Facebook recently announced that businesses will be able to send consumers promotional messages through Facebook Messenger. More recently, we?ve seen announcements from Apple and Google announcing new investments in chat platforms such as iMessage and Allo. Why all of the buzz" Because chat technology–and chat bots in particular–present major opportunities for companies to upsell shoppers.
However, opening up Messenger to promotional chat bot technologies could also tarnish relationships if not implemented correctly. After a consumer voluntarily starts a conversation with a business, the company will then be able to send re-engagement messages to that person via Messenger. This re-engagement must happen within 24 hours of the initial interaction to ensure that the message doesn?t veer into spam territory. As digital communication channels evolve and more companies can interact with shoppers through messaging, the major technology players are establishing protocols to protect consumers? interests. For example, Gmail?s recent updates safeguard against email malware and phishing. Likewise, the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation improves standards around email subscribership and consent. This has the potential to be a win-win for both consumers and businesses.
How to best handle the monetization of Facebook Messenger
As the tech giants structure digital communications according to their own rules, businesses can continue to evaluate whether the messages they s...