In addition to being the go-to online platform to post cat photos and express superficial opinions about popular social and political topics, Facebook can also be a powerful marketing tool.

Due to frequent changes of Facebook’s advertising rules, marketers are sometimes confused which method to use in order to monetise their contacts. Standard tools like paid posts are very frequent on the network and many users are routinely ignoring them, forcing businesses to search for less spammy and more personalised approaches. At present time, Facebook sponsored messages are one of the most cost-effective engagement mechanisms available to businesses that want to advertise on the largest social media platform.

Here is everything you need to know about this simple and innovative communication channel:

How sponsored messages work?
Sponsored messages are sent through Facebook Messenger, and are typically short promotional messages referring to a commercial Facebook page. They can contain text and images, and can be opened on a computer or smartphone. While those messages are paid for, they are not tagged as sponsored since the user must click on the message in order to open the ad behind it. They can be coordinated with bots to direct users towards certain content, maximizing the value of the existing contact list and allowing for better integration of your marketing activities.

Ryan Dearlove, the founder of Chit Chat Agency said, “Businesses can use ads that click to Messenger to start one-to-one conversations at scale, leveraging Facebook's powerful targeting options to find customers relevant to their business or remarket to existing audiences.”

How much sponsored messages cost?
One reason that more and more marketers are considering Facebook sponsored messages is their relatively low cost. They are charged for on a per-click basis, with approximately 10 cents for every instance of an opened message. In practice, that means you only pay for customers who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. Since such customers are the most likely to make a purchase at some point, the costs of this advertising method can be easily offset through increased sales in the future.

Who will see your sponsored message?
Those messages can only be sent to people who already interacted with your page through a chat bot or Messenger during the previous 12 months. They are narrowly targeted and don’t reach a huge audience. While this is not ideal if your goal is to popularise your brand, it works great for businesses that want to improve their conversion rates and derive more value from Facebook contacts. Companies with strong Facebook presence that frequently communicate with customers can take advantage of their large contact lists and leverage them into fresh sales.

Why are sponsored messages an important part of your online strategy?
In addition to creating revenue directly, sponsored messages allow you to bypass some of the limitations imposed by Facebook. You can continue to send messages to anyone who opened a sponsored message, but only for the next 24 hours. This is an inexpensive way to get around Facebook’s ever stricter regulations and engage potential customers more frequently. Since the messages end up alongside regular conversation in user’s inbox, they are more organic than traditional Facebook ads and thus more likely to elicit a spontaneous response.