Facebook Messenger is getting a make over with new business tools to enable communications with consumers. At the same time, in the near future the Discover’ tab will be retired as messages become more integrated into regular messages. The aim is to improve the user experience for consumers, and create more opportunities to drive business outcomes, on Facebook Messenger.
Selling on messaging platforms is relatively new in the Western world, but in China with WeChat this is a routine way to conduct business. Unlike advertising on Facebook Marketplace, which is little more than a modern version of the Classified Ads section in the back of a local newspaper, on Facebook Messenger consumers who interact with you a and your brand are expressing an intent to buy.
If you’ve not already explored selling through messaging apps, it’s something you will wish to learn and test in the near future. The simplest way to view it is as a combination of paid search (e.g. Google Adwords type selling) combined with a chat bot (which you may already have on your website). The only difference is that the ads and chatbot are combined into Facebook Messenger with the ability for you to jump into a chat with a pre-qualified consumer who is ready to buy.
The new Facebook Messenger tools will include both lead generation (ideal for online retailers) and appointment booking (which will appeal if you are a consultant or use social to drive enquiries for marketplace tools and services that you offer).
“As a part of our continued commitment to simplify the Messenger experience for people, we will begin to phase out the Discover tab over the next several months. Simply put, we want to make it more seamless for people to reach out to businesses on Messenger in places where they’re already looking to connect. We will put more investment into tools to connect people and businesses.”
Facebook Messenger Lead Generation for Retailers
This week Facebook will start to roll out a new template within Facebook Ads Manager to enable businesses to create automated experiences to help qualify leads within Messenger. Businesses can continue the conversation with prospects directly in Messenger and integrate with existing CRM tools to seamlessly to track leads.
Facebook Messenger Appointment booking
Facebook Messenger Appointment booking is currently in beta with select developers and businesses, enabling them to accept real-time appointment booking through Messenger. This solution enables businesses to integrate their existing calendar booking software to power booking experiences through Messenger.
