Facebook Messenger Scan Codes: Unique Ways to Use Them
2020 Update: As of October 2019, Messenger scan codes have been phased out. I recommend reading this article that provides alternatives to Facebook Messenger codes.
Also, you can still apply the ideas below to QR codes.
Did you know that the average American spends 24 hours per week online?
That may seem like a lot but consider that this means 144 hours per week are spent offline. Which is a lot of time that people aren’t being exposed to your Facebook ads, blog posts, tweets and chat bots.
Although we still spend far more time offline than we do online, it’s still understandable why modern marketing practitioners focus so much on online marketing.
In online marketing we can precisely target audiences in ways that aren’t possible offline. We can spread our messages all over the world for just a small cost. We can get immediate feedback on our campaigns from the market and accurately measure their success.
It’s no wonder we focus so much on online marketing. But we shouldn’t forget the offline world, where our customers spend the majority of their time.
I encourage my clients to use the offline world as a gateway to the online world.
But this isn’t as easy as it seems. Businesses can promote their website and social media on posters or other traditional marketing materials. But how many people will really take the time to search out these websites and social media pages?
What about QR codes? They can take users directly from offline to online.
QR codes have never gained any real traction in Western countries like the US and Australia.
I suspect this is partly because of the perceived difficulty in using them. You have to download a separate app and the app may not scan the code properly. Plus, QR codes just don’t look very appealing.
Yet in China, QR codes have been adopted at an incredible rate. As I saw on a recent trip to China, the Chinese consumers use QR codes for almost everything. You will find them in nearly all advertisements, they’re used in stores for payments and on clothing items. QR codes are even been used to identify lost pets in China.
While it’s hard to see QR codes gaining this sort of adoption in Western nations, I do think Facebook Messenger scan codes have the potential to become what QR codes are in China.
Messenger scan codes are similar to QR codes. You scan them using the Facebook Messenger app and they automatically open a Messenger chat. These chats can be connected to chatbots.
You can use a tool like Mobile Monkey to set up your Messenger chatbots and scan codes.
Messenger scan codes look a lot nicer than QR codes…don’t you think?
And you just need the Facebook Messenger app to use them, which most people already have on their phones.
Let’s take a look at seven ways to use Messenger scan codes for business and marketing purposes.
FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Information seminars or workshops can position yourself as an authority and be an excellent lead generation tool. But what about the attendees who leave without registering for your paid program or services?
If someone makes the effort to attend your workshop and spend an hour or two of their valuable time listening to you speak, they must have at least some interest in what you have to offer.
You could capture their email address either before the event or during. But most of your emails will probably never be opened. Alternatively, you could use a Messenger scan code to capture these leads.
Anyone who scans the code and interacts with your business on Messenger can be added to a list of subscribers. You can then follow up with these subscribers in future on Facebook Messenger and they are 3–4 times more likely to open your messages than email subscribers!
Try printing your unique Messenger scan code onto flyers for attendees or including it in a slide in your power point presentation. You might want to connect the code to a chat bot which sends them a free download as an incentive for more people to scan the code. Be sure to explain to the audience how to scan the code.
ON BUSINESS CARDS
This is one of my personal favorites. You can turn your business card into a lead generation machine by using Messenger scan codes.
I have a scan code printed on the top of my business card which leads to my sales bot. The sales bot provides more information about my business and sets appointments.
This is perfect for networking events and if nothing else, it will certainly be a great talking point. Make sure you get people you meet to scan the code while you’re there. I also suggest building a 24 hour follow up into your chat bot as most people won’t want to have a long conversation with your bot at a networking event!
IN RETAIL
There are endless possibilities for ways in which Messenger scan codes could be used in retail. Some of which you will already see in China with QR codes.
Scan codes could be used on food items to provide consumers with more information about the ingredients, where they come from and nutritional information.
In clothing stores, scan codes could direct customers to chat bots that provide more information about sizing and whether other sizes are available in other stores. They could also assist with customer service.
Let’s suppose you visit a car yard on a Sunday and it’s closed. But you see a car out the front which you love and want to learn more about immediately. What if it had a scan code in the window which directed you to the car yard’s chat bot? The bot could answer all your questions and even book a test drive for you the following day.
LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Messenger scan codes can be used to help offline businesses implement digital customer loyalty programs. Businesses provide a Messenger code which can be scanned by customers each time they visit or make a purchase.
Once scanned, points are instantly registered to the customer’s account and the chat bot let’s them know how many points they have and when they are eligible for a reward.
These loyalty programs could be used in restaurants, coffee shops, gyms and retail.
To find our more about Messenger based loyalty programs, click here.
BANDS, ARTISTS AND STREET PERFORMERS
Bands performing at gigs and street performers could increase the sales of their music by offering a convenient way to digitally download their music.
Does anyone even own CD players anymore? Yet CD seems to be the only option offered by bands performing at live music venues or street performers if you want to purchase their music.
A scan code could be direct users to a bot which offers all their music available for instant download and accepts payment within Messenger. Users could also be offered the option to be notified of upcoming gigs and performances or new releases.
EXPOS AND TRADE SHOWS
I recently attended a career expo featuring some of Australia’s leading universities and employers and was stunned to see how little they were taking advantage of modern technology.
Young school leavers and recent graduates were walking away with stacks of pamphlets and brochures which will most likely go straight in the bin when they get home.
Many of the exhibitors were short on staff and couldn’t keep up with everyone who wanted to talk to them. And for most, their only way of capturing leads was asking attendees to write down their name, number and email on a sheet of paper.
Messenger scan codes connected to a chat bot would offer several benefits to exhibitors…
It would relieve pressure on staff who can’t speak to all the attendees at once. Attendees could scan these codes to get the same information they would get from staff.
The bot could provide the same information found in the brochures but in a more digestible format. This would reduce the need for so many brochures and pamphlets and reduce the environmental impact. But it would also be a way of delivering more relevant and personalized information than that found in brochures.
As you know by now, anyone who scans the code and interacts with your business on Messenger instantly becomes a subscriber and can be followed up with. Considering it’s high open rates, this is likely to produce better outcomes for exhibitors than following up via email.
JOB BOARDS
On university campuses and shopping centers around the world you will find ads for vacant positions and job descriptions. Using Messenger scan codes, these job ads could take job seekers directly into the application process.
The scan code could be connected to a chat bot which answers questions about the position, provides information about requirements and possibly even screen candidates.
CONCLUSION
You probably aren’t going to be able to apply each of the ideas above in your business. But try to pick one or two which you think could work for you and test them out.
Remember this is just a few of the possibilities with Messenger scan codes. There are obviously many more ways to use them. If you want further inspiration, look into how QR codes are being used in China.
If you need help setting up your own scan codes, I have a free tutorial explaining how to get your first Messenger scan code set up for free with no software or special skills needed here.
