It was in 2017 when Facebook allowed ad placements on Messenger. Since then, marketers are able to bring their brand to where conversations happen. In the Philippines, FB messenger is the 3rd most used app with almost 30M users. In fact, an increasing number of major brands have successfully adopted Messenger ads into their marketing strategy.
- Among the big brands to use Messenger ads is Sephora. Earlier, they placed ads in the News Feed that aims to drive more reservations for their in-store makeover service in the US. Instead of driving visitors to a landing page, they are instead directed into Messenger to confirm a booking which led to an 11% increase in their booking rate.
- Nordstrom, on the other hand, used Messenger ads to ask series of questions that gauge their customer’s preferences. As the answers are provided, they were able to come up with gift recommendations that the customer is more likely to be interested in.
It’s easy to assume that social media ads only work for already big brands, but statistics prove otherwise.
Why Invest in Messenger Ads
Today, studies show that more than 50 billion messages are sent every day through different platforms including SMS and messaging apps. But, what does it mean for brands ad businesses?
In a study conducted by Twilio, it was revealed that out of the 6,000 consumers from different countries surveyed, 89% prefer to communicate with businesses via messaging. In fact, messaging platforms rank as the most preferred customer service channel by consumers in the US, Singapore, South Korea and India, and are among the top 3 across the globe.
Most Preferred Messaging Apps
The study also concluded that a fifth of consumers prefer Messenger to engage with businesses.
- Native SMS - 47%
- Facebook Messenger - 21%
- Whatsapp - 18%
- Other - 6%
- Line - 6%
- Snapchat - 2%
In the Philippines alone, 49% of Filipinos online use FB messenger. Now as a brand, Messenger ads provide you the opportunity to tap into this market and further grow your presence online. So, let’s explore how to advertise on FB messenger.
How Facebook Messenger Ads Work
There are two distinct ways for brands to capitalize on this ad format: Destination Ads and Sponsored Message Ads.
MESSENGER DESTINATION ADS
A destination ad works in a fashion similar to the ads that appear on the News Feed. It will have a call to action and when users tap on it, they will be sent to a destination – either to your website, mobile app or Facebook page.
But, the best part? If the destination you selected during ad creation is a website, it will open right in the Messenger app. What make it even better is that, you can readily use the same campaign you’re using for Facebook and Instagram and run it on Messenger.
SPONSORED MESSAGES
Aside from the home screen placement, you can also send sponsored messages to users who have messaged your business previously. But, unlike a placement ad, this ad format will initially appear like a regular Facebook message and will only show in the app. It will also be labeled as Sponsored in the chat.
Looking at these examples, you might want to consider using this format to interact with your audience. However, Facebook’s priority is still user experience so this ad type comes with a few cons.
First, this ad can only target people who have previously engaged with your page. So, it will only work effectively to re-engage users who have an existing conversation with you. For retail brands, it can offer coupon codes or suggest new items. Second, Facebook allows users to block sponsored messages if they refuse to receive your content.
How to Set Up Facebook Messenger Ads
Messaging apps are projected to be the next big thing in advertising. As a brand, you need to keep on looking at how you can adapt these new strategies to keep up with the changing communication landscape. If you’re ready to create your first sponsored message ad or placement ad, click on the links to get started.
Have you used Facebook Messenger ads? Share your experience by commenting below.
Need more help with your social media marketing? Get in touch with M2Social today!
