Understanding how to use Messenger bots and Facebook
Messenger was introduced by Facebook in April 2014. I can recall the day well, Facebook was sending us little reminders to download this new separate app called Messenger.
Over the years, the messenger app has increased significantly with the features like:
- Being able to messenger your friends for FREE
- Use stickers and emoji’s
- Masks and funny faces when using the photo and or live video chat
- Send group messages (great for VIP)
- Connect with voice and video conversations across the world for free.
- Play games
- Send money to family and friends.
- Suggest a meeting spot and send a map location
Wait for it…. there is more. Facebook has announced that it will bring about augmented reality to Messenger. The new AR feature will enable us to communicate with 3D icons. Facebook sees this option as very useful for brands when a customer interacts with the brand on messenger, they will be able to open up their camera, which will be pre-populated with filters and AR effects specific to that brand.
So how does Facebook Messenger tap into the bot space?
Well on or about April 2016, Facebook announced that they were going to integrate messenger bots into the Facebook Messenger app.
A messenger bot is a piece of software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate tasks and converse with you. The more you chat with the bot, the more information it will process and deliver appropriate responses for you.
If you are not sure what I am referring to, just stop reading this article, open up your Facebook messenger app and you will see a number of bots already displayed. There will be a newspaper bot, a weather bot, possibly even a travel bot.
Here are a few for you to look at:
- 1-800-flowers – order your flowers through Facebook messenger app
- SnapTravel – Find hotels, travel and all inside the app
- Trulia – messengers the user all the properties currently on the market.
A messenger bot is another way to communicate with our clients and potential clients. Even though the communication will be automated we can really make the Messenger bots converse in a way that they will be able to deliver the information from the Facebook app to the consumer with ease and grace.
There are a number of ways to start your engagement using messenger bots. However, for this article, I will talk about the program called Manychat and how it easily integrates with Facebook and Facebook Messenger.
Why Use a Bot?
In the world of social media and the internet, our clients like to reach out to use at all hours of the day and night. As a business owner, this can be a full-time job, we want to answer the questions of these potential clients however we don’t want to be woken up during the night.
A messenger bot will integrate and automate this experience for the user when they contact you through Facebook.
The power of these bots is that the message is being delivered straight onto their mobile device within the Facebook Messenger app, giving the feeling of security. They have a 99.8% open rate. Compare that to our old friend email marketing you can really see the power of developing a strategy around messenger bots, Facebook, and chatbots.
Depending on your strategy, some businesses use the bots to provide information or education to their list through Facebook. Others are able to provide services. Dominos Pizza allows the Facebook user to order straight from the device.
Use With Care
There are a number of ways to use this new feature. Care must be taken when developing your sequence for communicating.
When my users have the first engagement with me on my Chatbot, I like to tell them that I am a chatbot (I have actually named mine #Leebot) and I advise them that my job is to communicate with them whilst “Leanne” is away from her office.
I feel that this way there is room for error. We don’t wish to have too many errors. However, during the process of working out your sequences, it’s best to let them know what they’re dealing with to reduce the frustration if any. Note that no artificial intelligence can be as effective as human conversations.
Also, always give them the option to talk to human and to opt out of the communication.
How to use a Facebook Messenger bot
- Have a strategy – Don’t just create a Manychat.com account and start communicating with your customer. Work out how you can best serve and deliver to your marketplace.
- The Journey – Think about the journey from the customer’s view. What is the typical buying journey? Are they looking for information? How would you like to be spoken to on a chatbot?
- Test and Measure – Before you unleash your sequences of bots to the world, make sure they work and they make sense. Aim for consistently offering content/services and information.
- Get your Bot voice – Bots are meant for conversations, so humanise your responses.
- Write great scripts – Spend time determining what you would like to say.
Setup a Manychat.com free account
I have found this account to be effective and free up to 5000 subscribers. They also offer a number of tutorials to get you started.
What I love about Manychat is its ease to integrate with Facebook and that I can do so many things with my bot.
The number one feature is being able to grow my list. Yes, Manychat will set up a list of subscribers from your Facebook interaction.
I can then use the broadcast feature to send my list messages – remember 99.8% open rate straight to their mobile device.
Tell them when I am going Live on Facebook, what training is now available and so much more.
I love using the messenger bot with my live videos to create engagement. I set up my live video and then I add a call to action, which is often just a word.
An example of this would be: comment below with the keyword “Facebook”. I might be doing an educational Facebook live broadcast and they will receive my updated Facebook cheat sheet automatically.
This is an awesome two-fold feature. I get the potential client to engage with my post, keeping Facebook happy, and I get the potential client to opt-in to my list on Manychat.
There are so many uses for these features on Facebook. Again think about the journey of the user, or the questions they have then set your strategy in motion.
Whether we like it or not, our amazing interfaces and technology are going to continue to grow. As a business owner, we really need to embrace and learn what is currently available to use.
More Chatbots To Try
There are a number of other messenger bots that you can also try, these include:
- ChattyPeople
- Meokay
- Smooch
- Botsify
- Beep Boop
- Chatfuel
- Facebook messenger platform
- Telegram Bots
- Botkit
- FlowXO
I have always been the futuristic one, adopting marketing options for my business early. Some work, some don’t. However, if we don’t embrace these new options to communicate with our potential clients, I honestly believe that we will get left behind in a world of technology that is changing.
Marketing, in my opinion, has never been so affordable (your Facebook Business page is FREE) and accessible. Giving us the business owner maximum reach to our target market. Yet to me it seems that many business owners are waiting, I would love to ask:
What are you waiting for?
Take action, learn about what is new and trending and make the time to implement and change your social media strategy to be a success and give you maximum return on your investment.
If you are still not convinced, then try using Manychat.com integrate with your Facebook business page and then add the widget to your website. If nothing else, people that visit your website can message directly to you. Once you see the benefit, then you can build out a sequence to assist them with their enquiry, you can ask questions, build out the chatbot and give them all the information that are looking for, all done from the bot into their Facebook messenger account, without you needing repeat the process, all totally automatic.
I believe that automation and videos are the future of our marketing online. Both are affordable and easy to master and learn. Statistics indicate that by 2020 (that’s only a couple of years away) that 85% of all human interaction online with be with Artificial intelligence. So….. are you ready?
What do you think? If you have an email list and still getting a 10% open rate, can you see yourself moving over to the bot world to grow your subscriber list?As far as the Facebook messenger bots, you can automate your customer service, direct inquiries, and questions. This allows your team to spend time on high-value tasks. Save time with your messenger bot strategy, while still growing your brand.
We have look at Facebook messenger bots, how you can automate your customer service, direct inquiries, and questions. In my experience, this new tool will allow your team to spend time on high-value tasks. Save time with your messenger bot strategy, while still growing your brand.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to learn more about bots!
@leannepeard
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Hi Leanne,
Many of us don’t know how to use messenger bots. Since Facebook is doing frequent changes in the website, it’s necessary to be aware of such updates.
Thank you for sharing worthy article with lots of knowledge.
hello leanne
thank you fro sharing this use full post on this topic i am really impress with this post