You might find yourself wondering where to get started with Facebook Marketing.
You realize that it is 2017 and if you don’t get with the program you’re going to get left behind.
Well guess what!? You’re in luck!
I’m here to tell you the two most important trends for Facebook Marketing in 2017.
So don’t worry if you feel like you don’t have any Idea where to start!
Trend 1: Facebook Messenger Chat Bots
Chat bots are the future of marketing…and customer service.
Imagine being able to have a full conversation with your ideal customer, without having to physically take the time to respond to their questions!
Imagine your ideal client ordering your products just by typing questions into a chat app.
What would it be like if all your prospects had to do was message you on Facebook with a zip code and voila, a list of homes in that zip code is sent directly to them!
This seems crazy, but it is already happening!
There are over 1.2 billion people using Facebook messenger on a monthly basis!
In addition, the top 4 chat apps boast more monthly users than the top 4 social media apps.
So, there’s a pretty good chance your customers are using Facebook messenger.
According to Facebook, there are currently more than 100,000 monthly active bots and they can be used to:
- raise awareness
- acquire customers
- enable transactions
- provide support
Sooner or later, you will be forced to embrace Facebook Messenger as a marketing and customer service channel.
Why not be an early(ish) adopter? With open rates over 80%, what are you waiting for?
Two ways to use Facebook Messenger Chat Bots
These are two of the ways to use Facebook Messenger bots.
The first way is to use it as an advertising platform.
You can send your clients highly relevant content and ads and allow them to interact with your brand.
The second way you can and should use Facebook Messenger is for customer service.
Using your business page (via messenger) has become an effective platform for communication between your brand and your customers.
You can set up automated responses and use keywords (such as FAQ) when people are reaching out to your page for help.
If you want to learn more about Facebook Messenger bots, you should check out my article “Are Bots the Future of Marketing?“.
Trend 2: Video
Videos on Facebook take up a prominent place on our newsfeeds. This is not an accident or a coincidence.
Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly talked about “putting video first”.
Not only is Facebook pushing video because it creates a better user experience, but also because they can profit from the more high priced video ads.
More than 100 million hours of Facebook videos are watched every day.
Now while that is a HUGE opportunity, it also means that your videos must be highly relevant and engaging as there is significant competition for your prospects attention.
Live Video
As a sub-segment of Video, Live video is even more effective.
It is estimated that Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than regular videos.
Live videos are appealing for your audience and it allows you to build an instant connection between you or your brand and your audience.
Conclusion
There you have it. The most important trends for 2017.
Get out there and start doing more Facebook lives, posting engaging videos.
Figure out how to configure a chatbot to work for you (or have someone do it for you). This will not only save you time, but will also give your potential clients and existing clients a better user experience.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or comments! Would love to hear your opinion!
Luke Shankula
P.S. If you are interested in hearing how I can help your business with Facebook Advertising, book a strategy call here.