Facebook Hits Marketers Where it Hurts Yet Again!
Have you heard the news? Facebook are at it again!
As of January 2020 it appears that using Facebook Messenger as a free lead generation tool will cease. Currently you can build a list of subscribers inside Messenger which is easier than with an opt in page because the visitor doesn't need to enter their details, just click a button.
You can then send messages as broadcasts (much the same as with an autoresponder) to keep them interested and give them a mix of good info, educational stuff mixed with promotional messages, pointing them to your products or affiliate offers.
Yesterday Facebook announced a new 24 rule. This means (from my understanding) that you will only be able to contact a messenger subscriber within the first 24 hours and then not at all afterwards.
So, bang goes the ability to build a list!
What the heck companies like Manychat will do as this is their bread and butter? This could damage them irreparably.
It seems that Facebook are really going after online marketers and making it almost imposible to use their platform for business purposes unless you pay for the privilege.
This is a dangerous game to play as businesses could just stop using Facebook altogether. Must admit, I am having that conversation with myself already!
I am a member of a Messenger marketing group and also use Manychat so am interested to see what they come out with in response to this announcement.
Watch this space!
So, do you use Messenger for your marketing?
What do you think of this new announcement?
What do you think of Facebooks recent changes that affect online marketers?
Let us know in the comments.
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Recent Comments
54
Honestly, Facebook doesn't work for me.
Like every other program probably they want a piece of the action too.
It seems rather easy to corrupt the system on Messenger. I was scammed the other day by someone taking the identity of someone I knew. Apparently, FB caught the ruse, and the Messenger content was blocked before any damage could be done. Happy Days for that.
So, this new rule seems reasonable in light of all the scamming and spam that spreads throughout Social Media. I don't use Messenger, but I'd agree with Kyle's remarks.
Keep plugging away. Ted
I have stopped wasting time in Facebook for sometime now. It's just to difficult to make it work for you. J
I believe the 24 hour rule has been the case for some time now (since May 2019) so nothign is new there.
I will drop a link to the official policy by facebook: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/policy/policy-overview/#new_policy
But I think you are generalizing what will be happening and understanding what the goal facebook is trying to do.
They are tired of people being spammed on messenger, and i dont blame them...i hate it myself!
use the messenger for it's intended purpose... connect with friends. If you are markeing on facebook, connect with people that are looking for help.
Facebook doesnt hate marketers, they need us, espeicially to pay for ads.
What they want to stop is the abuse.
If the changes show us anything, we need to focus on building relationships.
There will alwyas be something on the horizon that will threaten marketing as we know it... but we are entreprenuers... we adapt and figure it out. It's what makes us different from "hypnotized" employees.
Hi Chris,
The rule was 24+1 where you had 24 hours to make the first contact and then only once in every 24 hour period I believe. Now they have cut out the +1
I agree there is a lot of spam on messenger especially in the IM niche, but I do a lot with local businesses and this new rule is a real shame for them. Messenger enables them to build relationships which will now not be the case, not inside Messenger anyway.
I see the way forward as getting the email at the point of entry into Messenger thereby taking them into an autoresponder sequence, or giving them a free offer via optin on your website once they are inside Messenger and within the first 24 hours.
I appreciate that FB need us to pay for their ads, but their constant changes are making it into a pay to play platform, which for many just starting out is not an option.
As you rightly say, working out how to work with the constant changes on any platform online sorts out the wheat from the chaff.
Hope all is great with you. Thanks for commenting.
But even then the plus one allowed you 1 message past 24 hours. Now that is gone.
Responding to messages in the first 24 hours is now more important than ever.
I think fb is just trying to force more human interaction.
With the changes that are occurring with Facebook, many are good in ways of taking out the junk programs infiltrating. If the new rules don't work out, new platforms will appear.
Change is inevitable in almost everything, and how we manage the changes makes us better.
Take care,
Bill
We have so many who have great experience in so many different platforms, more will lead the way and make suggestions.
I can only imagine the level of spam Facebook deals with. People saying "DM me for details" should be banned, there is a certain level of onus that Facebook has when people get ripped off as a result of these FB messenger scams.
Is everything a scam? No. Are lots of things that are being done through messenger, absolutely. Facebook has the duty to their users to protect them from this sort of thing and I think this is a good move that will clean up the platform lots.
In the meantime. Par for the course. Use the messaging feature as it is intended to be used, communicate with friends (not spam people). ;)
Thanks for commenting Kyle. I agree there is a lot of spam through Messenger, especially in the IM space.
However, as a relationship builder for local businesses I do think it is a great tool. No doubt there will be workarounds that will come out over the coming weeks!
As for communicating with friends, SMS and WhatsApp do fine for that.
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I hate facebook but love Webtalk.
Tom.