Send WhatsApp messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Collaborate on a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify Store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Broadcast messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Connect your chat apps in a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Content Marketing Lead
Facebook needs no introduction. We’ve all probably used, or are still using, the world’s biggest social network platform.
In the 3rd quarter of 2020, it’s reported that there are 2.7 billion monthly active users on Facebook.
And to add to that, the introduction of Facebook Messenger in 2011 has seen 20 billion messages exchanged on a monthly basis.
That’s a crazy number — but people aren’t only using it as a networking or support platform.
Facebook reported that generating leads is one of the most common use cases seen on Messenger. Businesses are using Messenger to schedule appointments, drive brand awareness, and secure sales.
That’s why in this article, we’ll walk you through how to use Facebook Messenger to connect with your customers to get that sale. 😉
As its name suggests, it’s an instant messaging platform built into Facebook. Facebook Messenger was introduced in 2011, which later became a standalone app in 2014.
Though the main function is to exchange conversations, you can expect to see ads occasionally.
A Facebook business page gives businesses a chance to create an account to increase brand awareness and generate sales. You can freely upload posts and engage with customer comments on your own platform.
Also, having a business page allows you to have direct and private conversations with customers through Messenger. Customers can now easily contact you, and you can respond to them within a few seconds.
But how exactly do you send messages from your Facebook business page? Continue reading on as we answer some FAQs. 👇
Before you even start chatting with your customers, you have to make sure that you’ve already got a Business Page set up.
To get started, simply create a page and key in information such as your page name, category, and a short description.
You can also upload a profile photo to make you recognizable to your customers, and you’re good to go!
For a more detailed guide on how to go about setting up your own page, you can check out this page.
Once you’ve got your page up and running, remember to configure your settings to allow your customers to be able to send you private messages. You can do this in 2 simple steps:
1. Click on page settings.
2. Check the box to allow people to communicate with you through Messenger. Then click on “save changes”.
With the Message button showing on your main page, your customers will now be able to send you private messages over Messenger.
Do take note that you can only send a message back to a customer if they’ve messaged you first. You’re also unable to send messages to another Facebook business page.
You can’t possibly be tending to your Facebook page 24/7. What if a message comes in the middle of the night.
That’s when Facebook’s automated “Away” messages come in handy. Here’s a quick guide on setting it up:
1. Click on page settings.
2. Click on the “Messaging” tab on the left.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Set Up”.
4. Under the “Greet People” drop-down tab, click on “Away message”, followed by “Edit”.
5. Set up your ‘away message’ and click on “save” at the top right.
When setting up your away message, you get an instant preview of what the message will look like.
The default settings send your away message instantly. However, you can set up a schedule to send the message.
And there you have it – it’s pretty easy, right?
1. Click on page settings.
2. Click on the “Messaging” tab on the left.
3. Scroll to the bottom until you see “Add Messenger to your website” and click on “Get started”.
4. Edit your Plugin.
Here, you can edit the greeting and even change the language for the Chat Plugin. You can toggle between “Desktop preview” and “Mobile preview” to see how the pop-up will look like on different interfaces.
Once you’re happy with your edits, Facebook automatically generates a code that you can just copy and paste into your website!
And that’s it! Now you can easily chat with your customers on your website via Messenger.
According to Statista, there are 1.3 billion active users on Facebook Messenger. If that isn’t enough to convince you to start using the app, then here are a few other reasons.
The rise and success of Facebook Messenger (and other messaging apps) evidently shows that the way customers engage with businesses has evolved.
Your customers now expect to be able to message you.
Research shows that:
On average, that’s 76% of your customers contacting you on Messenger for these purposes, and possibly more!
Imagine all the opportunities lost if you don’t have Messenger set up on your Facebook business page.
In a survey done by Facebook, 56% of respondents said that they message businesses across their entire customer journey.
This gives you countless opportunities to follow up with that customer. You can take this chance to gather valuable information and learn more about your customers to build stronger relationships.
Furthermore, leads who reach out to you directly through Messenger are likely to be familiar with your brand and have shown some interest in your products or services.
Also, since you’ve already got them in your inbox, take the chance to re-contact them regarding product updates, new releases, or promotional offers.
The concept is pretty straightforward — if you’re easily contactable by your customers, you gain their trust.
That’s because being able to directly communicate with a brand like how they would with friends and family makes you more human. And people tend to trust businesses that provide them with a human connection.
Customers also feel more confident about a business if they are able to connect with them this easily.
As mentioned above, 74% of respondents said that they message businesses to make a purchase. If you use Messenger as an additional platform for transactions, this increases customer experience as well as conversions.
Here are 2 scenarios:
1. A customer takes interest in your product or service from your Facebook Ads. They click onto your profile and decide to send you a message. Your rep directs them to your website, where they’ll have to fill in a form or add the item to their cart to purchase.
2. A customer takes interest in your product or service from your Facebook Ads. They click onto your profile and decide to send you a message. Your rep guides them through the buying process, and the purchase is made in Messenger.
Which do you think is better?
(We hope you chose the second one 😅)
In the first scenario, they could drop off if you direct them to an external site. This also prolongs the buying cycle.
Processing their transaction right in Messenger means you can “lock them in” and close the deal faster. You don’t have to worry about them dropping off since you’re handling it all on one platform.
But if you have a longer sales cycle, such as SaaS businesses, Messenger can serve as a platform to create personalized touchpoints.
This is important especially if you’re using Messenger’s auto-reply feature.
Typos are common and they’re an honest mistake. However, they shouldn’t be appearing in auto-replies that you’ve crafted and set up beforehand. You wouldn’t want to give a bad impression to customers when they send you a message and your reply is full of typos!
Keep in mind that you should also make it a habit to proofread your replies when replying to customers.
People approach businesses when they don’t sound robotic.
Something as simple as using a customer’s name in your replies can make them feel validated and important.
According to a survey done by Facebook, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who recognize, remember and provide them with relevant offers and recommendations.
In today’s world, businesses are required to be responsive. Leads who are contacted within 5 minutes are 9 times more likely to convert.
Luckily for you, Facebook awards businesses with badges for being responsive. To earn a “responsive” badge, you must have a response time of less than 15 minutes and a 90% response rate.
Once you’ve obtained the badge, be sure to show it off on your page! This tells customers that you’re prompt in your replies, and they won’t be left waiting for a reply that never comes.
Furthermore, having this badge will increase customers’ willingness to message you because they know they’ll receive a reply.
Facebook Messenger is a fantastic app that businesses should definitely use to communicate with their customers!
That said, it shouldn’t be the only app that you are using. As of February 2020, Whatsapp has a total of 2 billion users worldwide.
While LINE does not openly publish user statistics, it is known to be the most popular messaging app in Taiwan, Japan, and second in Indonesia.
And let’s not forget Telegram that’s continuing to grow in popularity! As of April 2020, it reported a total of 400 million monthly users worldwide.
Using multiple messaging apps helps businesses connect with a larger number of customers and helps improve customer relations. Software like chat messaging platforms even allows you to manage multiple messaging apps on a single tool.
We hope that this guide has been helpful in helping better understand how to send messages via your Facebook business page!
From generating high-quality leads to gaining customer trust, Messenger brings about many benefits to businesses. But why stop there?
Using multiple messenger apps can further enhance the benefits that these apps bring to businesses.
If you’re interested to know how else you can communicate with your customers through various messaging platforms, sign up for NovoChat for free today!
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