So, you’ve connected your Instagram to HubSpot. The DMs are flowing in, new contacts are being created, and your CRM is buzzing with activity. High five!
You’ve built the bridge. Now, it’s time to build the superhighway.
Raw data is good, but automated action is where you win. The true power of your Instagram integration is unlocked when you use HubSpot’s workflow engine to turn those social signals into immediate, intelligent, and scalable business processes.
But where do you start? The workflow builder can feel like a blank canvas, full of intimidating potential.
Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. At HubBase, we’ve seen what the most successful businesses are doing, and we’ve distilled their strategies into these 10 plug-and-play workflow recipes.
Think of this as your personal cookbook for Instagram automation. Find a recipe you like, copy the ingredients, and start serving up some serious ROI.
Prerequisite: These workflows assume you have an integration (like HubBase) that can sync Instagram DMs and create contacts in HubSpot. The native HubSpot integration alone won’t be enough for most of these recipes.
Let’s get cooking.
Recipe 1: The “New Lead Speed-Dial”
- Goal: Instantly assign every new Instagram lead to a sales rep for immediate follow-up.
- Why it Works: Speed to lead is everything. This workflow eliminates manual assignment and ensures no lead ever goes cold.
Trigger:
- Contact property: Original Source is Offline Sources
- AND Contact property: Original Source Drilldown 2 is Instagram DM
Actions:
- Rotate record to owner: Assign the contact to a specific team or owner (e.g., your “SDR Team”).
- Create task: Create a task for the new contact owner: “New Instagram lead - Follow up within 5 minutes.”
- Send internal notification: Send an email or Slack message to the new owner with the contact’s name and a link to their HubSpot record.
Recipe 2: The “Keyword Hot-Router”
- Goal: Automatically route leads to the right team based on keywords in their DM.
- Why it Works: Not all DMs are created equal. This workflow identifies high-intent leads and gets them to the right person, instantly.
Trigger:
- Timeline activity: Activity type is Instagram Direct Message
Actions:
- If/then branch:
If the activity description contains any of pricing, quote, buy, demo:
Rotate record to owner: Assign to your “Senior Sales Team.”
Create a deal in the “Qualified Leads” pipeline stage.
- If the activity description contains any of help, support, issue, broken:
Rotate record to owner: Assign to your “Customer Support Team.”
Create a ticket in your “Support” pipeline.
Recipe 3: The “Warm Welcome”
- Goal: Send an automated, personalized welcome email the moment someone DMs you for the first time.
- Why it Works: It moves the conversation to a more formal channel (email) and provides immediate value, showing that you’re attentive and organized.
Trigger:
- Same as Recipe 1 (New Instagram Lead).
Actions:
- Delay: Add a 1-minute delay (to feel natural).
- Send email: Send a pre-written email. Important: This only works if you can get their email. Your integration might pull it from their public profile, but a better way is to ask for it in the DM conversation.
Email Copy Idea: “Hey [First Name], thanks for reaching out on Instagram! Just wanted to connect here as well. Based on your message, you might find this [link to relevant blog post or resource] helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions!”
Recipe 4: The “Never Forget to Follow Up”
- Goal: Create a task for a sales rep to follow up if a new Instagram lead doesn’t respond to the initial outreach.
- Why it Works: Persistence pays off. This ensures that every lead gets at least two touchpoints.
Trigger:
- Same as Recipe 1 (New Instagram Lead).
Actions:
- Delay: Add a 2-day delay.
- If/then branch:
If Last contacted is more than 2 days ago AND Lifecycle Stage is Lead:
Create task for contact owner: “Second follow-up for Instagram lead.”
Recipe 5: The “Automatic Deal Creator”
- Goal: Automatically create a deal in your pipeline when a DM signals strong buying intent.
- Why it Works: It saves your sales team from manual deal creation and ensures your pipeline is always up-to-date.
Trigger:
Timeline activity: Activity type is Instagram Direct Message
- AND Activity description contains any of pricing, quote, proposal, buy now
Actions:
- Create deal: Create a new deal in the “Appointment Scheduled” or “Qualified to Buy” stage. Set the deal name to “[Contact Name] - Instagram Inquiry.”
Recipe 6: The “Instant Support Ticket”
- Goal: Turn customer support DMs into trackable tickets in Service Hub.
- Why it Works: It ensures no support request gets lost in a busy DM inbox and allows you to track resolution times and other SLAs.
Trigger:
- Timeline activity: Activity type is Instagram Direct Message
- AND Activity description contains any of help, support, not working, issue, broken, problem
Actions:
- Create ticket: Create a new ticket in your support pipeline. The ticket name can be the first 50 characters of the DM.
- Assign to Support Team: Rotate the contact owner to your support team.
Recipe 7: The “Nurture Sequence Starter”
- Goal: Enroll new Instagram leads into a relevant lead nurturing sequence.
- Why it Works: It keeps your brand top-of-mind and educates leads who aren’t ready to buy right away.
Trigger:
- Same as Recipe 1 (New Instagram Lead).
Actions:
- If/then branch: Based on what you know about them (e.g., from keywords in their first DM, if your integration captures that).
If they asked about Topic A, enroll them in the “Topic A Nurture Sequence.”
If they asked about Topic B, enroll them in the “Topic B Nurture Sequence.
Recipe 8: The “Sales Team Hype Machine”
- Goal: Instantly notify your team in Slack when a hot lead comes in from Instagram.
- Why it Works: It creates excitement and a sense of urgency, fostering a culture of speed and responsiveness.
Trigger:
- Same as Recipe 5 (Automatic Deal Creator).
Actions:
- Send Slack notification: Send a message to your #sales channel: “ New Hot Lead from Instagram! [Contact Name] just asked about pricing. [Link to HubSpot Record] - Go get ‘em!”
Recipe 9: The “Data Enrichment Bot”
- Goal: Keep your contact properties clean and up-to-date based on DM activity.
- Why it Works: Good data is the foundation of good marketing. This keeps your CRM organized.
Trigger:
- Timeline activity: Activity type is Instagram Direct Message
Actions:
- Set contact property: Set Last Instagram DM Date to the date of the step.
- Increase property value: Increment Instagram DM Count by 1.
Recipe 10: The “Re-engagement Reminder”
- Goal: Remind a sales rep to check in with a lead who hasn’t been active in a while.
- Why it Works: It helps you revive cold leads and find new opportunities in your existing database.
Trigger:
- Contact property: Last Instagram DM Date is more than 90 days ago
- AND Contact property: Lifecycle Stage is Lead or Marketing Qualified Lead
Actions:
- Create task: Create a task for the contact owner: “Re-engage with this Instagram lead? They haven’t been active in 90 days.”
Stop Reacting, Start Automating
These recipes are just the beginning. The beauty of HubSpot’s workflow engine is its flexibility. Start with one or two of these, customize them to fit your business, and then start experimenting with your own.
By turning your Instagram interactions into automated processes, you’re not just saving time you’re building a smarter, faster, and more effective growth machine.
Ready to unlock the full power of automation? You’ll need the right data. Try HubBase’s integration to get the fuel for your workflow engine.