The 4-message DM sequence that warms up silent watchers
(automate the awkward part (keep the human part))
You’re back at another networking event.
Same room. Same nervous energy. Same drink you’re using as a prop.
But this time you try something different.
Instead of circling, you stand near the coffee station.
You make a small comment to whoever reaches for the cream. “They always run out of the good stuff first, right?”
Some people smile and keep walking.
But a few laugh. A few respond. A few turn that moment into an actual conversation.
You didn’t have to figure out the perfect opener.
You just created a reason for them to engage.
By the end of the night, you’ve had more real conversations than the last 3 events combined.
Similarly, our silent viewers just need a reason to engage
In this part 2 from Noon’s drop, I’m sharing the system that creates that trigger automatically - and warms them up while you sleep.
→ The question sticker that opens a 24-hour conversation window
→ The 2-message automation you can run inside Instagram
→ How to move the nurture sequence to email/SMS (where the real automation happens)
Let’s build your lurker-to-lead pipeline...
The Silent Follower Activation System
Most coaches think Instagram automation means sending a sequence of DMs over days or weeks.
It doesn’t work that way.
Instagram gives you a 24-hour window. After someone messages you, you can send automated responses for 24 hours. After that, automation stops.
You can still message manually for up to 7 days, but the robots are done.
So here’s the system that actually works:
1️⃣ The Trigger: Question Stickers Open the Door
Polls don’t work for this. Neither do emoji sliders.
When someone votes in a poll, you can see who voted - but it doesn’t open a conversation. You can’t auto-respond.
But question stickers are different.
When someone answers your question sticker, their response lands in your DMs as a story reply.
That reply opens the 24-hour window.
That’s your trigger.
How to set it up:
Post a story with a question sticker. Ask something they actually want to answer:
→ “What’s the one thing you wish you could fix in your business right now?”
→ “Content creation - love it or hate it?”
→ “What’s your biggest challenge with [your topic]?”
When they answer, ManyChat sees it as a story reply and fires your automation.
The key insight:
You don’t need keyword triggers here. ManyChat can respond to ANY story reply. Their answer - whatever it is - starts the sequence.
They reached for the coffee. Now you respond.
2️⃣ The 24-Hour Window: 2 Messages That Actually Work
You have 24 hours of automation. Use them wisely.
Message 1: The Trigger Response (Immediate - automated)
Acknowledge their answer. Ask one follow-up question.
“Oh that’s a good one - [reference their answer]. Is that something you’re actively trying to solve right now, or more of a back-burner thing?”
Purpose: Start conversation at their interest level. Easy to respond to. Feels like a human saw their answer.
Message 2: The Value Bridge (4-8 hours later - automated)
This is the critical message. You’re still inside the 24-hour window, so automation works.
🔑 But this is also where you get their email. 🔑
“Hey - I put together a quick breakdown on [topic related to their answer]. Want me to send it over? Just drop your email and I’ll shoot it to you.”
Purpose: Provide value AND capture their contact info so you can continue the conversation outside Instagram’s walls.
Why this matters:
After 24 hours, Instagram cuts off your automation. If you don’t have their email or phone, you’re stuck with manual follow-up only.
Get the email in Message 2. That’s the bridge to your real nurture sequence.
3️⃣ After 24 Hours: Where the Real Nurture Happens
🔑 Email and SMS Can Live Inside ManyChat (Most People Miss This) 🔑
A lot of people don’t realize this. ManyChat is not just for Instagram DMs.
You can:
→ Send emails directly from ManyChat
→ Send SMS messages directly from ManyChat
→ Move someone from Instagram into email or SMS automatically inside the same flow
That means:
→ Someone replies to your story
→ ManyChat runs the DM flow
→ They drop their email or phone
→ ManyChat continues the follow-up by email or text
No exporting. No jumping between tools. No broken handoff.
You can keep the entire system inside ManyChat if you want to.
Instagram starts the conversation. Email or SMS carries it forward. All in one place.
The Email/SMS Nurture Sequence:
Once you have their email, you can run the full warm-up:
Email 1: The Value Drop (Day 2)
Send the resource you promised. Add one extra insight they didn’t ask for.
“Here’s that breakdown I mentioned. Btw - one thing I didn’t include that might help: [quick tip]. Let me know if it’s useful.”
Email 2: The Different Angle (Day 4-5)
Reference their original answer. Shift the topic slightly.
“Been thinking about what you mentioned about [their challenge]. Curious - have you tried [alternative approach]? I’ve seen it work when [common approach] doesn’t.”
Email 3: The Invitation (Day 7-10)
If they’ve engaged with your emails, invite the conversation to go deeper.
“You’re clearly thinking about this the right way. Would it help to talk through your specific situation? I do quick 15-minute chats for people working on [challenge]. No pitch - just mapping out what might actually move the needle for you.”
Why this matters:
Instagram gets them in the door. Email/SMS does the nurturing.
The call happens after they’ve been warmed up across multiple touchpoints.
4️⃣ The Manual Layer: What Can’t Be Automated
Some parts of this system need a human. That’s not a bug - it’s a feature.
Inside the 24-hour window:
If they respond to Message 1 or 2 with something substantive, a human should take over immediately.
Automation gets the conversation started. Humans close it.
After 24 hours (if you don’t have their email):
You can still DM them manually for up to 7 days.
Set a reminder for Day 3 and Day 6. Send a quick message:
Day 3: “Hey - did that resource help at all? Curious what you thought.”
Day 6: “Going to stop bugging you, but wanted to share one more thing before I do: [valuable insight]. Hope it helps either way.”
The hybrid approach:
→ Automation handles the trigger response and the value bridge
→ Email/SMS handles the multi-day nurture
→ Manual follow-up handles anyone who slipped through without giving you their email
The Complete System
Here’s what you’re building:
Layer 1: The Trigger (Instagram)
→ Question sticker on story
→ Any answer triggers ManyChat
→ 24-hour automation window opens
Layer 2: The 24-Hour Sprint (Instagram + ManyChat)
→ Message 1: Immediate response to their answer
→ Message 2: Value offer + email capture (within 24 hours)
Layer 3: The Nurture (Email/SMS)
→ Day 2: Value delivery + extra insight
→ Day 4-5: Different angle, continued conversation
→ Day 7-10: Invitation to go deeper
Layer 4: The Manual Backup
→ Day 3 and Day 6 reminders for anyone you didn’t capture
→ Human follow-up inside Instagram’s 7-day window
That’s it.
Here’s what you learned today:
→ Question stickers (not polls) are a great way to engage through story content
→ You get 2 automated messages inside Instagram - use Message 2 to capture their email
→ The real nurture sequence happens in email/SMS, where there are no time limits
→ Manual follow-up catches anyone who didn’t give you their contact info
Post a question sticker today. Set up ManyChat to respond to any story reply.
See how many conversations start from that single trigger.
Ready to build your silent follower activation system?
You know the framework. But building it from scratch means writing sequences, setting up triggers, and hoping the tone lands right.
Today’s paid member mega-prompt builds the entire system for you based on your content and niche.
Paid members get:
✔ Complete 2-message Instagram sequence (with ManyChat setup instructions)
✔ 3-part email nurture sequence customized to your niche
✔ The exact question sticker prompts that generate the most responses
✔ Email capture templates that don’t feel pushy
✔ Manual follow-up scripts for Day 3 and Day 6
