10 Proven Ways To Promote Your Messenger Channel [Updated]

Table of Contents

1. Add the m.me link to your bio on Instagram
2. Send out a newsletter to your email list or collaborate with one
3. Run ads to the people who liked your page
4. Share a post on your newsfeed
5. Create a QR code for your m.me link and upload it as your profile picture
6. Collaborate with a publisher
7. Ask your existing fanbase on Messenger to share your m.me link if they like your content
8. Include the m.me link in your FAQs/contact/info page
9. Design a unique, branded visual style for your Messenger channel
10. Make sure the content and experience of your Messenger broadcasts are top-quality

Messenger marketing strategies to grow your subscriber count

So you’ve set up your Facebook Messenger channel and you’re ready to start building your subscriber base in preparation for your first chat broadcast campaigns. It’s a question we hear a lot, over here at I AM POP:

“How do I get people to subscribe to my Messenger channel?”

We’ve collected a list of 10 proven and powerful ways to promote the channel and get people to sign up. Because what’s any marketing channel worth without an audience, of course.

1. Add the m.me link to your bio on Instagram

The three most famous words on social media platform Instagram. Link in bio. It’s a great place to stall the unique ‘m.me’ link to your Messenger channel. Remember that the ‘m.me’ link is platform agnostic. Click on it in Instagram on a mobile device, and it will take you immediately into the Messenger app.

You might want to hide the link behind a URL shortener and track how many of your Messenger subscribers come from your Instagram account. You only get one chance to link in your Instagram bio, so try using a tool like Url.bio to consolidate your links in one convenient place.

2. Send out a newsletter to your email list or collaborate with one

This is an easy one. If you already send out a newsletter to your email list, simply ask your dear readers whether they would (also) like to receive a chat-based version of these amazing updates in Messenger. There’s a good reason why you would want to combine the two types of communication in your marketing efforts:

Statistics by Hubspot

If you don’t already send out a newsletter, it might be a good idea to see if you can collaborate on one with someone who already has a large email list and covers your field of business. Simply ask them if they could add a link to your Messenger channel in their newsletters. Your Messenger broadcasts should be relevant to their audience, of course.

3. Run ads to the people who liked your page

Facebook Ads allow you to use the new Click-to-Messenger feature in your ads to drive traffic to your Messenger channel. Choosing an ad-group that includes the people who liked your page is a great way to promote your Messenger channel to people who you know will be interested in your content. It’s also incredibly cost-effective! One of our clients who ran a Click-to-Messenger ad like this told us the following:

“The first 30,000 subscribers came on at 5 cents a head. After that it has risen until now where it fluctuates between 15 to 20 cents!”

People who interact with your Messenger channel are automatically subscribed and greeted by your introduction message. You can also set up a custom message in I AM POP, and copy its payload into the Facebook Ad Manager. This allows you to send different targeted messages to different target ad groups!

4. Share a post on your newsfeed

The power of Messenger marketing lies in its reach and engagement. Instead of having to vie for attention on a crowded newsfeed or in a cluttered email inbox, a push notification from a direct messaging app simply leads to results. Without having to pay big bucks to promote or boost your content.

Still, it’s a good idea to promote your Messenger channel through your social media newsfeeds - especially if your social media pages have a loyal following already. The most efficient way to create engagement is to run a Comment-to-Messenger campaign. Read up on how DJ Zinc got some amazing engagement with this growth tool!

5. Create a QR code for your m.me link and upload it as your profile picture

Facebook recently announced that it is getting rid of Messenger Codes, introduced three years ago as an easy way to let users start a conversation with each other. In a move pre-empting this decision, Messenger Codes for Business Pages had already been removed in the past couple of months. From August 15, 2019 support will be removed for scanning Messenger Codes with the Messenger camera.

This makes sense, of course: Facebook’s plan to integrate its messaging platforms - Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram - would render codes unique to Messenger obsolete.

You can still promote your Messenger channel using traditional QR-codes, using a QR-code generator linking to your ‘m.me’ link. This will still take users straight into the Messenger app. There are loads of fun, creative ways to spread a QR-code, of course. Why not try adding one to your profile picture, or printing them on stickers for some IRL promotion!

6. Collaborate with a publisher

Is there a publishing platform that is relevant to your business or shares your brand’s values? Collaborate with them and ask them to promote your Messenger channel for you!

You can write a custom message for the specific audience of this publisher to really personalize the experience. If you do this well, it’s a win-win situation for both parties!

7. Ask your existing fanbase on Messenger to share your m.me link if they like your content

Another simple and easy way to grow your subscriber base! If you’re putting time and effort in your Messenger marketing campaigns, your subscribers are most likely enjoying the experience and the content you share with them.

Why not ask them to spread the love? In your next broadcast, simply include a message asking your audience to share your ‘m.me’ link for you. It’s the same as asking for a share in a social media post.

8. Include the m.me link in your FAQs/contact/info page

There are several ways how this could be helpful - apart from growing your subscriber count, of course.

Here are two examples from the website of the 25th Anniversary Tour of legendary nightclub franchise, Sankeys.

9. Design a unique, branded visual style for your Messenger channel

Everyone knows that visual design is an essential part of streamlining your brand. Many of our clients choose to either:

Consolidate their Messenger channel's design with their general brand identity. Here's an example of how Second Sky Music Festival did that on their Instagram.

Or they choose to create a separate style of visual branding for their Messenger channel. This helps to really set the channel apart and enhance the sense of exclusivity attached to the channel and its collective of 'super fans'.

Take a look at how Crack Magazine took up the challenge to create something special for their weekly AM:DM broadcast campaign. They send out 5 curated things to listen to every Monday morning to their subscribers. Here's how they promoted the unique AM:DM experience:

10. Make sure the content and experience of your Messenger broadcasts are top-quality

There’s nothing like some good old word-of-mouth marketing. Ace your Messenger broadcasts with engaging, high quality content or daring, maybe even controversial, campaigns.

Messenger marketing is a developing marketing channel, so it has that inherent novelty factor. Combine that with a unique style, and your Messenger channel might just go viral!

Another way to keep the ball rolling is to take a more direct word-of-mouth marketing approach, by setting up a Messenger referral program, for instance. Hand out discounts to your loyal Messenger collective if they promise to refer a friend, for instance.

By the way, we've collected and uploaded our most popular resources. You can download these resources for free!

Or why don't you connect to I AM POP directly through Messenger at https://m.me/bypophq