330 million people connected with a small business on Messenger for the first time in 2017

As we all know that technology has helped businesses large and small reach more people than ever before and now a new survey by Facebook and Neilsen 330 million people connected with a small business on Messenger for the first time in 2017.

It said that 63 percent of people feel their messaging with businesses has increased over the past two years, and 67 percent expect to message businesses even more over the next two years.

"We are also seeing certain industries really take off on the platform, with professional services, retail, public good and local entertainment taking the lead. Aprille Franks-Hunt, a Master Business Coach in Oklahoma, uses Messenger to connect with her community, distribute materials and encourage signups for her seminars, said the Messenger Team.

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We are so inspired by the small businesses who are already using Messenger to connect with their community and customers, and with Small Business Saturday - an annual shopping event dedicated to supporting small businesses - around the corner, we're excited to share a few resources for folks looking to get started on the platform today, Team further added.

The Tean also announced that the launch of Messenger's first 'bot makeover contest' in partnership with bot development platform ManyChat. Three winners will receive a makeover to their Messenger experience courtesy of ManyChat, along with consultation from our team of Messenger experts here at Facebook.

Each winner will also receive $5,000 in ad credits to be used to drive discovery of their new and improved Messenger experience. Submissions are open today, November 20, 2017 through Monday, December 4, 2017 at 8:00pm PST/11:00pm EST, with the winners being announced in mid-December.

We will also be taking live questions that Gene, Stefanos and Aprille will answer at the end of the panel, so be sure to tune in and ask about anything you've ever wanted to know about Messenger for your business, Facebook informed.