Messenger Updates Platform and Launches New Tools to Drive More Valuable Conversations Between People and Businesses

Today, we're announcing new tools and platform updates for the millions of businesses and hundreds of thousands of developers on Messenger that are designed to improve the user experience for people, and create more opportunities to drive business outcomes, on Messenger.

New Solutions for Developers and Businesses on Messenger

• Lead Generation in Messenger: This week, we will begin rolling out our lead generation in Messenger template, first introduced as a beta during our annual developer conference, F8. This new template within Facebook Ads Manager enables businesses to create automated experiences to help qualify leads within Messenger. Businesses can continue the conversation with prospects directly in Messenger and integrate with existing CRM tools to seamlessly to track leads. Since the beta launch earlier this year, businesses like UK-based professional services firm RIFT Tax, have seen meaningful results. To learn more, click here.

• Appointment Booking in Messenger: First announced at F8, we have opened a beta with select developers and businesses to accept real-time appointment booking through Messenger. This solution enables businesses to integrate their existing calendar booking software to power booking experiences through Messenger. With this feature, businesses can convert Messenger conversations into in-store traffic, online and phone appointments, and more. The new feature will be rolled out to businesses and developers globally later this year. To be added to the beta waitlist, please click here.

• Improved Event Reporting: We are making it easier for businesses using Messenger Platform to report and track conversions that take place in Messenger. This feature will be available to businesses later this year.

Updated Policies to Improve The Quality of Conversations Between People and Businesses

In addition to new tools for developers, we are also updating some of our platform policies to help drive more personalized and relevant conversations between people and businesses. These updated policies will take effect on January 15, 2020.

• Revised Standard Messaging Window: We're updating our Standard Messaging window to 24 hours. We know that people expect businesses to respond quickly to their messages and - not surprisingly - businesses achieve better outcomes when they respond in a timely manner. This update also aligns with WhatsApp’s messaging window. As always, people will continue to have control over who they want to communicate with on Messenger, including businesses, by using features like Block, Mute or Turn Off Messages. Beyond 24 hours, developers will be able to utilize message tags and sponsored messages to reach their customers (see below).

• Streamlined Message Tags: We are simplifying message tags, which enable businesses to send personalized, 1:1 messages to people outside of the standard messaging window for four use cases including post-purchase updates, event reminders, account updates, and human agent (closed beta).
• Sponsored Messages: Businesses who want to send a message to many people, including promotional content, outside the standard messaging window will continue to have the opportunity to use sponsored messages. Sponsored messages are a great way for businesses to send targeted messages to re-engage people who currently have an open chat with the business. Businesses of all sizes, from emerging brands like Blenders Eyewear, to global commerce companies including, QVC, use sponsored messages to nurture customer engagement and drive sales.
• Subscription Messaging Beta Update: We are limiting access to the Subscription Messaging (beta) to vetted news organizations. Some businesses were using the subscription messaging beta in ways that weren’t in line with our policy, resulting in less effective conversations between people and businesses. News organizations who successfully register their Pages through the Facebook News Page index can apply to be a part of the subscription messaging beta

Discovering Businesses on Messenger

We constantly test and learn on how to improve Messenger. As a part of our continued commitment to simplify the Messenger experience for people, we will begin to phase out the Discover tab over the next several months. Simply put, we want to make it more seamless for people to reach out to businesses on Messenger in places where they’re already looking to connect. We will put more investment into tools to connect people and businesses - including updates to m.me links, web plugins, various entry points across our family of apps, as well as ad products - that lead to Messenger. Businesses will continue to appear in the app through the search feature and advertising surfaces, making it easy for people to connect with them.

Thank You to Our Community

And finally, thanks to our developer ecosystem and business community for continuing to build experiences that provide true value to people and businesses. Developer partners, like Spectrm, are one of many great examples of developers who have shown that businesses can build long-lasting relationships with people through Messenger that drive real business results:

“As a long-standing Messenger partner, we value the team’s commitment to creating delightful user experiences for people and businesses. Nearly all of our clients are using Messenger to grow their business and have seen great success. Clients have told us that their sales conversions have increased by two-times on Messenger. We firmly believe that Messenger’s platform updates will only enable businesses to build long-lasting relationships with people while driving further growth,” Max Koziolek, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Spectrm.