It comes as no surprise to many tech-savvy business owners that AI technology and chatbots have been integrated into almost every aspect of business, particularly in the areas of customer service, marketing and lead generation. Many brands of varying sizes have begun to use bots as a major part of their marketing strategy to get better lead generation results. Recently, Facebook Messenger has become much more than simply a tool that people can use to chat to their friends and family. Using Facebook Messenger, business owners and marketers are able to gain high-quality leads using the ‘Click to Message’ feature, which is designed to allow users to start a conversation with the business directly from the Messenger app.

Facebook’s Click to Message Feature – Is It Worth Using?

Research has found that the average conversion rate for ads that point to a landing page is around 4-10%, which ultimately leads to a huge loss of potential leads that have been paid for. And, this number could be even more due to the fact that, in most cases, many users will lose interest in the ad or bounce off the landing page before it’s even fully loaded or completed. On the other hand, the ‘Click to Message’ feature can often be used to successfully generate more leads as it allows users to get in touch with the brand directly from their news feed, immediately starting a conversation with a potential customer and presenting a better opportunity to convert them into a lead.

Click to Message on Mobile:

The ‘Click to Message’ feature tends to have better results on mobile, which is good news for marketers and business owners with the number of users exploring social media and online businesses from their smartphones these days. A study by Nielsen found that the average smartphone user spends over 80% of the time they use their device on various apps, and with more Facebook users visiting the platform through their mobile app, the number of ad impressions on mobile devices is going up. This has seriously increased the significance of optimizing social media ads for mobile devices, which is even easier when using the ‘Click to Message’ feature as it allows users to convert to leads easily and directly using the mobile app.

Using Custom Chatbots to Generate Leads in Messenger:

Using custom chatbots is one of the best ways to use the Click to Message feature within Facebook Messenger to increase the number of leads that you generate and ultimately improve your ROI. Some of the main ways that custom chatbots can take your Facebook Messenger lead generation campaign to the next level include:

·         Qualifying Leads:

One of the biggest benefits of using bots with Facebook Messenger is that many have the ability to quickly qualify leads during the conversation. An increasing number of brands are now using chatbots that can be programmed to ask a range of questions to users during the initial conversation to qualify leads. This allows you to collect all the information that you need about a user before going further. You can also make use of pots that use pre-filled forms using a user’s Facebook profile information to find out more about them and qualify them as a lead with a minimal amount of work required for the user to get the information they’ve clicked through for.

·         Encouraging Leads Through the Sales Funnel:

For many businesses, the number of leads that they get and need to follow up with is more than the manpower that they have available to do this. Another huge benefit of using chatbots for lead generation with Facebook Messenger is that you can easily customize the bot to reply to the user in a timely manner and provide great customer service, catching them before they lose interest and encouraging them through the sales funnel.

How to Encourage Leads with Click to Message:

While the Click to Message feature is an ideal way to gather and encourage new leads using Facebook Messenger, it’s important to make sure that the users actually want to send a message to your brand in the first place. One of the main aspects of the Click to Message feature in ads is that users need to be prompted to send the first message for your business to generate the lead. Some of the best ways to do this include providing links to downloadable freebies, offering unique discount codes available through Messenger, offering free consulting or a free trial, or hosting a giveaway, competition or quiz.

Since the Click to Message feature requires users to engage with your brand before you can generate the lead. The best way to do this is to start out with ads that are engaging and clearly encourage your potential customers to engage with your content and find out more using the Messenger app. Engaging ad copy with clear calls to action for the reader to send your brand a message to find out more or take advantage of whatever you are offering in the ad is crucial. Tailor your questions and ad copy to different demographics to ensure that you’re reaching the right people with the right information.

Keeping the Human Touch:

While chatbots have become an important and effective tool in generating leads using Facebook and the Messenger app, it’s also important for brands to remember the importance of keeping the human touch. While it can be tempting to automate as much as possible, being completely replaced by bots could end up having the opposite to the desired effect. It is important to get the balance right when it comes to using bots to qualify and nurture your Facebook leads, and when a human should step in to continue the conversation and build a connection with the user.

Over the years, Facebook Messenger has become an increasingly important business marketing tool. Using the Click to Message feature, your business can generate more leads, engage with social media users on a personal level, and encourage leads through the sales funnel in a way that’s more conversational and engaging compared to landing pages.