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How to stay on message, everywhere there are messages
For most business owners, keeping up with Instagram DMs and Messenger chats from curious customers is a full-time job. These days consumers prefer to contact brands through direct messages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, which is why social media is the number one channel for brands looking to build stronger connections with their customers.
Everything from outstanding praise to fiery complaints can be found in your brand’s social media inbox. This is enough to handle by itself, but DMs have become increasingly difficult to manage with each new social media platform that joins the party — we’re looking at you TikTok!
So, how can you provide timely responses, manage message requests and maintain happy customers while running at least three different social accounts?
Enter cross-platform chats.
Back in 2020, Facebook introduced a cross-app messaging feature that allows you to send messages from Instagram to your Facebook Messenger contacts and vice versa. In this post, we're breaking down everything you need to know about cross-platform messaging between Instagram and Facebook Messenger including:
- Why it's useful for your business,
- How it works and,
- How to set up an account so that messages go straight into your inbox!
How does the Facebook cross-app messaging work?
Cross-app messaging merges the messaging features of Facebook and Instagram in an extension of a feature that already exists within each platform. Your chats lists, contacts and conversations are made available on both Instagram and Facebook This chat feature allows users on Messenger to chat with users on the Instagram app without needing to switch between the two, and vice versa.
With cross-platform chats enabled, it doesn’t matter whether an Instagram user is currently on the Messenger app or not — they’ll receive the message even if they don’t have a Facebook account. This makes it much easier to stay up to date with chat threads and group chats, since you can manage everything from your fave app!
The cross-platform features also blend the functionality of Facebook messenger with Instagram, and the update included new features like:
- Customizable chat colors
- Selfie stickers
- Emoji reactions
- Vanish mode
- A “watch together” function for IGTV.
You can also send photos and videos from either app directly into the message window in its respective app, as well as join video calls no matter which platform your friends are calling from.
How to set up cross-platform messaging between Messenger and Instagram
You can use cross-platform messaging to communicate with your customers, employees, partners, vendors and even friends. It's a great way to stay up to date with all your messages and important inquiries!
Let’s break down exactly how to set-up cross-app messaging between Facebook and Insta. Before you start, make sure you have the most recent version of both Facebook and Instagram installed. If you are using an Android, head to the Google Play Store to check for updates. For iPhone users on iOS you can check for updates from the Apple App Store.
From the Instagram app:
- Open your Instagram app and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner to access your profile.
- On your profile, head to the main menu in the top right corner. It should look like three horizontal lines.
- In the menu, select Settings.
- On the next screen, select Privacy.
- In the Privacy menu, navigate to Messages.
- At the top of the Message controls page you’ll see options for how to receive messages from Messenger users. You can select whether these messages land in your message requests, primary inbox, or general inbox.
From the Facebook app:
- Open your Facebook Messenger app.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down to the Preferences section and tap on Privacy.
- On the next screen, select Message delivery.
- In this page you can control the options for how to receive messages from Instagram users or other contacts with your phone number. You can select whether these messages will go straight to chats or stay in your message requests, as well as control how unwanted messages should be rejected.
Okay, my accounts are linked. What’s next?
Once your accounts are linked, you can start chatting to your friends and contacts through cross-app chat. But how can you tell which contacts are your original Facebook friends or Instagram followers?
How to find your Instagram contacts on Facebook:
Open the Messenger app and select the pen icon in the top right corner of your screen. This will start a new message and pull up your full contacts list.
Scroll through your contacts list. You’ll notice that any users that come from Instagram will have a small grey text with their Instagram username and it’ll simply say “Instagram.”
How to find your Facebook friends on Instagram chats:
Open the Instagram app and select the message icon in the top right corner of your screen. If you’d like to start a conversation with your Facebook friends from inside Instagram, tap on the “New message” icon in the top right corner. It should look like a pen and paper.
Once you’ve started a new message, your contacts list will appear. If you scroll down in your contacts list you will find a separate section titled “Facebook friends.” This is where you can contact all your friends from Facebook.
Sked Social is your all-in-one social media management platform
Brands and agencies with an eye for aesthetics use Sked Social to plan, schedule, and engage customers with visual content — On Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more.
Start your FREE trialWhy is cross-platform messaging useful to my business?
Cross-platform messaging is a great way to reach your audience, engage with them and build your brand. You can also use it to drive traffic to your website or social media profiles, as well as build deeper relationships with clients and customers. It’s also a great opportunity for businesses that sell products on multiple platforms (like Amazon) to connect with shoppers who might be interested in buying their products elsewhere.
In addition to engaging with your own followers, cross-platform messaging can help you reach new customers by allowing users from one network (e.g., Facebook) to access content from another network (e.g., Instagram).
When it comes to cross-platform messaging, Facebook and Instagram have made it super easy for you to use. If you have a business that relies on Instagram and Facebook, then this feature is a must-have. It lets you keep in touch with customers and share information across both platforms easily. With Instagram's popularity increasing every day, staying connected with your audience through this type of feature makes sense!
You’re only one step away from being an Instagram powerhouse!
Now that you know how to take advantage of cross-platform messaging to maintain connections with your friends and customers, it’s time to take your Instagram performance even further.
With Sked Social, you can completely automate your Instagram post scheduling while also receiving in-depth analytics on your performance. Plus, you can now schedule your Instagram Reels as well! This has helped users just like you grow their following and increase the ROI of their social media marketing.
Try our completely free 7-day trial to see the benefits of Sked for yourself - with absolutely zero risk. Who knows, you just might see improvements on your very first day!