DM

DM, short for Direct Message, is a private one-on-one or small-group message sent between users on a social media platform, as opposed to a public post. DMs exist on platforms including Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Discord. For creators, DMs are a primary channel for brand partnership inquiries, audience engagement, and collaboration pitches. Managing DM volume is a common challenge for large creators, and many use message request filters or virtual assistants to triage inbound messages.