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Digital marketing has come a long way since the days of sending blind emails to a list of unknown people, emails composed of large blocks of one-dimensional text in the hopes that a small fraction of the recipients would open, read, and respond to the sender’s pitches. Even today, email marketing is very limited when compared to marketing through instant messaging applications. Because of this, marketing through messenger applications has increased significantly in popularity.
For those based in the US and Canada, Facebook Messenger is the go-to application for all matters related to digital marketing via instant messaging. More people use Facebook to maintain quick, concise contact with one another through the different features that Messenger offers, and because of this, business owners have followed suit. The app allows them to have specialized conversations with leads and increases their odds of turning those leads into active customers.
Perhaps the best thing about Facebook Messenger is that business owners do not have to dedicate hours and hours to answering questions and warming their leads. Instead, Facebook Messenger allows them to automate responses so that they can engage in several conversations simultaneously.
Facebook Messenger Automation
People value being treated as individuals rather than as numbers. For this reason, few people are likely to respond to long-winded, boring messages that show no signs of personalization. Customers and potential customers can tell from a mile away when a business owner has composed a single message and sent it to several thousand people in hope that a couple will bite. This type of marketing comes off as lazy and disingenuous.
Fortunately, through Facebook Messenger, business owners can fashion multiple different message responses to fit many different situations. Automated messages can be customized to reach an entire list, parts of it, or only certain groups of people. That way, you are not bombarding people with information that might not apply to them. To sort and organize these lists of people, you can depend upon automation.
Additionally, business owners can predict the many questions customers may have. Depending on how those questions are answered, future messages can be organized to only reach the people who seemingly want the information. You can schedule information of any kind to be sent automatically: replies to questions, issues, inquiries, and more. Thanks to these features, you will have so much more time to dedicate to running your business without having to invest in hiring an entire staff to field messages and requests from customers.
Automation and Results
Not too long ago, when email marketing was the best tool available, business owners had to wait to determine whether a small percentage of their recipients would respond to their content. Engagement could be lost at any point from messages reaching the inbox to being opened and perhaps read through partway before being discarded.
With messaging automation, Facebook Messenger can keep track of your customer engagement and pinpoint both strategies that work for your company and strategies that need to be re-evaluated for better effectiveness. In addition to customer engagement, automation reports can cover a range of tasks that previously required human work:
- Segmenting customers based on behaviors
- Lead priorities
- Qualifying leads
- Marketing tracking
- Managing marketing campaigns
- Landing pages
- Lead generation
- Lead retention
Facebook Messenger Lead Sorting
Aside from creating personalized automated responses for customer inquiries, Facebook Messenger also allows you to generate, manage, and retain new leads to increase your customer base. How? With lead magnets. A lead magnet is a sophisticated marketing strategy that potential customers identify with. These pieces of content are offered free of charge to give your audience a preview of the services you offer. Lead magnets can be designed to fill several mediums including guides, webinars, and free service trials. When people show interest in these magnets, Facebook’s automation features can help determine the lead’s level of interest, their qualifications for the service offered, and what other options might suit them.
It’s all doable with automation, which works at reeling in new clients and pointing them toward the best services you offer, making them feel catered to. Because people appreciate knowing that their time is valued and the level of service you’re providing is for them, you’re more likely to turn your leads into paying customers with these strategies.
Retargeting
If potential customers are browsing the web for services you offer, it’s no surprise that they might look at several companies before losing interest or becoming busy with other tasks. At one time, losing the interest of a potential customer could have been the end of the business relationship, but with another type of lead magnetism, automation can once again draw your lead back with retargeting.
You may have seen examples of this in the recent past when, after looking for a certain product, you log into Facebook and see ads for the same product to remind you that you need it. This is retargeting and using retargeting features on leads that have already shown interest in your products has a relatively high success rate.
Gathering Subscribers
Gaining subscriptions through Facebook Messenger is far easier than gaining them through email marketing. Rather than having each of your contacts fill out long contact forms or click through several opt-in confirmations as would be typical through emailing. With messenger services, opting in as a subscriber is as easy as sending a single message through the app. All interested parties have to do is reach out via a single message and they’re subscribed to your page. It’s quick and easy for their convenience and a subscription allows your customers and leads to receive pieces of new content as they’re published. One of the best parts of this little feature is that the messaging option can be embedded anywhere, making it accessible from content posted outside of Facebook.
Content for Subscribers
Having a list of subscribers means that you can incorporate the use of chatbots to answer questions and refer your potential customers to the information that they seek. You can point them toward new content, features that you offer, inquiry pages, landing pages, contact forms, and so much more. You can sort through the entire list to target pieces of information or content features that apply to different groups as well. This way, you’re making sure that you utilize your best features where they’re most needed.
Unlike email marketing, chatbot correspondence through Facebook Messenger allows you to create dynamic interactions rather than hoping that the same bland message will encompass the needs of each inquiry. Again, people can tell when messages are not genuine and when they ask questions about XYZ issue, they do not want to receive information about 123 issues or information about the entire alphabet where XYZ is only briefly mentioned at the very end of a very long wall of text.
The Customization of Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is not only capable of handling a myriad of different marketing needs, but it also offers business owners a variety of customizations to fit their specific needs. Facebook Messenger can be integrated with several other tools that you already use. For example, you can link your messenger with the content you post, link with Facebook Live, use Messenger to deliver promotions and deals from Facebook Ads, link with your calendar to remind subscribers of upcoming events, and so much more.
You can customize your Messenger chatbot to use your unique voice when you talk to your clients as well so that your bot doesn’t sound like a bot at all. You can alter your speech patterns so that you’re using language that best appeals to your target demographics, which leads them more to the idea that you’re familiar with one another.
Additionally, you can tailor how the language of your messages to suit different customers’ needs. For example, if you have a split in the type of language that reaches your clients best, you can direct customized messages as needed. It’s all available through the different features available in your chatbot setup.
Facebook Messenger Scheduling
If your business hosts frequent events, schedules appointments or meetings, or has services your customers can book, Facebook Messenger can handle booking through automation. Rather than having to monitor your messages for possible appointment requests, your customers can choose to book their appointments, schedule services, or RSVP to special events from Messenger itself. Not only does this streamline the process and make it to that your customers can schedule what they need exactly when they have time to do it, but the automated service also keeps track of the appointments booked and will send confirmations and reminders to both you and your customers.
If your business has products available for purchase, you can also set up Facebook Messenger so that customers can complete orders through the app. With a couple of simple clicks or responses, customers can have their orders completed and processed in no time, with receipts or confirmation numbers sent to them as soon as their order has been successfully received and/or processed. Because of this, you do not have to rely on another person to manually monitor your messaging system to keep an eye out for order requests. Automation takes care of all of it.
Sweeten the Deal with Savings
If you have customers trying to order products or schedule an appointment through your Messenger app, you might also wish to incentivize them to continue with the process and come back a second time. You can do this by offering them enticing deals or coupons. For example, if your customer is ordering through the Facebook Messenger application for the first time, you might offer them a 10% discount upon checking out.
If you have certain promotional periods approaching, you have the ability to let your subscribers know about it via a quick Facebook message. This way, if they’re interested in making a purchase that allows them to save, they can take advantage of it as soon as possible. Instead of sending information about product deals through email marketing, where they likely will not be seen for many hours or days, a quick Facebook message will inform them quickly without cutting into their day. You can link to your storefront or the specific product as well. With this tactic, your customers will see the opportunity to save and the item they’re looking for is a click away.
Automation can benefit small to medium-sized businesses by streamlining basic processes and freeing up time that would otherwise be spent manually answering all of your customers’ inquiries and sending out marketing emails that may or may not be received by audiences who have any interest in what your company has to offer. Facebook Messenger can allow you to try different marketing strategies as well as record the results and create comprehensive reports so that you can determine what works and what does not.
This single application can integrate with many other tools and websites to make your client reach extend much farther than it would be able to do without manual effort on your part. The creation of a chatbot can help prevent you from having to answer the same questions over and over or try directing your customers to the same destinations when they inquire about a service you offer. Instead, an automated service never tires of handling the same tasks day in and day out. You can get your information where it needs to go at the same time that you’re working toward success in other business processes.
