How I Made $2K Selling Automations with Instagram DMs

I never thought I’d turn my love for no-code tools into a side hustle that made me $2K, but that’s exactly what happened last year. As a freelancer, I’m always looking for ways to earn extra cash without a big investment, and I’m sharing my story because I know many of you are on the hunt for a side hustle too.

It started when I was using n8n a no-code automation tool to help my clients streamline their workflows, like syncing customer data or sending reminders. One day, while scrolling through Instagram, I saw a small business owner posting about how overwhelmed they were with managing their DMs. I sent them a message offering to automate their replies with n8n, and to my surprise, they said yes! I set up auto-DMs to answer common questions like “What’s your price?” and they loved it they paid me right away.

That moment sparked an idea. I started reaching out to more businesses on Instagram, using auto-DMs to pitch my automation services. I’d spend my mornings crafting messages, sipping coffee, and watching my inbox light up with replies. It wasn’t always easy some messages got ignored, and I had to tweak my approach a lot. But over a few months, I hit $2K in earnings, and it felt incredible to see my hard work pay off.

Here’s what I learned:

• Find the Right Businesses: Look for small businesses on Instagram who are active but seem overwhelmed check their Stories or posts for signs they’re struggling.

• Automate Your Outreach: Use a tool like n8n to send personalized DMs at scale. I’d send messages like, “I can automate your DMs to save you hours want to chat?”

• Follow Up Kindly: If someone didn’t reply, I’d send a gentle nudge a few days later, like, “Just checking in still interested in automating your DMs?”

• Deliver Value Fast: Once a client said yes, I’d set up a simple workflow first like auto-replies for FAQs to show quick results.

I’ve put my entire strategy into a guide called From Zero to $2K. It walks you through how to sell n8n automations using Instagram auto-DMs, step by step, even if you’re starting from scratch. You can find it on Gumroad here: aixlabs.gumroad.com/l/Soldn8nAutomationswithInstagram.

Have you tried selling services on Instagram or do you have another side hustle? Share your experience in the comments I’d love to hear from you!

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This post contains a link to a resource I created to help freelancers sell automations.