Want to start chatting with a friend or business on Messenger without having to look them up on Facebook? That is no longer a problem, at least not with Facebook’s introduction of Messenger Codes.

That’s right, you can start chatting with anyone on Messenger by using your phone camera to scan their special code. Messenger codes are circular patterns positioned around a user’s profile picture and are not dissimilar from the scannable code system created by Snapchat a year earlier. In fact, Messenger codes have been accompanied by unique Messenger Links, which are also similar to Snapchat URLs.

Whether the recent development is an answer to Snapchat’s meteoric rise in recent times or not, Messenger Codes and Links are not only designed for everyday chatters, but also for businesses who want to make it easier for fans and customers to connect with them.

How they Work

Once you see a Messenger Code on a Facebook page or on any other social media channel it has been shared with, all you have to do is scan it using your phone’s camera and a chat thread will automatically be created. You can then send the individual or business a message via Messenger and they will receive it instantaneously once signed in. For Messenger Links, once you tap or click on the unique vanity link, which is in the general format m.me/username, a chat thread will be opened and you can go ahead and send your message.

With over 900 million users, the new features are expected to be rolled out globally to all users over the course of the next few weeks. The announcement on Facebook via a recent blog post was geared specifically towards businesses, highlighting the company’s drive to make Messenger the go-to tool for business communication. This follows several business-friendly features that were launched in 2015, which allowed brands to increase their customer service outlets to customers.

 

What This Means for Brands

If you currently have a business page on Facebook, you can make it even more convenient for fans and customers to quickly reach you using Messenger Codes and Links. In addition, Messenger Codes and Links will be complemented with unique usernames and Messenger Greetings for businesses. Messenger Greetings are short text messages appearing at the beginning of a chat thread after a chat session has been initiated. In the future, Facebook plans to launch chat bots that will automate the customer service delivery process for businesses, making it easier for them to handle customer queries while focusing on other essential areas of business.

In light of the new developments and the plans announced for the future, Messenger is shaping up to be the premier social business app of the future, although most people currently use it for non-business interactions. Here are a few facts and statistics to back up Messenger’s growing presence as a business communication tool.

• A Facebook profile is not needed in order to use Messenger.
• Over 1 billion messages are sent between businesses and other people on Messenger each month.
• More than 10% of phone calls made via the internet globally are done so via Messenger.
• Approximately 72% of Messenger users have also made online purchases.
• 20% of all adults on the internet worldwide use Messenger.

How do you feel about the new Messenger features? Will you be more encouraged to contact businesses through online chat than traditional methods?