Earlier this year, Facebook introduced a new feature that lets advertisers use Facebook Messenger as a destination for ads.
What this means is that advertisers now have the option to start a live conversation on Facebook Messenger with leads when they click on an ad (as opposed to sending them to a landing page or an opt-in form).
Just recently, Facebook doubled down on this new feature and created Click-to-Messenger as a standalone campaign objective (I know that probably sounds like gibberish but stay with me here).
This is actually a really big deal, and it’s going to change the way a lot of agents prospect on Facebook.
Probably the most powerful thing about Click-to-Messenger ads is that they cut out several steps in the conversion process.
That is, they make it easier for hesitant prospects to reach out to you — which means more leads at a lower cost.
In this article, I’m going to walk through why Facebook Click-to-Messenger ads are the future of lead generation and follow-up.
What are Facebook Click-to-Messenger ads?
Facebook Click-to-Messenger ads are a new way to generate leads that allow you to instantly follow up on Facebook.
When leads click on a Click-to-Messenger ad, they’re taken to a Facebook Messenger conversation with your business page.
From there, they’ll have the option of tapping/clicking a pre-written inquiry (called a “Quick Reply”) that will send them into a live Facebook Messenger conversation with your business page.
How Click-to-Messenger ads work
Here’s a quick breakdown that shows you how Click-to-Messenger ads work on mobile devices.
I’ve included some screenshots to show you what these ads look like from a lead’s perspective and your perspective.
1. Targeted buyers/sellers see your ad
When prospective homebuyers or sellers see your ad, they’ll have the option to click on it for more information.
Tip: I recommend using the carousel ad format because it tends to get more engagement than single-image ads (which means Facebook will show your ad to more people at a lower cost).
2. Someone taps on your ad
When leads tap on your ad, they’ll be taken to Facebook Messenger, and they’ll have the option to tap on a “Quick Reply” that will send them into a live conversation with your business page.
Facebook gives you the option to make this “Quick Reply” whatever you’d like, so feel free to get creative.
I’d also recommend creating a “Welcome Message” that tells a lead what next step you’d like them to take so that they don’t get confused and abandon the conversation.
Tip: Facebook just released a personalization feature that allows you to automatically include an individual’s first name in your “Welcome Message.”
Note: You won’t receive a notification — or be able to chat with leads — unless they tap on the “Quick Reply.”
3. Someone taps on the ‘Quick Reply’
When leads tap on a “Quick Reply,” they’ll be sent into a live Facebook Messenger conversation with your business page so that you can follow up in real time — which improves the likelihood that you’ll get a response.
Note: It’s not possible to communicate with a Click-to-Messenger lead using your personal Facebook profile — it needs to be a business page.
4. You follow up with the lead instantly
Once a lead enters into a Messenger conversation with your business page, you can follow up with more information in the form of:
- Text
- A link
- An attachment
- Photos
- Video
- Voice message
How to follow up with a lead on Facebook Messenger
If you want to follow up with Click-to-Messenger leads in real time, you’ll need to download the Facebook Page Manager app on your smartphone (just search for it on the app store).
I’d also recommend that you turn the app’s notifications on so that you’ll be notified as soon as someone taps on a “Quick Reply.”
You might decide to try to get the lead’s email or phone number for future follow up, but I would recommend that you try to “warm them up” on Facebook Messenger before you move the conversation off the platform.
Keep in mind, once someone initiates a conversation with your business page, you also have the option to follow up with him or her in the future.
Why Facebook Click-to-Messenger ads are an improvement on regular Facebook ads
I think that Click-to-Messenger ads are an improvement on tradition forms of lead generation.
The main reason I feel that way is that Click-to-Messenger ads actually remove a couple of steps in the lead conversion process.
That’s a big deal because each step is an opportunity for a lead to lose interest or get distracted (leads also get colder the longer you wait to follow up).
If you think about the traditional lead generation process, it looks something like this:
Out of everyone who sees your ad, only a few will click on it.
Even fewer will actually submit their contact info — and fewer still will respond to you when you follow up.
Generating leads with Facebook Click-to-Messenger ads, by contrast, looks something like this:
Click-to-Messenger ads eliminate the steps — and time — needed to turn a stranger into a lead
Here are some other reasons why I think these ads are so great:
- They reduce friction in the lead generation process and are less threatening than filling out a contact form.
- Leads feel like their contact info is protected because they aren’t technically giving it away.
- You can follow up instantaneously while a lead is still warm.
- You can get information about a lead by looking at their Facebook profile right inside the Page Manager app.
- Facebook Messenger conversations get better response rates than traditional forms of follow up because people get almost no “spam mail” on Messenger.
The future of lead generation on Facebook
Facebook increasingly wants to keep interactions between businesses and consumers on its platform. That’s because it cares about one metric: time-on-platform (it’s Facebook’s no. 1 revenue driver).
Facebook’s goal is to get more people to use Facebook or Messenger, and it wants them to use it for longer periods of time.
It’d much prefer that people continue to use its app — either Facebook or Messenger — when they click on an ad than have them leave and go to an external website.
I suspect that Facebook will continue to encourage advertisers to use strategies that keep people engaged on the platform.
Nate Dadosky is the owner of Nate Dadosky Marketing in Charlotte, North Carolina. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
