Messenger marketing has been on a wild ride in 2020. From major platform changes to the impact of the pandemic, the industry has faced significant challenges and changes. However, those who have been able to adapt have found great success.

The Year in Review

• Manychat Growth: Manychat marketers now have over 8.5 million active conversations through Facebook Messenger, with click-through rates 130% higher than the industry average. The average conversation length is 10 minutes.
• SMS Usage: SMS usage has grown 230% month-over-month since launching in 2019. Manychat customers enjoy mobile messaging click-through rates 40% higher.
• Email Integration: Email usage has grown 144% since launching in late 2019. Manychat customers achieve email open rates 66% higher than the industry average.

The Wild Wild West

• Early 2020 saw major platform changes, including the 24-hour rule, messaging tags, and compliance updates. This caused a lot of confusion and frustration.
• However, many businesses were able to adapt and thrive, using messenger marketing as a solution during the pandemic.
• Manychat released a slew of new features, including conversation starters, Shopify integration, improved email, and more.

The Challenges of Late 2020

• Towards the end of the year, there was an increase in page blocks and other challenges.
• New EU regulations around data privacy and ad targeting have created additional hurdles.
• Facebook continues to make changes, causing growing pains for the industry.

Staying the Course

• Messenger marketing is still in its infancy, and the industry is experiencing the "growing pains" of an emerging channel.
• Those who can adapt and diversify their strategies will be poised for success as the industry matures.
• It's important to focus on an omni-channel approach, using messenger marketing as part of a broader multi-channel strategy.

Despite the challenges, the future remains bright for messenger marketing. By weathering the storm and continuing to innovate, businesses can find great success in this dynamic and evolving space.

Manychat has seen impressive growth and released numerous new features in 2020. Here are some key highlights:

• Manychat marketers now have over 8.5 million active conversations through Facebook Messenger, with a click-through rate 130% higher than the industry average.
• The average conversation length with Manychat-powered Facebook Messenger is 10 minutes.
• SMS usage has grown 230% month-over-month since launching in late 2019, with Manychat customers enjoying mobile messaging click-through rates 40% higher.
• Email usage has grown 144% since launching late 2019, with Manychat customers achieving open rates 66% higher than the industry average.

Manychat released several major new features in 2020, including:

• Conversation Starters
• Shopify integration
• Improved email tool
• SMS messaging
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Facebook Shops integration
• Manychat App Store with third-party developer tools

While 2020 saw significant changes and challenges in the messenger marketing space, Manychat continued to innovate and provide new solutions for marketers. By adapting and diversifying their strategies, many Manychat users were able to find success despite the turbulence.

The end of 2020 was a little rough for the messenger marketing world. There were a lot of blocks and changes that caused a lot of frustration for marketers.

In November, new ad limits were introduced due to the EU's privacy policy (GDPR). This impacted engagement custom audiences, sponsored messages, lead generation templates, and more. Marketers in the EU or targeting EU audiences had to adapt.

Then in December, even more EU restrictions were rolled out. This affected access to native Facebook data, the ability to optimize for conversations/leads, and messenger ad metrics reporting.

These changes kept coming, causing a lot of chaos and uncertainty. However, this is all part of the growing pains of the messenger marketing industry. We are still in the "wild west" days, with Facebook constantly evolving their policies and algorithms.

The key is to stay adaptable and diversify your marketing approach. Rely on more than just messenger marketing - incorporate email, SMS, content marketing, and an omnichannel strategy.

This is just the "puberty" phase of messenger marketing. The industry will continue maturing, with more stability and clarity to come. For now, expect more changes, but don't get discouraged. The marketers who stick it out will be poised for success in the long run.

Messenger marketing is in its infancy, and we are currently in the "wild wild west" days of this emerging industry. 2020 has been a rollercoaster year, with numerous changes and challenges, but also opportunities for those who were able to adapt.

Despite the turbulence, the data shows that messenger marketing continues to perform well, with manychat customers seeing:

• 8.5+ million active conversations through Facebook Messenger
• 130% higher click-through rates than the industry average
• 10-minute average conversation length
• 230% month-over-month growth in SMS usage since 2019
• 144% growth in email usage since 2019
• 66% higher email open rates than the industry average

While the beginning of 2020 brought major changes like the 24-hour rule and messaging tag updates, the year also saw the release of many new manychat features like conversation starters, Shopify integration, improved email, and more.

The end of the year brought additional challenges, with blocks, ad limits, and EU restrictions. However, these are growing pains that come with being an early adopter. Just as social media marketing and PPC advertising went through similar periods of upheaval, messenger marketing is experiencing its own evolution.

The key is to stay adaptable, diversify your marketing approach, and focus on creating a frictionless, omni-channel experience for your customers. Messenger marketing still has a very bright future, but it needs to be viewed as one piece of a larger multi-channel strategy, not a silver bullet.

By sticking with it through the growing pains, early adopters will be positioned for success as the industry matures. The businesses that can navigate these changes will come out on top in the long run. So don't give up - the future of messenger marketing is still promising, but it requires a realistic, adaptable approach.

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Intensive Workshop

Kelly is hosting a 4-hour intensive workshop tomorrow, December 18th, from 9am to 1pm Pacific time. It's a great opportunity to dive deep into messenger marketing, Facebook ads and funnels, and compliance. The workshop is $347 and includes the recordings, a guidebook, and access to Kelly's Beginner's Course ($197 value). There are only a few spots left, so check the link in the show notes to sign up.

Remember, as a business expense, you can write off the cost of this workshop. Don't miss this chance to learn from Kelly and connect with other marketers before the prices go up in the new year.