“NO ONE ANSWER THE PHONE I’M ON THE INTERNET”
Remember those good ol’ days of dial up internet?
I can still remember the beautiful sounds of the modem connecting to the internet. (For your listening pleasure, I have linked the sound of dial-up internet below)
Oh how far we have come since then! (I just did a quick search and apparently people still use dial-up!?!?)
It’s mind-blowing to see how far technology and the internet have come since the early days of the internet.
We have gone from downloading data at 56 kilobits per second (AKA slow as molasses) to over 21 megabits per second (21,000 kilobits/second). That’s 375 times faster!!
It feels like fantasy, but in the short life span of the internet, we have entered a time where robots are not only plausible, they are the reality.
Sooner or later we are going to have to embrace the fact that robots are here to stay and they are going to revolutionize our lives.
In this post I want to specifically talk about one type of robot, the Facebook Messenger chat bot.
Facebook rolled out their Messenger ads on November 8, 2017 (it was their birthday present for me).
Now, you may not be a marketing nerd like I am, but this roll-out was exciting.
You may be asking yourself “Why would Facebook Messenger ads be exciting and why this matters for my business?”
OK…chances are what you’re ACTUALLY thinking is “What the heck is this guy talking about? Chat bots, Facebook messenger ads…I’m still using the newspaper and direct mail for my marketing.”
Why Facebook Messenger is Important for Your Business
Did you know that at the beginning of 2015 the use of the top four chat apps surpassed the usage of the top four social networks?
Over 1.2 Billion people use Facebook Messenger alone as of April 2017. Not 1.2 million, 1.2 BILLION.
Marketing is all about attention. If you can capture attention you win.
There is a generation of buyers that you aren’t reaching if you continue to only pursue the traditional channels of marketing.
In addition to being a great marketing tool, Facebook Messenger can be used as a customer service tool.
Facebook Messenger is an essential communication tool and will continue growing.
Missing out on Messenger as a communication channel will only hinder your growth.
How Messenger Ads Work
There are two different types of Facebook Messenger ads.
- Send people to Messenger: use Messenger ads to have people initiate conversation on messenger
When you use the option to send people to messenger, the ads will appear in the Newsfeed and when the ad is clicked on it will open inside of messenger (instead of opening a website or landing page).
The ad looks like a normal ad with the same options to add an image or video, etc.
Some important things to remember is that you can target anyone with this type of ad, it is available in the Newsfeed and you can use campaign objectives “page post engagement” or “send people to a destination on or off Facebook”.
2. Send Ads to People on Messenger
The second type of Ads you can use on messenger are messages that appear inside of the Facebook Messenger inbox.
This option is identical to receiving a Facebook message from a friend.
You can find this option in the ads manager under edit placements.
Some important things to remember is that you can only target people who have previously messaged your page in the past and its available for campaigns with objectives of “website conversions” and “send people to a destination on or off of Facebook”.
Facebook charges by impression for this type of ad, unless you use a chatbot.
Using a Chatbot to automate your marketing
Since Facebook announced Messenger Ads there has been a steady stream of new Chatbots released for marketing.
I personally use ManyChat to automate my Facebook Messenger ads.
ManyChat is a robust platform that allows you to build a list of subscribers that you can send sponsored messages to.
What is great about ManyChat is that it allows you to broadcast sponsored messages to your subscriber list for only $10 per month instead of being charged by impression (Facebook charges by impression).
What’s incredible about Facebook Messenger Ads are the open rates compared to email are astronomical (I’ve seen 80%+ open rates)!
Are you ready to try something new for your business?
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions!
Luke Shankula
P.S. If you would like to know how I can help you generate exclusive leads using Facebook Advertising (including Messenger Ads) and Sales Funnels schedule a strategy call with me today!
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