Business Messaging is on the Rise
Messaging has altered the way we communicate and changed our connection to personal technology, such as smartphones. When you leave the house are you wondering if you forgot your phone? You’re not alone. We depend on our phones to keep us connected and messaging plays a big role in that.
SMS messages are sent every day making it the most popular messaging tool on the planet, with over 6 billion being sent per day.
Facebook Messenger is hot on its heels with 3 billion users per month!
The messaging trend is catching on with businesses using messaging apps as marketing tools that replicate person to person interactions. Let’s see how messaging is changing the landscape and what businesses need to do to adapt.
Business Messaging Benefits
People said they’d rather message a business than call customer service. In a recent study by Neilson, 56% of people surveyed cited convenience, cost, speed, and negative call center experiences as their prime motivation.
Low Cost
Messaging is a low cost communication tool.
For Facebook clients messaging is completely free whilst SMS messages are usually included in mobile contracts.
The benefits for businesses, are even greater. When clients choose to message rather than call for support, contact center bills can be reduced significantly. Why spend the big bucks on advertising campaigns, when your marketers can deploy targeted messages for little cost. All the while enhancing the level of personalization they offer consumers.
Accessibility
Many consumers are frustrated with the long wait times and pass-the-parcel tactics deployed by contact centres. The advantages of messaging are being quick, efficient, and less disruptive than calling. Consumers can simply send a message and carry on with their day. Documents and images can be sent in the moment, leading to quicker resolutions, and customers are left with a complete copy of their conversation, making it easy to follow up in the future.
Results
The return on investment for messaging is high. Customers are more receptive to messaging as a marketing channel and businesses are getting results.
Reducing cost with business messaging also has a great success rate compared to traditional marketing methods:
- Messages are opened and read almost five times more than email
- Text messages create a higher conversion rate
- Most of all text messages are read within the first three minutes of receipt
People want personal experiences when dealing with brands and messaging is ideal because it mimics the way we interact with friends and family. This helps creates a trust between the individual and the brand.
How Can Businesses Adapt?
Your business will need the right tools. The best way for businesses to start introducing business messaging into their overall marketing mix is to choose a unified communications solution that includes built-in SMS and Facebook Integrations.
C1 offers a 3CX solution that now includes Facebook integration and business text in PRO and Enterprise licenses. With just a few clicks, you can send and receive business messages directly from the 3CX WebClient.
