Facebook has launched a new broadcast feature ‘Recurring Notifications’, which is currently exclusively supported by a few solution providers such as Omnichat. Detailed application and set-up procedures can be found in this article.
Facebook has a 24-hour policy which restricts brands from sending promotional messages to customers 24 hours after they have responded to a message. ‘Recurring Notifications’ allows brands to broadcast messages to customers as long as they have subscribed to the fan page. Without Facebook 24-hour policy’s limit, brands have a better chance to win back lost customers and retain old customers.
What is Facebook Recurring Notifications?
Many Facebook business users would like to break 24-hour policy so customers can subscribe to the pages they like, and brands can also improve the quality of service.
Partnering with Omnichat, Facebook allows businesses to send ‘Recurring Notifications’ to customers upon active subscription. (You may fill in this form if you would like to apply.) But it does not mean brands can broadcast messages to customers all the time, this is how it works:
When the customer has not responded to your message for more than 24 hours, you can ask him/her to accept receiving ‘Recurring Notifications’. As long as the customer subscribes, you can send another 1 message every 24 hours if you set the effective period as 6 months. (Please refer to the subscription period below.)
If the customer does not reply, you will have to wait the next 24 hours before sending ‘another’ message. On the contrary, if the customer replies, you can send messages without limit.
With ‘Recurring Notifications’, brands can send proactive, personalised, and automated messages that drive leads, sales and re-engagement, such as product recommendations or new offers, without the concern of being blocked by Facebook.
4 major benefits and scenarios for customers to subscribe Facebook Recurring Notifications
Early-bird activity or Discount countdown
Customers may get annoyed if they get promotional messages everyday. However, for early-bird discounts, anniversary sale, or black friday countdown, they would prefer to receive the notifications.
Back in stock or New arrivals
If bestsellers are back in stock, brands can make use of this feature and send out restock alerts to those interested or tagged customers.
Store-only events
It is recommended to notify customers nearby for store-only events, driving online traffic to brick and mortar stores. Customers are encouraged to scan the QR code in store to subscribe to Facebook Recurring Notifications, so regular customers can be notified in advance for future promotions.
Gamification marketing
Brands can engage with their customers through interactive games so as to improve the shopping experience. There are 5 classic games on Omnichat, including Scratch-off tickets, Lucky Wheel, Jackpot, Draw Lots and Gashapon. You may use coupons as game prizes, encouraging customers to shop online.
Omnichat supports 3 types of broadcast frequency
As an official Meta Business Partner, Omnichat can help brands to apply for Facebook Recurring Notifications and set up customised Chatbot for customers subscription.
Businesses can customise the message content, and choose to send a message daily, weekly or monthly.
- Daily: Send one message daily for 6 months.
- Weekly: Send one message every seven days for 9 months.
- Monthly: Send one message every 30 days for 12 months.
Customised images and text of FB Recurring Notifications
You can edit ‘Subscribe to FB Recurring Notifications through Omnichat.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Advanced Automation’ > ‘Bot Builder’ > ‘Add New Bot’ (Only Facebook / Instagram)
Then you can see the module of FB Recurring Notifications. Photos, text, topic, frequency can be edited. The actions (e.g. Reply block & User tagging) after clicking the subscribe button can be set too.
10 ways to boost subscriptions
Using Facebook Recurring Notifications, brands can drive deeper customer engagement and conversions. But how to get more subscribers?
‘Subscribe’ Button in Welcome Message block
When new customers start new conversations on Facebook Messenger, they can click the ‘Subscribe’ button directly.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Advanced Automation’ > ‘Bot Builder’ > ‘Add New Bot’ (Only Facebook) > Set Welcome Message block
Subscribe FB Recurring Notifications via website’s subscriber plugin
If you have enabled Omnichat’s subscriber plugin on the website, and visitors have clicked ‘Subscribe in Messenger’ at the bottom right corner, you can thus collect the visitor’s Facebook identity and website browsing behaviour.
When visitors ‘Subscribe in Messenger’ successfully, it can be set to trigger ‘Subscribe FB Recurring Notifications’ chatbot message block automatically.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Subscription Tool’ > Edit the button text of subscriber plugin on the website & the message shown after clicking the button
Use Facebook Persistent Menu to trigger the subscription of ‘Recurring Notifications’
You can create a ‘Subscribe to FB Recurring Notifications’ button in Facebook Persistent Menu, so customers can click to subscribe when starting conversations on Messenger.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Channel’ > ‘Channel Pre-Set Messages’ > Facebook Messenger ‘Persistent Menu’
Use the CTA button of Facebook feeds / ads to trigger the subscription of ‘Recurring Notifications’
The subscription link of Facebook Recurring Notifications can be embedded in the Facebook ad button or feed. When clicking on the link, the subscription message can be automatically triggered.
Click on website remarketing messages to trigger the subscription of ‘Recurring Notifications’
Omnichat’s ‘Website ReMarketing Messages’ feature allows businesses to show customised photos and texts in the bottom right corner. Some information or promotion details such as offers, product features and free gifts can be displayed.
The subscription link can be embedded in the website remarketing messages so visitors can become your subscribers of Facebook Recurring Notifications with only one click.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Marketing Automation’ > ‘Remarketing Message’ > Create a ‘Website Remarketing Message’
Set up Keyword Autoreply to trigger ‘Recurring Notifications’
When customers enter the specific keywords, the subscription message will be triggered.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Advanced Automation’ > ‘Keyword Autoreply’
Invite WhatsApp / LINE contacts to subscribe to Facebook Recurring Notifications
Brands can broadcast the subscription link to WhatsApp / LINE contacts.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Audience & Broadcast’ > ‘WhatsApp’ / ‘LINE’ to broadcast customised messages to target contacts.
Customer service agents can send the subscription link manually
Customer service agents can send the subscription link to customers in the conversations.
The steps to create the subscription link:
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Advanced Automation’ > ‘Keyword Autoreply’ to set up specific keywords for triggering ‘Recurring Notifications’ bot. You can get the link by clicking the QR code button on the right hand side, and send this to customers afterwards.
Comment on a specific Facebook post to trigger the subscription of ‘Recurring Notifications’
When customers comment with a specific keyword on a specific Facebook post, the subscription button will be sent to customers automatically.
Omnichat admin panel:
Click ‘Advanced Automation’ > ‘Facebook/Instagram Comment Reply’ to set up which posts and keywords will trigger customised bot.
Use game module to trigger the subscription of ‘Recurring Notifications’
You can set one of the game prizes to trigger the subscription of Facebook Recurring Notifications.
Omnichat admin panel:
‘Game Modules’
Application of Facebook Recurring Notifications
Please submit the form to apply for the service. If you are not Omnichat’s clients yet, let’s get to know more about our FB / IG / WhatsApp chat commerce solutions here!
Advertising costs become more and more expensive, and it is more and more difficult for retailers to acquire new customers. Many brands choose to use Facebook as a communication channel, not only to recruit new customers, but also to interact with the regular customers.
Contact our consultants to learn more about Omnichats’s advanced business solutions on social messaging channels integration with enhanced efficiency, user behaviour analysis and remarketing strategy development.
