6 reasons why you should convert customers using instant messaging

Is the email era over?

Did you know that the top 5 most downloaded apps of 2019 are WhatsApp, TikTok, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram? Well, what do they have in common? They all support some form of instant messaging to allow users and brands to connect. And that is exactly why you should convert customers using instant messaging.

Email, though popular, is losing its sheen along with its relevance and effectiveness. More often than not, our personal inboxes are filled with digital newsletters, the latest promotions, and brand-new updates.

Besides, it doesn’t help when most of the promotional emails are laden with fancy images and graphics. This means that they will either be tucked away in the “spam” folder or are sent to “trash” after the user reads the subject line. Moreover, who still wants to read emails after work?

Read more: A Closer Look: Brands that found success with WhatsApp and Instagram Marketing

The future is instant messaging

Enter instant messaging, where texts are opened and read almost 138% more than email. The higher open and response rates make it a very effective communication channel.

Additionally, the average American spends 3 hours and 43 minutes on their phones each day. And that’s more time spent on mobile than on watching TV! If trends are anything to go by, instant messaging is here to stay.

Here are 6 reasons why you should start converting customers using mobile messaging: 

1. Preferred mode of contact

As people spend increasing amounts of time on their phones, using instant messaging as a channel of communication has become a more effective tool for reaching customers. Not only are they more responsive to text messages, but they are also more inclined to receive promotions with 75% of millennials preferring text communications for deliveries, promotions, and surveys.

Without a doubt, that’s good news for businesses like you! This not only saves your time in terms of crafting the perfect message but also saves your customer’s time when reading it in this time-strapped world!

2. No spam folder. Messages go straight to the inbox

The good news is, unlike emails, popular instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat do not have “spam” folders. As such, you can be assured that your messages will be delivered to the customer’s inbox.

Without a doubt, it is important to strike a time balance when offering promotions to customers. This means giving them sufficient time to take action but not too much time that they forget about it.

That being said, reminders and promo broadcasts can also be sent out before the expiration of the promotion. However, this should be done carefully so as to not come across as spamming the customer.

3. Simple and straight to the point

Emails and newsletters often include pictures and paragraphs upon paragraphs of words. In contrast, mobile messaging allows you to cut through the clutter and send short straight-to-the-point messages.

Concise and snappy texts are more likely to entice your customers and spur them on to take action.

Therefore, make sure each message is limited to one call-to-action (CTA) so that know exactly what action you want them to take. This is because customers are generally more likely to convert when a minimum effort is required to respond to the CTA.

Thus, rather than providing a generic link to your website, provide a direct link to the sales page instead. This way, your customers are more likely to take specific actions for conversion immediately.

4. Attention leads to conversion

According to statistics, 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes of being received. And,  91% of Americans keep their mobile devices within arm’s length at all times. So, instant messaging is a fantastic channel to keep your customers in the loop. In addition, it also encourages them to take action as soon as possible, leading to higher conversion rates.

Here’s a tip: Include a link or a promo code by using WhatsApp interactive features that can be redeemed for enhanced tracking and conversion. Then, set up a campaign in Google Analytics and use it to track important metrics like the number of clicks and peak times. This allows you to track return-on-investment and fine-tune your promotional strategy while discovering new hacks to increase conversion rates.

5. Conversions and conversations

Nothing beats having personalized attention communicating with your customers over instant messaging provides just that!

Personalizing texts with your customer’s name is nothing new, but maintaining sustained, meaningful contact is.

Thus, this can be done most effectively over instant messaging where conversations can take place more naturally in a relatively more informal setting. As a result, this encourages more two-way interaction and builds a solid base for a strong customer relationship.

It has been shown that texting customers both before and after contact have contributed significantly to increased conversion rates. However, the percentage still remains similar to email open rates across industries.

So, it might be surprising that sending text messages only after contact has resulted in a conversion rate increase of as high as 112.6%.

Therefore, keeping the conversation with your customer going is of utmost importance. Because the “sweet spot” for the number of texts to increase conversion rates isn’t one or two, but as many as three or more – resulting in as much as a 328% increase in conversions.

6. Personal touch

Nowadays, consumers want brands to connect with them at an emotional level. 

They won’t opt for a faceless company simply promoting its products and services over a company that tries to build an emotional connection with them.

And there’s nothing more personal than instant messaging.

With the help of instant messaging marketing, brands can simply send messages to the audience directly. One of the main goals of instant messaging is to allow brands to build two-way personal communication with their audience. And there’s nothing better that your audience will love than saving you in their contact list and hitting you up whenever they have a doubt or query.

See how AfterSchool, an online tutorial school makes use of WhatsApp to communicate with their students.

Let’s just assume that you are a consumer and have some doubts or queries regarding a brand’s product or service.

What would you do?

In the old times, people used to type up their queries in a mail and send them over, in hopes of getting a reply back in a day or two.

However, the same isn’t the case in today’s world. The idea of “right now” is definitely not new in this age of instant gratification.

Nowadays, people don’t have much time. They simply don’t prefer to wait. Delayed responses and long waiting times will contribute to a feeling of frustration in customers and might cost you a customer in the long run.

Thus, using instant messaging can effectively reduce unnecessary delays as customer service agents can answer customer queries in real-time. In case of instant messaging like WhatsApp, the response time is relatively shorter.

Furthermore, it breaks down the barrier between the customer and the business, allowing for a more informal conversation. This two-way messaging flow makes it easier to approach customers and helps them to open up about their concerns.

Apart from customer queries and concerns, businesses can also take advantage of the array of in-app features offered by the various instant messaging apps. Therefore, go beyond the emojis and share photos, sticker and even the latest product catalog to better engage your customers!

Take the leap of faith!

An integrated instant messaging platform is especially useful for managing large customer contact lists and helps you save a lot of time when sending personalized messages.

Furthermore, platforms that have a team inbox like SleekFlow also allow staff members to respond directly to received messages as a team. This enables the provision of a holistic and personalized customer service experience to build stronger customer ties and close the sale.

Apart from that, platforms like SleekFlow allow you to send messages at a specific date and time so you can schedule promotions ahead of time. In addition, triggers can also be created to encourage customers to take action, such as reminding them to check out if they haven’t done so within a certain number of days through drip campaigns.

In conclusion, whatever industry your business is in, you should take advantage of this highly effective yet relatively unknown way to interact with your customers and convert customers using instant messaging. Over time, the credibility and customer loyalty gained will give you an edge over your competitors.

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