--- title: "Story reply opener scripts" slug: story-reply-openers publishedAt: 2026-07-07T00:00:00.000Z canonical: https://setluca.com/templates/dm-scripts/story-reply-openers --- # Story reply opener scripts > A lead replied to your story with an emoji or a couple of words. Now what. A story reply is the lowest-effort thing a lead can send, which is exactly why it's easy to waste. One word or a single emoji means someone stopped scrolling for you specifically. The job now is turning that flicker of attention into an actual back-and-forth. The SetLuca team wrote these scripts: we build Luca, the DM sales platform for coaches, creators, and experts, and they rest on how story-reply threads usually go once someone answers them. Most coaches either ignore these (too small to bother with) or reply with something equally low-effort ('haha thanks!'), which kills the thread on the spot. A real question does more work than a reaction ever will. Reply within the same day if you can. Story replies go cold fast, because the story they reacted to disappears within a day. Match their energy first, then ask something specific to what they reacted to. When they answer your question, it is usually a sentence or two about their own situation, and that is the opening. Where it goes wrong is jumping to your offer in the next message. Ask one more question about what they said before you mention anything you sell. ## The scripts ### 1. Curiosity bounce-back ``` haha glad that landed. what part hit hardest for you? ``` Why it works: Turns a low-effort reaction into an open question they have to actually answer. ### 2. What got you ``` hey! saw you replied to the story about [topic], what's going on with that for you right now? ``` Why it works: Names the specific content so the lead knows this isn't a copy-pasted opener. ### 3. Soft self-intro ``` hey, thanks for the reply, don't think we've officially met. I'm [name], curious what pulled you in on this one? ``` Why it works: Establishes who you are before asking anything, which matters for a lead who's never DM'd you. ### 4. Are you in it too ``` ha, this one always gets reactions. are you dealing with this too, or just relate to it? ``` Why it works: Separates the leads who are venting from the ones actually facing the problem right now. ### 5. Recurring viewer callback ``` you've been showing up on my stories a lot lately, good to actually chat. what made you reply to this one specifically? ``` Why it works: Acknowledges a pattern the lead probably doesn't know you noticed, which reads as attentive rather than salesy. ## FAQ ### Should I reply to every story reaction? Not every single-emoji reply needs a full response, but anything with intent behind it (a specific emoji, a word, a screenshot) is worth a real reply. Skipping too many trains your warmest audience to stop bothering. ### What if they don't reply back? Leave it. One good question is enough for one day; a second message before they've responded reads as pushy. If they were curious, they'll come back to it. --- SetLuca is the paid product.