In the US, over 6 billion SMS messages are sent every day making it the most popular messaging tool on the planet.

But there’s a new kid on the block that’s putting SMS to the test: Facebook Messenger is hot on its heels with 3 billion users per month!

Messaging has revolutionized the way we communicate and changed our relationship to personal technology, such as smartphones. Anyone get anxious about going to work without a phone? You’re not alone. We depend on our smartphones to keep us connected and messaging plays a big part in that.

Businesses are starting to catch on to this growing trend, using messaging apps as marketing tools that replicate person to person interactions. In the remainder of this post, we explore how messaging is changing the marketing landscape and what businesses need to do to adapt.

Business Messages

The Benefits of Business Messaging

In a recent study by Neilson, 56% of people surveyed said they’d rather message a business than call customer service. When asked why, they cited convenience, cost, speed, and negative call center experiences. Let’s take a closer look:

Convenience

Many consumers are frustrated with the long wait times and pass-the-parcel tactics deployed by contact centres. There’s only so many times you can be put on hold before looking for alternative options.

Messaging has the advantage of 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.

Cost-Effectiveness

Messaging is a cost-effective communication tool for both customers and businesses.

For customers, Facebook messaging is completely free whilst SMS messages are typically included in mobile contracts. Compared to the cost of calling an 1800 number for support, it’s a no-brainer to reach for your messenger app instead.

For businesses, the benefits are even greater. When customers choose to message rather than call for support and advice, contact center bills can more than halve. And rather than spending the big bucks on advertising campaigns, digital marketers can deploy targeted messages for next to nothing. All the while enhancing the level of personalization they offer consumers.

Results

Not only does business messaging slash costs but it also has a great success rate compared to traditional digital marketing methods:

  • Messages are opened and read almost five times more than email
  • 90% of all text messages are read within the first three minutes of receipt
  • Text messages create a 40% higher conversion rate

As you can see, the return on investment for messaging is exceptionally high. Customers are more receptive to messaging as a marketing channel and businesses are getting results. Imagine an email campaign with a 90% open rate- it’s the stuff of your marketing department’s dreams!

From Information to Conversation

Underpinning the success of business messaging is the rise of conversational or person-to-person marketing. People want personal experiences when dealing with brands and messaging is ideal because it mimics the way we interact with friends and family. This creates an instant familiarity between the individual and the brand.

Businesses can take advantage of this by adopting a distinct character for their social media interactions. If people want to interact with people, brands acting in this space need to personify their brand essence and ensure that all interactions are in line with the brand’s personality.

How Can Businesses Adapt?

You can’t be successful without the right tools. The best way for businesses to start introducing business messaging into their overall marketing mix is to choose a communications solution that includes built-in SMS and Facebook Integrations.

This way, you can experiment with different communication styles and personalities for your brand and not need to worry about instantly getting your investment back like you would with an additional platform.

3CX now includes Facebook integration and business text in PRO and Enterprise licenses at no additional cost! With just a few clicks, you can send and receive business messages directly from the 3CX WebClient and kickstart your conversational marketing campaigns.

The Takeaway

With the rise of business messaging, content marketing and customer service can finally be combined to create a convenient, cost-effective and incredible personalized way to connect with consumers.

Wave good-bye to mass communications that flood users with one-size-fits-all messages. The time for personalized, consumer-driven communication has come.