Facebook Messenger is rapidly becoming a popular marketing strategy due to its impressive stats: 80% open rates, 60% clickthrough rates, and remarkably high conversion rates. Anyone would desire such exceptional outcomes, making it easy to understand why.
These are the specific Facebook Messenger features you should try by thinking step by step.
1. Private auto-responders on Facebook posts, known as comment guard.
Comment Guard is an automated bot that can be configured on your genuine Facebook posts. Once someone comments on your post, they will promptly receive a message from you on Facebook. Consider it as an autoresponder for Facebook posts.
- Person comments on a post.
- Said person automatically receives a Messenger reply.
By clicking on this link, you can witness a comment guard in action. However, it should be noted that the individual is not yet considered a lead. The lead loop remains open until they respond to the chatbot. Upon their reply, they officially become a confirmed lead. At that point, you will have access to all their information and can send them messages with their consent.
Comment guard is loved by savvy marketers for three reasons.
- Comment guards are free. You don’t pay for the leads. With Click to Messenger ads, you are paying per lead but not with comment guards.
- Comment guards are a list building tactic. Anyone who comments and then engages the Messenger bot automatically adds themselves to your list.
- Comment guards are blessed by Facebook. Facebook’s algorithm rewards engagement. So if you have a hot organic post and it’s getting comments, Facebook will prioritize that post in the newsfeed, giving you even more engagement.
When considering how to phrase your comment, keep in mind that the objective is to generate high levels of engagement naturally. Below are a few strategies you can utilize to craft an organic post that truly captivates readers.
- Quizzes or riddles: Create a quiz, no matter how dumb, and ask people to reply with what they think is the correct answer.
- Gif replies: Ask people to answer a question with a gif. It can be as simple as “How’s your Monday going? Answer with a gif!” The comments will come pouring in.
- Autocomplete: Give people a starter sentence and ask them to create an answer with autocomplete. Example: “Hey guys, type On Mondays I feel like a” and use autocomplete to finish the sentence.
- Surveys: Surveys are easy to create, and they bring in tons of engagement. Your survey may be as simple as this: “Are you an agency marketer or an in-house marketer?” By responding to the survey, your audience starts the comment guard.
- Opinions: Who doesn’t want to share their opinion? Pose a question and let people comment with their thoughts and feelings.
- Controversy: Obviously, you want to be careful with controversial issues, but you can use this technique to spark some conversation. For example, “Jason Momoa is not hot. Prove me wrong.” Obviously, you’ll want to select a topic or issue that is relevant to your niche.
Below are some additional techniques you can employ to enhance the efficiency of your Facebook comment guards.
- Add a comment guard to hot posts. If you have an organic post that’s getting a lot of engagement, add a comment guard as soon as possible.
- Boost the heck out of organic posts that seem to be getting a lot of comments. You know that the post is doing well. With a $100 boost, it will do better, and you’ll score additional leads.
- Design organic posts for comment guard engagement. Start creating more organic posts with comment guards in mind. Spark interaction and conversation. Remember, this is free leads we’re talking about!
- Bait your bot. Getting someone to comment on a post is only the first step. You have to keep things just as engaging once the bot starts. Add bait. Offer something enticing. Make it easy for them to respond — a simple “yes” button works just fine.
2. Facebook messenger chat blasting
Chat blasting, which is similar to email blasting but arguably more effective, involves sending a Messenger chat to every individual on your list.
The reason is clear: Achieving open rates of 70-80% within sixty minutes is apparent.
When comparing it with email marketing, which has a 5% open rate, including Facebook Chat blasts in your marketing strategy is an obvious choice. However, before being able to utilize chat blasting, you must first apply for subscription messaging to gain approval from Facebook.
Do not worry, the process is simpler than it may seem. Proceed to your Facebook page, access the Settings option and navigate to Messenger Platform. Afterwards, scroll down until you find the section titled “Advanced Messaging Features” and select it. Click on “Request” to proceed. Keep in mind that the submissions are dealt with manually, therefore the review procedure may range from a few days to over a week.
It is important to remember that sending promotional content is not allowed. While it may be tempting, avoid sending messages like “BUY MAGIC UNICORN ICE CREAM NOW! CLICK HERE!!!” to your list.
When considering the process, it is important to note that it is not suitable for this situation. It is necessary for recipients to first choose to receive the blast. The objective is to ensure that their decision to receive the blast is effortless, uncomplicated, and enjoyable. Utilizing chat blasting proves to be an effective method for achieving the following:
- Maintain a high degree of engagement with your most devoted fans.
- Allow your audience segment themselves with a chatbot sequence.
- Automate drip sequences for even greater levels of engagement.
As you become more familiar with chat blasting, you will need to analyze your data to determine what is effective and what is not.
3. Help your followers find the most relevant content
In addition to distributing content to your followers, you can also utilize Facebook Messenger to assist your followers in obtaining content that interests them.
Companies such as Whole Foods Market, Food Network, and TechCrunch have Messenger chatbots on Facebook that can assist their followers in finding articles of interest. The use case of these chatbots on Facebook Messenger provides multiple excellent examples.
You now have a non-invasive method to deliver personalized content to your target audience, which completely changes the game for content marketing.
When creating a chatbot that enables your followers to search, it is slightly more complex than creating a chatbot that just provides content. However, assistance is available from ChatFuel, ManyChat, and Botsify, which offer guides and templates for support.
4. Engage participants during event
HubSpot also utilizes Facebook Messenger to deliver important information and reminders regarding events that individuals have registered for. Just like the previous instance mentioned, they discovered that the response rate on Facebook Messenger was notably higher compared to that of email.
The entire experience was seamless and suitable for a Facebook event, and it also functions effectively for events that are not on Facebook. As an instance, HubSpot utilized the Messenger code for their offline events, enabling attendees to receive instantaneous updates via Facebook Messenger.
Using a tool such as ManyChat, it is possible to effortlessly generate subscriber lists and send messages to them. The process of broadcasting messages closely resembles that of sending emails, entailing typing the desired message, attaching any necessary files, and clicking the send button.
5. Generate high-quality sales leads
Dmitriy Kachin from Chatfuel states that Facebook Messenger is currently a highly effective marketing channel due to its novelty and ability to attract attention and generate valuable sales leads. The response rate on Facebook Messenger is exceptionally high.
Valassis, a marketing agency, has constructed a Facebook Messenger chatbot for Feldman Automotive Group with the purpose of boosting leads and sales for their local auto dealers.
They utilized click-to-Messenger ads on Facebook, with a focus on reaching their desired audience through location targeting. When an individual interacts with the ad by clicking on it, they will be directed to a chat conversation on Messenger with a chatbot. The chatbot will then prompt the person with a series of questions.
In just a few months, a reach of over 100,000 people was achieved and approximately 50 sales were generated each month using the Facebook Messenger chatbot. When HubSpot attempted a similar strategy to generate leads via Facebook Messenger, they experienced a remarkable 477% decrease in their cost per lead, with only a minimal decrease in lead quality.
6. Re-engage potential customers
One effective strategy for utilizing these Facebook Messenger ads is to reconnect with potential customers, including those who have previously visited your pricing page but did not make a purchase, as well as individuals who have previously reached out to you with inquiries via Facebook Messenger.
There are two options available to reach out to customers: click-to-Messenger ads engage them to ask questions, and sponsored messages deliver relevant content and offers.
In her blog post, Molly Pittman from Digital Marketer provided a detailed explanation of these two methods. By utilizing sponsored messages, she achieved a read rate ranging from 67 to 90 percent, in contrast to emails which typically have an open rate of approximately 20 percent.
7. Reach your target audience one-to-one
Imagine being able to reach your target audience one-to-one, free from the saturation of ads that fill the Facebook News Feed.
By utilizing Messenger ads, you have the opportunity to achieve that exact objective. Your ad will be visible to individuals on the home tab of their Messenger mobile application. Upon interacting with the ad, they will be directed to your desired location – be it your website or a Messenger conversation.
However, it is important to consider that the response to these ads varies. Although marketers are probably celebrating this chance, a portion of individuals are finding them disagreeable. (What are your thoughts?) It may require a certain amount of time for people to become accustomed to the presence of these ads within the Messenger app.
If you want your Facebook ads to appear in the Messenger app, choose Messenger Home as the placement option for your ad.
8. Provide speedy customer support
The final technique (among those mentioned) for utilizing Facebook Messenger is likely something you are already engaged in. This refers to offering prompt customer support via Facebook Messenger. As proposed by Jay Baer, President of Convince & Convert, providing customer service through social media is now considered an essential aspect of marketing.
It is evident that individuals have a preference for contacting brands via messaging as opposed to other channels. Furthermore, they desire a prompt response from the brands. As previously stated, Facebook’s research revealed that 56 percent of the participants in their study expressed a preference for messaging rather than calling a business for customer service.
Sprout Social conducted a survey involving over 1,000 participants, which revealed that the majority of consumers anticipate a reply on social media within four hours, although brands typically take about 10 hours to respond. The survey also highlighted that if a brand fails to respond, 30 percent of consumers indicated a possibility of switching to a competitor.
Getting started with this strategy is extremely simple.
To begin, the first step is to grant permission for individuals to send you messages on Facebook Messenger. This can be done by accessing the settings of your Facebook Page. Inside the “General” section, locate the “Messages” option and select “Edit”. Afterward, ensure to mark the box and proceed to save the alterations.
When people visit your Page, they will now have the option to click on a “Message” button. This button allows them to start a conversation with you on Facebook Messenger. If you receive messages, simply click on “Inbox” at the top of your Facebook Page to access them.
