How to Run Ads in Facebook Messenger in 2025 (Step by Step)

In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, marketers are always looking for effective ways to connect with their audience where it matters most — on messaging platforms. With over 1.3 billion active users, Facebook Messenger has emerged as a high-impact channel for businesses to engage customers directly. If you’ve been wondering how to run ads in Messenger or are curious about what Messenger ads are, you’re in the right place.

This in-depth guide will cover everything you need to know about Facebook Messenger ads — including what they are, how they work, the different ad formats, step-by-step setup instructions, optimization strategies, and real-world examples. By the end, you’ll be fully equipped to launch Messenger ad campaigns that attract leads, boost engagement, and drive meaningful conversions.

What Are Messenger Ads?

The term Messenger ads refers to advertisements that appear in the Facebook Messenger app. These ads allow businesses to start conversations directly with users, promote products, answer customer inquiries, and ultimately drive sales.

In simple terms, if you’re asking “what are Messenger ads?”, think of them as interactive, conversational ads placed inside Messenger to initiate a direct dialogue with potential customers.

They can appear:

In the Messenger inbox
As a sponsored message in an existing conversation
As a click-to-Messenger ad from Facebook or Instagram

Messenger ads are designed to create a personal experience and shorten the sales funnel by facilitating real-time communication.

Why Use Messenger Ads?

Before diving into how to run ads in Messenger, let’s understand why Messenger ads are becoming a top choice for businesses:

Direct Engagement: Messenger ads allow you to start a one-on-one conversation with prospects. This increases the chance of engagement compared to traditional ads.
High Open Rates: Messenger messages can achieve open rates of over 80%, much higher than email campaigns.
Personalization: Messenger enables personalized messaging using user names, past behavior, and chatbot automation.
Faster Conversion Rates: Because of the conversational nature, customers move through the buying journey faster than other platforms.
Integration with Facebook Ecosystem: Messenger ads integrate seamlessly with Facebook and Instagram, allowing for a unified ad strategy.

Benefits of Running Ads in Messenger

Running Facebook Messenger ads offers unique advantages that go beyond traditional display or newsfeed campaigns. Here are the key benefits of using Messenger ads to grow your business:

Real-Time Engagement with Potential Customers

Messenger ads offer instant communication. Whether through live chat or chatbot, customers get immediate answers—helping you close deals faster.

Personalized Communication at Scale

You can automate greetings, product suggestions, and answers using chatbot flows tailored to user behavior, creating a personal feel at scale.

Higher CTRs Compared to Email and Web Ads

Messenger open rates can go beyond 80% and click-through rates (CTR) can reach 30% or more—much higher than standard web or email campaigns.

Building Trust Through Direct Messaging

A conversation feels more human than a banner ad or static image. Messenger helps you build a stronger relationship with your customer.

Types of Facebook Messenger Ads

When understanding how to run ads in Messenger, it’s important to know the main types of Messenger ad formats available. These formats allow you to connect with your audience through direct, personalized conversations that drive results. Here are the four core types of Messenger ads, explained clearly:

1. Click-to-Messenger Ads

Click-to-Messenger ads look like regular ads in Facebook or Instagram News Feeds but use a “Send Message” call-to-action. When clicked, they open a Messenger chat with your business instead of redirecting the user to a website. These ads can appear across the Facebook News Feed, Instagram Feed, Marketplace, and even Facebook Stories.

They’re ideal for generating leads, answering questions in real time, and offering personalized assistance. Because they open up instant conversations, they build immediate trust and engagement. These ads are optimized for mobile users and can be tracked and personalized effectively.

2. Messenger Stories Ads

Messenger Stories ads are full-screen vertical ads that appear between users’ stories in the Messenger app. These ads include a “Send Message” button, encouraging quick interaction directly from the visual content. You can also cross-promote them on Facebook Stories if desired.

They work best for promoting flash sales, product launches, or any time-sensitive offers. Their immersive format is designed for attention and fast action, especially on mobile devices. If you’re looking to make a quick impression that encourages conversation, Messenger Stories ads are a great option.

3. Messenger Inbox Ads

Messenger Inbox ads show up directly in the user’s Messenger home screen alongside existing chats. They look like regular messages with your business name, an image or video, and a “Sponsored” tag. When clicked, the user is taken into a Messenger conversation with your brand.

These ads are perfect for boosting brand visibility in a non-intrusive way. They don’t interrupt the user experience but instead offer a subtle prompt to engage. Businesses use Inbox ads to passively generate interest, create awareness, and start fresh conversations with potential customers.

4. Sponsored Messages

Sponsored Messages allow you to send direct messages to users who have previously interacted with your business on Messenger. These look like typical chat messages but are actually paid placements. Unlike other formats, you cannot use Sponsored Messages to reach new users—only people who have already messaged your Page.

This type is best for retargeting warm leads, reminding users about abandoned carts, sending exclusive deals, or promoting events. Because they feel like personal conversations, Sponsored Messages often receive high open and response rates, making them excellent for remarketing campaigns.

Summary Table: Messenger Ad Types Comparison

Messenger Ad Type	Placement	Best For	CTA	Target Audience
Click-to-Messenger Ads	News Feed, Stories, Marketplace	Lead generation, product inquiries	Send Message	Cold and warm leads
Messenger Stories Ads	Facebook & Messenger Stories	Quick promotions, brand visibility	Send Message	Cold and warm leads
Messenger Inbox Ads	Messenger app home tab	Passive discovery, brand awareness	Send Message	Cold and warm leads
Sponsored Messages	Messenger inbox (existing chats only)	Retargeting, abandoned cart recovery	Custom Message	Warm leads only

How to Choose the Right Messenger Ad Type

If you want to attract new customers, use Click-to-Messenger Ads or Stories Ads.
To re-engage previous users, Sponsored Messages are ideal.
For brand exposure within the Messenger app, choose Inbox Ads.

Each Messenger ad format plays a strategic role in the customer journey — from awareness to engagement to conversion.

How to Run Ads in Messenger

Running ads in Messenger can significantly boost your business by directly engaging potential customers. This guide will explain each step involved in launching Messenger ads through Meta (Facebook) Ads Manager, including audience targeting, placements, and message setup.

Step 1: Access Facebook (Meta) Ads Manager

To get started, you need to access the Facebook Ads Manager, now known as Meta Ads Manager. This is the platform where all Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ads are created and managed.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/adsmanager
Log in with your business account credentials
Make sure your Facebook Page is connected to your ad account
Select the correct Business Manager if you’re managing multiple accounts

Once inside, you’ll be able to create new campaigns, monitor performance, and optimize existing Messenger ad campaigns.

Step 2: Choose a Campaign Objective That Supports Messenger

Meta provides several campaign objectives. However, not all of them are designed to support Messenger ads. To create ads specifically for Messenger, you need to choose an objective that includes Messenger as a placement or destination.

The most suitable campaign objectives for Messenger are:

Messages – Ideal for starting conversations in Messenger. Best suited for businesses that want to directly engage users via chat.
Traffic – Can be used if you want to drive people to Messenger (as a landing destination).
Conversions – Great if you use Messenger as a way to guide people toward purchases or lead actions.
Leads – Allows you to collect user information through Messenger conversation forms.

Important Tip: If your primary goal is to start a chat with a user, choose the “Messages” objective. It’s fully optimized for Messenger conversations and enables all ad types like Click-to-Messenger and Sponsored Messages.

Step 3: Define Audience, Budget, and Schedule

Once you choose your campaign objective, you’ll move into the Ad Set level, where you define who sees your ad, how much you want to spend, and when your ad should run.

Audience Targeting

Define your audience based on:

Demographics: Age, gender, location, language
Interests: Pages liked, lifestyle choices, brand interests
Behaviors: Purchase intent, device use, travel habits
Custom Audiences: Retarget people who interacted with your business
Lookalike Audiences: Reach new users similar to your existing customers

Budget and Bidding

You can choose between:

Daily Budget: The amount you’re willing to spend each day
Lifetime Budget: The total amount you’re willing to spend during the entire campaign duration

Choose a budget that matches your goals and monitor performance daily for optimization.

Schedule

Set the start and end dates for your campaign. You can:

Run your ad continuously starting today
Set a future date and time for both start and end
Schedule ads to show only on certain days or hours (advanced setting)

Step 4: Select the Messenger Placement

After setting your audience and budget, you’ll need to choose where your ads will appear.

There are two options:

1. Automatic Placements

Meta will automatically place your ad across all available platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network). Messenger will be included if it’s compatible with your ad objective.

This is easier and recommended for beginners.

2. Manual Placements

You control where your ad is shown. For Messenger ads, manually select:

Messenger Inbox – Your ad appears in the user’s Messenger inbox
Messenger Stories – Your ad shows in between user stories inside Messenger
Click-to-Messenger – Your ad appears on Facebook or Instagram and opens Messenger when clicked

Manual placements are great for more advanced targeting and control.

Step 5: Pick Your Messenger Ad Type

There are three primary Messenger ad formats to choose from, depending on your goals:

Click-to-Messenger Ads

These appear in users’ Facebook or Instagram feeds
When clicked, they open a Messenger conversation
Best for generating new leads, starting support chats, or offering assistance

Messenger Inbox Ads

These appear natively inside the Messenger inbox as one of the conversations
When clicked, they open a Messenger chat with your business
Great for increasing brand visibility and creating a non-intrusive user experience

Step 6: Build Your Ad Creative

At this stage, you’ll design what your ad looks like and write the message users will see first when the Messenger conversation opens.

Elements to Include:

Headline: A short, engaging phrase (e.g., “Let’s Chat!” or “Need Help Choosing?”)
Primary Text: Describe your offer, product, or service clearly
Call-to-Action (CTA): Choose buttons like “Send Message,” “Learn More,” or “Shop Now”
Image or Video: Choose eye-catching visuals that reflect your brand or product
Description (optional): Additional supporting text for context

Welcome Message or Automated Question

Once the user clicks your Messenger ad, they’re greeted with a pre-set message. You can:

Ask a question (e.g., “Hi there! What are you looking for today?”)
Provide quick reply buttons (e.g., “Get a Quote,” “Talk to a Specialist”)
Direct users to a product, form, or landing page

The goal is to keep the interaction conversational and helpful.

Step 7: Set Up the Initial Conversation Flow

Now that your ad is ready to trigger a Messenger conversation, you’ll set up the initial interaction users experience.

Options for Conversation Flow:

Facebook’s Default Setup
- Basic welcome message with a few quick replies
- Ideal for simple campaigns
Custom Chatbot Flow
- Build detailed automated sequences (e.g., qualification questions, product quizzes)
- Use Facebook’s native chatbot builder or JSON setup
Third-Party Tools
- Use platforms like ManyChat, Chatfuel, or MobileMonkey
- These tools allow you to build more advanced flows including:Product catalogs
  - Appointment scheduling
  - Lead form submissions
  - Coupon delivery
  - Multi-language support

Step 8: Preview, Test, and Publish

Before launching your Messenger ad, always preview it to ensure everything looks and works as expected.

Checklist Before Publishing:

Review the ad creative – Check for typos, layout issues, and mobile appearance
Test the Messenger flow – Click through each step of the conversation
Check audience settings – Make sure targeting is precise and relevant
Confirm budget and schedule – Ensure it aligns with your campaign goal

Once you’re satisfied, click the Publish button.

Facebook will review your ad. If it complies with their policies, it will go live within a few minutes to a few hours.

Messenger Ad Optimization Tips

Use a Strong, Conversational CTA: Choose action-oriented prompts like “Chat with us” or “Get instant help” to encourage users to initiate a conversation.
Personalize the First Message: Greet users by name (when possible) and offer something valuable right away, such as a discount, helpful info, or a product recommendation.
Incorporate a Messenger Chatbot: Automate replies to handle FAQs, collect lead information, and qualify prospects — but always give users the option to speak with a human.
Test Different Ad Variations (A/B Testing): Split test different creatives, copy, headlines, CTAs, and message flows to discover what resonates best with your audience.
Retarget with Custom and Lookalike Audiences: Re-engage users who have previously interacted with your business and expand your reach with lookalikes of your best customers.
Schedule Ads During Business Hours: Run Messenger campaigns when your team or bot is available to reply promptly — fast responses lead to better engagement and conversions.
Start with a Modest Budget and Scale Smartly: Begin small, assess campaign performance, and gradually increase your budget on high-performing ads.

Conclusion

Facebook Messenger ads present a powerful opportunity to directly engage your audience through personalized, real-time conversations. Whether you’re generating leads, supporting customers, or retargeting past visitors, Messenger allows you to do it all within one simple interface. By following the right strategy, using automation wisely, and optimizing your campaigns, you can turn conversations into conversions. If you’re ready to stand out in a crowded market, now is the time to learn how to run ads in Messenger and make it a core part of your digital marketing playbook.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are Messenger ads and how do they work?

Messenger ads are Facebook ads that appear in Messenger or open a chat when clicked. They let businesses start real-time conversations with users. You can promote products, answer questions, or generate leads. They support automation and personalized messaging.

Do I need a chatbot to use Messenger ads?

No, you don’t need a chatbot to run Messenger ads. You can reply to users manually from your Page inbox. However, chatbots automate responses and save time. They’re ideal for scaling conversations efficiently.

How much does it cost to run ads in Messenger?

Messenger ad costs vary based on targeting and competition. Most campaigns cost between $0.50 and $3 per message. You often get lower cost-per-lead than other ad types. Use daily or lifetime budgets to control spending.

Can I retarget people who messaged me before?

Yes, you can retarget users with Sponsored Messages. These are ads sent to people who already messaged your page. It’s great for sending offers, updates, or reminders. Retargeting improves engagement and conversions.

What objective should I choose for Messenger ads?

Use the “Messages” objective to start Messenger chats. It’s optimized for one-on-one user conversations. You can also use Traffic, Leads, or Conversions. Choose based on whether you want chats or actions.

How to Run Ads in Facebook Messenger in 2025