Think of social media marketing as a more modern billboard or a constantly changing newspaper ad.

You're sharing relevant information with your audience, and while people can interact with your posts, the interaction is largely one-sided. But when you can take that interaction beyond your posts into direct messages, this gives you a chance to have a real conversation with a single user. You can't buy or force that kind of access, so this is your chance to nurture a user into a loyal customer.

A Facebook Messenger marketing strategy can move you away from being a faceless company to an organization people trust. Here's what you need to know to make sure your Facebook Messenger marketing provides quality connections for existing and potential customers.

What is Facebook Messenger marketing?

In 2024, Facebook Messenger was the third most popular messaging app, with an estimated one billion users actively using it each day. Some of those daily active users talk to other users, but a significant portion of those same users ask questions or make comments to businesses and organizations. 

Facebook Messenger marketing gives companies the opportunity to make connections with individual users and provide value through conversations. These conversations build customer relationships where Facebook posts might not. While expert opinions vary on just how many touchpoints are ideal for handling customer needs, there's always more than one. Facebook Messenger can be an important touchpoint for many users who expect to see a strong brand presence on social media.

Why is Facebook Messenger marketing so important?

There are several reasons companies might choose to add the messenger platform to their Facebook page. 

High engagement rates

The year-over-year engagement rate for organic Facebook posts has dropped. However, because users send messages to companies when they want to interact, Messenger has good engagement. Even if a user is responding to a Facebook post autoresponder message, they still want to hear from you, and that is a big deal.

Direct and personal communication

Related to engagement, Messenger gives you the opportunity to be more direct and personal with your marketing messages. Because you're talking to one person specifically, this is your opportunity to send messages with complete focus on what that very real person wants in a way that doesn't happen with posts. Since a significant portion of people might be willing to share their data for customized offers and better service, Messenger can be one way to deliver on that expectation.

Enhanced customer experience

Companies can provide faster support regardless of time zone through Messenger as well. While some interactions require more involvement from human agents, a lot of messages are simply follow-ups to basic questions. You can follow best practices by using some kind of intelligent auto-responder when customers initiate a conversation, and then switch to human agents when conversations become more complex. 

Messenger chatbots give you the opportunity to respond to customers on their preferred platform, during their preferred hours, and, in some cases, even in their preferred language. All of these capabilities meet the customer where they are.

Cost-effective marketing

Using Messenger as part of an overall marketing strategy can help keep marketing budgets on track. Facebook ads, maintaining landing pages, and boosting posts all incur costs. Responding to customers' inquiries through Messenger is more cost-effective in nurturing those relationships. In some cases, users may also opt in to receive things like promotional messages or updates. For some companies, offering subscription messaging may create another source of revenue while serving customer needs.

Increased conversion rates

Sponsored messages can be a way to generate warm leads from those who are already interested in your company. Additionally, you can integrate other actions like browsing and purchases, customer feedback forms, and links to a website from the chat window. Since using messenger chatbots increases response time because of automation, this process can help move your customers through the sales journey in a much more intuitive way for them.

Additionally, sending something called chat blasts can offer a better conversion rate than email marketing alone. Basically, you send messages out to those who've chosen to receive them with announcements and other information, but they have much better open rates than email.

How does Facebook Messenger marketing work?

Facebook Messenger marketing is only effective when you can replicate the experience of having a one-on-one conversation with a real person, rather than a faceless company. This requires a strong plan, strategic use of messenger chatbots, and a good mix of sponsored messages and organic ones.

Messenger gives companies an opportunity to connect directly with individual users, which can be a powerful way to build relationships. 

How do you get started with Facebook Messenger marketing?

Here's how you can get started.

Setting up Messenger

The first step is creating a Facebook page where Messenger will operate. Once you have your page, enable Messenger, and then configure your settings. You can set up automatic replies and away messages here.

From there, you can add Messenger to your website through your page settings. Once you connect to Messenger, you can customize your live chat. 

After setting it up, you can create messenger ads to help direct users and customers to the messenger option. Make sure your ads align with one of your overarching marketing campaigns.

Understanding messaging policies

Facebook enforces strict messaging rules to prevent spam and ensure meaningful interactions. Businesses must follow these key guidelines:

1. 24-Hour Messaging Window: You can send messages only within 24 hours of a user's last interaction. Promotional messages are allowed within this window.

2. Message Tags (Beyond 24 Hours): Businesses can send non-promotional updates using approved tags:

  • Confirmed Event Update, such as webinar reminders
  • Post-Purchase Update, such as shipping notifications
  • Account Update, for example, password changes
  • Human Agent (Beta) (for customer support follow-ups)

3. Sponsored Messages: To send promotional messages outside the 24-hour window, use "paid Sponsored Messages," which target users who previously interacted with your page.

4. Subscription Messaging: Approved pages can send non-promotional, recurring content, such as news updates.

5. Avoid Spamming: No excessive, irrelevant, or misleading messages. Misusing message tags to bypass rules can lead to restrictions.

6. Opt-In and Opt-Out: Users must actively opt in, and businesses must provide a clear opt-out option, such as replying "STOP."

Keep in mind that Facebook has these boundaries to help keep Messenger friendly and effective for communication. Any sort of attempt to loophole your way out of a guideline will probably not be very well received by the person you are messaging, which can have long-term consequences on your engagement. Following the guidelines helps create a messaging environment users want to opt into. 

Choosing automation tools

Automation tools help businesses respond quickly and support teams when they need to engage with customers. Automation tools should:

  • Enable fast yet logical replies to customer inquiries and opt-ins. A useful tool can give you templates for creating replies, suggest better ones as you create them, and organize your marketing and sales teams' workflow to ensure messages don't get lost. 
  • Automatically prioritize urgent messages, ensuring they're routed to the right team member. For instance, if the tool provides context for the message, your agent can get a head start with responding.

How Brandwatch enhances your Facebook Messenger marketing

Brandwatch makes it easier to connect with your Facebook audience through powerful communication and automation tools. 

  • With Engage, you can respond quickly to DMs with text or reactions and automate workflows to ensure no comment or mention is overlooked. You can even streamline team collaboration with features like labels, notes, and task assignments, helping your teams respond faster and more efficiently.
  • With Publish, you create use Messenger Recurring Notifications to send engaging, customizable updates to keep your audience coming back for more.
  • Advertise allows you to run and monitor Messenger ad campaigns seamlessly across multiple accounts, ensuring you get the best reach and results.

With Brandwatch's suite of tools, you can automate responses, prioritize urgent messages, and streamline team workflows to elevate your Facebook Messenger marketing efforts.

Testing features

The tool should also give you and your team the chance to test features, messages, responses, and anything else you've created before you launch it to the public. With this kind of testing environment, you can figure out the best flow for messaging and how to gently guide users toward a resolution for their needs and yours.

Platform integration

The messenger tool won't be the only platform you're using. It should sync with any cross-platform inboxes you have to start. It should connect to any internal messaging or productivity tools, if possible, and potentially analytics tools, so you can learn from each customer interaction. 

When you're choosing a messenger tool, take a look at the tools you use most in your workflow and see if they integrate with messenger automation tools.

How do Facebook Messenger bots differ from other bots?

Facebook Messenger bots are specifically designed to work within Facebook's ecosystem. Unlike generic chatbots, Messenger bots:

  • Follow Facebook's strict engagement policies, where a general SMS or chatbot tool may not have those guidelines in place. You can adjust that in your settings, but Facebook Messenger bots will already have that in place.
  • Can leverage Facebook user data for personalization. 
  • Support seamless integration with Facebook ads (which is key when you're building a comprehensive Facebook marketing strategy.)
  • Offer interactive elements like buttons, carousels, and quick replies to make it easier for your team to do what they need to do.

Examples of Facebook Messenger marketing

So, how does Facebook Messenger marketing plan out in real-life situations? Let's look at a few examples of how you can use it.

Product launch announcements

Once your audience opts into messaging, you can use sponsored messages for promotional content, as we mentioned above. This gives you the opportunity to interact with customers outside the 24-hour window and potentially reengage someone who hasn't conversed with your Messenger in a while. Product launch announcements are an excellent example of this type of message because that's likely something an existing or even former customer would be interested in knowing.

Customer support

Today, customers interact with companies across multiple touchpoints. Instead of making them, say, pick up their phone and call you about something, Facebook Messenger lets them handle business with you as they're browsing their social media.

For example, imagine your customer recently purchased one of your products and has a question about it. They've been at work all day and are sitting down to unwind when they come across your page on their Facebook feed. They can click your messenger option right from the page and launch a conversation to get their question answered right away without having to switch from social media to another form of communication. 

This seamless interaction will likely leave a positive impression, potentially influencing their future purchasing decisions by highlighting how easy it was to get support. 

Promotions and offers

Again, using Sponsored Messages for promotional content option gives you a chance to send out promotions and offers relevant to your audience segments. Keep in mind that you want each message to be something of strong value to your customers, but using Messenger could ensure that customers don't miss when you're running a promotion or when you've got an offer just for them.

Drip campaigns, triggered by specific interactions with your Facebook business, help nurture relationships over time without overwhelming customers. These campaigns provide the right incentives at the right time so that users receive information and nudges that feel right and are not salesy.

Quizzes and surveys

Since Facebook Messenger marketing is all about individual interactions, using quizzes and surveys can keep your audience engaged while providing valuable feedback. Keep both quizzes and surveys quick and to the point to encourage people to participate.

Interactive chat experiences

You can send marketing messages, but you also have the chance to develop more interactive chat experiences using chatbots. Today's bots use a combination of large language models and real-time data to generate responses that feel human-like and relevant. This capability can be a powerful part of your digital marketing because it gives your business more chances to converse with users. 

Even small businesses can take advantage of these interactive chats because they can expand what a small team can do in marketing.

Common mistakes to avoid in Messenger marketing

It's possible to ruin an interaction by taking the wrong approach. 

Overusing automation

Automation can be a great thing, allowing your human teams more time with complex requests and ensuring messages get answered quickly. However, at some point, humans need to take over.

Any response should be heavily tested before deploying into circulation. Further, the flow of conversation needs clear guidelines for when to switch to a human agent. Additionally, continually review automated messages to determine if they align with current events and trends, so you don't accidentally send a promotional message during a crisis.

Ignoring guidelines

Facebook has strict messaging guidelines for a reason. These guidelines protect both you and the platform from other people who would take advantage. Even if it seems harmless or like the end result would be worth it, flouting guidelines is a great way to get yourself banned. And with over a billion active users each day, that would hurt.

Excessive messaging

Facebook Messenger marketing should be tailored and thoughtful. Sending multiple messages per day is more likely to annoy your users than to get more clicks and conversions. This is a good opportunity to gather your metrics and analyze what your audience wants.

Neglecting metrics

Speaking of metrics, in general, it's always best to lead with analytics. Data-driven decisions allow you to help your customers without annoying them (for the most part) and can give you insight into what your users find valuable. Don't ever neglect your metrics. They are everything.

Poor response management

Poor or irrelevant responses can kill any goodwill you might have gained by offering Messenger as an option. Check your metrics and thoroughly test any message series to make sure you get the responses you want. 

Conclusion

Facebook Messenger marketing offers so many benefits for companies willing to put in the time and effort. It can generate leads, provide another touchpoint for audiences, and help businesses develop closer relationships with their customers. Pay attention to your analytics and continually audit the experience so that you can nurture the connection between you and your dedicated audience.

Frequently asked questions

What are Messenger ads, and how do they work?

These are a paid marketing strategy that puts posts in a user's messenger feed, inbox, or Stories. They typically encourage the user to contact the business for a specific purpose.

Can you use Messenger for customer support?

It is very possible to use Messenger for customer support, and many of your audience members may prefer it. You'll integrate your chatbot and automation to help answer questions and set up guardrails, so a human agent knows when to tap in.

How do you grow your Messenger subscriber list?

Building a subscriber list is all about providing value and obeying the guidelines Facebook has. You can also run ads and offer incentives for users to sign up for Messenger.

How does Facebook Messenger compare to email marketing?

Currently, Facebook Messenger has better open and opt-in rates than email marketing does. People often ignore what's in their inbox, but Messenger could give your business greater access to start a conversation.

How do you integrate Messenger with your website?

On your page settings, you can enable the integration, allowing the Messenger plug-in to enable chat functionality. You can also integrate Messenger with chatbot platforms to automate interactions on-site.