The problem in tradie terms
- "Can you PM me a price?" under a post you shared three weeks ago, and nobody saw it.
- Instagram DMs sitting in a message requests folder you didn't know existed (look for something like "Requests" in your Instagram inbox).
- Lead Ad forms filling up with names and numbers that nobody rings back.
- Spam and scams (fake "Meta Business Support", crypto, fake jobs) mixed in with real customers.
- By the time you reply, they've booked whoever answered first.
Step-by-step fix
- 1. Put everything in one inbox. Connect your Facebook Page and Instagram professional account in Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com) so Messenger, Instagram DMs and, where shown, comments sit in one place. Look for "Inbox", "Comments" or "Linked accounts" — Meta renames menus often.
- 2. Find your Lead Ad leads. If you run Lead Ads, the form answers don't land in Messenger. Look for something like "Leads Center" or "Instant forms" in Business Suite. Check them every day, or download them into your lead list.
- 3. Set Meta's own basics first: an away message and a few saved replies (look under "Automations"). That covers the repetitive bits without AI.
- 4. Twice a day (smoko and end of day), sweep all three: comments → DMs → Lead Ad leads.
- 5. Comments: move it to private. Never quote a price in public. Reply briefly ("Thanks! Sent you a message") and carry on in DMs.
- 6. Paste each message, with personal details stripped, into your AI assistant with the triage prompt below: real lead, maybe, or junk/scam.
- 7. Real lead → job card → reply. Get AI to pull out first name, suburb, job and urgency, then draft a reply. You edit and send it yourself.
- 8. Log it in one list — a spreadsheet or your job app. See the one-list method for missed calls.
- 9. One polite follow-up after 2–3 days, then stop.
Suggested tool stack
- Meta Business Suite (facebook.com/business/tools/meta-business-suite): one inbox for Facebook and Instagram, away messages and saved replies.
- Facebook Lead Ads (facebook.com/business/ads/lead-ads): instant forms, if you run ads.
- ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini: triage, job cards and reply drafts.
- Google Sheets or your job app: a simple lead list.
- Later, optional: Zapier or Make to copy new Lead Ad leads into the sheet (check the integration is available for your account).
Prompt 1: Real lead, maybe or junk?
You help a [trade] in [town, NZ/AU] sort Facebook comments, Instagram DMs and Messenger enquiries. Read the message below. Reply with exactly these headings: Verdict: REAL LEAD / MAYBE / JUNK OR SCAM · Why (one line) · Name, phone, suburb, job (use "missing" if not given) · Urgency: today / this week / pricing only / unknown · Scam flags (if any) · Suggested next step for me (not a full reply yet). Do not invent details. Do not write a customer-facing reply yet. Message: [paste]
Prompt 2: Pull out a job card
From this enquiry, extract a job card with: First name | Phone | Suburb | Job type | Urgency | Photos mentioned (Y/N) | Where it came from (FB comment / IG DM / Lead Ad / Messenger) | Questions I should ask next. If a field is missing, write "missing". Do not guess phone digits. Message: [paste]
Prompt 3: Public comment → move to private
Someone commented on my Facebook post asking: "[paste comment]". Write a short public reply (under 25 words) that thanks them and says I've sent them a message. Don't mention prices or any personal details. Then write the private message (under 60 words) asking for their suburb, what the job is, and a photo if they have one. Plain [NZ/AU] English.
Prompt 4: Thanks + two time slots
Draft a short reply from a [trade] called [first name / business]. Tone: friendly, plain [NZ/AU] English, under 70 words. Thank them, confirm we cover [suburb], and offer these two visit windows only: [day/time 1] and [day/time 2]. Ask them to reply 1 or 2. Do not invent prices or promise a finish date. Customer notes: [paste job card]
Prompt 5: Scam check
Does this message look like a common small-business scam? List the red flags as bullet points. Recommend one: ignore / one-line decline / report it in Meta. Don't write a reply that gives away any of my business details. Message: [paste]
Privacy and safe habits
- You approve every reply. No AI auto-sending into Messenger or Instagram.
- Paste first name, suburb and the job text only. No full addresses, bank or card details, or photos of people or house interiors.
- Never talk prices or customer details in public comments.
- Real customers never ask for login codes, passwords or "payment verification". Fake "Meta support" messages are scams — report them.
- Lead Ad forms: only ask for what you need (name, phone, suburb, job), and use the details only for that enquiry.
- Delete old AI chats that hold phone numbers once the lead is logged.
- Not legal advice. NZ: Privacy Act 2020 (privacy.org.nz). AU: Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (oaic.gov.au). See what's safe to paste into AI, Safe AI habits and our privacy page.
Related
Inbox & leads · After-hours enquiries · Missed calls · Full Messenger routine · AI prompt library