Meta adds new follow-up messaging feature for businesses

Meta has launched a new feature on its Messenger platform that is expected to allow businesses to send timely notifications to customers after transactions, events, or account activity. The update, called 'utility messages', aims to address the communication gap that often arises in post-purchase or service interactions.

According to Meta, many businesses face challenges in sending follow-up messages such as order updates, appointment reminders, or account alerts, often leading to reduced customer engagement. The new feature is designed to streamline this process by providing 'pre-approved messaging templates'. These templates can either be reused from Meta's library or customized by businesses, helping them stay within platform guidelines.

The platform, in a statement, said, "Without these timely messages, businesses risk losing customer engagement and trust."

It further added, "To address this challenge, we're introducing 'utility messages' on Messenger - enabling businesses to effortlessly send key updates after purchases, events, or account activities using pre-approved templates from Meta."

According to the platform, Utility messages are designed to gradually replace existing Messenger message tags, which include 'Post Purchase Update', 'Confirmed Event Update', and 'Account Update'.

According to the platform, the new feature supports a range of notification types and is now available to developers and businesses in the Philippines, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam. The platform is yet to confirm the availability of the feature in other regions.