You may be surprised to know that the top 4 messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, and Viber) have more combined monthly users than the top 4 social networking platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn). Once you ponder the implications of this statistic, you will realize the enormous potential that chat apps have for marketing your business.
Facebook opened Messenger to chatbots in April 2016, and currently there are over 100,000 chatbots, a small fraction of the more than 60 million business pages. Early movers in marketing have an enormous advantage over late adopters. This is the best time to give your digital marketing a boost with Messenger chatbots.
Engagement Rates on Messenger Apps are 10 to 80 times those on social media
Today, Facebook Messenger has the best engagement rate over other marketing channels, boasting open rates of 80 percent and clickthrough rates of 13%. On Facebook, organic post reach is 10.7% of page likes and average engagement rate across all post types is only 4.2%. With email marketing, the average open rate is around 21.8%.
Due to the novelty factor, when you send a prospect a Facebook message, they're far more likely to view and click through than they would with an email marketing message.
How can Facebook Messenger chatbots be used?
Create a Sales Funnel with Chat Blasting
You can broadcast messages to anyone who has messaged your Facebook Business Page. This feature can be used to push content like blog posts, upcoming events, company news, webinars, etc. With Messenger marketing automation, you can schedule a drip campaign where you automate messages for key user-segments.
Tips to create a Sales Funnel:
- First Step: deliver your content bait (e-book, whitepaper, or video)
- Have an engaging interaction, suggest what you could offer next like a demo or free trial
- Deliver daily tips or step by step guide
- Ask questions to qualify the prospect (budget range, time frame, etc.) to segment contacts
- Continue to deliver value and qualify the lead. Use CTA buttons for conversions
Provide Customer Service
Basic customer service bots run on rules and specific commands. AI chatbots get smarter over time as they learn from interactions. AI Chatbots are complex to create and you need to work with a software developer for best results. They can direct users to a live agent if the bot cannot resolve the issue.
- Popular food chains like Subway, Dominos, Starbucks use AI bots to enable customers to place and track orders
- Automate Product Purchases Process within the Messenger app
- Offer special services like automated money transfers or exchange rates
How to Create a Facebook Messenger Chatbot
You can build a bot using the Facebook Messenger API, but this requires coding skills. If you do not have programming skills, you can use visual chatbot platforms like MobileMonkey, Chatfuel, or Botsify.
You can send Static Chat Content (texts, images, videos, ebooks) or Dynamic Chat Content such as forms and guided Q&A.
Follow the Traffic Rules
You cannot message people who have just 'liked' your page. Only when someone messages your Facebook page can you chat-blast them or schedule a drip campaign.
In "Standard Messaging" mode, you can only push a message within 24 hours of user's last message. After that, you can only send one more time — the '24 + 1 policy'.
You must comply with all unsubscribe requests. Using Tags, you can broadcast unlimited non-promotional messages but cannot use tags for promotional content.
Optimize with Chatbot Analytics
With chatbot Analytics, you get reports for Messenger contact list growth and conversion campaigns. You can use Google Chatbase for comprehensive analytics including active users, sessions, and user retention.
Promote Your Facebook Messenger Chatbot
- Web plugins embedded on your website allowing users to start a conversation
- Customer Matching to reach people if you have their phone number and consent
- Messenger codes and links placed anywhere on your site
- Facebook "Click to Messenger" Ad format placed on Facebook and Instagram feeds
Conclusion
The opportunity to use one of the latest channels in digital marketing is here right now. Facebook Messenger bots are at the intersection of social media, mobile, and instant messaging, which is exactly the way the market is evolving.
