How To Set Up A Business Page On Facebook 2016

How to gear up Facebook Messenger for Business to Consumer Messaging

Over 1.3 billion people employ Facebook Messenger every calendar month and co-ordinate to Facebook, they exchange more than 2 billion letters with businesses during that period. That is an enormous number considering Facebook just opened the Messenger API in April 2022.

A recent Dimension Data study estimated that only 12% of Millennials choose the voice call every bit their preferred client communication channel. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and SMS were the catalysts for the move abroad from vocalisation calls on a peer to peer level. Now they are going to practise the same thing in B2C communication.

Thankfully there is little for businesses to fear, as the benefits of using Messenger to communicate with your customers are clear:

You are opening a channel that will assist you engage and build loyalty with Millennials, the largest generation by population in the USA
Asynchronous messaging ways information technology'due south efficient for your business to manage and offers ameliorate customer experience than the phone call (i.e. no waiting on hold)
The tools available inside the Messenger platform are far superior to any other channel and offering enormous opportunity, if used well (e.yard. Messenger bots, native payments, and persistent conversation history)

This guide on how to set upward Facebook Messenger for business to consumer messaging will assistance you become started.

Key Elements of your Facebook Business Page Impacting B2C Messaging

A Facebook business page is required to employ Messenger. If yous don't have i, then yous should set up i upbefore coming back to this post to refine the settings more than relevant to Facebook Messenger.

Tip! Ask yourself whether you lot demand a new page. Is your existing page primarily for marketing purposes? Might a new page dedicated to customer support exist more appropriate to build your Messenger traffic around?

In that location are 3 elements on your business page that play a fundamental part within Messenger; your Messenger name, contour flick, and the messaging button.

1) Messenger Name

What is a Messenger proper noun?

Your Messenger proper noun operates in a like manner to your Twitter handle and follows the same format (i.e. @unique-username). If you take one, information technology tin can be found below the folio name on your business organisation page. If nada is in that location, you accept not claimed your username notwithstanding and should do so immediately.

Why is information technology of import for Messaging?

Like the Twitter handle, the Messenger proper name reduces the risk of your customers messaging another business with a similar name. While 2 businesses tin exist chosen "The Demo Diner" on Facebook, only one can accept a Messenger name of @thedemodiner. The benefits of having a good Messenger name are:

It is easier for people to detect you lot on Messenger
It makes for nice branded Messenger links (e.grand. m.me/servicedock)

It is a well-documented problem on Twitter that many big businesses have not been able to get their preferred Twitter handle, as information technology has already been taken. Thankfully, Facebook has tried to prevent this from occurring by requiring pages to accept a minimum number of likes or messaging action, earlier being entitled to register the Messenger name.

Recommended Steps:

Ask yourself whether y'all are happy with your electric current Messenger proper name or not. A good name is descriptive of your business, short, easy to spell, and relatively unique
If y'all are non happy with your username, think of setting up a new Facebook page exclusively for messaging
Try merits the desired name as soon every bit possible (notation: if you can't claim it, information technology may be because you have bereft likes or activity on the account, or that another business has already claimed that Messenger name)

Tip! Having the aforementioned Twitter handle and Messenger proper name will make life a lot easier when promoting your brand in print or at events etc.

2) Profile Pic (and its impact on your Messenger Code)

What is a Messenger code and how is it impacted by your profile picture?

Your Messenger Code is essentially Facebook's version of a QR lawmaking. It is unique to your page and consists of your business concern page'south profile picture and a series of dots and dashes around it. Its master purpose is to enable one Messenger business relationship to hands engage another in physical locations. For example, placing Messenger Codes on printed materials like bills, posters or receipts makes information technology very like shooting fish in a barrel for a customer to outset a chat.

Effort scanning our Messenger code below by opening the Messenger photographic camera and pressing your finger to the screen.

To find your Messenger code, go to the "Inbox" of your Facebook folio (in some accounts this may exist shown equally "Messaging"), and so click the information push (i) at the bottom. Download your Messenger code and use information technology wherever you feel it will be useful.

Why is it important for Messaging?

Your Facebook profile picture is square. Even so that is what appears at the centre of your Messenger Code. Then Facebook just crams a square peg into a round hole, which can result in your Messenger Code looking poorly designed. For case, written text or key elements of your logo may exist missing.

So, before pushing Messenger equally a aqueduct, exist certain that:

Any text or key visual elements of your profile picture remain visible in your Messenger Code
Your customers will associate your Messenger Code with your brand immediately

Messenger profile pictures are as well round, so fifty-fifty if you don't programme to utilize Messenger Codes, this exercise is worth doing.

iii. Messaging Push button

What is the Messaging button?

The Messaging button is a push button displayed on your Facebook page which enables users to bulletin you lot directly from the page. Accept a expect at the picture below to run across how it looks on ServiceDock's Facebook folio.

How to add the Messaging push to your page

These are the steps to accept:

Click "Settings"
Become to the section "General", and click "Letters"
Check the box next to "Let people to contact my Page privately by showing the Message button"
Salve changes

Here we have covered 4 ways for your customers to beginning a conversation with you. They can click the "Bulletin" button in your page or a curt Messenger link, scan your Messenger Lawmaking, or search for your Messenger proper name within the app.

Messenger Specific Settings

There are too a number of settings within your business organisation page that command Messenger specific features such as instant replies, the greeting bulletin and the abroad bulletin. Go to your Facebook Page, then click "Settings", and "Messaging" to discover them.

1. Instant Replies

What are instant replies?

Instant replies are pre-configured messages that are automatically sent to all users contacting you through Messenger.

How to use them?

Instant replies offering you lot a great opportunity to manage customer expectations. Y'all tin likewise go a pace further and requite answers to 1 or 2 of the most frequent enquiries (e.g. opening hours). For example:

"Hello [Name], thanks for getting in touch. We will review your bulletin and get back to you within one–2 hours. If your query relates to opening hours, the times for all our stores are available here: http://storehours.com

Thanks."

Another strong utilize case is to apply information technology to inform customers who are trying to reach you that in that location is a trouble. For example:

"Hi [Name], thanks for getting in touch. If your query relates to our app, nosotros are aware in that location is a login event and we are working on it. We volition let you know when it is resolved. We will respond to all other queries within one–2 hours.

Thanks."

For more examples of instant replies cheque out our blog post on how to utilize them for customer service.

Annotation! Instant replies are not sent when "Away" condition is turned on. Too, they are not taken into account when computing your page'due south response charge per unit or response time.

To prepare information technology up:

Click "Settings" and then "Inbox" (in some accounts this may be shown equally "Messaging")
Find "Transport Instant Replies to anyone who messages your Page" option beneath "Response Assistant" and click "Yes"
Click "Change" to create or edit the car-reply message
If you desire to make it more personalised, click "Add together personalisation" and select either first name, last name, or both. Other personalisation options include your website address, phone number, and address
Confirm the changes by clicking "Salvage"
Take a wait at the message preview to see how it will look like

ii. Messenger Greeting

What is Messenger greeting?

The Messenger greeting is the message shown on your Messenger business relationship page the start fourth dimension a client starts a conversation with you. They will never see information technology once again unless they delete a previous chat or access Messenger using a different account.

How to employ it?

This setting can be a unproblematic welcome only it can likewise be used to enquire customers to provide you with specific information you need to handle their query. This shortens the process past asking them to give this information in their very first bulletin. Have a look at Vodafone Ireland's greeting message above.

The "get-go impression matters" and then using the "right" message will make you look similar a helpful, trustworthy, and friendly business.

To set it up:

Click "Settings" and then "Inbox" (in some accounts this may be shown as "Messaging")
Discover "Show a Messenger Greeting" and click "Yeah"
Click "Alter" to create or edit the greeting message. Your bulletin can be upwardly to 160 characters
If you want to make it more personalised, click "Add personalisation"
Confirm the changes by clicking "Save"

3. Abroad Message

What is the away message?

The away message is sent when yous set your status to "Away" and a customer tries to contact you, or when they ship you a message outside business hours.

"Hi [Name], thanks for getting in bear upon. Our office hours are nine am to 5 pm on weekdays and we will answer to you as soon every bit we are back in the function."

How to apply information technology?

The away bulletin helps you manage customer expectations likewise equally maintain your responsiveness rating. Allow your customers know that you will non be opening new messages for a specific menstruum, for case over the next 12 hours.

Before turning on this setting, you have to have your business organization hours set on your Facebook page.

To ready business hours (If you haven't done it so far):

Get to your Facebook page
Go to the "Most" section, and click "Edit Page info" on the top corner
Scroll down until y'all see "Hours"
Prepare your business concern hours

To set your away message up:

Become to your "Inbox" (or "Letters" in some accounts)
Observe the greyness push button saying "Away" just beneath all of your messages (see moving picture beneath) and plough it on
Click "Change" and write your abroad message. It can be up to 250 characters in total
If yous want to make it more personalised, click "Add personalisation"
Confirm the changes by clicking "Relieve"
Discover the option "Enable abroad letters" and click "Yes"

Wrap Upward

An app called WeChat is the leading messaging app in China where information technology has 1.1 billion users. More than than 300 meg of those users have their credit cards linked to their WeChat account while there is a huge corporeality of commercial action taking place on the platform. This proves the potential of messaging apps to drive real value for businesses.

Facebook wants Messenger to exist the WeChat of the West. They are building it for businesses as much as for consumers. As is nigh always the instance, businesses who adopt the aqueduct early stand to do good the most.

Your customers, and specially Millennials, love this platform and at that place are loads of means to build traction. In our experience, consumers require very petty encouragement to start using the channel. A simple push button on a website or Messenger code on an advertizing is all it takes.

Unlike Twitter and Facebook where there can exist a question about the return on investment, with Messenger you are interacting with customers on a ane-to-ane basis, in a much more efficient way than over the phone or email. As long equally yous are providing keen customer service, the value of the channel volition exist plain to see.

If you take already joined the Messenger-for-Business journeying, I would honey to hear about your insights and learnings.