It’s the dilemma we’ve all faced yet rarely talk about…

COLD. CONVERSATIONS.

Whether we’re looking at the comments of your last Instagram post or a DM thread with an ideal client, it looks something like this…

You: Drops a thoughtful message

Them: Sees it, likes it, then comments something that feels like a metaphorical head nod.

You: Stares at the message wondering, “What should I say to can get their interest back to the main point??”

In theory, the message is nice enough since they’re taking the time to comment or reply, yet there’s seemingly nowhere to go with the conversation…

Why Cold Comments Deserve Quality Responses

A golden rule of communication is to create opportunities for the other person in the conversation to respond back to you, rather than cutting off the line of communication with one-word answers.

The difference is as simple as this:

Clearly, a more robust answer from both participants leaves room for additional threads to pull and better opportunities to present themselves.

Unfortunately, we aren’t always communicating with people who are giving long form responses online. Your ideal client might be scrolling in between meetings when they drop a quick comment on your post, or maybe their engagement manager responds to a story with a quick laughing emoji- either way, we don’t want to discount the fact that a comment or DM response can be turned into a spicy conversation that gives you the chance to educate, connect, and eventually sell [when the time is right]!

Templates for Conversation Revival

Option 1: Look to Their Activity:

Before replying, take 5 minutes to explore their recent page. What have they posted, is something new happening in their business, and what’s on THEIR mind?

When You Need More Fodder to Get them Talking:

“Oh by the way [name], I was creeping on your recent posts and seriously LOVE [topic they’ve posted about]. Do you [continue on with a question about that topic].”

When You Want Them To Know You’re Paying Attention to Them:

“I’m so glad you saw this post because I was just thinking about you and your [project they’re working on or offer they’ve launched]. How do you [something pertaining to your post] in the context of [their life, business, health, etc.]?”

When You Want to Show Some Love:

“PAUSE. How do you have time to even hop on the ‘gram when you’re out here juggling [personal thing they posted about or shared on Stories]. Please tell me your secrets for being a bonafide boss!”

These scripts loop back to THEM, which is- of course- everyone’s favorite topic. While it might not go back to your original conversation starter, this method is great for getting them re-engaged in the chat.

Option 2: Loop Back to Your Post’s Topic:

Even if you posted a Reel packed with value and wow factor, it’s still common to get comments that just seem like they glazed over everything [i.e “nice!” or “cool!” or how about when you drop 🔥KNOWLEDGE🔥 and they comment, “I love your nails!” ].

This feels very much like twirling a firey baton while standing on a high wire under a shark-infested pool… only to get a little thumbs up from the audience watching below.

So how do we get the attention back to the main show- your content, topic or offer?

When You Want to See What They Know in Relation to Your Topic:

“Thank you for the love! Have you tried [tactic mentioned in your caption]? It makes a world of difference!”

When You Want to Get Them Super Chatty:

“I appreciate it! I’m excited to see how everyone takes [your educational tip] and creates something of their own. What projects are you working on right now?”

When You Want to See Them Go Deeper on Your Topic:

“I was going to keep it to myself but that would just be wrong! What do you typically do when you’re working on [topic/project that relates to what your content is about]?”

The goal here is to ask open-ended questions that won’t result in single-word replies, giving you a great opportunity to learn more about the commenter and what their unique needs are.

Your Next Steps

Once you’ve lit a fire under a conversation, find a secondary follow-up point to use as a re-engagement tool. If, through your conversation, the ideal client mentions something like a favorite method, an upcoming project, or something they’ve tried in the past, be sure to note it and follow up with them about it in time.

Want more Instagram scripts for Stories, captions and DMs? We have 20+ pages of relationship-building + client-converting swipe copy coming to the newly remastered The Bingeworthy Bundle & Five Figure Instagram in mid Q2 2023.