We are so excited that wе finally have our hands on the official Facebook Messenger chat plugin.
You might ask:
What is Messenger Chat Plugin
Facebook has built its own chat plugin that can integrate the user’s Messenger app experience directly into websites. By doing this, companies can talk directly with their website visitors in a more personalized and transparent way.
So, what are the benefits of Facebook Messenger Plugin
As I mentioned we were waiting for some time to start using this plugin.
Why?
Well, for the past year we were using a custom Messenger script in our platform admin console to chat with our users.
Our team managed to mimic the plugin as a Messenger button bubble that actually when clicked pops up the Facebook chat window.
The benefits are enormous. We have the experience to confirm it.
- Our users are a click away from our support team
- They connect with their Facebook profile and never miss a reply from us
- We can easily reach and reply fast directly from the Facebook messenger app installed from the Google Play or Apple App StoreThe thread is open and they can always get a notification from us on their Facebook messenger
- In the future, we can send them offers, create drip messages and provide them with a better customer support experience
Cool right?
How to add the Facebook Messenger Chat widget on my website
To do this, just follow the instructions below:
Getting started is really easy:
- First, install the Facebook SDK on your website (if you still).
- Connect your Facebook Page to your website. Go to Page Settings > Messenger Platform > Whitelisted Domains
- Add the widget to your webpage by including a div code snippet with the following attribute in your HTML:
<div class="fb-customerchat"
page_id="<PAGE_ID>"
ref="<OPTIONAL_WEBHOOK_PARAM>"
minimized="<true|false>">
</div>
That’s it. If you need more details click here.
WordPress Plugin
In order to make it easier to integrate the Facebook Chat widget into WordPress sites, Facebook offers an official WordPress plugin which is available on wordpress.org.
Features
Chat history
The chat plugin will load all the history with that user, which is beneficial if the user has already talked with the company’s Facebook page admins.
Referral attributes
By using the messaging_referrals attribute companies can get data from where the user comes from. If you are already building a bot you can use this callback that will occur when the user comes to the thread from:
- Following an m.me link with a referral parameter
- Clicking on a Messenger Conversation Ad
- Scanning a parametric Messenger Code
- Starting a conversation from the Discover tab
- Starting or resuming a conversation from the customer chat plugin
I assume that the list of attributes will grow and will provide companies with more details about the user that opens the chat thread.
User Login
The users that are already logged in to their Facebook account, they will be able to begin talking with your chatbot right away. Otherwise, If they are not logged in, a default welcome message will be shown, and they will be redirected to log in to their existing Facebook account or create a new one.
Caching Behavior
By default, the plugin will be shown on desktop and minimized on mobile. Users can also click to show or minimize the plugin. This state is cached on the browser for the duration of the page session (including page reloads).
Localization
Messenger is offering an option to localize the text in the chat plugin. Here is the documentation on how to do this.
Furthermore, you can use the current features that are already available in the Page settings > Messaging to customize the experience. Here is what you can do:
Response Assistant
Send Instant Replies to anyone who messages your Page
Instant Replies are a good way to let people know that you’ll respond soon
Response Time
Select in what time you usually respond to messages and it will be displayed as a note in the chat window. For example: “Typically replies in minutes”
Stay responsive when you can’t get to your computer or phone
Let customers know that you will respond soon and keep your responsiveness rating, any time you’re away.
Show a Welcome Message
Create a pleasant greeting message that people will see the first time they open a conversation with you on Messenger.
The future of Messenger Chat
It is important to look at this opportunity in the long run.
The Messenger has already grown to a billion user community so almost everybody is using it. Companies who are using it for everyday communication with their users are getting the biggest advantages:
- High double-digit CTRs that are almost impossible to gain via email
- Free reach
I mentioned the free reach mostly because the Facebook page posts are literally gaining 0 reach nowadays and companies are struggling to find new channels for organic reach.
Companies who are starting to push their ads and digital activities to open more and more chat threads with their prospects are gaining an open gate to future possibilities of free reach.
The challenge: how to open more and more Messenger chat threads?
You can do this via:
- Facebook ads Message objective
- Add the Messenger chat plugin on your website
- Include links m.me/YOURPAGE links in your email, display advertising
- Print offline scan codes, everywhere
Opening more and more threads means that you are building your Messenger subscriber base that outperforms your email subscriber base, by way higher open rates and click-through rates.
Do it right, make it personal, not spammy, and you are about to enter 2018 with a new powerful leads generation and client nurturing channel.
What are your thoughts?
