] actually stuck with me, most people in the space hand-wave that part. Genuine q since you clearly live in this, are you handling [the problem] with something built in-house right now, or still doing it the manual way?React to a recent Story or post first, then send. No link in message one. Replace anything in [brackets] with something specific and true before sending.
DAY 2 — Value + soft ask
Makes sense. Quick context, I run [your product, one line] and built it because I kept hitting the exact [the problem] wall myself. 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. Fill in your own details where the [brackets] are. Keep it link-free.
DAY 4 — Close
Totally fair if it's not the priority this sprint {FirstName}. 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 see if it's even relevant, no call needed. Or if it's easier, there's a free trial you can poke at in 5 min. Want the link?Close on a reply or a captured contact, not a link. Coordinate the next step in the thread. Only share a link if the prospect explicitly asks, and never as your default CTA.
Scale Plan — 5-Step Sequence
5 steps · ~8 days
Mid-funnel. Qualified but cold prospects. Two value touchpoints, then a soft close.
DAY 0 — Opener
{FirstName} your post on [the problem] hit, the angle on [specific detail they made] is the part most founders skip. Are you solving that in-house right now, or is it still on the back burner like it is for most teams your size?React to a recent Story or post first, then send. No link in message one.
DAY 2 — Rapport + qualify
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. 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. Fill in your own details where the [brackets] are. Keep it link-free.
DAY 4 — Value tease
This might actually be relevant. We recently helped [a similar company or role] go from [the before state] to [a real, verifiable result you can stand behind]. Want me to walk you through how? Takes 2 lines.Offer something useful. Only use a real, verifiable result where the [bracket] asks for one, never an invented one.
DAY 5 — Deliver value
Here's the gist. [type the 2-3 line insight or before/after for their setup, the reframe or the one thing you'd change]. No strings. If you want to see how it'd look inside [their company], I can show you in a quick screen-share.Deliver the value as text directly in the DM. Avoid links. If they explicitly ask for a resource, share it sparingly, never as the default.
DAY 8 — Soft close
{FirstName} based on what you said about [reference their reply] and where you're taking [their company], this might genuinely be a fit. No pressure. 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 is easier?Quote or paraphrase their real earlier words where the callback [bracket] appears. No pressure and no link, leave the door open with a reply.