Facebook Messenger for Business

What is Facebook Messenger?

Facebook Messenger, an instant messaging service owned and maintained by Facebook, can do a whole lot more than sending text messages. Facebook launched Facebook Messenger in August 2011. Although it’s owned and managed by Facebook, the app and website are separate from Facebook.

An additional feature of messenger is that you don’t need to be on Facebook’s website or even have a Facebook account, to use Messenger. While the two are partially connected when you have a Facebook account, it isn’t necessary to have a facebook account to use the messenger.

You can use messenger on your computer as well as your mobile. Facebook messenger works on apple watch also. Messenger is packed up with a lot of features and the fact that you don’t require a facebook account to use the messenger means that these perks are available even to those individuals who don’t have a facebook account.

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Facebook Messenger trends for businesses

We have collected statistics for Facebook messenger that you should not ignore. 

• User count on Facebook messenger

According to a report an exaggerating 1.3 billion active users use Facebook Messenger each month. If you want to improve your brand presence then Facebook messenger provides you a perfect platform to reach out to the majority of the population for your brand.

• Number of downloads for Facebook messenger

No doubt Facebook messenger is the big shark when it comes to the number of downloads.  In the list of most downloaded apps facebook messenger ranks on the number 2, only behind Facebook.

• Number of new users added daily

Facebook messenger not only has a high user base but also a good number of users are added daily on the platform, thus making the number even high.According to a report 6,66,666 new users are added daily on the platform.

• Messages exchanged on Facebook Messenger

There are 260 million new conversations recorded on the Facebook messenger on a daily basis. This number includes the conversation held between the businesses and individuals. Moreover, this number is expected to rise with the increasing user count.

• Media exchanged over Facebook messenger

Not only the number of text messages exchanged on Facebook messenger is high, but it also boasts a high 17 billion photos and videos shared every month. Although messenger is not a typical media sharing platform still this number is prolific.

• Engagement on Facebook Messenger

The marketing campaigns run through Facebook messenger have 20-70 times better engagement as compared to email. While email has 5-10% open rate and 1% clickthrough rate, messenger, by contrast, boasts an average 70-80% open rate and 20% click-through rate.

• Success rate with Ads on Facebook messenger

The ads sent through Facebook messenger have a near 100% conversion rate. While using click-to-messenger ads, every click to the “send message” option is an automatically converted lead on the Facebook messenger. This can amount to a 100% conversion rate for your contact list target completion.

• Low cost for customer acquisition

Conventional Facebook ads are crowded with competitors and therefore bids are sky-high. On contrast, click-to-messenger ads have comparatively low cost, which makes customer acquisition cost blow as well.

Why businesses should use Facebook messenger?

• Provide quality customer service using Facebook messenger

Digital users expect your business to be online and available for their assistance when required. In a survey run by Facebook more than 70% of the population expect to be able to contact businesses for customer service support. Moreover, 59% of users expect to message businesses to different kinds of purchases.

• Build customers trust in your brand using Facebook messenger

It is believed that if your company is open for a conversation, it can be trusted easily.  Majority of the people who message businesses are of the opinion that this option makes them feel more confident about a brand or service provider. 

• Generate good quality leads using Facebook messenger

When someone contacts you through Facebook messenger, it comes with an opportunity for your business to follow up with that user who would possibly become your future customer. Each and every conversation from the customer gives you a chance to know the customer better that can help in building trust and a long-term relationship.

• Improves the chances of buying

 The option to message the business builds trust in the mind of the customer and therefore improves the chances that he/she will buy your product or services. Facebook messenger can help you simply to answer the questions of the customers and get them further down the sales funnel.

• The best alternative for a private conversation

Facebook Messenger provides a good communication channel for conversations that customers want to keep private and are shy to ask or enquire about it publicly. Also, one-on-one conversation features make customers believe that you truly value their business and are ready to cater to their needs anytime.

  How to use Facebook messenger for business?

In the past Facebook messenger was viewed as just a way to chat with friends but nowadays it has transformed itself into one of the most powerful tools for improving your online presence and customer engagement. It has been shown in surveys that messaging on Facebook is the second most popular form of communication for customers to interact with the brand. Let’s take a look at how businesses can use  Facebook messenger.

• Improving your brand awareness with Facebook messenger

Earlier Facebook messenger was not seen as a viable platform to engage with customers and so businesses focussed more on different platforms like Twitter. Facebook took note of this and began making changes in its messenger platform so that it can be used by brands to improve their online presence. Facebook even provided a feature called Discover in the messenger application that helps users to learn more about business and to start an initial conversation with the brand or business.

•      Using Facebook Messenger for customer satisfaction

Customers these days prefer to have a chat conversation for customer service and support. The other forms of customer service like calls and emails are very frustrating and are time taking also. Online forms are also no less when it comes to frustrating customers and wasting their time. Facebook messenger has made it simple and easy for customers to interact with the brand for any customer service related issue through their chatbots and chat extensions.

A survey conducted showed that brands that started using Facebook messenger for their customer service managed to hike up their brand presence by 17% within a month of integration.

• Using Facebook Messenger for Communication Management

If you want to maintain your customer's satisfaction graph then you need to have a quick response system that would respond to the queries of the customers as soon as they enquire about something. In such cases what could be better than the chatbots provided by the Facebook messenger. Chatbots are perfect for automated responses and they also help in maintaining an organized communication system. 

• Using Facebook Messenger to improve Customer Engagement

We have already seen the advantages of AI-powered chatbots used in the Facebook messenger, but the social media giant has also something more powerful into the artificial intelligence field called M. This feature reminds you about the important days and also provides you suggestions on a taxi or a lift when you are out. In this manner, you can improve the engagement of customers with your brand.

• Facebook Messenger For Customer Empowerment

The main motto behind using Facebook M or chatbots is to connect with customers on high priority. Facebook Messenger has roughly 100,000 chatbots used at an instant and this number is ever-growing. Nothing can be better than Facebook messenger if customer interaction is your priority.

• Improving Revenue with Facebook Messenger 

In 2017 Facebook introduced image-based ads for messenger that provides brands with the feature to send coupons, banner ads, and much more in an instant. Messenger also provides you the opportunity to create new revenue for your business. For instance, Uber, one of the early adopters of Facebook Messenger, created a direct medium for their customers that enables them to hail rides through the channel. Facebook messenger can be thought of as a new way to reach out to customers for new sales.

 How to use Facebook messenger for marketing?

For businesses or brands who want to use Facebook messenger as an advertising platform, Facebook messenger offers two different ways to connect with the customers

1. Facebook Messenger Destination Ads
2. Sponsored Ads

Let’s discuss both of them one by one

Facebook Messenger Destination ads

Similar to all other Facebook Ads formats, Messenger destination Ads also appear in the news feed and are accomplished with a call to action feature. The only difference is that they don’t direct to a page or a website, instead they direct to a Facebook messenger message. This Ad element has two parts one is the regular Facebook Ad and the other one is the “welcome” message in the messenger.

The AD creation part is easy and simple to execute. The KIt can be executed using images or videos etc. You will be charged when the user clicks on the send message option. Similar to other Ad formats the messenger Ads can also be used to target any set of audiences irrespective of whether they presently follow your brand or not. 

For example, suppose you’ve just opened a brand restaurant. Looking to interact with a local audience, you create an ad that ‘asks’ your target audience to message you via Messenger and offer their suggestions on which different cuisine they would like to have on the following weekend. A prospect messages you with a suggestion, you engage in a conversation, and then proceed to offer a discount code if they happen to visit your restaurant on the weekend.

Sponsored Message ads

UnlikeFacebook  Messenger Destination Ads, Sponsored Message Ads are visible only inside Facebook Messenger itself.  Initially, the Ad will appear to be a normal conversation or interaction from someone before extending to a full-sized message.

Apart from this, you can also make use of different images and links to increase engagement. The only thing is that within this kind of Ads you can only target the audience you have interacted with, on the Facebook messenger at least once. You will be charged only when someone opens a message. This method is useful to follow up with someone who has previously engaged with you but did not complete the purchase. You could send them different offers and coupon codes.

How to use Facebook messenger for eCommerce?

If you're running an e-commerce store then Facebook messenger is an excellent platform to engage with your customers and drive your sales. Here’s how you can use it:

• Facebook Messenger as a Convenient Customer Support

With the improvement in technology, customers today are no longer interested in calling your customer service line or waiting hours for you to answer a customer support email. Customers always look forward to a store or brand that can resolve their issue without taking much time.

They want quick and responsive customer service and support, so your business needs to adapt. Luckily for your Facebook messenger can help you in giving a quick response to the needs of the customers. You can achieve this without using any human labor, you can use a chatbot to handle the customer service part for you. You can also add the Facebook messenger customer chat window to your website to make users aware of your convenient customer support option.

• Generate New Leads and Deliver Content using Facebook Messenger

Most of the users who visit your website for the first time won’t make a purchase on their first visit. They might just be checking about the products offered by you. Most users that visit your website will not buy anything from you on their first visit. But they can be your future customers if targeted and dealt with properly. The best way to convert these people into potential customers is by targeting them with offers and coupon codes via the Facebook messenger. The Facebook messenger can be a better option than the emails for converting these leads into potential buyers.

• Personalized Recommendations through Facebook Messenger

When it comes to eCommerce personalization can be a game-changer for you. According to a survey, 33% of the customers abandoned their relationship with the brand just because it did not offer personalization. Facebook messenger can help you in enhancing or improving personalization for the customers. 

By using the chatbots you can give personalized recommendations to the customers. It will make the customer feel special and therefore drive your sales higher.

• Offer easy and convenient Checkout with Facebook Messenger

Facebook messenger also comes with the feature of easy checkouts where customers don’t even need to visit your website to complete the purchase. With Facebook messenger chatbots you can also allow your customers to browse through the products and give them the option to checkout directly without having the need to visit your website.  This feature eliminates the additional steps for the customer and saves their time and therefore improves their buying chances. Your customers will love this feature as they don’t have to switch to your website for making the purchase.

You should not miss out using this powerful tool that can help you in improving your brand presence and increasing your sales.

 How to set up Facebook messenger for business?

Here’s how you can activate Facebook messenger for business in just two simple steps.

Step-1  Go to Facebook and look for the settings option

1. To make changes on the Facebook page you should have admin rights.
2. Make sure you have those rights before you start making changes.
3. Now the next thing that you have to do is to activate the option to contact you with “private messages” on your FB page. Go ahead with the following steps:

• • Go to settings on the top right corner of your page.

• • Click on “General”

• • Now go to messages

• • You need to activate the feature “Allow people to contact my               Page privately by showing the Message button“

• •  Save Changes

Step-2  Activate the messenger within the Messenger people user                                           interface

1. To make changes on the MessengerPeople account you should have               admin rights. Make sure you have those rights before you start making           changes.
2. Nest step is to activate the Facebook messenger

Go to the  Messenger People feature on the left-side menu in “Settings“ option

• • Now go to “Widget“ and then select “Unified Channels“
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  • Enter your Facebook business page username
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  • Set the option at “Widget Button“ to “Yes“ (Now you should be               able to the Facebook messenger as a button in your widget)
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  •  Save the changes
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  • After saving the changes click on the “Connect“ option
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  • Congrats! You have activated the Facebook messenger channel              in  your widget

                      How to integrate Facebook Messenger on your WordPress website?

• Step1:   Go to your WordPress dashboard

• Step 2 :  Go to plugins and select the “Add new” option.

• Step 3:  In the search option on the right side search for “Facebook                             Messenger”, you can use other plugins also, but this one is free and provided          by facebook.

• Step 4: Now Click on the install option.

• Step 5: Now go back to the WordPress dashboard, you will have a “customer                            chat” option with the Facebook messenger icon.

• Step6:  Click on the customer chat

• Step7: Now click on  ”Setup chat plugin”

• Step8 : A new window will appear, select your business page from the                                            drop-down option

• Step 9: Once you select your business page click on continue. A new window                             will open before you. Click on Done

• Step 10: Now you can set up the language that you want to use and also set a                              greeting message that will be displayed to the users.

• Step 11: Once you are done click on next. You can customize the color                                             according to your choice.

• Step 12: Click on Finish and you are now ready to use Facebook messenger                                   on your WordPress website.

• Step 13: Once you select your business page click on continue. A new window will open                             before you. Click on Done.