Facebook Messenger – an old channel getting new traction with ABC News

17 November 2016

Let’s talk about the new ABC News service – delivered directly to you through Facebook Messenger.

To find it and sign up. simply search ‘ABC News’ in Messenger and follow the prompts. It is an intuitive process, which steps you through various ‘I’m in’ and ‘I’m out’ style questions, to gauge what topics you’re interested in. You can set a time in the morning to receive your daily news summary, with a later delivery service on the weekends.

I love how the sign up process is automated – yet so friendly. The tone and emoji use makes the robot-like responses feel more human. For example – when asking you about signing up for news throughout the day, it suggests that it will ‘conquer your FOMO’.

Once signed up you receive your daily dose of the news – at your preselected time in the morning, and an odd story here and there throughout the day, dependant on your chosen ‘topics’. All delivered direct to you, in your Messenger ‘inbox’.

The stories are delivered as short two-sentence summaries – another benefit. I love that I can get quick snippets of news, and at the push of a button get access to full articles. The process is streamlined – at all times you stay within the Messenger app, even when reading the full news story.

It’s not all ‘push’ with news though – you can also prompt the news service by selecting ‘give me the news’ at any time throughout the day through your inbox.

Overall I think this is a smart; quick and easy way to fulfil the need of being up-to-date with the news. The ‘human’ sign up process, snippets of news and prompt delivery are what I love about this service. It will be interesting to see how other businesses begin to use Messenger in the coming months.

Don’t forget to contact us if you need help or advice and check out our latest work to see how we can help your business.

What This Looks Like in Practice

For example, when working with Great Southern RV, the focus wasn’t simply creating more ads. The strategy centred on positioning their caravans and motorhomes around a clear lifestyle promise – the freedom to travel and explore Australia on your terms. That clarity shaped campaigns, show promotions and social content that resonated strongly with buyers already dreaming about the road.

With St Patrick’s Technical College, the challenge wasn’t marketing activity – it was perception. By repositioning the brand to highlight the strength of vocational pathways and industry partnerships, the messaging shifted from “alternative education” to a powerful career pathway, changing how the college is seen by parents and students.

And for Succoris Psychology, the work went beyond promotion. It involved clarifying how the brand speaks to both clients and clinicians across multiple clinics, creating a structure that supports long-term growth rather than just short-term marketing activity.

In each case, the goal wasn’t simply “more marketing”. It was better-aligned marketing built on clear strategy.

The Pitstop Approach

At Pitstop Marketing, we believe marketing should be a growth engine for the business, not just a collection of activities.

That’s why we focus first on understanding the commercial goals, the audience and the positioning — and then build marketing that supports those foundations.

If you want your marketing to stop feeling like guesswork, get in touch. We want to work with businesses who want to grow.