Facebook, with its new messaging offer called Messenger Rooms, is taking on Zoom.
Launched end of April 2020, Messenger Rooms seems to have ripped the style straight out of a Zoom platform to make it easy and ideal for small businesses not wanting the 40-minute meeting restriction that zoom demands.
The Messenger App on your smartphone will need to be updated to receive these new features.
1. Personal Profiles can create new Messenger Rooms
2. Admins in Facebook Groups can create new Messenger Rooms
Last year, Mark Zuckerburg stated his focus was on Facebook Groups.
He has not only delivered on his promise but has developed a platform that is easy to use and allows you to control who comes into the room (which Zoom has had issues with).
If you haven’t already, now is the time to create a Facebook Group related to what your audience needs from your business.
Below outlines, the benefits Facebook Rooms have for businesses and why:
No Time Limit
You can now have a mini-conference of up to 50 people on a call and take your time. Messenger Rooms is free and there is NO TIME LIMIT. Woohoo!
You can invite who you want.
The only issue for a business is there is no ability to record the sessions… yet. It is a brand new platform and have no doubt it will evolve to include this feature down the track.
People don’t need to have a Facebook Account to access your Messenger Room
Once you have created a link, you can share the link on many other platforms for people to access. This includes (but not limited to) email, WhatsApp etc…
Schedule Messenger Rooms ahead of time
You can schedule Messenger Rooms ahead of time.
The only issue is, at this stage, it isn’t linked to a Google Calendar or Facebook Calendar (which is ideal to remind people of upcoming events). However, you will be able to create a Facebook Event and remind people and manual create appointments through email systems.
How can this work for businesses:
Individual
You can create a Messenger Room immediately with people you have connected with.
If the people you would like to speak to aren’t Facebook Friends with you, then you have the option to send them a link either via Messenger, email or a multitude of other way.
Then, you can start your conversation/meeting.
This is a quick and easy solution for people who are the face of their business.
Facebook Groups
If you have a Facebook Group, you are able to hold different rooms specific to your audience’s needs.
Then you either invite everyone in the group or specific members.
Example: Intimo Bra Fit Specialist (A business that allows a person to make this a side hustle, become full-time and/or aim to be an entrepreneur)
For an Intimo Bra Fit Specialist with a Facebook Group following, they could have a:
Monthly Virtual Fitting Room: for anyone in the group
Specific Fitting Room Parties: for specific people attending virtual parties
Specific Fitting Room Only: For a single person to attend with the specialist
Monthly Strategy Sessions: for your team members only
All within your little empire.
Again, you can invite people outside your Facebook Group to join the Messenger Room only. This is ideal for people who aren’t your target market or are reluctant to join yet another group!
Additional Features
- On the smartphone (tried desktop and none were available yet) you can access filters to lighten and brighten your face (now, that is a bonus!)
- You have a 360 degree background (like Zoom)
- You can remove people
- You can lock the room so uninvited guests don’t enter
- People can easily pop in and out when you start
- If you have sent out an invite to a Messenger Room and you, as the host, hasn’t entered yet, it will state that [name of invitee] is waiting for you.
- Rooms can be locked or unlocked once a call begins. If a room is locked, no one else can join, except a Group admin for rooms created through a Group.
You can share rooms on Facebook through:
• News Feeds
• Groups
• Events
• Messenger (this is rolling out worldwide)
Messenger Rooms is less than a week old and already has created a stir. Prediction is many more features are set to follow as well as a seamless way for people to connect, no matter where they are.
