Tip of the Week: 8 Facebook Messenger Features that Business Owners Will Love

Back in 2011, Facebook released their Messenger app. It was designed to be a chat system that could be used to communicate outside of the Facebook app. Since then, Facebook has provided Messenger with much more functionality than your average everyday messaging system. In fact, Messenger might now offer features that could be helpful for your business.

When Facebook first created a splash online, the business world was slow to climb aboard. Businesses thought that social media wouldn’t benefit them. Yet, many companies have had great success through social media, spreading their brand and establishing a more powerful online presence. Therefore, it makes sense that Facebook would invest in ways to make its services more friendly to the business sector, and Messenger is a great example of the social media giant’s evolution.

Here are eight ways that Facebook Messenger can provide value with its business-friendly features:

Use the Facebook Messenger Website for Desktops
Messenger is typically seen as a mobile app, and as such, businesses might be reluctant to use it. Facebook has moved past this with a standalone website specifically for use with Messenger, allowing those working on desktops to use the app on their PC without dealing with Facebook and all of its distractions. You can access the Messenger website here: https://www.messenger.com/

Use Messenger to Share Files
Your business shares files all of the time, and Messenger makes doing so simple enough. Click on the paperclip icon, upload the desired file, and click send. In this way, it works similar to an email. However, this only works if used on the web application version of Messenger. Mobile users will have to consider other ways of sharing files. Messenger supports plenty of different file types, including Microsoft Word files, Photoshop files, PDFs, and so much more.

Create a Conversation Shortcut (for Android)
If you’re a heavy Messenger user, you know it can be difficult to find and access important conversations. The reason is due to Messenger displaying the most recent conversations at the top of the list. Android users have the luxury of saving a link to their home menu. You can do so by opening the conversation, clicking on the “i” icon, clicking the three dot icon, and clicking Create shortcut.

Send Money via Messenger
If you connect a debit card to the Messenger app, you can send money via the application by clicking on the dollar sign icon. This may not be the most preferred way to exchange funds, but it could be an option if there’s no other way of doing so.

Use Messenger to Make Phone and Video Calls
You may have noticed the phone and video icons within Messenger--they allow users to talk or connect to a video chat with other users in much the same way as other video collaboration systems. These direct forms of communication are great (and free) ways to keep in touch.

View the Status of a Conversation
If you’ve sent an important message, the thought of whether or not it’s been received can be nerve-wracking. Facebook Messenger resolves this dilemma and helps to keep employees accountable. You can view the status of any message by tapping it. You can see who has seen the message, and at what time.

Add People to Group Conversations
If you have a group chat going on and you realize that the conversation will benefit from the input of another team member, you can easily add someone to the conversation. All you have to do is click the conversation in the left-hand column, click the “i” icon, and select Add People at the bottom of the right-hand column.

Keep Track of Location
Clicking on the location icon can show a map with the user’s pinpointed location that can be sent through the conversation. This helps you manage the logistics of deliveries, and can allow you to see the location of your remote workers.

Have you ever tried to use Facebook Messenger for business purposes? Let us know in the comments, and if you need a more comprehensive business app, reach out to us at (703) 821-8200.