From public contact to 1 on 1; the opportunities messaging offers

Spotler Engage • 6 minute read • 09/06/2020
Online customer service
Featured image

Messaging platforms, that make 1 on 1 contact with customers possible, are constantly evolving. Throughout the year, new trends will invariably emerge, while others will fade away. However, one thing is certain: the experience of customers with messaging or live chat, made possible by people and intelligent chatbots, will take up an increasingly larger part of our lives. In this article we will take you through the latest developments in messaging and share some best practices.

The development of messaging platforms

The popularity of messaging channels continues to grow. An earlier research from Ruigrok Netpanel indicates that the use of messaging continues to grow in all age groups. And this trend will continue to grow in 2020. Since 2015, the use of the four main messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat and Viber) has exceeded the use of the four largest social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn).

Social media versus messaging

According to a research from Kantar, the use of messaging platforms has also increased during the coronavirus pandemic. During all stages of the pandemic, WhatsApp achieved the greatest gains, with an overall increase in usage of 40%. Overall, the use of Facebook increased by 37%. The increased use on all messaging channels was highest in the age group up to 35 years.

Using messaging channels for customer contact: what are the advantages?

By now, 1 on 1 contact with organisations via messaging channels is a very common way of communicating between customer and organisation. Large tech companies, such as Facebook, Google and Apple, therefore invest heavily in messaging channels and their availability to organisations. They do this, for example, through Whatsapp for Business, Facebook Messenger and Apple Business Chat. Live chat solutions on websites and in-app are also widely supported.

The main advantages customers of organisations experience are:

  • A quick response time
  • The degree of personal contact
  • The fact that these messaging apps can be accessed anytime, anywhere
  • When using messaging apps, customers feel that they can respond when it suits them. In addition, the customer satisfaction rate via messaging channels or live chat is high. So, there are more than enough reasons to focus on these customer contact platforms.

    From public comments to private messages

    The fact that messaging and live chat are private channels, can play a role in the choice of consumers. When it comes to asking questions, it turns out that people prefer a private channel instead of public social networks. With the still increasing use of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, the shift from public channels to private channels is well founded.

    For organisations it is also quite easy to make conversations flow smoothly from public to private. For example, without the consumer noticing this, you can use public feeds to direct customers to private channels. Think of an ad on Facebook or Instagram, which sends you directly to a private conversation with your organisation on Messenger or WhatsApp.

    “As I think about the future of the internet, I believe a privacy-focused communications platform will become even more important than today’s open platforms. I expect future versions of Messenger and WhatsApp to become the main ways people communicate on the Facebook network.” – Mark Zuckerberg

    Using messaging professionally: a list of best practices

    We see different applications of messaging platforms in practice. For example, messaging apps not only offer opportunities for service, but also for marketing and sales. Here we discuss a number of possible applications:

    Proactive service and calls to share information

    Messaging platforms are a suitable tool to ask your target group to share information with you. For example, the Red Cross calls on its volunteers to share photos via WhatsApp, which then reach the editors and can be used in communication.

    AT5, a local television channel in Amsterdam, also uses WhatsApp as a way to receive news tips from the general public. The WhatsApp number is listed on the contact page of the website.

    AT5 messaging

    Higher conversion rate at Dorel thanks to live chat

    Dorel represents various well-known sports, furniture and baby brands. With the aim of improving customer satisfaction, save costs and contribute to sales, Dorel started live chats on several websites in several countries. In the pilot version, a customer satisfaction rate of 97% was already achieved. But that wasn’t the only success: the conversion rate was 12,5% and the average order value increased by 64%. Dorel also noticed that employees experienced a sense of freedom and fun on this channel, which is great for employee satisfaction. The added value of live chat as a channel for customer contact is clear to Dorel.

    Thanks to this proven success, Dorel has chosen to develop the live chat further. Their aim is to be able to offer live chat flexibly and to use customer feedback to further optimise the website. This also ultimately leads to fewer questions and a strong value proposition of customer contact within the organisation.

    Availability: service can be provided 24 hours a day

    Sending an app can be done at any time of the day, and service does not stop before 9.00 am or after 5.00 pm. Chances are that your service team will not be at the office 24 hours a day. In that case it is a good idea to consider using a chatbot, so customers will receive an answer to his or her question outside of business hours. For example, KLM knows how to reach its travellers 24/7 via Facebook Messenger. This way you’ll always have your boarding pass at hand.

    KLM messaging chatbot

    The future of messaging platforms

    What’s next? As we saw earlier, in recent years the deployment and use of 1-on-1 channels in digital customer contact has increased. Dutch research by Upstream into the state of webcare in 2020 shows that more than a quarter of the organisations surveyed believe that webcare will only take place on private channels in the next 3 years.

    Upstream online customer service

    We see that platforms have prepared themselves to officially allow organisations to use them. An example of this is that Facebook has realised the rollout of WhatsApp for Business in 2019.

    In 2020, more than a quarter of the Dutch organisations use some form of machine assistance. Chatbots seem to be the most popular. Chatbots are often used on live chat and messaging platforms. In comparison with 2018, the use of chatbots and intelligent assistants has grown.

    Upstream online customer service

    This means that things are going to change for organisations. How are we going to deal with this? Which members of staff have the best capacities to provide customer service via messaging channels? What kind of team skills are needed and is this different from public social media channels? How can we provide service on these channels as efficiently as possible and automate tasks using chatbot technology?

    We, too, don’t sit still and are happy to help organisations with all their issues in the field of messaging channels for online customer contact. Wondering how we can help you? Feel free to make an appointment with one of our experts below!

    Want to know more about the possibilities of Spotler Engage?

    Would you like to know more about the possibilities of messaging for your organisation? Request a free demo or contact us via contact-engage@spotler.com or +31 (0)85 210 50 60.

    Request a free demo
    Inspired? Share this message!
    Spotler Engage
    At Spotler Engage, we have a genuine passion for customer contact, media monitoring and reputation management. We continuously feed ourselves with new knowledge about groundbreaking technologies in these industries. And of course, we love to share this knowledge! Dive into our whitepapers, ebooks, blogs, industry reports and success stories. Are you already hanging on our every word? Hopefully we can share our enthusiasm with you and start a conversation!

    Related items

    Spotler Engage • 4 minute read • 16/11/2023

    Omnichannel, chatbots and monitoring are most important for optimal reachability

    Spotler Engage has been a partner for the public domain for more than 10 years. With solutions for web care, messaging...
    Read more Arrow right
    Daniella • 5 minute read • 21/07/2022

    Live chat: how does it work?

    You see it all the time: you visit a website and a pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen asks if you need hel...
    Read more Arrow right
    Spotler Engage • 5 minute read • 23/01/2020

    8 tips for efficient social media publishing

    With 3.2 billion social media users worldwide in 2019 social networks offer unique possibilities to promote products and...
    Read more Arrow right