On today’s show, I’m kicking off a three-part mini-series on Facebook Messenger marketing, because I believe it’s a strategy that’s only going to become more important as a marketing channel going forward. You might be wondering why it’s been a while since I dedicated an entire episode to this topic? I purposely waited because I wanted the dust to settle so to speak, as 2018 saw tons of Messenger Bot courses and bright shiny objects being offered. Unfortunately, very few marketers were doing it right! In this episode, you’re going to hear why I think 2019 is going to be such a huge year for Facebook Messenger marketing though, and the stats I share are going to blow you away! I’ll be talking about the foundations of Messenger marketing, the state of it Messenger marketing now in the online space, how you should be using it and the big pitfalls to avoid if you want to be successful. I also reveal different ways to do Facebook ads with Messenger marketing, the strategies, and funnels our team have used with great success, and a whole lot more. There’s a huge opportunity with Messenger marketing, and it’s an exciting time to get in on it if you’re not already using this strategy. You’re not going to want to miss the next episode in this mini-series with the founder of Opesta, Ethan Sigmon. Ethan is a past student of mine and guest of the podcast, and Opesta is a tool that we love and couldn’t do without in our business. To learn more about how Opesta can help you, visit http://www.rickmulready.com/opesta.   Before we start the show, I’ve got something to ask. How do you listen to this podcast? Is it in the iTunes app, Stitcher, Spotify or maybe iHeart Radio? Do you listen to it at regular speed, or maybe like me you listen to your podcasts at 1.5X speed? I want to know! Take a screenshot of you tuning in to The Art of Paid Traffic, and include it on your Instagram Story, while tagging me, @RickMulready! Want to win a 30-minute strategy session with me? I’ll be drawing one winner at random each month, and all you have to do is give me your feedback on this podcast over at http://rickmulready.com/messenger, telling me what you’d like to hear more of - including topics you’d like to see covered, guests, style and frequency of the show! On the Show Today You’ll Learn:   How Messenger marketing compares to email marketing and why it should be part of your overall marketing strategy The three-pronged approach to Messenger marketing and how we use it in our business The main placements and types of Facebook Messenger ads and what you should be doing with them Where I recommend starting with Messenger ads and re-targeting strategies you can use to help complete sales with potential customers How to grow your Messenger list organically, while building your email list in the process What I see most online marketers doing wrong with Facebook Messenger marketing Ways to make Messenger Bots less “spammy” Why the strategies I talk about today are not the solution for a broken marketing funnel The reason I recommend starting small and learning and testing one strategy before moving on to the others What type of messages you’ll need to get approval for starting Jan. 1, 2019, and how to do this