Instagram DMs Are Completely Dead for Me. Anyone Else Experiencing This?

[CCIS]

I’ve been grinding IG outreach for a month straight and I’m honestly confused at this point.

I’m offering Shopify store setup + social media marketing specifically for ecommerce brands in the UAE. I’m targeting the accounts that don’t even have a website and are still selling only through Instagram. You’d think they’d be the easiest people to convert, right? Apparently not.

I’ve tried every DM angle I can think of:
– Direct pitch: “Hey, I noticed you don’t have a website…”
– Curiosity bait: “Hello, are you accepting more orders?”
– Soft intros, value-first messages, different tones, different times of day… everything.

Results so far:
– Hundreds (maybe over a thousand) DMs sent
– Most don’t even open the message
– The few who open it leave me on seen
– The only positive replies come from the “are you accepting more orders?” line, but the convo dies the moment I shift to the actual offer

At this point I’m trying to understand what’s broken.
Is IG outreach just done?
Are UAE ecommerce brands ignoring anything business-related?
Or is this niche just a brick wall for cold DMs?

If anyone has cracked Instagram outreach for service offers recently, I’d appreciate any real insights.

P.S. I drafted this with AI to get the wording clear, so excuse any odd phrasing.

 

[Invictus]

maybe u don't target well but yeah DMs have low reply rate tho unless your page is setup properly because you need to have a good presence

 

[SpawneR]

Bad targeting + going into spam is most likely the issue with poor results. How many accounts you use to send DMs?

 

[CCIS]

Bad targeting + going into spam is most likely the issue with poor results. How many accounts you use to send DMs?

i think aroud 800-1000 dms

maybe u don't target well but yeah DMs have low reply rate tho unless your page is setup properly because you need to have a good presence

Ive got a decent looking account with a bunch of content

 

[SpawneR]

I asked how many Accounts are sending them, I am doing mass DM for IG so I need that data so I can tell you what can possibly be the problem

 

[CCIS]

I asked how many Accounts are sending them, I am doing mass DM for IG so I need that data so I can tell you what can possibly be the problem

just 1 account lol. im still in the manually dming phase. ive found comeptitors in the niche selling the same services i am selling but i still dont have a dm strategy before i begin mass dm

 

[perfekcionist4]

A lot of IG sellers who’ve been operating without a website for a long time simply don’t feel the need for one. If they’re making sales through DMs, they see no reason to change what already works. Many of them aren’t even serious brands they are just casual sellers or small resellers who don’t think long term, so a website feels unnecessary.

They also get a ton of similar outreach messages, so most business offers get ignored by default.

At the end of the day, all you can really do is keep improving your own profile and presence, keep testing different outreach angles, and stay consistent. Eventually something will hit, but this niche is always going to have a low response rate.

 

[CCIS]

Many of them aren’t even serious brands they are just casual sellers or small resellers who don’t think long term, so a website feels unnecessary.

i can definitely understand your thinking but i know one of the sellers and they told me they'd die for a professional website.

 

[shuttershades]

Try different approach: "This can be your website" and just replace the logo with their logo.

 

[RotatingProxy]

I’ve been grinding IG outreach for a month straight and I’m honestly confused at this point.

I’m offering Shopify store setup + social media marketing specifically for ecommerce brands in the UAE. I’m targeting the accounts that don’t even have a website and are still selling only through Instagram. You’d think they’d be the easiest people to convert, right? Apparently not.

I’ve tried every DM angle I can think of:
– Direct pitch: “Hey, I noticed you don’t have a website…”
– Curiosity bait: “Hello, are you accepting more orders?”
– Soft intros, value-first messages, different tones, different times of day… everything.

Results so far:
– Hundreds (maybe over a thousand) DMs sent
– Most don’t even open the message
– The few who open it leave me on seen
– The only positive replies come from the “are you accepting more orders?” line, but the convo dies the moment I shift to the actual offer

At this point I’m trying to understand what’s broken.
Is IG outreach just done?
Are UAE ecommerce brands ignoring anything business-related?
Or is this niche just a brick wall for cold DMs?

If anyone has cracked Instagram outreach for service offers recently, I’d appreciate any real insights.

P.S. I drafted this with AI to get the wording clear, so excuse any odd phrasing.

Instagram outreach is challenging in cautious markets as decision makers often ignore unsolicited messages and engagement relies on credibility and clear value

 

[SpawneR]

just 1 account lol. im still in the manually dming phase. ive found comeptitors in the niche selling the same services i am selling but i still dont have a dm strategy before i begin mass dm

If you are using 1 account, and sending bunch of DMs. Why don't you get it verified via Meta Verification via web for 12$.
It will give you more reach, you will get into spam requests less, and also dont send more than like 15 DMs per session, max 5 sessions a day. With in between activity.
Also targeting is crucial here

 

[CCIS]

If you are using 1 account, and sending bunch of DMs. Why don't you get it verified via Meta Verification via web for 12$.
It will give you more reach, you will get into spam requests less, and also dont send more than like 15 DMs per session, max 5 sessions a day. With in between activity.
Also targeting is crucial here

Didnt think about it tbh. i thought as long as profile looked professional i wouldnt need meta verified badge.
Where do i get the $12/month via web. ive logged onto my instagram on web and it shows me €17/month

 

[DojaCat]

just 1 account lol. im still in the manually dming phase. ive found comeptitors in the niche selling the same services i am selling but i still dont have a dm strategy before i begin mass dm

just 1 account is nothing, u need to scale - it's a numbers games. from 1K msgs u should get at least 1client

 

[MrZobekPower]

Or is this niche just a brick wall for cold DMs?

you have a working method and know how to send mass DMs

find a vertical, aka, find another niche, another angle, or simply sell the mass DMs as a service

Find a way

 

[ToyBox Marketing]

When you send Dms, make sure you are not sending more than 5 within the same hour. That will help keep the accounts safer.

 

[solarisuu]

try warming them up first engage with their posts, leave genuine comments, and then send a friendly, value first message.

 

[CCIS]

try warming them up first engage with their posts, leave genuine comments, and then send a friendly, value first message.

ngl to you this is soo much effort for just getting them to notice me

 

[vladimir44]

Either your offer or wrong audience.
But usually it’s a pricing model.
Probably audience above all,
most ecom people are broke everyone can make a website but they don’t know how to make traffic work.
Why don’t try something more of a value email,or bundle creative with website

 

[CCIS]

Either your offer or wrong audience.
But usually it’s a pricing model.
Probably audience above all,
most ecom people are broke everyone can make a website but they don’t know how to make traffic work.
Why don’t try something more of a value email,or bundle creative with website

but these people arent broke especially in UAE market. a lot of them are kids with daddy's money so they can afford it.
100% maybe its the way im presenting myself or my dm structure.

 

[vladimir44]

but these people arent broke especially in UAE market. a lot of them are kids with daddy's money so they can afford it.
100% maybe its the way im presenting myself or my dm structure.

What you wanna do just sell the appointment nothing else they will sell themself.
Maybe you are not certain enough you need to transfer that to them.
Give them something free like a free audit or free marketing plan but sell bigger package.
Give them something to bite do your your research on Reddit