Messenger marketing and chatbots for Northern Ireland businesses
Messenger marketing uses an automated assistant inside Facebook Messenger to answer common questions, qualify enquiries and book appointments for you, at any hour. For a small business, it means an enquiry that arrives at 11pm on a Saturday still gets a reply, gets useful information, and is booked in, rather than going cold before Monday morning.
What a Messenger chatbot actually does
A chatbot is not a replacement for talking to your customers. It handles the first, repetitive part of the conversation so that you only step in when there is a real job to win.
- Answers the questions you get every day. Opening times, prices, where you are, whether you cover a particular area, what a service includes.
- Qualifies the enquiry. It asks what the person is looking for, when they need it, and roughly what budget they have in mind, so you know which conversations are worth your time.
- Books appointments. It offers your available slots and confirms the booking without a phone call.
- Captures the contact details. Name, email and phone go into your list, so you can follow up later even if they do not buy today.
- Follows up automatically. If someone goes quiet, a scheduled message brings them back.
Who Messenger marketing suits
It works best where enquiries arrive outside working hours and where the first conversation is fairly predictable. In practice that means salons, clinics and therapists, trades and home services, gyms and studios, restaurants and venues, and any business already getting a steady stream of Facebook or Instagram messages it struggles to answer quickly.
It is a weaker fit if almost all of your work comes through referral or if your sales conversation is genuinely bespoke from the first message.
How much does Messenger marketing cost?
Cost depends on how many conversation paths the bot needs and whether it connects to a booking system or mailing list. A straightforward bot answering common questions and capturing details is a one-off build. A bot that qualifies leads, books appointments and runs follow-up sequences is usually built once and then managed month to month as you refine the questions. We quote per build after the free strategy session, so you know the figure before anything starts.
How long does it take to set up?
A basic assistant is typically live within a week or two. The build itself is quick. The part that takes the time is agreeing what the bot should say, which is why we start from the questions you are genuinely asked most often rather than a generic template.
Does it work alongside ads?
Yes, and this is where it earns the most. A Facebook or Instagram ad can send people straight into a Messenger conversation instead of to a landing page. The person is already in an app they use daily, so the drop-off is lower than asking them to fill in a form, and every conversation leaves you with a contact you can reach again.
Frequently asked questions
Will customers know they are talking to a bot?
Yes, and they should. We write the assistant so it is clear it is automated and always offers a route through to a person. Pretending otherwise annoys people and breaches Facebook’s rules.
What happens if the bot cannot answer?
It hands the conversation to you and lets the customer know someone will pick it up. Nothing is left in a dead end.
Do I need a Facebook business page?
Yes. Messenger marketing runs through your Facebook page, so the page needs to exist and be under your control. If you do not have one set up properly, we sort that first.
Can it work with Instagram too?
Yes. Instagram direct messages can be automated in the same way, and most clients run both together.
Who owns the chatbot and the contacts?
You do. The Facebook page, the contacts and the subscriber list are yours, and they stay yours if you stop working with us.
Start a conversation now
The quickest way to see how this works is to use it. Message us on Messenger and the assistant will take it from there.