How to Use Facebook Messenger for Business

Messaging app usage is on a metric rise and can be a powerful communication tool for businesses. There’s nothing new about messaging but most businesses are still naive to its importance in their customer acquisition and retention strategy. 

According to Business Insider social messaging apps like Facebook Messenger are a go to for consumers looking for customer support due to the convenience, engagement, expediency, and transparency they can provide.

There are over 1.3 billion Facebook Messenger users globally. The platform allows an average exchange of 20 billion messages each month, with an average open rate of 80% as compared to the 20–25% recorded for email. 

Messenger ranks as the fourth most used social platform globally after WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook, respectively. It is also the second most popular messaging app, with WhatsApp in the lead.

Benefits of using Facebook Messenger for business

Now that you know mobile messaging apps rule communication in 2022, let’s go over the benefits of using Messenger and why it must be a central aspect of your business strategy, and then outline the steps to setting up and optimizing FB Messenger for business.

Provides a seamless chat experience across multiple devices

Direct messaging is immediate, unlike email. So, if a customer or potential customer reaches out to you on Messenger, you’ll be able to respond right away and provide solutions in real-time on any device. A study by Drift found that brands using Facebook Messenger to respond to customers increased response rates by up to 5x when compared to competitors using traditional methods.

Build brand trust

People feel confident about businesses they can contact—that trust and accessibility make it more likely that they'll shop with you. Embedded within the Facebook Messenger app are features that make it possible to communicate directly with your customers and prospects. Secure one-on-one or group DMs are a safe space to build trust, and each conversation becomes an opportunity to build a relationship, make a sale, or repair a relationship.

According to a Facebook poll, 53% of people said they were more likely to do business with a company they could reach out to via chat. Other times, people just need a quick answer to a question before they're ready to buy. 

By using Facebook Messenger to make the question-and-answer process simpler, your brand can help customers make shopping decisions. Plus, it gets them further down the sales funnel, which is good for everyone involved.

Funnel new customer purchases

As consumers shop, they may have questions about an item in the middle of their purchasing process regarding size, color, or shipping cost. You can cleverly leverage Messenger to answer these questions to accelerate purchasing decisions and potentially funnel in new customers.

To do this, set up a Facebook ad and attach a call-to-action (CTA)—a notice that they may reach out on the Messenger app. This prompt will encourage them to communicate with your business rather than abandon a purchase when they can’t find the information they need. 

Provide convenient customer service

Consumers want convenience throughout their purchase journey, and DMs are an easy way to communicate with new and existing customers. The Messenger app is a secure place with tools to hold business conversations, make purchases, schedule appointments, give feedback, apply for refunds, and more. 

No more time spent on support emails and phone calls, just click on the conversation bubble and you have instant access to the customer. Let your customers know if an order has been received, an order is being processed, an order is being shipped, or a refund is being issued.

Automate communication

Be responsive to customers even when you’re not online. By incorporating chatbots and automation you will boost interaction efficiency and customer satisfaction. Simply set your Facebook Page or Facebook Messenger bot to send an auto-response, when a visitor sends you a message.

Smart businesses set up answers to FAQs, schedule away messages, program instant replies, recommend solutions based on common issues, and more. Pro Tip: You can also create a ticketing system to address concerns not easily solved by the chatbot and avail a live agent to address those concerns as they arise. 

Optimize your Facebook Ads 

By setting up your Facebook ads, you can target or re-target customers and prospects while encouraging them to get in touch with you on business via the messaging feature. When you integrate your Facebook business page or profile with the Enterprise Customer Service Software available, you simply amplify your customer’s chance of reaching you.

Low-cost communication for both parties

Compared to traditional phone calls and SMS, Facebook Messenger is a cost-effective method for business dealings. You can launch multiple conversations with customers all at once and manage them by multitasking. This helps to make sure you remain active and productive during each engagement. You don’t need a phone number to begin a chat, and SMS rates do not apply.

How to use Facebook Messenger for your business

Set up Messenger on your Facebook business page

Upon setting up your business page on Facebook, it’s likely Messenger for Business Page was initiated. Otherwise, here’s how you can set up Messenger: visit the Page Settings, click on General, and enable “People can contact my Page privately.” 

Customize the Send Message button

It’s not enough to set up your business page and connect to the Messenger app. You need to establish a preferred medium for communication. A simple way is to add a send message button on your profile to notify customers and prospects that they can reach you via messaging about your product or service. You can customize the Send Message button to say whatever you want. Some would prefer to use “Get Started”, “Book Now”, “More Information”, etc.

Configure automatic replies where possible

You shouldn’t keep your customers waiting forever. You need to accept that you won’t always be available and set up auto-replies to include a short message like “thank you for reaching out”. At the same time, give expected response times so your customers don’t get impatient awaiting a response from you. 

Leverage Messenger Analytics

Facebook Messenger Analytics tracks Messenger conversations for a specified period and provides valuable insights. You can decide what is tracked by defining the metrics such as messaging connection behavior, the number of successful conversations, overall block rate, and more. 

All information sourced from the analytics can be used to improve the manner and quality of customer engagement to boost patronage and foster loyalty to your brand. 

Good practices to consider and remember

1. Establish well-defined roles and responsibilities
2. Outline clear guidelines to govern business conversations and messaging
3. Minimize response times as best as possible
4. Personalize the experience of each customer

As social media platforms grow and evolve, so do the ways in which businesses can use them to reach and engage their customers. Facebook is constantly improving its services to make sure users have a positive experience and keep coming back. By providing businesses with tools to improve customer engagement, Facebook is ensuring that its platform remains a popular choice for social interaction.

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Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

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