It's 2019 and Instagram DM's are a useful way of communicating. DM, for those of you not in the know stands for "direct message." It's basically a private message between you and someone else, that, for the most part, is for your eyes only. As a frequent user of Instagram DM's, that is basically the fastest way to get a hold of me.

Instagram DM's are a great way to chat with friends and a great way to get some business done. If you scroll through my DM's it's basically Lisa and I sending each other memes. DM's can also be a way of starting a new fling. It's a casual way of reaching out to that person you're crushing on without really throwing yourself out there. But in order to get that person to pay attention to you, before you shoot your shot and fail, follow these simple rules, as told by BroBible, with some modifications from me- a woman who has received some unsavory DM's.

  1. DO Flirt: A winky face, a heart eyes emoji, it's a great way to get your message across without saying much. If they reply back with some flirty emoji- congratulations, you're in! I will add that if you're going to message someone new, make sure you're following them. If you have to request them, wait until AFTER they approve you to send them a message. If they never approve you, then, I'm sorry but they're not interested.
  2. DON'T Use it to endlessly reply: I see this a lot. Sometimes a conversation just has to end. You don't ALWAYS have to keep the conversation going. Let it end and continue it for another day, maybe you'll have the chance to reply to their story or maybe they'll message you again, but no one likes a conversation that is endless "WYD."
  3. DO use it for customer service: DM's are a great way that social media managers control brands. If you have a complaint, comment or concern, reaching out through DM's is a great way to get a hold of a brand because more often than not it's a real person on the other end taking control of it. Which reminds me, you should also check out your message requests! Sometimes there's a brand that wants to get a hold of out for promoting products, or sometimes it's a radio station trying to get a hold of you because you just won an Instagram contest! It's us, we're that radio station. .
  4. DON'T use it for business inquiries: I cannot tell you how many times I've been messaged with a business inquiry just because I'm on the radio. No, I cannot and will not promote your event/product/brand on air. Aside from me not being interested, there's a certain way of doing these things. It's better to go through the proper channels.
  5. DO use it to send a quick congratulations: Commenting on someone's post is one way of doing it, but DM'ing someone a quick "congratulations" for getting a new job, having a baby or even getting rid of that toxic ex, is a proper use of DM's.
  6. DON'T use it to send paragraphs to catch up: Don't send paragraphs after paragraph, not about work, not about your latest hook up and definitely not as a way of catching up with someone. Use email or text like a normal person.
  7. DO use it to send memes: Yes! Definitely send memes and cat videos! If the person isn't responding or sending some back, take a hint, otherwise, keep those cat videos a comin'!
  8. DON'T assume you'll get a reply: It's the internet, no one owes you an answer. Maybe the person forgot to reply, got busy, or they're simply not interested. And don't incessantly send messages, that's how you get blocked.
  9. DO unsend messages if you want them to disappear: Instagram has this great feature where you can unsend a message and it'll disappear as if it was never there. Unfortunately, the other person may have already read it, and still get the notification if they have notifications on. Use it at your own risk.
  10. DON'T send unsolicited lewd photos: Unless the other person asks for it, DON'T send any d-pics or the lady equivalent of a d-pic. I feel like it should go without saying but it's the internet and it's filled with trolls. So, again for the people in the back; NO D-PICS!!!

 

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