New Facebook Messaging Features
There is a reason that Facebook has over 1 billion users, and part of it is their ability to keep improving, such as their newer Facebook Messaging tools. This is a great incentive for your Page that will help you keep communicating with people, clients and prospects...even if your business isn't "open". Think voicemail greeting gone digital and online, and voila! These changes should help drive marketing traffic and branding to your Page within the Facebook platform more than ever before. This may also result in more people putting Facebook on the top of their marketing budgets as these new features become an accepted norm for social selling.
How do all these options work? Once you're logged into your Facebook Business Page, simply click on Settings (upper right tab), Messaging (left side tab), and start at the top with Response Time.
Response Time
Your response time shows up in your About section and lets the public know one of 5 things (you choose the option):
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Automatically shows your average response time for messages (recommended by Facebook). Or you can instead choose how long you want your replies to typically show you take, such as the following:
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Typically replies in minutes
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Typically replies within an hour
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Typically replies in a few hours
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Typically replies in a day
Take note: Facebook does say that your response time will only be visible on your Page if you visit your Page at least once a week and you answer 90% or more of your messages. So there's some accountability, the standard is set higher, and you may or may not want this option. If you don't want option 1, then choose one of the others that best describes your response times with your Facebook messages.
Outside Business Hours Response Options
Another great, new option Facebook is giving Page owners is the ability to not just let people know you'll be less responsive outside business hours, but you can also enable and create an Away Message. Click which boxes you want as your desired options (I clicked both since our business is only open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday):
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Show status as Away when your business is closed. And the other option is:
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Enable Away Message to quickly respond to initial messages when you're away.
You can Set An Away Message and then customize what you want it to say should they reach your business outside of normal business hours. It's similar to leaving people a greeting on your voicemail, but you only have 250 characters to work with. Keep in mind that first impressions are important, so what do you want this message to say? Is their inquiry important to you? Do you have other ways for them to reach you (website, phone, email, additional social media channels or the like)? Do you have any tools or resources they can further research and check into that would maybe help answer any questions or concerns they have prior to you getting back to them? Keep in mind a social philosophy I live and teach by: KISSS = Keep It Simple, Short not Shallow. Remember you are limited on how many characters, so here's your chance to make an impact. If you set your status as Away, the perk here is your Response Time will not suffer. You won't lose your badge as long as you choose the timeout option. As a side note, if you decide you'd like to update your business hours, there is a link in this section for you to do so.
Instant Replies
Would you like to reply back to people even if you're busy? Then click this box as an option that will enable Instant Replies to quickly respond to initial messages. Take note: this can be confusing, but the automated replies cannot be customized, and if your business hours are set to Away, it won't be sent. This is more of a quick, 250 characters or less, auto response that is sent to the user the first time they message your Page.
There's a reason that Facebook is the most popular social networking site, and knowing how to utilize the above options, tips and tricks, will allow you to maximize the experience and your reach. Implementing these features is also a way to stay ahead of this innovative world we live in and look savvy to your audience. The more we grow our businesses, the more we make, and the more lives we touch...which hopefully equates to a more enjoyable life!
I'll leave you with a few social selling tips that I live by:
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"Obey the principles, but don't be bound by them." ~ Bruce Lee
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"Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong." ~Unknown
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"Do a few things and do them well!" ~ AB
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"Be social media; don't do social media." ~ AB
Results driven collaborator, negotiator, and property matchmaker focused on dealing fairly with all parties while protecting the interests of my clients.
9 年Thanks, Adam! I was wondering why I was starting to see the response time pop up on some pages.