Should You Apply for Subscription Messaging for your Messenger Bot?
Back at the 2019 F8 conference, Facebook made the announcement that the Broadcast API would move from the app level (ManyChat and other tools like it) to the Business page level. This would help Facebook better enforce the rules of using this specific messaging tag.
Due to these changes, Messenger Bot builders have been flocking to their page settings to apply for Subscription Messaging, thinking they would not be able to send broadcast messages out otherwise. But the truth is, not every business should apply, and not every business should get approved.
I caught up with Tiago Rocha, who is a musician, music producer and solo artist that goes by the name 3ple (pronounced Triple), but also an active and valued member of the ManyChat community. Tiago has helped many businesses successfully gain approval for subscription messaging with his details guidelines that helped him do the same. Something that Tiago, and many of us in the Messenger Bot community, have noticed as of late, is there are a LOT of businesses who are not getting approved and are growing more and more frustrated by the process. But Tiago summed it up perfectly when he wrote the following piece on why some businesses should simply not apply.
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⛔️ If you don’t qualify, don’t apply ⛔️
by Tiago Rocha
A while ago I posted some tips on how to get approved for Subscription Messaging. I had a lot of positive feedback, lots and lots of people got approved. So glad to know that 🙂
Now there’s also the other side: those who are not getting approved no matter what.
The biggest issue, in my opinion, is not if you get approved or not. The biggest issue is that you don’t understand what Subscription Messaging is and what it is for. And that, my friends, will put you in trouble in no time 😉
The biggest issue is that you don’t understand what Subscription Messaging is and what it is for.
Here’s an analogy (just an example of course):
Some people here are like architects trying to sell their business by going to a SPA. What I mean by that is: you are trying to get approved by selling “massages” to people in the SPA (this would be Facebook approval staff) and once they like your massages you start pitching your own services as an architect. That makes ZERO sense. And you will have trouble. Read it again: you will have trouble!
Until you understand what Subscription messaging is, what it is for and how you can use it, it’s useless if you get approved or not, because you will use it in a way that will get you in trouble.
Until you understand what Subscription messaging is, what it is for and how you can use it, it’s useless if you get approved or not, because you will use it in a way that will get you in trouble.
Understanding why you are not getting approved
Here are some tips so you can understand why you’re not getting approved and why you don’t understand the whole concept:
Are you including links to external websites or maybe even Facebook? Don’t do it! Ever! Even if you get approved
Are you thinking that “free content” is ok and it’s not promotional?
Wrong! It will be, almost for sure, be seen as promotional. Free is NOT the same as non-promotional.
Are you asking questions such as “hey XYZ are you enjoying my course?”
Don’t ask anything. This can and will almost for sure be seen as promotional (marketers know what that kind of question mean and people at Facebook will probably know that as well). Go straight to the point. Bring value to your subscribers. Not YOURSELF. You don’t have to sell, sell, sell. That's why some people will never understand the concept. All they think about is “how can I find another way to trick the system and shove my promotions down my subscriber's throat at all costs?
So again, if you don’t qualify, don’t apply. It’s not the end of the world. But if you do, make an effort and try to understand the concept. Use it properly so we can ALL have a healthy tool, free from spammers and businesses who bring no value to their subscribers!
So again, if you don’t qualify, don’t apply. It’s not the end of the world.
All these new changes are happening because a lot of people (as usual) started abusing the tool. Now we all get punished
Hope I’m bringing a little bit more value and if you have any questions, don’t ask me! (Just kidding haha feel free to leave comments and myself or someone else will help you)
What happens if I don’t use Subscription Messaging?
As Tiago stated, “if you don’t qualify, don’t apply. It’s not the end of the world”. As I have mentioned in my article for Chatbots Life “Chatbot Broadcast Rules”, there are a total of 17 messaging tags available to you for sending out messages en masse. Subscription Messaging is only but one of these tags. So before you go apply for Subscription Messaging, be sure to familiarize yourself with the other options available to you. If another option is a better fit, it is likely Facebook will not approve you for Subscription Messaging. And remember, Subscription Messaging falls into only 3 categories: News, Productivity, and Personal Trackers.
According to the Messenger Platform Policy, the following are the explanation of each use case:
News: Integrations whose primary purpose is to inform people about recent or important events, or provide information in categories such as sports, finance, business, real estate, weather, traffic, politics, government, non-profit organizations, religion, celebrities, and entertainment.
Productivity: Integrations whose primary purpose is to enable people to manage their personal productivity with tasks, such as managing calendar events, receiving reminders, and paying bills.
Personal trackers: Integrations that enable people to receive and monitor information about themselves in categories such as fitness, health, wellness, and finance.
I biggest issue that messenger bot builders face is a lack of knowledge surrounding the platform rules and policy. Although it is understandable there is confusion (Facebook does not make it super clear and easy to understand), it is the job of any builder to understand the rules of the land.
I biggest issue that messenger bot builders face is a lack of knowledge surrounding the platform rules and policy.
Your best defense against these changes is knowledge
Here are some resources that you may find helpful for deepening your knowledge of Subscription Messaging, Broadcasts, and the rules of Messenger Marketing on Facebook.
A full list and description of all 17 message tags: READ HERE
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF CHATBOT BROADCAST RULES: READ HERE
Broadcast Rules, Policy and How to Videos on my Baby Got Bot YouTube Channel: WATCH HERE
Special thanks to Tiago Rocha for allowing me to share his insights here today. To learn more about Tiago please visit his music website at http://www.iam3ple.com. You can also catch Tiago and me over in the ManyChat Community on Facebook.
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