Our current survey on the subject of messenger marketing shows: Every second person uses messenger services such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger (56%) several times a day. And although messengers are one of the most popular channels for communicating quickly, directly, and easily with others and for receiving and sharing content, only 6 percent of those surveyed rate “newsletters” via a messenger service as important. As popular as messengers are in private life – how can small and medium-sized companies exploit the advantages and potential that messenger marketing offers them for their business? And what do you have to pay attention to in successful messenger marketing? We explain that to you in our blog post.
56 percent of those surveyed use messenger services several times a day. Women (61 percent) even more often than men (52%). Users between the ages of 18 and 24, in particular, use the messenger services several times a day (79%). However, more than half of Germans are skeptical when it comes to receiving information from companies, the media, or blogs via messenger services and do not want to receive such messages (58%). Although it is important for almost a quarter of the survey participants to receive push notifications with new messages directly on the smartphone display (24%), only six percent value the possibility of subscribing to newsletters from companies, the media, or blogs, and so on getting the latest information.
Messenger as communication channels offer numerous advantages for companies: You can communicate with your customers in real-time. If you work in the tourism or gastronomy sector, you can, for example, quickly and easily inform your guests about special seasonal offers. Retailers can use pictures or videos to draw their customers’ attention to the upcoming summer sale. The easy and direct access to the target group and to potential new customers, high opening and click rates, as well as simple handling, are further strong arguments for professional communication via messenger services. And in contrast to classic newsletter marketing via e-mail, messengers are not subject to an algorithm that filters content and moves your message unseen to your customer’s spam folder.
REACH THE TARGET GROUP WITHOUT WASTAGE
For successful messenger marketing, you should definitely note that the content is important for your customers and offers you real added value. Among the participants in the current survey, offers from local restaurants, cafes, or bars are particularly in demand (12%). Offers from online shops (11%) and promotions from stationary retailers on site, such as furniture, flowers, or decorative items, arouse interest among users (8%). The small Italian restaurant in the district can inform its guests about the daily lunch menu. The boutique hotel sends its guests a message shortly after check-out and thanks them for their stay. In stationary retail, advice and customer service can be provided via a messenger. In e-commerce, instant messaging apps can be used, for example, to transmit order confirmations or for shipment tracking. Appointment reminders for the annual check-up appointment at the dentist are also possible.
Communication also works in the other direction, of course: users can quickly and easily reserve a table in the restaurant or make an appointment with a hairdresser, tax advisor, or craftsman via Messenger. Complaint management can also be digitized in this way and carried out via messenger. When communicating with customers via messenger services, you must therefore expect the recipient to reply to your messages and ask questions. In order to build trust, keep your customers’ interest in the long term and provide good service, you should ensure a fast response frequency when using messenger services for customer communication.
WELL-KNOWN PRINCIPLE – NEW CHANNEL: NEWSLETTER MARKETING 2.0
When using Messenger Marketing, it is also important that you observe the legal framework. Because messenger services are not a legal vacuum. You need the effective consent of the user in order to be able to send him messages via messenger. Just like with classic email marketing, you should ensure this using a double opt-in process: With messenger marketing via WhatsApp, for example, the user enters your telephone number in his address book in the first step and actively sends a message in the second step this number (e.g. with the word “start”). It must also be clearly stated how the user can unsubscribe from your service (e.g. by sending a message with the word “Stop”).
If used correctly, Messenger Marketing offers you the potential to completely redesign the communication with your target group and customers thanks to its low costs and a high degree of automation. In order to do justice to the fast communication via messenger services, time and technical resources have to be used.