Two-and-a-half billion people use one or more of Facebook’s apps, including Messenger. Do you know how to use Facebook Messenger for business to tap into that audience?
Messenger marketing helps you reach an existing audience where they’re already spending time. You can organically connect with customers in a way that feels natural. With Messenger as one of the dominant messaging platforms today, businesses can no longer afford to ignore it.
What can Facebook Messenger for business do, and how can you make it work for you? In this guide, we have the answers — keep reading to learn more!
Why Use Facebook Messenger for Business?
Today, people are much more likely to opt for a chat option instead of calling in when they have a question about a product or need customer support. People often text or message friends and family members much more often than they call.
In short, Facebook Messenger lets you reach people using the form of communication they’re already most comfortable with.
People love messaging apps because they’re quick and to the point. Messaging also lets you send out advertising materials in a natural, conversational way. This avoids the sense of being “sold to” that turns many customers off.
Messenger also allows for useful automation, so you can reach more people without spending more of your employees’ time.
While Facebook Messenger is already incredibly popular, it’s likely to only grow in the coming years. Messaging apps could soon overtake older forms of communication like email and SMS. If you get in on the ground floor of this takeover, you can easily stay ahead of the competition.
Make Messenger Marketing Work for You
Now, it’s time to make Facebook messenger work for your brand. Let’s take a look at just some of the strategies that will help you succeed.
1. Try Messenger Ecommerce
Did you know that you can sell products directly through Messenger? This new e-commerce option opens up a world of possibilities for your company.
People are already using apps like Messenger to buy products or to send money. With the right targeted Messenger ads, you can get people buying with just a click or two, creating an ultra-convenient e-commerce option.
2. Offer Customer Service
As mentioned above, people often prefer a chat option to a phone call with a customer service department.
Messenger allows you to reach customers with issues quickly, on a platform they already use. If you shift your chat-based customer service to Messenger, you won’t have to worry about building a separate in-house chat platform.
Even if Messenger can’t handle all your customer support inquiries, it can still become a valuable addition to your support strategy. Connecting with a brand on Messenger feels natural and easy, so people will view your support team in a more positive light.
3. Address Online Reviews
You can also use Messenger to request or respond to Facebook reviews.
When people start looking for products or services online, they check the reviews almost without fail. To build up a strong list of positive reviews, you need to get proactive.
A quick message can remind a recent customer who’s connected with you on Facebook how and where to leave their review. You can also message people whose reviews, whether positive or negative, merit a response beyond the one you leave publicly.
For example, if someone wrote a negative review, you might post a public response that says “We’d love to fix this so your next experience will be better. Check your messages for more details!” Then, send a followup message outlining exactly how you’ll resolve the problem.
4. Market on Messenger
Messenger marketing is one of the cutting-edge ways to organically market your products or services.
In fact, Messenger marketing is poised to take the place of older methods like email marketing. Emails now seem clunky and time-consuming compared to the streamlined communications offered by Messenger.
While checking an email can feel like work, checking a message still feels like recreation. This can make people more likely to actually open your message, instead of just discarding it in the quest to reach “inbox zero.”
What does Messenger marketing look like in practice? You can place ads directly on Facebook, with call-to-actions such as “Send a message for more info!”.
When a user clicks on one of those Messenger-connected Facebook ads, the click will open up a Messenger chat thread with your company. This starts the conversation where you can convince the customer that your product or service is right for them.
5. Automate Communications
Just as with other chat-based platforms, you can also automate some or all of your Messenger communications with Messenger bots.
These bots can automate your communications on many different levels. For example, many companies already use automation to address common customer service inquiries, so staff doesn’t have to waste time answering the same questions again and again. You can do exactly the same thing on Messenger.
Not only that, but you can also automate your marketing messaging using sales bots. These bots accomplish the same thing, but from a sales rather than a customer service perspective.
If you’ve been mistrustful of bots, it’s time to give them another try. The technology has come a long way since when it first debuted. Today’s bots offer seamless communication that’s often impossible to tell apart from chatting with a real representative.
Ready to Do Business on Messenger Apps?
If your brand isn’t using Facebook Messenger for business, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to connect with customers.
And it gets even better: not only are you tapping into a huge pool of existing customers, but you’re also reaching them with a minimal budget. These Messenger strategies don’t cost a lot, and they can reap big results.
Looking for more ways to boost your brand using social media? Don’t miss this guide!