Want to learn how to use messenger apps in marketing?
With more and more people texting every day, it’s almost inconceivable to think that only a few years ago one text could cost you a full dollar. Nowadays texting is so inexpensive, young adults send an average of 128 texts daily.
So, how can your marketing strategies capitalize on texting? What are the best messenger apps to use?
What Are Messenger Apps (and how can they be used in Marketing)?
Messaging apps are mobile applications with the prime purpose of sending written messages to other users. These include apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Vibe. There are messaging apps developed for businesses, like Slack, and messaging apps as part of social media, like Facebook Messenger and Instagram’s direct messages.
Lately, more and more companies have found a lot of success in including messaging apps into their sales funnel. From simply adding a WhatsApp number for client communication to sophisticated bots to aid in in-app purchases and increase site traffic, there are multiple ways to use these apps in your marketing efforts.
What Messenger Apps Exist and How Do They Compare?
Although the ROI of email marketing can be relatively high, Messaging apps can be even more effective than cold email tools to generate leads and revenue. But, with so many messaging apps at your disposal, which ones fit your needs best? how can you use them?
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger, or just “Messenger” is a messaging app that lets Facebook users communicate by text, voice and video.
Facebook has almost 3 billion users, and one billion of them use Facebook Messenger, making it one of the most popular messaging apps to date.
How you can use it in marketing
With over 65 billion people using social media, why not start with the most popular of them all? If you already know how to be professional in social media, Facebook Messenger can be a great communication for your business between you and your potential customers. With chatbots, you can help people find the content they’re looking for and direct them to perfectly crafted landing pages.
Facebook Messenger also can be used as part of the Facebook ads, generating leads that directly contact your business through Messenger to find more about a product or service.
WhatApp
WhatsApp is the second largest messaging app in the world. After Facebook purchased the company, WhatsApp has continued to grow and reach more users.
Unlike most messaging apps, WhatsApp doesn’t have any ads, it’s free and it’s easy to download and use.
How you can use it in marketing
Although WhatsApp is designed for mobile users, it’s also compatible with desktop. This allows you to provide powerful customer support. Quick responses will be expected so make sure your customer service is fast and effective.
WhatsApp offers two levels of service for businesses.
The WhatsApp Business App is aimed at small retailers who need a simple method to keep their best customers up to date and engaged.
WhatsApp Business API is a more powerful suite which includes detailed options allowing for in-depth automation and to leverage WhatsApp as an approach that rivals email in its flexibility.
Knowing which is right for you can be tough, however, there are detailed guides available to help you make the right decision.
As one of the most engaging channels, every brand should be making use of WhatsApp to engage with their customers.
Slack
Slack is a messaging app designed for companies. It’s essentially a chatroom for a company with customized groups and cross-functional team channels. It makes it easy to share files and reach teams or individuals while keeping information compartmentalized and private. Even with multiple competitors, Slack has managed to stay at the top and remain the main choice for businesses.
How you can use it in marketing
Slack isn’t just for office communication. With Slack, you can join (or create) communities of all kinds of professional topics, like marketing or growth hacking. Slack communities are an amazing place to find marketers with the same issues and challenges as yourself.
So, which communities should you join? These are our favorites:
- OnlineGeniuses – 17,000+ members
- BigSEO – 2,300+ members
- CRO Growth Hacks – 900+ members
- Marketers Chat – 3,000+ members
- Growmance – 4,600+ members
Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app similar to WhatsApp launched in 2013 with over 200 million active monthly users.
Telegram distinguishes itself from other messaging apps with its security. It claims to encrypt all internal activity and lets the user create “Secret Chats” with self-destructing messages.
How you can use it in marketing
Telegram allows you to create public channels, which can become great customer engagement tools. It also has powerful file transfering (up to 1.5GB) which allows you to share with your audience more substantial content, like high-quality videos or useful infographics.
Finally, Telegram chatbots can be a powerful way to generate leads and sales. Since Telegram isn’t as popular as WhatsApp, you can reach a more niche audience, easily.
With over a billion users, WeChat is incredibly popular in Asia. From friendly chatting to business communications, WeChat is preferred by people of all ages and backgrounds in China.
With “Mini-programs”, users can use WeChat to order food, make payments, support charities and play games, all within the app.
How you can use it in marketing
WeChat’s unique features allow you to reach a specific part of the population in several ways. With WeChat you can easily convert your audience into engaged clients with in-app options like VIP member cards, promo blasts and e-coupons.
With unique QR codes you can lead your users into an in-app company website with interactive content and attractive promotions. If you’re reaching Chinese customers, WeChat is a must for your company.
Skype
Owned by Microsoft, Skype is a messaging platform that specializes in telecommunications. It’s a pioneer in video calls and VoIP services, and it’s available in mobile and desktop apps, gaming consoles and even smartwatches.
How you can use it in marketing
With video calling, Skype offers you a unique way of reaching people in a more personal way than texting.
You can engage promising leads, whether they’re an individual or a group, and talk to them face to face from anywhere in the world.
Viber
Viber is a free, social messaging app. It supports voice calls, messaging and photo sharing. Unlike WhatsApp, Viber also offers public and hidden chats, fully-functional desktop apps and in-app gaming.
How you can use it in marketing
Viber makes it easy to create communities. Using public chats is an easy way for companies to showcase what they have to offer so the user can add them to their list of interests. Viber also has attractive ads campaigns which lets you reach Viber users at the end of a call.
Line
Line is a free messaging app with over 200 million active users, mostly from Asian countries. Besides chatting, Line offers high-quality voice and video calls, stickers and timelines. Once they register, users can also play games in the app.
How you can use it in marketing
With stickers and games, Line aims to be fun to use. That’s why your Line marketing campaign should revolve around fun content. Like WeChat, Line also allows people to create small “apps” to set up delivery services and reminders.
With good and fun content, people will gravitate to your Line account.
SnapChat
Snapchat is a messaging app focused on photos and videos that disappear once they’re viewed. It’s sometimes called a “new type of camera” because of its use of advanced filters for video and photography.
How you can use it in marketing
SnapChat is particularly popular among teenagers and adults, so it’s a perfect way of reaching that audience, as long as you create unique and engaging content.
You can post stories to showcase new arrivals, promote events and keep your users informed. You can also use it to easily connect with influencers that promote your company.
Amazing Examples of Companies using Messenger Apps for Marketing
Looking to get inspired? Here’s how a few companies have successfully used messaging apps to promote their products:
Gatorade with SnapChat
Credit: Gatorade/VML
For the Super Bowl, Gatorade created a geo-filter that simulated a dunk cooler being thrown on the users’ heads. This interactive filter with minimal brand placement allowed users to engage with the brand in a very memorable and recognizable way.
The result? Over 160 million impressions, which is a greater reach than the actual Super Bowl!
What you can learn from it:
People like to use messaging apps to have fun. Use customer empathy to find ways for them to have fun with your brand!
Absolut Vodka with WhatsApp
Credit: Absolut Vodka
In Argentina during 2013, Absolut Vodka ran its first WhatsApp marketing campaign. Absolut Vodka told users that they could access an exclusive party if they could convince the party’s virtual bouncer, Sven, to let them. All they needed to do was to contact him on WhatsApp.
After three days and over a thousand images, videos and texts, the campaign became a huge success, making it unique and memorable.
What you can learn from it:
If you want your audience to contact you, give them an actual goal. Crafting a story and giving incentives are always great ideas.
Pepsi with WeChat
As part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations of 2014, Pepsi launched a campaign that encouraged users to record messages to be mixed in with the “Pepsi Delivering Happiness” theme song and send it through WeChat.
Since WeChat is very popular in China and since Chinese people prefer audio messages over text, this campaign was incredibly successful. It ended up reaching more than 870 million users across all websites, massively increasing the brand’s awareness during the holidays.
What you can learn from it:
Do your research to avoid miscommunication and to find out how your potential audience likes to use a messaging app before crafting your marketing campaign!
Conclusion
Messaging apps aren’t just to communicate with your clients. With messaging apps increasing in popularity, now is a great time to start using them in your own marketing campaigns. But before you get started right away, make sure that you’re clear about your goals and that you rather prioritize a single platform than trying to be present on all of the mentioned sites.
Find the one that better fits your need and your brand, research how your audience uses it and craft your campaign around it.
With a great marketing campaign, your audience will be glad to keep you right in their pockets.
About the author.
Max Benz is the Head of Content at uplead.com, an online B2B sales intelligence platform that helps businesses quickly identify and connect with new customers.