While at Social Media Marketing World 2018, Michael Stelzner highlighted changes that Facebook was making to content shared on the Facebook timeline. Most importantly, there was an increased emphasis on relationship building versus content-sharing. This means that as business owners and marketers, we need to strengthen relationships. One way to do this is through Facebook Messenger. Facebook Messenger plugin is a tool that you can add to your own website.

While sitting in a session about Facebook messenger and chatbots, I learned the Facebook Messenger plugin could be added to a website. This is quite exciting news because customers can now connect with you directly using a chat feature without leaving your website.

I just added the Facebook Messenger plugin to my site. You can see it on the right-hand menu. There is a button that says:

There is also another button in the lower right-hand corner that also activates the Facebook Messenger plugin. This can be found on all pages. Additionally, I added this Facebook Messenger button to my different services pages in an effort to engage potential customers.

Adding the Facebook Messenger Plugin to Your Website

The Facebook Messenger plugin can be added to your website in a number of different ways. You can physically add the code just below the body tag of all your pages, or if you’re using a WordPress site, you can install a plugin. I opted for the plugin.

Whitelist Your Domain

The first step is to whitelist your website on the Facebook application. Here is what you need to do:

1. Log into your Facebook business page.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Clicked on Messenger Platform.
4. Scroll down and enter your website domain into the whitelisted domains field then click the Save button.

Allow People to Contact Your Page With Messenger

Another thing you are going to want to do is to ensure that you allow people to contact your page privately using messenger. You can turn this on by going to the General tab click on messages, check the box allowing people to use the message button, and save the changes.

Add the WordPress Plugin

1. Search for and install the Cresta Facebook Messenger WordPress plugin.
2. Once the plug-in is installed click on Settings for the plugin.
3. Enter the Facebook page ID. There is a link to a website where you can locate this ID.
4. Next, fill out the various settings depending on how you want the Facebook Messenger to appear on your site. I personally had to experimental little bit to get the settings that I wanted.
5. Once you are done, click on Save Changes.

The Cresta Facebook Messenger plug-in also provides shortcodes and PHP codes that you can use on other parts of your site. I use these on my service pages and I’m very pleased how it works.

Benefits of Using Facebook Messenger

• Some people are just more comfortable sending private messages. When they have questions, Facebook Messenger helps to facilitate the conversation.
• If you use Facebook ads, you can retarget individuals who have used the messenger app.
• Facebook Messenger can also be programmed using chatbots that will allow you to provide service based on what individuals enter into the message field.
• Facebook Messenger allows you to build relations on a one-on-one basis with your customers and potential customers.
• The Facebook messages are not time restricted and you can follow up as time allows.
• According to Facebook, 53% of people will shop with businesses they can contact directly, and over half will would prefer messaging over making a call.
• Finally, it’s a great way to take customer complaints offline.

If you are not yet using Facebook Messenger, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Once you start, you will want to add the Facebook Messenger plugin to your website.