There’s no denying that social media has incredible potential to help you grow your business — and no platform is bigger and better than Facebook. After all, the social media giant is renowned for its ability to provide in-depth targeting and varied marketing options, making it the go-to option for advertisers around the globe.
But are you really using everything Facebook has to offer? If you haven’t begun to utilize Facebook Messenger advertising as a central part of your marketing strategy, you could very well be leaving behind many of your most profitable potential customers.
Obviously, that’s the last thing you want to do. So why is Facebook Messenger making such a big impact, and what are some ways you can use it to achieve your own business goals? Let’s take a closer look:
The Rise of Facebook Messenger
While the popularity of social media platforms has been discussed and dissected over and over again, the simple truth is that messaging apps are even bigger — in fact, Facebook Messenger hit 1.2 billion users in April 2017, doubling in size over a two-year period.
Of course, Facebook Messenger doesn’t just have a large number of users — it also has an extremely active and engaged audience base. In fact, a study by Hubspot found that using Facebook Messenger for content delivery resulted in an 80% open rate and a 13% clickthrough rate. By comparison, these metrics outperformed email by 242% and 619% respectively.
Those numbers are well worth paying attention to. People use Facebook Messenger and other similar apps because they’ve come to expect near-instantaneous replies to their questions and concerns on these platforms (and with the help of chatbots, this isn’t a problem). In fact, one survey found that 73% of users preferred to use a messaging app to resolve customer service issues, rather than email or telephone.
In other words, Facebook Messenger already has a built-in audience that prefers to communicate using this platform. They feel that it is a more convenient way to get answers to their questions and address their concerns. This means that if you can give your audience a reason to connect with you through Facebook Messenger, you become far more likely to build meaningful customer relationships that lead to sales and other key conversion metrics.
Newsfeed Messenger Advertising
So how can you use Facebook Messenger Advertising to grow your business? There are two primary advertising methods that are used in conjunction with Facebook Messenger: Newsfeed Messenger Ads (sometimes also referred to as destination messenger ads), and Sponsored Messages Ads.
First, let’s look at Newsfeed Messenger Ads, since they have greater potential reach and simply require that you adapt some of the marketing tactics that you already use. At a most basic level, Newsfeed Messenger Ads are created pretty much the same as any other Facebook ad you would try to have placed in your target audience’s newsfeed.
Yes, that means that all the Facebook marketing essentials like using audience insights, setting up a bid strategy, and crafting killer combinations of copy and images are still going to be heavily involved when creating these ads. You still need to produce a message that captures your target audience’s attention and entices them to click — however, this time, the goal of the copy is to get them to start talking with you on Messenger.
It should come as no surprise then, that when posting these ads on Facebook or Instagram, your call to action button won’t ask users to learn more or like your page. Instead, select “Send Message” so interested audience members can click and start engaging with your brand right away.
Facebook has also begun allowing display ads to appear in some users’ Messenger home tabs — another opportunity to further expand the reach of your newsfeed ads while still using the standard CTA options.
Of course, you probably don’t have the time to spend all day monitoring your brand’s Facebook Messenger account to respond when someone replies to a newsfeed ad — the good news, though, is that you don’t have to. A key marketing component of Facebook Messenger is its chatbot integration, which allows you to automate responses based on particular comments or questions someone might type when they click on the “Send Message” button.
While advanced programming can seem intimidating, Facebook makes chatbot programming easy by letting you set up quick replies based around keyword triggers and custom commands. Using these commands, your bot can answer basic questions, guide users through a list of response options, and even collect contact information with minimal oversight on your end.
Sponsored Messages Ads
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could deliver personalized messages directly to a potential customer’s inbox? With Sponsored Messages Ads, you can do exactly that, providing a great opportunity to retarget leads and re-engage with those who have previously interacted with your page. While Sponsored Messages Ads can only be used to target those who have messaged you, they are a great way to keep in touch (or reconnect) with those people who are more likely to buy in the first place.
To send your sponsored message, start by choosing “Messages” as your objective in Facebook Ad Manager and select “Sponsored Message” as your ad type. Once you select the page you wish to send your message from, Facebook will automatically generate a custom audience using those who have previously interacted with you in Messenger. You can then set up your budget, a call to action, and customize your content.
Once your ad campaign is finalized, your Sponsored Message will be delivered to users’ inboxes, offering a more personalized “one-on-one” messaging style. Best of all, with the ability to produce text-only ads, these messages feel like they’re coming from a real person, greatly increasing the likelihood that you’ll generate clicks and replies.
These sponsored messages can be among the most effective methods for inviting users to attend a webinar, sharing information about an upcoming event or even sending a reminder about an abandoned shopping cart. By using Sponsored Message Ads to restart conversations with lost leads, you can help move these individuals toward making a purchase.
Parting Thoughts
As you can see, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to take advantage of everything that Facebook Messenger has to offer. Instead, by leveraging the Facebook marketing skills you’ve already mastered, you can make use of this exciting platform to reach customers where they are most actively engaged and more likely to respond positively to your marketing messages. With this personalized, interactive approach, you can secure greater growth through Facebook than ever before.
