Messenger marketing is becoming a global trend thanks to chatbots. Companies are increasingly using them on social networks and websites. Such marketing not only provides new opportunities for solving customer problems, but also often proves to be a more effective channel than traditional ones.
In this article, we will tell you how companies are gradually descending from the pedestal and getting closer to customers using the same messengers. We will also analyze the main pros and cons of messenger marketing.
Why Messenger Marketing Is Growing In importance
The popularity of instant messengers among potential customers. Statistics and personal experience show that people prefer to use instant messengers instead of calls and email. This is especially true for generations of millennials born from 1984 to 2005. And zoomers (from the early 2000s to the present). However, even older generations often have WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger installed.
In January 2021 alone, 6.1 billion people were using messaging apps! In recent years, the opinion has even formed that making phone calls, especially to unfamiliar people, means violating personal boundaries. Therefore, companies should be more attentive to the new rules of etiquette when addressing their consumers.
Messenger marketing allows businesses to tell customers, “We respect your preferences and will communicate with you in the way you want.” And people love it. Also, messenger marketing allows companies to advertise and promote their products in a very personalized way. They can target customer categories based on personal preferences and without direct pressure.
Technology Development
Messenger marketing has become more accessible. Not only giants like Adidas or Amazon can use this channel, but also small businesses. And with the advent of Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp, web bots, new ways of automating, programming and designing conversations have emerged. Online casinos, for example, use bots and automation to try their slots win real money, where you get to play slots but with real money even if it is virtual. So get access to the website now!
Advantages of Messenger Marketing
It is more profitable than other digital promotion channels. For example, a quality chatbot will cost less than 24/7 phone support. Although some businesses definitely cannot do without a telephone line.
The most personalized offers. Managers understand who they are writing to and can only offer relevant services.
Nearly instant customer feedback. In addition, it is easier to establish contact and hold attention. This is more difficult to achieve through email or by tracking customers on site pages.
Less psychological pressure on the client. After all, it is easier for him to send a request to the messenger than to make a phone call or receive a call.
Longer customer life cycle. A client received through messenger marketing is very likely to stay for a long time. Uninterested users will simply delete the chat.
Quick access to information without time limits. The user does not have to wait a long time for a response, as when calling the support service.
Accurate communication. Even in a conflict situation, the manager has time to write the correct answer to the question. It will be more difficult to do the same over the phone even for an experienced employee.
All correspondence and promotional materials are preserved. Both the client and the company can easily find the necessary information in the messenger.
Easy to integrate with Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) systems and other platforms to track conversions and other data in messengers and chatbots.
Messages reach the addressee in 100% of cases. This cannot be achieved in other ways. For example, by e-mail or in social networks (due to more complex algorithms).
Smooth warming up of a cold customer base. This allows you to make free content that will definitely be useful or interesting to the audience. Therefore, its careful segmentation is important here.
Cons of Messenger Marketing
You cannot use this promotion channel as a panacea or a 100% replacement for other methods. Messenger marketing is an additional way to attract an audience. And it is only one of the stages of the sales funnel.
It is impossible to fully automate the mailing without resorting to the help of real managers and employees of the company.
In some cases, messenger marketing should be used with caution. Being aware of the specifics of the company. For example, when advertising specific medical services or serious technical support.
While most people prefer messengers over live calls, emails, or social media ads, there are exceptions. You need to take into account the characteristics of your audience, in particular the age and preferences of potential customers.
In certain cases, the promotion format through messengers will not be as effective as advertising on YouTube (for example, for a too cold audience).
The introduction of a new promotion channel is always associated with additional efforts and the involvement of new specialists. Also, you cannot avoid expenses at the stages from strategy development to implementation and maintenance of messenger marketing.
Messenger marketing is definitely worth the time to get to know it. But when deciding to develop a new marketing strategy, you need to evaluate your resources and the ability to control the results. Because incorrect implementation and promotion of a product or service can only worsen the situation – when it turns out that it was better not to use messenger marketing at all. As a result, this can harm the brand’s reputation and sales.
