If you haven’t applied for Facebook’s subscription messaging, you’re missing the biggest marketing opportunity on Facebook.
Facebook Messenger subscription messaging is a huge FREE hack for unmatched digital marketing engagement.
But to access Messenger’s subscription messaging super power, there’s a pending deadline and Facebook page admins need to act now.
What happens if you don’t request subscription messaging for your Facebook Page before the Dec. 31, 2018, deadline?
Here’s what Facebook Page admins and Customers.ai users need to know.
Facebook Subscription Messaging Super Powers
Subscription messaging is an advanced messaging feature allows a Facebook Page to send non-promotional content on a regular basis through the Messenger platform for free.
Advanced messaging features require review by the Messenger team for approval.
When a Facebook Page is approved for subscription messaging they are cleared to send non-promotional updates for free.
What’s the value in that?
A business can build brand affinity, trust and lifetime customer value through ongoing, high-value updates with customers and contacts.
And if a contact responds to or engages with a non-promotional subscription message, a business can follow-up with a promotional message for the next 24 hours.
Facebook Messenger blasts boast the highest open rates and response rates than any other digital channel.
Email marketing typically gets 10% open rate. The average post on the Facebook News Feed might get 1% of views by Page fans. It’s disappointing.
But with Messenger, you’re going to see three times the open rate and 10 times the click-through rate!
Want that level of engagement for free? You’ve got to use Facebook Messenger subscription messaging.
Let me back up — what kinds of messages can you send through Facebook Messenger?
There are three categories of Facebook Messenger messages: standard messaging, sponsored messaging and subscription messaging.
Sponsored messaging, as you can probably guess, lets Facebook marketers pay for views and distribution of their promotional Messenger blasts.
Standard messaging is strictly defined by the 24+1 rule: A bot has a 24-hour window to send promotional and non-promotional messages to contacts after every contact-initiated engagement. Outside of that 24-hour window, a bot can send one additional message.
Subscription messaging allows businesses to send an unlimited volume and frequency of non-promotional messages on a recurring basis for three eligible use cases: news, personal tracking and productivity.
A Facebook Page administrator must apply and get approved for subscription messaging or pass up the ability to stay in regular content with Messenger contacts for free.
And don’t overlook this important detail: There’s a deadline!
Beginning Dec. 31, 2018, Facebook Pages must be approved by Facebook to send subscription messaging.
Subscription messaging is really important because it gives businesses an option to send messages outside of the 24-hour window limitation.
Subscription messaging allows you to send out unlimited non-promotional messages, and it will allow you to get more mileage out of your Facebook Messenger marketing campaigns.
What Happens If You Don’t Apply for Subscription Messaging?
Bottom line, avoid this situation by submitting a request before the deadline. It only takes 5 minutes.
Shortcut alert: Get Customers.ai’s subscription messaging request cheat sheet here.
Because without subscription messaging you’re missing the most liberal ability to send messages that invite engagement with your customers and your contacts.
I built my first business, WordStream, and my career, by seizing every opportunity for engagement on high-leverage marketing channels.
If you don’t submit your request and get your Facebook Page approved for subscription messaging, you’ll have a gap in your ability to use the powerful subscription messaging permissions.
Would you put your search marketing or email marketing on pause for a month? Don’t let your Messenger marketing stall for who knows how long as the review process is taking longer and longer as we get closer to the deadline.
Facebook Messenger is a lead-driving engagement engine that will be a critical layer in your 2019 marketing stack.
Here are a few questions about the subscription messaging deadline from the Customers.ai Island Facebook Messenger marketing and Facebook ads community (which you should join if you haven’t already).
1) What happens if a Page admin waits until after the Dec. 31, 2018, deadline? Will that just mean non-promotional message will stop until the approval is received?
You will not be able to send unlimited non-promotional messages. Say good-bye to engagement outside of standard messaging.
Once your request is approved — and you can submit a request at any time and as many times as necessary — then you will have the ability to send subscription messages.
2) To get approved, must the Facebook page already have a chatbot like Customers.ai attached to the page?
No, you don’t need to have an active chatbot to request subscription messaging.
3) If we have several pages that we are thinking of creating and attaching to MM in the near future, would it make sense to get those up now and apply for page-level approval, even if we do not have a MM account attached to them yet?
Yes! Please get all your Facebook Pages approved for subscription messaging by the deadline!
Create an action plan to get your Messenger bots up and running in Q1 2019.
4) I am guessing the page that applies for page-level approval must have some build out to it, and not just be a unbuilt page? How much content and how many followers are likely needed to get approval?
There’s no prescribed level of maturity that a Facebook Page needs in order for Facebook to judge a Messenger bot appropriate for subscription messaging.
In the case that your Facebook Page is in early stages and your Messenger bot is a work in progress, use the description field of the subscription messaging review form to explain that.
The Facebook subscription messaging request description field is the place to address the human reviewing your request.
Be as transparent as possible about your business objectives, goals, audience, and intentions.
For more on the subscription messaging request process, we’ve compiled a subscription messaging checklist for submitting your Page’s request and for sending messages that are subscription messaging approved.
Fire up your 2019 with the hottest engagement channel in digital marketing with Customers.ai and a Messenger bot.
Get your subscription messaging request in today, then get your free Customers.ai bot in gear.
Important Next Steps
- Get Customers.ai, Facebook Messenger marketing platform and chatbot builder, for FREE.
- Sign up for occasional chatbot marketing and Facebook Messenger news updates via Facebook Messenger.
- Download the Facebook Messenger Subscription Messaging Cheat Sheet and get ready to apply for subscription messaging before the Dec. 31, 2018, deadline.
The Facebook news feed algorithms reward active advertisers and engaging content. The more reactions, comments, and shares your posts get, the better their reach. This goes for both organic and paid (your advertising dollars will go further).