Ask to Follow Before Sending the DM

Ask to follow to receive DM holds the message back until the recipient follows you. It’s the follow-for-value trade, run automatically: they wanted the link, the link costs a follow.

The two steps

Add it from the step buttons under the DM section. It arrives as a two-step sequence, and both halves are already written.

Step 1 asks. If they still aren't following, step 2 nudges with a link to your profile

Step 1 · Ask sends the ask message with one button — Yes, I’m following. Tapping it makes LinktoDM check whether they actually follow you. If they do, the sequence continues and the DM is delivered.

Step 2 · Nudge runs only if the check fails. It sends the nudge message with two buttons: Visit my profile, which opens your profile so they can follow, and Yes, I followed, which re-checks and sends the DM.

The check is real. Tapping Yes, I’m following without following does not get anyone the message — it gets them the nudge.

Editing the copy

Both messages are yours to rewrite, up to 620 characters each, and each button label up to 20. What you can’t change is the wiring: button one on step 1 checks, button one on step 2 opens your profile, button two on step 2 re-checks and sends.

Keep the ask light. The defaults get the tone right:

Just checking… are you already following us so we can send the message?

That framing assumes good faith — most people commenting on your post do follow you — instead of accusing anyone of freeloading. The nudge can be warmer still:

Oops 😅 You’re not following yet! Please follow us so we can send your message.

When to use it — and when not to

Worth it for giveaways, exclusive drops, and any lead magnet where “follow to enter” was already the deal you announced in the caption.

Not worth it for customer support, order questions, or anything a paying customer asked for. Making someone follow you before you’ll answer their question about a delivery is the fastest way to turn a customer into an ex-one.

It will cost you conversions

Every gate loses people. Some proportion of your commenters will read the ask, decide the link isn’t worth a follow, and leave. That’s the trade — a smaller number of more committed followers. Make sure the thing behind the gate is worth it, and say what it is in the ask.

Ordering it

Ask to follow sits after the opener message and before collecting contact details. One gate is usually plenty — asking for a follow and an email and a phone number before delivering a free checklist is three chances to be told no.