Facebook Messenger Ads: Do’s & Don’ts

The latest innovation on the Facebook advertising platform is proving to be a game-changer. By capitalizing on the surging popularity of the Facebook Messenger app, Facebook now allows advertisers to use Messenger-based ad campaigns which are showing a boost in prospect interaction and, hopefully, lead generation.

Launched in 2011 as an upgrade to the original Facebook chat, Messenger has grown from 600 million users in 2015 to more than 1.3 billion by the end of 2017.

Its popularity is due in large part to the explosion of text messaging and the shift in consumer behavior to have a message-based chat with a company versus a phone or email interaction. After recent data privacy issues on the Facebook ad platform, Messenger ads are becoming the go-to alternative to target, engage and convert leads on Facebook.

Following are some Do’s and Don’ts from BroadBased Digital Marketing Strategist Alexandra Morrison that you might consider when setting up your first Facebook Messenger ad.

DO

• Do identify your audience
  • Will your Messenger ad target a cold, interest-based audience or one already familiar with your brand? You’ll want to adjust your advertising message accordingly and include a trackable call to action.
• Do have a clear goal
  • A Messenger ad can serve as a landing page between your ad and your website. Be concise with the information and links you provide so you can most efficiently convert your prospect into a lead.
• Do respond in a timely manner
  • Prospects may opt to ask a question instead of use the information links you provide. Make sure to have designated a person checking for ad responses at least every 24 hours.

DON’T

• Don’t leave your autoresponder on
  • Any autoresponder you have set on your Facebook page will automatically post to the Messenger ad if your prospect makes a comment in the ad thread. This can be very confusing, so you’ll want to pause your autoresponder while your Messenger ads are running.
• Don’t use a generic response
  • In the event a user asks a specific question, you’ll want to make sure that your response is personalized and specific to them. A boilerplate response that isn’t relevant may lead to a negative reaction.

Here at BroadBased, we’ve designed and delivered several Facebook Messenger campaigns and are happy to share what we’ve learned. Whether you’re new to advertising on Facebook or have active campaigns that could use a shot in the arm, get in touch with us through our Facebook Messenger and we’ll set up a time to chat.