Anytime I go to post anything about ManyChat I get at least one comment about how spammy ManyChat is.

I share this, because if you’re planning to add it to your strategy you have to be prepared that people might have already drawn the conclusion that it’s spammy or annoying.

Here’s the thing, if you are just using ManyChat to send links and sell something it does feel spammy. So today I wanted to share 3 ways you can use ManyChat that aren’t just sending people links.

Host a “Gamified” Giveaway

Unlike the traditional social media giveaway (“make sure you’re following, like this post, and tag a friend”) which in my opinion often just results in a quick follower spike. I like to host a giveaway through a ManyChat automation, where we can also give it a more “interactive” feel.

Once they’ve entered the flow as part of the entry process, participants need to provide their email address, which helps you build your email list with engaged followers who are genuinely interested in what you offer.

From there, I will typically have a randomizer that splits them: those that go through smaller percentage win something (maybe a free digital product) and then the larger majority of the group going through the flow, I’ll give either a discount code or maybe a bonus or guide that isn’t readily available on my website.

I’ve used this with multiple different clients and it’s always received a lot of positive reception. I love this version because it still feels like a give back for your audience, but also generates leads/moves your followers over to your email list instead of just being a quick spike in followers.

Create Resource Flows

If you are someone who has an extensive back catalog of content (i.e. you have a lot of podcast episodes, blog posts, YouTube videos) resource flows can be a great way to nurture your audience through a lot of that pre-existing content.

I’m going to use my own business as an example — let’s say someone opts into my free ManyChat guide. Instead of ending the conversation after I send them the PDF link (or trying to sell right away by sending them a link to my tiny offer), instead I might try sending them through a resource flow.

This might look like following up 10 minutes later with something like: “I noticed you might be newer on your ManyChat journey. Here are a few more resources you might find helpful.” and then sharing a few links to relevant videos, podcast episodes, or blog posts.

This builds trust by showing you’re focused on being helpful rather than just making a quick sale. That way, when you eventually present a paid offer, they’ll already have more insight into your expertise and be more likely to purchase. Plus, these resource flows increase the longevity of your existing content.

Gather Q&A Questions

I got this idea when I was working with a client who is in a space where they get asked for a lot of recommendations (“what’s the product you recommend for X?” or “what are your thoughts on this brand?”). Because it felt like they were getting bombarded with questions in their DMs, we wanted to figure out a way where we could make it a little bit more streamlined and easier for their team on the backend.

So we created a Q&A flow. Once a week, the client hops on stories and asks their audience to submit their Q&A question(s) for the week. People DM them the word “Q&A”, and then it sends them through a flow that asks them, what question do you have?

It captures their question and then confirms they’re on the email list because that’s where the questions will be answered (it’s another opportunity for lead generation).

The best part? All of those questions that were captured are also being sent to a Google Sheet, so the team no longer has to comb through DMs. Instead they can open the Q&A spreadsheet and organize the questions submitted from there.

The Takeaway From These Three Different Ideas

I encourage you, as you are starting to add ManyChat to your strategy or wanting to branch out into more creative ways of using it, to think about how you can continue to serve your community. Keep your audience top of mind! When you find the sweet spot between prioritizing your audience and your business goals, that’s when you’ll uncover your successful automations.