1108. The Real Instagram Growth Playbook for 2026 with Natasha Willis: Manychat, DM Funnels, and Content That Converts

In This episode of The Kelly Roach Show, Kelly sits down with Natasha Willis, Co-Founder of School of Bots, to unpack what's actually working on Instagram in 2026: from DM funnels and ManyChat optimizations to ad strategies, content formats, and backend systems that convert attention into revenue.

Natasha and her team have worked with industry leaders, helping generate over $97M in online growth. In this conversation, she breaks down how high-performing brands are replacing traditional funnels with conversation-driven conversions, why one-word CTAs still work, and how to optimize every step from content, to DM conversation, to the sale.

You'll learn:

• The simple ManyChat tweaks that can triple conversions

• How to structure content and CTAs for non-followers

• How to blend organic content with paid ads for scalable growth

• The content formats that are winning in 2026

If you're posting consistently but not seeing the ROI you want from social media, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about Instagram as a growth engine.

Timestamps: 04:40 – What a DM Funnel really is (and why it converts better than websites) 11:30 – The biggest ManyChat mistake most businesses are making 17:20 – Email-first vs. name-first: the data-backed shift 20:05 – New follower DM automations that are working now 23:40 – How to pre-qualify DM conversations at scale 26:00 – Organic content vs. paid ads: how they work together in 2026 29:30 – Trial reels, testing headlines, and scaling what works 32:20 – Do followers still matter? 35:10 – CTA strategies: why every post needs a next step Resources Mentioned:

• Connect with Natasha Willis on YouTube for tutorials, playbooks, and strategy breakdowns: https://youtube.com/@natashatwillis

• Follow Natasha on instagram: https://instagram.com/natashatwillis
• Work with Natasha: https://schoolofbots.co