Why is Facebook Messenger marketing so effective?
Recent figures show that the top four messenger apps (that's Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber) are used more than the top four social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn).
Just think about that for a moment. A bigger user base than the top four social media platforms combined.
Plus, several recent surveys have shown that the number of people who want to be able to direct message a company for customer service is on the rise. Also, that perhaps as many as half of all internet users would be more likely to buy from a company they can DM.
The most interesting figure from a marketer's point of view is that over 60% of social media users like to get personalised messages from companies...
Here's how to use that:
How to use direct message marketing on Facebook and Instagram
1) Deliver and guide your audience to your content
The simplest way to use direct messages for marketing is to use them to increase the reach of or further support your content marketing.
According to HubSpot's research, using Facebook Messenger in this way actually gets a 242% higher open rate than using email to do the same!
A slightly more advanced version of this strategy is to use a Messenger chatbot to suggest relevant stories to your audience.
2) Engage with your audience
Interacting with your online audience on a one-to-one basis just got a whole lot easier. You can use direct messages to
- Respond to Instagram stories and show you're interested in what your connections are up to.
- Build a stronger initial connection with new contacts.
- Continue networking with a group of people you met at an event.
The key here is to be personal with your messaging. This is a fantastic way to build individual relationships with your audience.
Copy-and-pasting a spam message is an easy way to turn someone off from your brand entirely.
3) Take a second bite at the cherry
Sometimes a potential customer will fall out of your Facebook marketing funnel. Direct messaging gives you a second attempt at converting them.
You can try:
- Click-to-Messenger ads – these handy ads send people who click on them directly to a one-on-one messenger conversation.
- Sponsored messages – as long as someone has interacted with your Facebook business page, you can start a Messenger conversation with them.
How to approach clients on Instagram Messenger
4) Target specific followers
Facebook Messenger marketing is a great way to offer a deal to only a certain segment of your audience.
This enables you to:
- Target your customers who are most likely to engage with certain content or deals
- Reward your top followers (those people who interact with you all the time) even if it's just to wish them a personal happy birthday!)
- Run a competition where you send a direct message to the winners
5) Be on-point with your customer support
Direct message marketing is being used more and more for customer support across all industries.
After all, it's direct, it's easy to use and the response is instant!
Facebook recently did a survey where they found that more than half of the people they asked would rather message a company than phone them.
The downside is that if you do offer direct message customer support, you have to make sure you do it right:
- Always reply – up to a third of people in a recent survey (and probably many more in reality) will simply shop elsewhere if a brand doesn't reply to their message.
- Reply as soon as possible – four hours is the longest time most people are prepared to wait.
The upside is that you can use direct messages to provide customer support and have it find a great deal of favour with your audience.
Never tried Instagram or Facebook messenger marketing before?
Local Fame helps businesses in every industry with their direct message marketing on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact us and tell us about the current state of your marketing today.
