The rising significance of Facebook Messenger for business becomes even clearer if you look at messaging in the context of overall social network usage trends. The user base of messaging apps has now outgrown that of social networks. According to Business Insider, the top 4 messaging apps have a mixed 500 million more monthly active users than the top 4 social networks.
Now that your Facebook Messenger account is ready to go, let’s take a look at some methods to get Messenger working for your enterprise.
1. Use Messenger Codes
Just like Snapcodes, Messenger Codes permit users to connect with your enterprise by scanning an easy graphic. The Messenger Code for your enterprise is simply the profile image for your business Page, in its circular version, surrounded by dashes and dots that look slightly bit like Morse code.
discover your Messenger Code
- From your Fb Page, click on the Messages tab
- At the bottom of your inbox, click on the info icon (an “I” in a circle)
From this screen, you could view your Messenger Code and download it as a graphics file so you could embrace it on your site, share it on other social networks, or add it to your enterprise card or other printed materials.
2. Use Messenger links
Like your Messenger Code, your Messenger link is a device you could use to assist people to begin a Messenger conversation with your Page. You could use it on your site, in your email signature or social media profiles, or on printed materials where a Messenger Code would take up too much space.
Your Messenger link is m.me/[username]. So, for instance, to begin a Messenger dialog with the team at Hootsuite, you can use the Hootsuite Messenger link: m.me/hootsuite
3. Use the Send Message button on local awareness adverts
Local awareness adverts are a few of the simplest Facebook ads to create—you could launch them directly from your Fb Business Page. They permit you to target people within a particular geographic distance from your shop or other offline location. And who better to chat with in real time than somebody who’s currently within simple walking or driving distance?
Including the Send Message, call-to-action button to a local awareness advert encourages potential local customers to contact you directly to learn more about you, helping you overcome any objections which are stopping them from walking in your front door IRL.
4. Provide customer care
Let’s face it: when your customers have an issue with you, they will probably let you know about it on social media. There are a few methods Facebook Messenger could help.
Respond privately to public messages
Sometimes clients will publish customer service questions, feedback, or concerns directly on your Fb Page, rather than sending you a private message. However since these posts are visible to the public, they aren’t a good way to take care of any issues that require personal info, like an order or customer number. Rather than nudging your customer to send you a private message or email with the info you want, you could now reply directly to a public post with a private message so that all your customer should do is reply.
The initial post will remain visible on your public Page, however, it’ll show a message saying that you responded privately, so other visitors to your Page will know that you aren’t ignoring your customer.
Provide customer service directly by Messenger
Of course, Fb Messenger may also be a dedicated customer service channel for your company. After all, it’s simpler for customers to seek out you on Fb than to search out your customer service email address on your site.
When Rogers Communications, a big Canadian telecom, implemented Facebook Messenger as a customer service channel, they saw a 65 % decrease in buyer complains and a 65 % increase in customer satisfaction.
In case you are going to use Messenger as a customer service channel, it’s vital you have somebody monitoring your messages at all times when your company is open, as customers will expect a quick response—when you go to Rogers’ Facebook Page, you will see they have earned the Very Responsive badge. These customer satisfaction numbers would look quite different if the company was too slow to answer to customers.
5. Provide services via chatbots
Chatbots might be one of the most exciting methods to use Facebook Messenger, as they permit you to automate everything from customer service to product suggestions to offering custom content.
Dutch airline KLM’s use of Fb Messenger chatbots is among the most ambitious out there. KLM uses Messenger to offer flight updates, send you your boarding pass, and even change your seat preference.
There are now more than 30,000 bots on Fb Messenger.
6. Sell directly within Messenger
There’s additionally a new program available in the US only that permits companies to sell services and products directly in Messenger. It is still in beta, and developers have to apply to access the program, however, it’s worth checking out to see if your business qualifies.
Tommy Hilfiger began selling directly within Messenger utilizing its TMY.GRL bot as a part of New York Fashion Week, giving customers access to new clothes items immediately after runway shows.
You could apply for the program now in case your Page is based in the U.S. Other companies need to begin thinking about ways to implement this new feature now, so they are ready to go when the program becomes more broadly available.
7. Share your location
This one isn’t about marketing your brand. Instead, it’s a simple method to simplify offline meetings and connections with colleagues or clients. Rather than sending messages back and forth to decide where to meet, and then ensure everybody knows the address, you could send your current location or any other location of your selecting directly by Messenger, so you could be sure everybody arrives at the right place.
send a location in Messenger
- Open a conversation
- Tap the three dots icon on the bottom of your screen
- Click on Location
- Move the pin to your desired location, or search for the location by name
- Tap Send
8. Collaborate using the Dropbox integration
We will finish with one more method to use Fb Messenger to simplify interacting with colleagues and clients: you could attach Dropbox files directly to Messenger conversations. This works particularly well for videos and photos, as these display directly in the chat, making Fb Messenger a simple method to collaborate and get feedback on graphical materials. For other files, the people you are chatting with just tap “open” to open the files within the Dropbox app.
attach a Dropbox file to a Messenger conversation
- Ensure you have the Dropbox app installed.
- Open a conversation
- Tap the three dots icon on the bottom of your screen
- Select Dropbox
- Choose your file