Effective communication is an integral part of every successful business. Collaboration tools, particularly instant messaging apps, are especially indispensable for marketing and sales teams.

Many businesses have discovered that instant messaging is an efficient way to market their brands. One case study revealed that the click-through rate of instant messengers was twelve times higher than email. 

Also, a growing body of evidence suggests that instant messaging apps boost the productivity of marketing teams. Work gets accomplished when team members can get feedback and important information in record time. Also, new and prospective customers patronize businesses that provide quicker responses to requests and orders.

Before the invention of several new digital platforms, instant messaging technology was the primary marketing and in-office communication tool. In fact, IM pioneered electronic information exchange between businesses and their customers and between coworkers. 

Before we delve into the benefits of instant messaging apps as a marketing hack, let’s share a brief definition of IM.

What is Instant Messaging (IM)?

Instant messaging is a technology communication platform that allows users to send information over a secured network.

Over the years, this tool has evolved to accommodate the marketing and communication needs of small, medium, and large organizations. IM tools have modern features that allow users to exchange messages in a wide range of formats. 

Instant messengers have similarities with ordinary text messages. The primary difference is that instant messenger users send messages through service centers, while text messages use phone networks.

For mobile marketing, more businesses are opting for newer technological platforms to engage with their audience.

Unfortunately, many businesses are missing out on the enormous benefits inherent in using instant messaging as a mobile marketing tool.

Those who think that the days of instant messaging are long gone are mistaken. Intelligent entrepreneurs still take advantage of instant messaging platforms to give their businesses a boost.

The following are four reasons to incorporate instant messaging as one of your marketing strategies.

Personalized Messages

You most likely appreciated it the last time you received a message addressed to you containing information about your specific needs.

Personalized marketing is a marketing strategy that targets each customer instead of a large group of people or audience.

Personalized messages grab the attention of the customer more than when you send out general information.

Other benefits of personalized messages are;

• Creates repeat customers
• Makes customers happy
• Come as pleasant surprises
• Increase in customers’ purchases

Instant messaging platforms offer business owners the opportunity to humanize their messages when interacting with their audience.

As a two-way conversation platform, most people use instant messaging to communicate with friends and family members.

Many people dislike being sold to. Most people are skeptical when your messages come on as an advertisement. Reaching your audience through instant messaging makes your messages relatable and will make people more receptive to them.

People love it when they know they are communicating with an actual person as opposed to a robot. Instant messaging is a great way to build an emotional connection with your audience.

Deeper Engagement

If you look around, you will probably notice people communicating with others on their instant messenger platforms.

Few platforms engage us like instant messenger, where people exchange messages quickly and in real-time.

Research has shown that people love to text and that instant messenger platforms have one of the highest engagement rates.

When likened to other communication channels, users of messaging apps and platforms trust that their messages will reach the targeted audience.

According to recent research, about 95% of mobile users will read their messages within three minutes of receiving them.

Unlike emails and newsletters, there are no procedures in logging in before accessing your messages. Instant messages are quick, engaging and people read and react to them.

Using instant messenger as a marketing tool will help you gain the trust of your customers. Because the interactions are quick, your customers can get immediate answers to their queries.

Plus, instant messenger can be great for reminders as well.  For instance, if you were hosting a webinar, you may want to contact your attendees before the event starts to confirm they will attend. 

Target the Right Audience

In marketing, if you want to increase your chances of generating leads, you must send your messages to the right audience.

Targeting the right audience means you are appealing and communicating with those interested in your line of business.

When businesses target the right audience, they save more time and resources and maximize their chances of attracting new customers.

Tips to remember when targeting your audience

To successfully target the right audience, marketers need to keep the following tips in mind.

Deliver the right messages

Marketers must communicate the right messages to their customers and deliver them at the right time and channel.

It may be helpful to use UCaaS platforms to combine multiple communication channels into one interface and prevent miscommunication.

Offer solutions

One way to offer solutions to the problems of your audience is to create buyer personas. This will help you craft your messages to move your audience down to the sales funnel.

Create an emotional connection

Some people erroneously think that instant messaging is emotionless and cold. However, a study published many years ago revealed that it is possible to convey emotion through instant messaging.

Call your audience to take action

Getting the attention of your audience is only the first step in your marketing strategy. The primary purpose of every business is to convert its audience into paying customers. One way to get your potential customers to commit to your brand is through call-to-action (CTA). CTAs direct your audience on the next step they need to take in their customer journey.

With instant messenger platforms, businesses are sure that their messages are going directly to the right demographics.

Another great advantage of instant messenger platforms is that users can divide their audience into groups and send specific messages to them.

Further Audience Reach

Thanks to mobile phones, instant messenger has spread all over the world, making it possible to reach your audience anywhere they are.

Current statistics put the number of cell phone users in the world at over six billion, which is over 80% of the global population. The vast majority of these people have instant messaging apps on their phones.

Marketers have a lot to gain when they take advantage of this extensive reach and incorporate instant messenger into their marketing strategies. Some areas instant messenger apps can help your marketing include:

• Payments
• Shopping
• Delivery
• Booking

How to Use Instant Messaging in Marketing

Running a successful marketing campaign is not automatic. To succeed, you must develop a strategy that will have the best impact on your audience.

The following are some tips to implement a winning instant messaging marketing campaign.

Tip 1: Be aware of your customer’s journey

Your audience goes through many stages in their customer’s journey before committing their money to pay for your products and services. The messages you send to people depend on where they are on their customer journey.

Tip 2: Don’t be intrusive

Sending constant and the same messages can irritate your audience and may cause many of them to block you. It is, therefore, in your best interest as a marketer to send messages only when you have something important to offer.

Tip 3: Send Variety of Content

Variety is the spice of life. This is also the case with instant message marketing. Sending different content will keep your audience engaged and entertained.

Tip 4: Avoid Long Messages

One reason why many people love instant messaging is the brevity of the messages. There are many advantages associated with sending brief messages. Brief messages grab and keep the attention of your audience.

The Most Popular Free Instant Messenger Apps

Fortunately for businesses, there are many free instant messaging apps to choose from. Some of the most popular instant messenger apps include:

• Whatsapp
• Skype
• Facebook Messenger
• Telegram
• Wechat
• Viber

The instant messenger app you choose for your marketing will depend on the geographical location of your audience. For example, while Facebook Messenger is most widely used in North America, WhatsApp dominates Central/South America, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Conclusion

The primary purpose of marketing in business is to promote the products and services of a brand. Marketing activities involve the actions taken by brands to promote the selling of their products and services to the public.

Nowadays, marketing activities are everywhere around you – from advertisements on billboards to television and phone commercials.

As a marketer, you cannot afford to ignore instant messenger as an effective marketing tool any longer. It has vast potential to transform your business and take it to the next level.

Author Bio:

Radina Skorcheva is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Inbound Blogging, specializing in Content marketing and SEO. Radina is helping brands share their voices and scale their businesses through powerful digital marketing strategies. You can connect with her on LinkedIn