Customer relationships in the era of messaging apps

Customer relationships in the era of messaging apps

Content: The customer is king (again)... 3 Messaging apps are virtual companions... 4 Fade-away for email, post and phone... 5 Messaging apps have tremendous potential... 6 Service on demand... 7 Summary: Messaging apps are the platform of the future... 10 About WhatsBroadcast... 11 2

The customer is king (again) Digitization is in full swing in all areas of life, making digital channels more relevant than ever in customer communication. With the digital transformation, people are changing the way they use media, which means businesses need new approaches to structuring effective customer relationships. The use of search engines, social media platforms and comparison websites is bringing about changes in user behaviour that have an impact on the relationship between customers and companies/brands. Today s customers expect fast, personalized responses to their requests and questions, transparency and even the chance to participate in new products. Users of digital channels expect companies to: provide fast, competent customer service address their personal needs and expectations engage in dynamic, smooth, ongoing customer communication Companies need to keep their communication strategies in line with customer behaviour and demands. Digitization provides the means to meet these challenges. Numerous online platforms and websites let customers choose from a wide range of products and services, which means they expect more from companies. This technology is also reshaping demands, attitudes and loyalty towards brands. Customers are switching providers and trying out different services with greater frequency while companies are still looking for customer loyalty. Chat services, instant messaging (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and chatbots are becoming increasingly important in the context of new digital communication channels. Communicating with customers eye-to-eye and offering authenticity and real service guarantees companies a competitive advantage. 3

Messaging apps are virtual companions Messenger apps have become extremely popular: Around 70% of German Internet users 1 communicate via messaging services on a daily basis. WhatsApp is top of the list in Germany with more than 39 million users. Messaging services have become integral to the way we communicate today. Services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc., have claimed the status previously held by texting. No wonder people are using messaging apps more intensively than traditional mobile apps. For businesses, 1:1 or chat communication with users means proximity and direct contact to potential customers that they didn t have access to before. The big advantage of messaging services is that they allow companies to create a seamless 1:1 experience. Today, many companies use messaging apps to send quick service messages directly to their customers: Hello! Your taxi will be here in two minutes. or Your order is now available to be picked up at our store. Or even Sorry, I ll be 15 minutes late. Meet me to view the apartment at 4.15 p.m. Short service messages for specific occasions could be the foot in the door to establishing instant messaging as a permanent communication medium, allowing customers to respond, ask questions, request additional information or just stay in 1 Source: ARD/ZDF online survey 4

touch without having to change channels. And most users of messaging apps like to communicate. They are more than happy to let their contacts know about any positive experiences they have with a product or brand, making them important multipliers. Messaging apps are already being used to a large degree in personal communication. They are becoming virtual companions and an important part of the user s personal ecosystem. In his guest article for Horizont magazine ( Why messaging apps are the future of digital brand communication ), Johannes Lenz, a corporate blogger at international media agency Starcom Germany, wrote: Whether you are buying clothes, transferring money or signing an insurance policy, we can expect all of this to soon be possible not only offline or via the providers individual websites and apps but also in messaging apps. Messaging services will soon become a mobile hub for doing your research before selecting and completing a transaction, rating a provider, giving recommendations to friends and developing long-term brand loyalty, easy to access in any situation. It doesn t matter which online services you provide, be sure to closely watch the development of 1:1 communication and take advantage of the new possibilities it offers your customer communication. Messaging services take corporate communication to a new level. Companies have the chance to establish permanent customer dialog. Fade-away for email, post and phone Customers are definitely ready for this new type of dialog, according to the key findings of a recent YouGov study entitled WhatsApp in customer communication. According to the study, one out of five German WhatsApp users (roughly 8 to 10 million people) think that having the chance to communicate with companies via messaging apps is long overdue. Between 13 and 16 million Germans, a third of the 5

population, even find communication with companies via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or similar services to be much more convenient than traditional channels like email, post or phone. Another study by YouGov shows the potential of instant messaging communication. 63% of participants indicated that they were living in a service desert. Most participants said they would like to receive responses to their feedback via messaging apps, complaining about slow customer support. Across all age groups, study participants said they would like to receive a response to their support queries in less than 15 minutes. An average of 45% said they were not willing to wait longer. These numbers show that customers are far ahead of companies when it comes to digitization. It s time to incorporate messaging services into customer support. Customers want to see responses to their feedback via messaging apps. Most of all, they expect faster response times. Messaging apps have tremendous potential A comparison of the efficiency of messaging apps and other digital channels shows their tremendous potential in customer support. Some advantages of messaging apps: High visibility and open rates Communication practically in real time Personal, direct customer communication Access to customers at all times Businesses that use messaging services to send out information achieve open rates of 90% on average within the first two hours. Click rates are above average as well. 20% 6

to 30% of recipients on average click on links sent via messaging services (depending on sector). No other communication channel boasts similar results. And there is another advantage for customer service in particular: Communication via messaging apps is asynchronous, allowing conversations with multiple customers at the same time. Customer support staff can respond to individual requests and questions more effectively and companies can more effectively meet their customers expectations than ever before. Customers commonly prefer what they know and trust over new solutions. Even if it comes in a slightly different form. Messaging apps, a familiar, trusted means of private communication, can now be used to communicate with companies. Service on demand Companies need to find the right messaging solution in line with their image, their privacy standards and data privacy legislation. Companies should also avoid spamming customers with an unnecessary amount of marketing and push messages. Customers value personalized service much more than being confronted with daily marketing 7

messages. Using service on demand as a marketing tool is the smarter solution because it is based on the pull rather than push principle. A few tips: Make it easy for your customers to reach you. Customer should always be able to reach you intuitively and messaging apps are no exception. Our advice: Incorporate a highly visible widget for your messaging service on your website. Be available at all times when it is convenient for your customers and not the other way around. Our advice: Chatbots allow customers to send their queries after your business hours. Respond as fast as possible and be transparent about estimated response times. Keep the time between sending out an automated message and your actual response as short as possible. Our advice: Send a quick auto response, indicating the estimated response time. Even better: Reply instantly via instant messaging whenever possible. Check back with your customers on a regular basis to find out if they are happy or need further support. Our advice: Develop a strategy for regular customer contact, e.g. customer surveys via push. Communicate with your customers eye-to-eye. Speak your customers language and adapt a modern communication style when appropriate. Our advice: Use emojis if the customer is open to it for a more relaxed dialog. 8

Show your customers that their individual needs are what counts. Avoid giving the impression of mass processing. Our advice: Why not send a personalized birthday message via instant messaging if you know the date? Chatbots offer great automation potential. Chatbots can be very effective in messaging app marketing as long as they create added value. For example, they can be very valuable as a product finder or for making appointments with your service staff. As a rule, the greater the additional value for the customer, the more useful they will find the information or services provided via the messaging app. 9

Summary: Messaging apps are the platform of the future Messaging services are becoming increasingly popular among users. The right approach and the quality of information you provide is and will continue to be important. And this will lay the foundation for added value on both sides, e.g. through newsletters via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or direct 1:1 customer service: interesting, exciting information for your customers and an additional direct and personal communication channel for your company. 10

About WhatsBroadcast WhatsBroadcast is the leading German provider of messaging services for companies active in the end-customer communication sector. Offers include solutions for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and Insta. The company s latest innovative offer is chatbots. Chatbots are messenger bots that enable direct communication between companies and end-customers in the areas of customer service, shopping, information inquiries and entertainment. More than 800 companies, primarily located in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, currently use messaging services by WhatsBroadcast. WhatsBroadcast GmbH was founded in 2015 and has roughly 30 employees at its Augsburg and Munich offices. Managing directors are Franz Buchenberger and Max Tietze. Visit the company website for more information. Test all of our features in a 14-day free trial! No subscription necessary. https://www.whatsbroadcast.com/de/preise-registrierung/ 11