It’s a valid question!
For many teenagers, messaging apps like Snapchat are as essential as oxygen (or so they’d have you believe). But just because chat apps are immensely popular with younger cohorts, it doesn’t mean they’re “the next big thing” for your business.
Or does it?
If you want to learn more about what messaging apps are, and whether your company should be using them, keep reading:
What are messaging apps?
Also known as “social messaging” or “chat applications,” Slack, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Snapchat and similar apps and platforms enable instant messaging: real-time text transmission over the internet.
Why are messaging apps important?
With over 5 billion combined active users, the top messaging apps have surpassed social networks – and adoption rates are showing no signs of slowing down. As 2020 continues, more businesses will experiment platforms like Slack, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat to engage with customers and prospects, deliver targeted content, partner with powerful influencers and more.
Should your business promote itself on messaging apps?
It depends on your business, your customers and your goals. Here are a few pros and cons to consider when deciding whether messaging apps are a good tool for your business:
Pros of using messaging apps as a marketing tool:
- Untapped potential. While most of us are familiar and comfortable with messaging platforms, just 20% of companies are using these tools for marketing. If you learn how to make messaging apps to work for you, you can leap ahead of 80% of your competitors!
- Speed. Messaging apps allow you to connect and engage people in real-time – making them ideal for responding to potential leads and current customers instantaneously.
- People like using messaging apps. More than half of users are more likely to interact with a business if they can message it, and 63% of people value the ability to make a purchase or pay a bill through a messaging app.
- Convenient features. Buttons, quick replies, statuses, custom filters, and other features make engaging users and guiding them to take action simply.
- Powerful business functions. Some platforms allow you to integrate chatbots, take payments, and offer conversational commerce (i.e., e-commerce via chat) – making them true business tools.
The downsides of messaging apps for business communications:
- Messaging app notifications can be distracting. If customers are trying to focus on critical work, frequent notifications may become annoying (leading people to switch them off or mute them).
- Security issues. While some have better security protocols than others (Whatsapp has developed end-to-end encryption), most instant messenger platforms can’t be trusted to send sensitive information.
- Ineffective for mass communication. Conversations with large groups can quickly become unwieldy; the more people involved, the more likely it is that your message will be drowned out – or overlooked entirely.
- Archiving/searchability limitations. Unlike email, messaging apps (especially free ones) don’t have the same robust search and archiving functions necessary for sophisticated, multi-step marketing campaigns.
Aside from messaging apps, what other tech are shaping marketing in 2020?
- Read: Digital Marketing Trends We’re Ready for in 2020 to discover the trends that are dominating digital marketing this year.
- Check our blog each week: Over the next several months, we’ll be reviewing more hot digital marketing trends and sharing ways your business can capitalize on them to better serve your audience, amplify your message and sell more.
Are chat apps right for your business?
Ask BARQAR! Our digital marketing experts will:
- learn about your business and goals;
- recommend the most beneficial ways to use messenger apps and other digital platforms;
- provide insight and tools to delight your customers – and build a healthier bottom line.
