The pandemic has radically changed the way companies work and interact with customers. Many important aspects of business life have suddenly become virtual and face-to-face meetings have been replaced by online calls. In this new context, instant messaging is a crucial tool to facilitate conversations with employees and customers. Although it seems we are coming back to our normal pre-pandemic lives, instant messaging is a strategy that will stay with us for a long time. That’s why all companies should consider instant messaging tools to increase sales and offer customers a personalized experience.
INSTANT MESSAGING AND CUSTOMERS: WHAT CHANGES IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH COMPANIES
The use of instant messaging applications has increased significantly over the years and some studies predict that in the course of 2022 it will reach 3 billion users. In the early years these apps were used for private use and to replace SMS mainly, but today they are increasingly used by companies as tools for customer relationships.
These are channels that customers really appreciate, as lots of research confirms that people prefer to communicate with brands via chat. In the digital age we all know how important the customer experience is and companies must do everything to make it pleasant, omnichannel, personalized. Instant messaging tools are an essential part of this relationship. A good customer experience based on messaging channels is an excellent strategy to improve the brand image and have more satisfied customers. A trend that was born from the habits of Millennial, who don’t want to waste their time to get in touch with customer service or receive promotional phone calls.
Let’s go deeper into the topic , understanding together what instant messaging is, what are the tools to support this strategy and what benefits it offers to brands and customers.
WHAT IS INSTANT MESSAGING
Instant messaging is an online communication method used to connect two or more people in real time. The main features are the synchrony, informality, speed and simplicity of the language and content. Many people consider instant messaging as a means of sending direct messages but, in recent years, its application has expanded and includes numerous communication features. It is not limited to a personal use, but it also extends to business environments with the aim of directing the customer in their purchase path and increasing sales. How? Using instant messaging channels you can activate conversations between customers and company, providing useful answers to pre-purchased questions. This allows retailers to communicate with potential buyers, providing them with instant, personalized support.
BOOSTING SALES WITH INSTANT MESSAGING
When consumers agree to receive further communications from retailers, this decision helps brands and buyers to stay connected. Similarly, when retailers choose a messaging platform that doesn’t require consumers to download anything before starting a chat, they provide an easy way to get personalized support. A winning approach for companies is based on the importance of the customers and the attention that is given to them. Just imagine how much a personalized message that comes directly to a customer’s phone can affect them with a link to products in line with their interests and similar to those they have already purchased from the same brand. This process creates a bond between customer and company, consolidating the relationship between the two. Through instant messaging tools, sellers can send exclusive offers or interesting content to their consumers, demonstrating that they have solutions to their specific needs. In addition, a messaging platform that supports custom payment methods gives shoppers the opportunity to use their favorite option and quickly complete transactions.
Let’s find out together what are the benefits of instant messaging and what tools allow you to create a direct and personalized relationship between company and customer.
THE BENEFITS OF INSTANT MESSAGING
Companies have always communicated with consumers using different strategies and tools, but only recently have they understood what customers really expect and why satisfying them brings benefits to both parties.
The consumers that companies are facing today are even more demanding than in the past, eager for a direct and personalized contact not only with their peers, but also and above all with brands.
Therefore, Instant Messaging can bring benefits, both customer and company side, that are actually able to ensure long-term success, positively affecting customer experience and customer satisfaction.
Here are the main benefits of Instant Messaging:
Instant messaging apps are among the most used apps by users. Just think that Whatsapp is used by 85% of users, Facebook Messenger by 55.9% and Telegram by 25.4%. Also, these data are constantly growing. In addition, users use these apps to communicate with their friends, family or colleagues. What does that mean? Using messaging apps also for brand-customer communications avoids customers changing channels when looking for information about a brand, a product or when they want to conclude a purchase. In this way, companies can easily contact their customers to propose personalized offers or warn them about the arrival of a new collection. Companies will also have the opportunity of personalizing the message according to the characteristics of the receiver and making the brand perceived as closer to the needs and interests of its clients.
The design and features behind messaging apps allow the brands that use them to keep all the conversations started with individual consumers in a single stream, which is easy to access at any time. This certainly simplifies the storage and eventual search for information, as it avoids companies having to check external systems to access data related to previous interactions. This also allows you to build a lasting relationship with the customer, as there will always be a permanent link between the brand and the consumer.
With messaging apps you can distribute the workload between different operators, who can interact with consumers both in real-time and not. Users tend to use messaging apps in a different way than they would use a chatbot on a website. Why? Because they tend to use these apps where they are pausing from work or daily life’s activities, then returning to carry out their actions and consulting them in their free moments. Users, in fact, can ask for information about a product or want to directly but it, but they will be more willing to wait for a response throughout the day, allowing operators to manage the workload more easily.
The increasing use of messaging apps by consumers and their adoption by brands lead business towards the world of conversational marketing. A universe where the entire customer journey or part of it takes place on instant messaging apps, giving the company the opportunity of offering a truly personalized and multi-channel experience, where continuous contact with customers is at the heart of the shopping experience. The result? Greater customer satisfaction and, consequently, a better customer loyalty.
WHATSAPP ENTERPRISE
According to the new needs of consumers and the latest market research, Whatsapp is the instant messaging app with the greatest potential to accelerate the transition to a digital sales and customer care service, also due to its spread. In Italy alone, in fact, there are 30 million users who have the app installed on their smartphone, with interesting data about its use:
77%
of users keep notifications active for messages on the app.
95%
of users access and view messages on the app every day.
53%
of users buy more from brands that communicate via chat.
However, there are several versions of Whatsapp, each more suitable for achieving a specific goal.
Bit2win is the official provider of Whatsapp Enterprise, the version that overcomes all the limits of the previous ones (Consumer and Business) and uses APIs for a more efficient service. With Whatsapp Enterprise you can get a brand verified number, but also a back-end platform which allows you to manage from a single number all in-bound contacts through the intervention of both chatbots and different human operators, with a many-to-many type of communication.
These features make the Enterprise version the most suitable for an app usage that can actually revolutionize sales and offer customers a new shopping experience.
How?
You can get a unique verified whatsapp number, to which link all stores and personal shoppers.
You can increase and better manage your sales through a personal shopper experience.
You can offer consumers instant support through different human operators interacting live in back-end.
You can manage and automate the massive sending of promotional notifications to consumers.
You can increase remote sales by integrating a pay-by-link system for fast channel purchases.
You can customize the Customer Journey and create virtual channels and chatbots that can sort inbound traffic.
Forget all the limits to communication and stay in touch with your customers by promptly responding to their needs!
TELEGRAM FOR BUSINESS
Bit2win gives businesses the ability to communicate and stay in touch with their customers through the instant messaging app Telegram for Business.
Although in Italy this application is less used if compared with Whatsapp, the growth trends in its adoption by consumers make it a valuable tool to invest in, especially considering its characteristics and the benefits it brings to the business.
Let’s find out more about it:
With Telegram for Business you can contact your customers whenever you want. The app, in fact, doesn’t impose any time limit to act.
You can use artificial intelligence to communicate automatically with your customers, via pre-set welcome messages, FAQs, etc.
Telegram also allows you to send notifications to your customers, keeping them updated on available promotions and coupons or other information.
You can configure as many bots as you need. For example, you can set up one bot for support and FAQs, another for promotional campaigns, etc.
With Telegram for Business, companies can leverage a fast-growing messaging app to stay connected to their customers by delivering a smoother and more efficient shopping experience.
But there’s more. Telegram for Business is a valuable tool that improves not only the customer-side shopping experience, but also the company-side sales experience. With a few quick messages, the brand can contact consumers, give them the opportunity of paying via a single link and collect personal data, preferences and shopping habits that are really valuable to set up future personalized marketing campaigns.
Stand out from competitors and become a trailblazer in the use of Telegram for Business: the latest communication channel that grows faster than any other one!
