Facebook Messenger is rapidly gaining popularity as a marketing strategy. It boasts It’s easy to see why—an impressive 80% open rate, a 60% click-through rate, and incredibly high conversion rates. Such results are understandably desirable. Let me guide you through the specific features marketers are leveraging to achieve these outcomes. Here are four Facebook Messenger features you absolutely must explore:

1. Comment Guard
2. Chat Blasting
3. Click-to-Messenger Ads
4. Chat Widget

1. Comment Guard (Private Auto-Responders for Facebook Posts)

A Comment Guard is essentially a bot you implement on your organic Facebook posts. When someone comments on the post, this bot automatically sends them a Facebook message.

Consider it an auto-responder for your Facebook posts.

1. Someone comments on a post.
2. That person automatically receives a response via Messenger. You can witness a Comment Guard in action by clicking on this link. No worries if you’d rather not become my next lead (just kidding!), I’ll illustrate it with screenshots instead. Here’s how the Facebook post looks.

The moment someone comments, they receive a Facebook message from a chatbot.

The commenter isn’t a lead just yet! The lead cycle is complete only when they respond to the chatbot. Once they do, they become a qualified lead. You then have their information and permission to engage with them. Marketers are drawn to Comment Guards for three main reasons.

1. Comment Guards are free. Unlike Click-to-Messenger ads, you don’t pay for these leads.
2. Comment Guards are great for list building. Every comment followed by engagement with the Messenger bot automatically adds that user to your list.
3. Comment Guards are favored by Facebook. Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes engagement. So, if you have a popular organic post attracting numerous comments, Facebook will give it preference in the newsfeed, further boosting engagement. Your goal with Comment Guards is engagement. Here are some strategies for crafting organic posts that generate high engagement:

• Quizzes or riddles: Design a quiz, even a lighthearted one, and encourage users to comment with their answers.
• GIF replies: Ask a question that users can answer with a GIF. Something as simple as “How’s your Monday going? (GIF reply)” can get the comments flowing.
• Autocomplete: Provide a sentence starter and ask users to complete it using autocomplete. For instance, “Hey everyone, type On Mondays, I feel like a,” and let autocomplete do the rest.
• Surveys: Surveys are simple to create and drive tons of engagement. A basic survey like “Are you an agency marketer or an in-house marketer?” can initiate the Comment Guard sequence.
• Opinions: Everyone loves sharing their opinion! Pose a question and invite users to share their thoughts and feelings in the comments.
• Controversy: While sensitivity is crucial, you can use this approach to spark conversation. For example, “Jason Momoa is not attractive. Change my mind.” Ensure the chosen topic is relevant to your niche.

Here are a few more tips to maximize your Facebook Comment Guards:

• Add a Comment Guard to trending posts. If you have an organic post gaining traction, implement a Comment Guard promptly.
• Boost well-performing organic posts. A small investment can significantly amplify a post’s reach and generate more leads.
• Design organic posts with Comment Guard engagement in mind. Prioritize interaction and conversation. Remember, these are free leads!
• Make your bot enticing. Getting a comment is just the beginning. Maintain engagement with your bot by offering something appealing. Simplify responses with a simple “yes” button.

2. Facebook Messenger Chat Blasting

Chat blasting is straightforward: sending a Messenger chat to your entire contact list. Think of it as email blasting, but with better results. Why? The answer is evident: 70-80% open rates within an hour! Compared to email marketing’s meager 5% open rates, incorporating Facebook Chat Blasts into your strategy is a no-brainer. Before utilizing chat blasts, you need Facebook’s approval by applying for subscription messaging.

Rest assured, this is less complicated than it seems. From your Facebook page, navigate to Settings → Messenger Platform, scroll to “Advanced Messaging Features,” and click “Request.”

Submissions are reviewed manually, so the process might take a few days to a week. The key point is that you cannot send promotional content. Resist the temptation to blast your list with messages like “BUY OUR PRODUCT NOW! CLICK HERE!!!” Facebook requires you to agree to this statement: “I confirm this Page won’t use subscription messaging to send advertisements or promotional messages and will follow Messenger policies and Facebook community standards.” Remember, recipients must first opt-in to receive your blasts. Make the opt-in process seamless and enjoyable.

Chat blasting can be incredibly effective for:

• Maintaining high engagement with your most loyal followers.
• Allowing your audience to self-segment through chatbot sequences.
• Automating drip sequences for enhanced engagement. As you gain experience with chat blasting you’ll want to delve into your data to understand what works and what doesn’t.

3. Click-to-Messenger Ads

Click-to-Messenger ads are Facebook ads where the call-to-action is “Send Message.” Instead of clicking to learn more or claim an offer, the user initiates a Facebook Messenger conversation with you. Here’s an example of a typical Messenger ad (though, admittedly, most people don’t use images of vomiting unicorns).

Notice how this ad “opens in Messenger” and features a “Send Message” button. Essentially, Messenger ads have a 100% conversion rate. Every message puts the user on your contact list, granting you access to their name, email, phone number, profile picture, interests—the works.

Moreover, Messenger ads are significantly cheaper than traditional Facebook ads. When MobileMonkey started experimenting with Messenger ads, our the cost of our leads from $150 to only $5 plummeted—a 96% reduction!

While this might seem unbelievable to some, it highlights the potential of Facebook Messenger marketing. The magic happens when someone converts on your Messenger ad. Your chatbot steps in, guiding the prospect through your desired funnel.

This interactive approach is far more engaging than a static landing page offer. You can even configure the bot to allow users to connect with a human representative at any point. In my experience, Messenger ads hold immense potential in today’s marketing landscape. While some marketers are catching on, Facebook feeds aren’t saturated with them yet. To illustrate, I just browsed Facebook for a few minutes, specifically paying attention to the ads. Out of 20 ads I encountered, not a single one was a Facebook Messenger ad. There were plenty of “Learn More” and “Download” buttons, but no “Send Message.” This is significant because I’m a prime target for ads related to marketing tools and strategies. Ironically, there was an ad for a Messenger chatbot app, but even that used “Learn More” instead of “Send Message.” My point is this: utilize Facebook Messenger ads.

4. Chat Widget

A chat widget is a button on your website that enables visitors to message you directly. You’ve likely encountered these before.

Clicking “Continue as [name]” initiates a chatbot sequence within Messenger. That single click translates into a valuable lead. Live chat boasts impressive statistics. According to some reports, integrating live chat into your website can boost leads by 40%. Sounds fantastic, right? But there are drawbacks:

• Live chat requires human agents, which are expensive.
• Providing 24/7 live chat coverage can be challenging.
• Live chat interactions are often fleeting, not leading to lasting connections.
• Live chat can be slow. Responses might take 5-15 minutes, and resolving queries even longer. Messenger chat widgets address all these issues.
• They rely on bots, which are entirely automated and practically free.
• They’re available 24/7.
• They convert users into Messenger contacts, creating a permanent lead channel.
• They offer instant responses.

Here are some tips for maximizing your Messenger chat widget:

• Welcome customers with a personalized greeting. by name.
• Remind visitors that their conversation can continue seamlessly on Messenger, even if they navigate away from your website. The chat history is readily accessible on both mobile and desktop versions of Messenger.
• Program your bot to request the customer’s email address, phone number, or any other essential information.
• Provide options throughout the interaction, empowering the customer to guide the conversation.
• Offer “Live Operator Takeover” if available. If a customer prefers speaking to a human agent, make that option clear and accessible.
• Nurture your leads within Messenger using chat blasts and drip campaigns. Remember, initiating a conversation through your chat widget automatically adds the user to your contact list for future retargeting opportunities.
• If you use WordPress, consider leveraging the WP-Chatbot plugin!

Facebook Messenger Marketing: Jump on Board!

These four tactics are transforming the marketing world. At my company, they are in the top 1-3% of strategies delivering exceptional results. Beyond the technicalities, these features share a fundamental element—interactivity. The era of passive marketing is fading. Simply broadcasting messages to customers is no longer effective. Consumers crave engaging, immersive, and interactive experiences. Messenger marketing is the solution. By implementing these four Facebook Messenger features, you’ll be employing one of the most effective marketing methods available today.