Social media, as we all know, is a great place to advertise our businesses.

The problem is, we all know that.

Today, my social media accounts are oversaturated with advertisements. If I log into my Facebook account, scroll through my Instagram feed, or read an article on a celebrity’s blog, I’m bombarded with ads. Not only does it feel impersonal, but because of the sheer quantity of them, I barely see them anymore.

But there’s a new way.

Check out the graph above: More people today use messaging apps than social media apps. And this is a largely untapped market, particularly because it’s typically reserved for personal messages between friends.

What if you could chat with these people–potential customers–like old friends? What if you could send content straight to the people who want to read it? What if you could strengthen relationships with old customers after they’ve completed a purchase? What if your business’s messages were delivered to the same inbox that houses messages from boyfriends and parents and high school best friends?

That’d be pretty powerful, right?

Here, we’ve compiled a list of four ways to use Facebook Messenger to improve your marketing and sales strategies. Take a look.

1. Use Messenger to Deliver High-Quality Content

HubSpot conducted a four-week test. Some of their customers filled out a form to get content delivered to their email inbox, and other customers opted to get the same content delivered to their Facebook Messenger. Here’s what HubSpot found:

This means that Facebook Messenger leads to a 242% higher open rate, and a 619% higher click rate. That’s a pretty startling advantage.

Remember, one of the most innovative aspects of advertising on Facebook Messenger is that communication is 1:1. I’m much more likely to respond to a direct message from Sandy’s Flower Shop than I am to a picture Sandy posted on Facebook for the whole world to see–I mean, how special do I really feel, then?

You can deliver content to your customers by building your own Chatbot for Messenger using Chatfuel. It’s limited to 100,000 conversations per month, but for most small businesses, this shouldn’t be an issue. No coding is required, it’s simple to use, and best of all, it’s free.

Of course, sending content to your customers only works if your customers subscribe to a list, or interact with your Facebook page… for instance, I have not given my Facebook information to Whole Foods, so they cannot directly send me content.

But, companies such as Whole Foods and TechCrunch enable customers to directly message their Chatbots with requests for specific content. This gives their customers the power to access all that their businesses have to offer, when and where they want it. And that’s pretty rare.

I tried this myself by messaging both Whole Foods’ and TechCrunch’s Chatbots. With Whole Foods, I was given exactly what I wanted: a fun, easy stir-fry recipe. With TechCrunch, I first requested general “popular” stories, and the Chatbot sent me a list, with option to “View on Web.”

Then, I messaged “Sofia Vergara” (I saw a story about her on their homepage), and the Chatbot very kindly sent me that direct link.

The most impressive part about this, to me, is that it doesn’t feel like an advertisement about TechCrunch’s “Sofia Vergara” story, or Whole Foods’ recipes–it feels like a friend, doing the research for me, and giving me exactly what I want.

Yes, creating a Chatbot that allows followers to search is a little more difficult, but ChatFuel offers guides and templates–and honestly, it’s worth any hassle: getting ahead of the curve on this one is a sure-fire way to become your target audience’s new favorite friend.

2. Use Messenger to Engage with Customers

So, you have an event coming up, or a special promotion, or you want crucial feedback from your customers about how to improve.

Sure, you can send out a survey or a link via email and hope for the best.

But with a tool like ManyChat, you can create subscriber lists and send updates to Messenger as easily as sending an email. But, unlike email, it doesn’t feel like spam.

Think about it…

I’m scrolling through email, and I see this: Come join us at NACA Conference!, 50% off Facials Month of October, and, How was the Ed Sheeran concert? Want to see another? 

I open Facebook Messenger, and I see this: Hey, want to come to a party Saturday night?, Hey, was last night’s alumni event fun?, and, Just saw there’s a sale at Express–wanna go shopping this weekend? 

Essentially, both are updating me about upcoming events, asking me for feedback, and promoting a sale. But if you send your customers updates via Messenger, they’ll be received much differently–from people who want these updates, have asked for them, and feel like your business is of caliber to their very best friends.

3. Use Messenger for Sneaky, and Effective, Sales 

A marketing agency called Valassis built a Chatbot for Feldman Automotive Group. Then, they ran click-to-Messenger ads with location targeting on, to reach the target audience. They posted advertisements on Facebook, and when a person clicked the ad, they were taken to Messenger, where they could ask questions to the Chatbot (or, opt to speak to a Sales rep).

In a couple of months, they reached over 100,000 people and generated about 50 sales per month through the Chatbot.

However, like I’ve mentioned, Facebook News Feed’s are filled with ads. To cut through the noise, perhaps you want to put your ad straight in Messenger itself. When someone taps on the ad, they’ll be brought either to your website or to a Messenger conversation with your Chatbot… it’s up to you.

4. Use Messenger for Better Customer Service

Facebook conducted a study and found that 56% of the study’s respondents would rather message a business than call them for customer service.

Sprout Social sent out a survey to 1,000 people and found that most people expect a response on social media within four hours, and 30% of people will go to a competitor if the brand doesn’t respond.

You can use Messenger to respond to those customers who don’t want to hop on the phone with your Customer Service rep. How? Go to Facebook Page settings –> “General” tab –> find “Messages,” and click “Edit” –> Check the box, then click “Save Changes.”

Not only does this make it easier for your customers, but it makes it easier for your business to provide quick-and-sufficient responses to questions… and not lose a customer to your competitor, who is easier to reach already, via Messenger.

Check out our other posts about Facebook.