Quick Answer
The Send Message button allows people to privately message your Facebook Page from an ad. You can remove this button by going to your Page settings and disabling the option for people to message your Page. The Send Message button will no longer appear on your Facebook ads after making this change.
What is the Send Message Button on Facebook Ads?
The Send Message button is a call-to-action button that appears on Facebook ads linking to a Facebook Page. It allows people viewing the ad to send a private message to the Page without having to visit the Page or initiate a conversation from the Page itself.
When the Send Message button appears on an ad, it will look something like this:
The button provides an easy way for potential customers and leads to get in touch with a business through a private channel. They can send an initial message asking questions, requesting information, or expressing interest in products/services advertised.
For marketers and businesses, the Send Message button can help increase engagement and lead generation from Facebook ads. It removes friction from the process of contacting the Page, allowing interested viewers to send private messages with just one click.
Why Would You Want to Remove the Send Message Button?
There are a few reasons why a business may want to remove the Send Message button from their Facebook ads:
To Limit Unqualified Leads
The Send Message button makes it easy for anyone viewing an ad to message a Page. This can result in a high volume of messages, including some from people who may not actually be qualified leads. Removing the button means only motivated leads who visit your Page will initiate contact.
To Avoid Message Overload
Popular ads can attract a flood of messages that become difficult to handle. Eliminating the message button lets you control the pace and volume of incoming messages.
To Encourage Visits to Your Website
Driving traffic to your website, rather than just messenger conversations, may be a priority. Removing the message button encourages those interested to click through to your site instead.
To Gather More Information From Leads
Requiring visitors to message you from your Page means you can collect more details from lead forms and interactions before they message you. This provides more context right away.
To Keep Communications Public
You may prefer interested leads to engage with your Page publicly through posts, reviews, and other interactions instead of private messages. This helps create social proof.
How to Remove the Send Message Button from Facebook Ads
Removing the Send Message button from Facebook ads is a simple process completed through your Page settings:
- Go to your Facebook Page and click on “Settings” in the top right
- Select “General” from the left menu
- Scroll down and find the “Messages” section
- Disable the toggle for “Allow People to Contact My Page Privately”
- Click “Save Changes” at the bottom
Here is a visual guide to disabling private messages for a Facebook Page:
Once you disable this option, the Send Message button will no longer appear on any of your Facebook ads. Any existing ads will stop showing the button as soon as you save the changes.
You can still enable message buttons to specific messenger threads when using the “Click to Messenger” ad format. But the general Send Message button visible to all viewers will be removed.
What Happens When You Remove the Send Message Button?
Here is what happens when you remove the ability for people to privately contact your Page from Facebook ads:
– The Send Message button disappears from all existing ads and new ads moving forward.
– People viewing your ads can only message you by first visiting your Facebook Page and starting a conversation there.
– You may receive fewer leads and messages through Facebook Messenger.
– Visitors are more likely to click through to your website or engage with your Page publicly.
– You have more control over the pace and volume of incoming messages.
– Leads can no longer message you directly without any prior engagement or context.
In most cases, businesses remove the button to improve message quality and funnel visitors into their sales process. But this may reduce overall message volume. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons based on your specific marketing objectives.
Other Ways to Limit Messages from Facebook Ads
Along with removing the Send Message button, here are some other tips to control private conversations generated from Facebook ads:
Use a Lead Generation or Messenger Ad
These specialized ad formats prompt users to fill out forms or start conversations through specific messenger sequences you configure. This provides more context upfront compared to open-ended messaging.
Use Ad Targeting Strategies
Target your ads as narrowly as possible to reach users more likely to convert and have meaningful conversations. For example, target by interests, behaviors, demographics, lookalike audiences, and more.
Prompt for More Info Before Messaging
Adjust your ad creative or Page setup to collect lead information prior to messaging. For example, send users to a landing page with a lead form first.
Route Messages to Specific Folders
Use Facebook’s filtering tools to automatically categorize incoming messages, separating out low-quality inquiries.
Automate with a Chatbot
Use AI chatbots to qualify leads and handle frequently asked questions to reduce staff messaging time.
Selectively Respond to Messages
Manually review all incoming messages and only respond to qualified, substantive inquiries to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Should You Keep or Remove the Send Message Button?
Here are some best practices on when to keep or eliminate the Send Message button on your Facebook ads:
| Best Uses for the Send Message Button | Reasons to Remove the Send Message Button |
|---|---|
| Your goal is lead generation quantity over quality | You are attracting too many unqualified leads |
| Your product benefits from urgent, convenient conversations | You want to prioritize website traffic over messages |
| You have the resources to promptly respond to all incoming leads | You are receiving an overwhelming volume of messages |
| Your Average Order Value is relatively low | You want to qualify leads before they message you |
| You want to encourage open-ended two-way conversations | You prefer public conversations and social proof |
Evaluate your specific marketing and sales objectives, resources, and target audience when deciding if the Send Message button is right for your Facebook ads. Test having it enabled vs disabled to see which converts more leads.
Other Facebook Ad Call-to-Action Options
Beyond adding or removing the Send Message button, Facebook ads support several other customizable call-to-action buttons:
– **Learn More:** Sends people to a website or video to learn about your business.
– **Shop Now:** Links directly to an online product catalog or shopping page.
– **Download:** Allows people to download content like whitepapers, reports, or software.
– **Sign Up:** Collects leads through email signups or by creating accounts.
– **Contact Us:** Sends people to a “Contact” page to get in touch.
– **Apply Now:** For ads promoting job openings at your company.
– **Request Quote:** For businesses selling services to prompt requests.
– **See Menu:** For restaurants to showcase their menu offerings.
– **Book Now:** Allows reservations or appointments to be scheduled directly.
– **Get Offer:** Shows a special promotion or coupon code.
– **Get Directions:** Shares your location details.
Pick the call-to-action button that aligns closest with your ad objective. For example, use “Shop Now” to drive purchases or “Sign Up” to build your email list.
You can also fully customize the text on the buttons. So get creative with phrases that will resonate best with your target audience.
Advice for Setting Up Your Facebook Ad Call-to-Actions
Follow these best practices when configuring your ad call-to-action buttons:
- Match the button to your ad’s goal, whether that’s messages, website traffic, signups, app installs, catalog views, etc.
- Use action-oriented button text like “Buy Now” instead of just “Contact”.
- Make the CTA clear and explanatory, like “Download the Report”.
- Use button text that creates urgency like “Order in the Next 2 Hours”.
- Test different button options to see which one converts the most visitors.
- Ensure the button stands out visually with high contrast colors.
- Place your CTA prominently near the top or bottom of the ad creative.
- Send the button action to a relevant, dedicated landing page for the best experience.
- Make sure the button is large enough for people to easily tap on mobile.
Optimizing your call-to-action is one of the best ways to boost ad performance. The right button text, design, placement, and destination can significantly improve your Facebook ad CTRs and conversion rate.
Summary
The Send Message button on Facebook ads makes it easy for viewers to privately contact your Page. This can increase engagement and leads but also potentially result in a lot of unqualified messages.
Businesses should evaluate their resources and objectives to decide if removing the button through Page message settings could benefit their ad results and manage message volume.
There are also alternatives like using messenger sequence ads, targeting specific audiences, and customizing different call-to-action buttons.
Test having the Send Message button enabled versus disabled to see which setup maximizes your high-quality leads and aligns with your ideal sales process. Apply these best practices to ensure your Facebook ad CTA is fully optimized for your specific goals.