Private message, SMS, text, PM, whatever you refer to it as…messaging platforms are one of the most private ways to address a customer. It’s also the prime way to personalize what you need to say. In fact, research by SAP Global showed that 64% of people think companies should use messaging more often and 70% think it’s a great way to get their attention.
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That means that this type of marketing yields a high level of customer engagement. And we all know that driving engagement rates leads to higher ROI. A happy customer is a purchasing customer. Here are a few ways in which messaging platforms can increase engagement:
Create a Community
Just because messaging can be a private form of communication, it doesn’t mean that you can’t form a community around it. Think about email campaigns. Marketing automation allows for the ability to send similar messages that are still customized.
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Therefore, consider a few different ways that you can build up an audience for your brand. If you’re going to increase customer engagement, you actually have to engage them. There are many different ways to do so, like:
- Launch a new social campaign
- Create a contest
- Ask a poll
- Create a podcast
Once you have your content in order, you can create a messaging campaign around it.
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Then shoot it off with whatever messaging platform matches your business. You may want to consider more than one channel, like sending a text and also engaging on Facebook Messenger.
Stay Consistent
If you engage and then disappear, people will think you are inauthentic. It’s important to have your campaigns continuous. Don’t drop the ball. Direct messaging feels more personal, so consumer expectations will be higher. The key is to just keep sending content that’s relevant to your consumer base and they will reward you with engagement.
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Just look at the facts. 41% of people will unfollow a brand that doesn’t share relevant information. And once they unfollow you, there go your messaging efforts. You typically won’t be able to reach them as most social sites are tied to their messaging platforms.
Be Available
Engagement through messaging is also about being there for your customers. Messaging platforms are typically where customers will reach out. If they feel like they’re speaking into an echo chamber, you will lose their loyalty. Direct messaging is a primary channel for customer support.
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75% of customers believe it takes too long to reach a live agent, so they’re going to be looking for you through messaging. If you’re a small business owner, you may not have the time to answer 24/7. Chatbots are a great solution to keep customers happy through direct messaging. Set up a script for common customer issues and you can keep them continuously engaged while you focus on more important business objectives.
Direct messaging can be an art when done right. It creates one of the highest engagement rates out of any other marketing channel. That’s because you’re typically buzzing in a customer’s pocket to say hello. And what can get more engaging than that?