Are you looking for a direct communication channel to potential and current customers? Check! A marketing solution that drives community and commerce? Check! A messaging platform owned by one of the world’s largest tech companies with unfathomable reach? Check!
There is a lot to say about Facebook Messenger. If we’re being honest, we think this is one of the most underutilized resources a business has, especially with the rise of social commerce and audiences placing a higher value on authentic communication and customer service.
If you don’t use instant messaging in your business, maybe these Facebook Messenger stats will inspire you to integrate the platform to drive clicks, trades, and happy customers.
General Facebook Messenger statistics
Facebook Messenger was launched in August 2011
Messenger was developed from the original Facebook chat feature and spun off into its own product in 2011, making the instant messaging platform 11 years old in 2022.
It is predicted that by 2022 over 3 billion people will be using messaging apps
Whether they’re DMing their favorite brand on Messenger or chatting with their newest crush on WhatsApp, the proof is in the pudding that messaging apps are commonplace among mobile phone users (and about a third of the world’s population!).
Messenger is the second most popular iOS app of all time
Facebook Messenger is a pretty big deal. The app allows users to send and receive messages (obviously!) with people they are connected to via Facebook or Instagram, share gifs, memes and photos, make and receive video calls, regular calls and voice memos, and provides brands with a cross-platform line of communication with customers.
Messenger has been downloaded 5.4 billion times since 2014
Meta, Messenger’s parent company, dominates the most downloaded apps from 2014 to 2021, with Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger being downloaded a total of 20.1 billion times.
What: eMarketer
So what does meta dominance mean for social media marketing?
In our view, it’s important to remember that each platform is a beast in its own right under the meta umbrella. For example, the audience that hangs out on Instagram is likely to be vastly different than an audience that spends more time engaging with Facebook or Messenger, and campaigns need to be tailored to specific channels and audiences to achieve successful results.
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Facebook Messenger user statistics
Messenger has nearly 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs)
Woah, 988 million people log into the app every month to interact with friends and family, communicate with their favorite brands, and make and receive calls.
Messenger is where nearly one-eighth of the world’s population hangs out, and for marketers, that’s a significant number of people to actively engage and target with ad campaigns.
In the US, Facebook Messenger is the most popular among women
Women make up 55.7% of Messenger users in the US, with men making up the remaining 44.3%. Something to think about when using Messenger to connect with customers.
Forget 13-17 year old marketing on Messenger
In the US, Facebook Messenger is least popular among people aged 13-17, meaning younger demographics are avoiding the platform, something to keep in mind when creating campaigns.
Facebook Messenger is the seventh most popular social media network
With just under a billion users, Messenger lags behind TikTok, WeChat, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook in terms of active users.
2.6% of Internet users say Messenger is their favorite platform
Given that over 4.6 billion people use the internet, that 2.6% figure equates to roughly 119 million people rating Messenger across Pinterest, Snapchat, and Discord.
Source: Moyens I/O Digital Trends Report
82% of US adults say Messenger is their most used messaging app
Does this extremely high percentage mean Messenger is more popular than WhatsApp in the US? And do marketers need to be aware that Americans use Messenger to communicate and meet their audience where they are?
Facebook Messenger is the third-ranked app in terms of monthly active users
If you’re running campaigns for apps with a low number of active users, you’re going to struggle to get decent returns. Fortunately, Messenger has the third highest volume of people logging into the platform monthly, completing the top 4 alongside other meta properties including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Source: Moyens I/O Digital Trends Report
Messenger was the 7th most downloaded app of 2021
TikTok (unsurprisingly!) took first place, closely followed by Instagram and Facebook to round out the top three.
We’re pretty cool that the Facebook Messenger app isn’t too high on the list, as data shows downloads have been declining since 2015, suggesting people may have already downloaded the app to their device instead that Facebook Messenger has fallen out of favor.
Facebook Messenger Usage Statistics
The average time spent on Messenger is 3 hours per month
To put this usage in a broader context, users spend the same amount of time scrolling Telegram and Snapchat. YouTube is the app users spend the most time on each month, with the average time per month being a whopping 23.7 hours.
People send 21 billion photos on Messenger every month
Photo sharing is just one of the many features of this powerful app as people and businesses around the world connect to share content.
US adults will spend 24 minutes a day using mobile messaging apps by 2022
The number of minutes US adults spend using messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp has increased from 18 minutes in 2018 to 24 minutes in 2022. The reason for a 33% increase is largely due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused people to turn to other forms of communication to connect with companies, brands and connections.
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In addition, this increase shows that people are moving away from more traditional methods of digital communication, e.g. B. Text messages and email, remove to communicate.
What: eMarketer
Facebook messenger stats for business
40 million businesses use Facebook Messenger
Combined with Messenger ads, this makes the platform one of the fastest growing channels to reach and connect with consumers.
Messenger sends 1 billion messages between people and businesses every month
The high volume of messengers shows that businesses use Facebook Messenger to engage with customers, provide superior service, and generate community and engagement with Messenger.
There are 33,000 active bots on Facebook Messenger
Bots fall into one of two distinct categories: chatbots that help you streamline your company’s communication strategy, and bots that are just annoying and do things like spam.
We’re big fans of chatbots and not so much the other kind of bots.
Chatbots are a fantastic strategy that marketers should use to provide a channel of interaction for customers and save time and resources by answering common consumer questions.
In addition, Facebook Messenger chatbots help to automate sales. With 83% of consumers saying they buy or would buy products in messaging conversations, now is the time to increase your business’ use of chatbots to drive more growth.
Want to learn more about how chatbots (the good bots!) can help you improve your response times, drive more sales, and take your customer service to the next level? Check out the complete guide to using Facebook chatbots for business.
Statistics on Facebook Messenger Ads
The potential ad reach for Messenger is almost 1 billion people
Okay, it’s 987.7 million to be precise, but who’s counting? Showing ads on Messenger can result in an above-average conversion rate as personalization and direct response marketing become more popular.
Ads on Messenger mostly reach males aged 25-34
Almost 20% of Facebook Messenger’s audience receives Messenger ads. But, ladies, don’t panic! The 24-34 year old cohort is the second most reached group of people, with 13.3% of women reachable through ads.
If you’re over 65, only 1.9% of women and 1.7% of men get ads from Messenger.
Source: Moyens I/O Digital Trends Report
The countries with the highest eligibility range are outside of NA and EMEA
Vietnam (68.6%), New Zealand (66.2%) and the Philippines (66%) come through! These are the top 3 countries with the highest potential ad reach compared to the total population aged 13+.
Canada and the US are among the lowest-scoring countries, with only 2.0% and 2.4% of the population, respectively, potentially reachable with Messenger ads.
So if you’re creating campaigns to drive clicks and commerce on Facebook Messenger, you should first consider advertising outside of North America.
India is the country with the highest Messenger ad audience
Messenger ads have the potential to reach 11.2% of the population, closely followed by Brazil and Mexico.
Whether you’re an established brand or just starting out with social, don’t ignore the power of Facebook Messenger as part of a holistic social media marketing strategy. With the rise of chatbots and social commerce expected to be a major trend in 2022, there’s no better time to incorporate Messenger into your campaigns.
Increase your online and in-store sales with a Heyday by Moyens I/O Facebook Messenger chatbot. A chatbot can enhance your customers’ shopping experience while your service team can focus on higher-value interactions.
Get a free Heyday demo
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