Messaging: a communication channel different from all the others

The success of mobile messaging apps shows no sign of slowing down. They hold the top spot as the most downloaded apps on iOS and Android marketplaces and have been fully adopted by users. Although Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are very popular, Line and Wechat are capturing an increasingly global market. In enterprise, Slack and Skype for Business, which will soon to be integrated with Teams, are both effective and dynamic. It is clear that messaging is on the rise, and it’s only the beginning.

Messaging is a designated marketing strategy. In fact, after email, chat and social networks, brands must adapt to the increasing popularity of messaging, which is becoming a key communication tool for customer relations! In 2017, more customer service requests were sent on messaging apps than on social networks. Are you ready to adopt a communication tool that is different from all the others?

What makes messaging so successful?

Smartphones have now become an essential part of our daily lives. We use our smartphone up to 50 times a day and it holds our business tools, our digital memories, our personal brand ecosystem, and serves all our daily needs.

User experience is finely tuned and evolves as new features are introduced. It is important to note that these apps are very diversified and include texting, images, sounds, photos, videos, augmented reality filters, emojis (and animoijis with the iPhone X)… They have become the Swiss Army Knife of communication. A tool which provides a perfect balance of practicality and entertainment, and which is used by everyone: from the senior executive, to the mother, to the 13-year-old teenager.

Now, what works with your family or friends also works with your favorite brands. The approach is just as quick and direct, you won’t waste time, and quite often you receive an immediate response. It’s no surprise that messaging is becoming increasingly popular.

Conversational Marketing and Chatbots

Messaging enhances the user experience through conversational interactions. The brand is accessible, dynamic and always available for its customers or prospects. You don’t need to look up a telephone number or wait endlessly on the line before you can talk to customer service. Using the telephone is limited to certain time periods and involves being forced to talk to someone you don’t know.

Messaging removes these barriers: users are in their comfort zone, on their own familiar device, and contacting a brand to ask for information takes no more than 30 seconds. The hours are flexible and the conversation can take place at many different times during the day, depending on the availability of the user.

The messaging trend for 2017-2018 shows that chatbots have become an important investment. They are a multipurpose tool that can be used for promotion, customer support and marketing. The objective is twofold: to invest in customer communications spaces and to optimize marketing processes.

Also, creating a chatbot is becoming more and more accessible with tools like ManyChat, Api.ai or Flow. Even though there is currently a lot of talk about artificial intelligence in messaging, chatbots are, above all, tools which function according to prewritten scenarios, which are based on an in-depth knowledge of internal processes and consumer behavior. A well-designed chatbox is an important tool in your messaging marketing approach.

Advice and best practice

Messaging is a tool that could totally be integrated into a lead generation strategy. It can be used in many ways. Examples and good practices:

• FAQs: your customers make online queries and a human agent or bot replies immediately.
• Follow-up on orders: for information or to find out the status of an order. A process that can be completely automated. Messaging also allows you to receive notifications regarding important information.
• Customer support: very useful for automated troubleshooting of common problems. A tool that can also be used to submit a customer support request without the need to create an account on a new platform.
• Online purchases: as part of an omni-channel marketing strategy, chatbot functions as an online vendor. Particularly useful for clothing, decor or fashion accessories.
• Order online: pizzas, beverages or business meals, messaging is the perfect tool for this sector of activity.
• Advice and tutorials: makeup tips, plumbing repairs, car oil changes or computer tips, each brand has information that it can share through messaging.
• Demonstration and assistance: after downloading an app, a chatbot can explain how it works, give advice or ensure that it is being used properly according to a pre-defined time frame.

The development of messaging opens up new perspectives in terms of marketing. Information exchange is direct and immediate, allowing brands to capitalize on data shared by social platforms. A new communication channel which is moving towards a content tailored to mobile devices so that you can easily achieve your targets.

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