The time to boost mobile communications has come!

Over 2.1 billion people throughout the world are using messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Viber and Whatsapp. During the past years the most known messaging apps have taken huge steps further, by offering lots of functionality that connect users to brands and enterprises, such as chatbots and public channels. Today, users all over the world are using messaging apps not only to chat with friends but also to connect with brands, browse different businesses that will cover their needs and watch/read interesting content. (Source: Businessinsider)

All these tools, combined with the fact that users are far more engaged to messaging apps, compared to their engagement to e-mail (a recent study found that the open rate of mobile messages is 98% versus 22% for e-mail, and 90% of people read a mobile message within 3 minutes from receiving it) makes it evident that companies should start communicating with their targeted audience in messaging apps as soon as possible.

Djamel Agaoua, Viber’s CEO, stated that “messaging is just starting its journey on mobile devices” and it looks that by comparing Viber or any other messaging platform with SMS, anyone will classify SMS as outdated. A quick comparison is shown in the following image:

sms vs viberIn a nutshell, when compared to SMS and e-mail, the new messaging apps, like Viber are:

  • Cost efficient
  • Rich in content capabilities
  • Interactive and smart

These are the reasons that made consumer preferences shift towards mobile messaging. So businesses should follow by moving down this road, where they interact with users not by broadcasting messages, but by starting interesting discussions in a rich and interactive environment while at the same time customer engagement with a brand will be increased.

Also published on Medium.

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