Dive Brief:
- Facebook’s Messenger app will begin serving ads to users in Q2 2016, according to a leaked document TechCrunch got access to.
- According to the document, businesses will be able to send ads to Messenger users who have already chatted with them on the app.
- Facebook has also launched a URL short link – fb.com/msg/ – that opens a chat thread with a business, and confirmed the existence of that short link to TechCrunch.
Dive Insight:
To prepare for Messenger ads, Facebook is advising businesses to get customers to chat with them first. This way the companies can take advantage of the new feature once it launches, according to the document obtained by TechCrunch.
TechCrunch reporter Josh Constine was told by Facebook, “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation. That said, our aim with Messenger is to create a high quality, engaging experience for 800 million people around the world, and that includes ensuring people do not experience unwanted messages of any type.”
From a marketing standpoint, sending unsolicited ads to Messenger users might backfire. People tend to see their mobile devices as part of their personal space, and marketing through those devices – be it SMS campaigns or geo-targeted push messaging – is an area where marketers should tread carefully and not risk creating a negative user experience.
That being said, Facebook has been highly successful on mobile, which now accounts for 80% of total ad revenue for the social network. And the social networking giant only recently opened Messenger to businesses with the Messenger for Business initiative, brands have already begun harnessing the messaging app for marketing purposes. Given the large user base, Messenger offers marketers an attractive opportunity to provide personalized services and engage with consumers one-to-one.
