Whopping Facebook announcement!
The subscription messaging request deadline of Dec. 31 has been extended indefinitely.
Read on to learn these critical details:
- What is Facebook subscription messaging?
- Can I send subscription messages today?
- How will the deadline extension change my Facebook marketing strategy?
- Should I apply for subscription messaging?
- How do I apply for subscription messaging?
The Customers.ai CliffsNotes version: While Facebook has extended the deadline to apply, you should secure your Facebook subscription messaging permissions today to send unlimited, free, non-promotional messages to your Messenger subscribers.
What is Facebook subscription messaging?
Subscription messaging is a Facebook Messenger marketing super power — a level of trust granted to Facebook pages to send free and regular updates to contacts provided they follow certain rules.
Through subscription messaging, a Facebook page can send free updates to Messenger contacts as long as it falls into one of three categories (news, productivity or personal tracking) and its non-promotional.
This advanced messaging feature requires review and approval by Facebook’s Messenger team. A Facebook page admin has to follow a 2-step process for requesting subscription messaging permissions.
The Subscription Messaging Deadline
Facebook had published a Dec. 31, 2018, deadline to request a review of subscription messaging:
But that deadline has been lifted pending further notice.
Facebook Product Marketing Manager David Cohen published this Dec. 4 update:
Subscription Messaging (Beta) Permission Update — As we continue to review our Subscription Messaging policies, developers provided access to send messages via app-level permissions may continue to do so until further notice. We still encourage developers to migrate to the Page-level permission as we evaluate potential updates to this policy.
Highlight this: “We still encourage developers to migrate to the Page-level permission”.
Can I send subscription messages in Facebook today?
Customers.ai is an official Facebook Messenger development partner.
This means amazing things for Customers.ai users. You can leverage Customers.ai’s app-level permission to send subscription messages.
If you’ve requested (and gotten approved!) for subscription messaging at the Page level, then you’ve got the full trust, power and authority given by Facebook to send free, regular updates through Messenger.
If you haven’t gotten your Page approved for subscription messaging, then for the time being, you’re covered by Customers.ai’s subscription messaging permissions.
But don’t forget that even in announcing the deadline extension, Facebook suggests that Page admins get their pages approved for subscription messaging!
How will the deadline extension change my Facebook marketing strategy?
The deadline reminds me that opportunities are like windows, sometimes open, sometimes closed.
So don’t let this window close on you. Start sending Facebook subscription messages to connect with your customers using messaging while your business will get first-mover advantage.
In fact, my #1 tip for digital marketing in 2019 and always is you have to mix up your channel strategy.
Typically in a company, your product and your messaging will remain relatively stable.
But you can find leverage by moving from the platforms that have low engagement and high competition to the ones that have better engagement and lower competition.
Things I would be shifting out of today are things like posting to your Facebook Page and the area that I’d be seriously looking into is messaging.
Think of messaging, or chat blasting, as a replacement for email where you can send out your blog posts or your your event reminders through Messenger or WhatsApp to your customers and have them engage directly through messaging because the open rates for messaging are around seventy percent compared to about five percent on email.
The click rates are about twenty percent on chat blasting compared to about one percent on email.
And these things don’t last forever. There’s a golden era for every channel and less than 1% of companies are doing messaging right now.
Chatbot marketing isn’t limited to Facebook Messenger. Next year APIs are coming out for messaging on Instagram messaging, on WhatsApp, iMessage and more so the messaging channel is about to grow.
Chat-based marketing is an opportunity I hope you take a look at soon.
Should I apply for subscription messaging?
Yes.
First, Facebook subscription messaging is a unique messaging type that lets you to send frequent updates to your contacts for free.
Second, the review time for a subscription messaging request has been taking tens of business days as the deadline approaches. While the deadline extension will alleviate the queue, you can avoid a pressure situation at a later date if you get your request in now.
And third, Facebook says flat-out that businesses should be getting their page-level approval for subscription messaging.
There’s no grey area here. If you want the benefits of free messaging to engaged contacts who want to stay in touch with you on a channel that has unmatched engagement, then you want your page to have subscription messaging permissions.
It doesn’t matter if you think your current marketing campaigns are only geared toward promotional messages.
At some point, you’ll want the option to send non-promotional chat blasts to your contacts for free, and that’s only possible through subscription messaging.
How do I apply for subscription messaging?
Customers.ai has demystified the Facebook subscription messaging process with a variety of resources:
10-point subscription messaging checklist: When you’re submitting your subscription messaging request to Facebook, have this checklist handy. Where to go, what to say, what to remember, and generally how to apply.
Subscription messaging request training video: Chatbot marketing master Isaac Rudansky films his actual request process. Learn his real tips as he fills out the subscription messaging request. The examples in here are incredibly helpful.
Simple cheat sheet to subscription messaging request: A one-page guide to Facebook subscription messaging — what it is, what it’s used for, what counts as promotional vs. non-promotional, and examples that will help you get your application approved.
While Customers.ai’s official Messenger partner status and app-level subscription messaging permission has you covered, I suggest you get your subscription messaging request in soon.
It only takes a few minutes and it’s a great source of peace of mind to get this powerful messaging permission granted for your page.
Important Next Steps
- Get Customers.ai, Facebook Messenger marketing platform and chatbot builder, for FREE.
- Sign up for occasional chatbot marketing and Facebook Messenger news updates via Facebook Messenger.
- Download the Facebook Messenger Subscription Messaging Cheat Sheet and get ready to apply for subscription messaging before the Dec. 31, 2018, deadline.
