Sponsored Messages now come to Facebook Messenger

Facebook is taking their association with brands and businesses on Messenger one step further as they now introduce Sponsored Messages on Messenger, their standalone yet closely affiliated instant messaging app.

With more than 11000 brands and businesses utilizing the ChatBots on Messenger, Facebook is bringing communication between brands and businesses closer across platforms.

The patriarch of social networking has added another functionality, which will take users from their News Feeds to Messenger if they spot an offer or a promotional post or an advertisement, and click on it.

Advertisers are also equipped to contact users on Messenger in the form of paid promotions, although the previously reported rule still applies, wherein the businesses you have not previously interacted with, will be unable to contact you.

Additionally, Facebook has been working together with Absolut, Tommy Hilfiger and Activision, and is rolling it out for other brands.

In a blog post, David Marcus, VP of Products at Messenger explains about how they are bridging connectivity between News Feed and Messenger, “But driving people to a Messenger conversation isn’t enough. We want to make sure businesses and brands building for the Platform can manage the entire lifecycle of their customers. This is where sponsored messages come in. Sponsored messages enables businesses that have threads opened with their customers to reengage them in a very efficient way."

Ever since ChatBots were introduced by Facebook in April this year, the number of businesses on Messenger shot through the roof as Facebook and Messenger users were skeptical of receiving endless series of promotional messages and advertisements.

Facebook’s Product Manager Seth Rosenberg had assured users that any contact between users and brands on Messenger would depend upon initiation by the user itself, and in case of spam, users can easily block the brand.

ChatBots have enjoyed a phenomenal success, although Sponsored Messages have the capability to disrupt user experience; but it all depends on how well Facebook keeps their promise regarding not spamming with advertisements.