The traditional text messaging, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger are examples of instant messaging apps that almost every consumer own. When instant messaging is utilized in a company’s business as part of marketing automation, the result is saved time, a better customer experience, and effective marketing communications.
How is this possible? After this text you know!
Use of marketing automations in organizations
Marketing automation software, such as Hubspot and Salesforce, offer a wide variety of opportunities to streamline customer communications and the customer experience. Their popularity has grown tremendously: according to research, more than a third of Finnish organizations already have a marketing automation tool in use.
Marketing automation is utilized in organizations, for example, to create leads.
Organizations utilize marketing automation primarily to automate marketing activities based on the activities performed by website visitors, collect data, and generate leads. Email is perhaps the most widely used channel for automated marketing communications, and it is also strongly seen in the number of newsletters that pop into your inbox every day.
At its best, automated email marketing is visually appealing and effective, but the message flood of the channel can be disruptive. In addition, quite a few consumers use email for their daily communication, so the attention value may not be very high.
Automated instant messaging alongside email
By integrating instant messaging applications with marketing automation, automated, personalized messages can be sent directly to different audiences in the channel where everyone is already spending the most time.
Each sending group can have its own channel selected, for example, based on the nature, content and audience of the message. For example, if a Whatsapp message is sent to someone who doesn’t have an app, it’s automatically converted to a text message. So you can be sure that your message will get through!
Customer satisfaction surveys sent via instant messaging applications, for example, can also be automated. A good example is the automatically sent satisfaction surveys on the success of maintenance or inspections of car dealers, where instant messaging channels are integrated into the dealer’s own system.
Instant messaging channels can also be connected to marketing automation processes.
The benefits of integration from the perspective of the recipient of the message
By integrating instant messaging applications into your marketing automation, you increase the personality of your communication when you are in the channel where your target audience is already spending a lot of time.
If the marketing message you sent aroused your customer’s interest, they can start a conversation with your company by replying directly to the message. You offer them the easiest possible way to connect directly with your business, leading to a better customer experience and, at best, making a reservation or increasing sales.
It is important that the conversation with your customer is remembered by both your organization and your customer. In instant messaging applications, your business message is stored on the customer’s phone, so if you need to return to it later, it’s effortless for your customer. On the other hand, it is good that the organization also has information about the contact and the conversation, so that this information can later be used, for example, to provide better customer service.
On the organizational side, this means:
When you integrate instant messaging applications into your marketing automation, you reach your target audience more effectively, more broadly, and in a more personal tone. In addition, you reduce the amount of work you do manually, as automation also works outside office hours.
All started conversations form its own chat window into SmartDialog. service platform. So you manage all your conversations in one, clear interface, regardless of whether your customer contacted you from the website or in response to a marketing message you sent to an instant messaging app.
The conversation with the customer can take place in the chosen system (marketing automation or call-center software) by utilizing the chat features of the api interface or via a web management interface. In both cases, it is absolutely essential that the messages can be answered as quickly as possible. Instant messaging applications, as the name implies, are intended for instant messaging, so the customer expects to receive a response and take care of their case quickly.
Specific use cases:
- The marketing automation sends a reminder to the customer that the order or contract has expired. This can be done for example by text message or WhatsApp. The message contains a link from which the order can be renewed directly if desired.
- The marketing automation sends a notification to the desired channel about an upcoming campaign (“Black Friday offers start on Tuesday”) or an event (such as a test-drive weekend). The recipient of the message can start a conversation with the company to ask, for example, more specific questions about the event by answering the message freely.
- Automatic order confirmationis sent from the e-commerce order directly to the customer’s phone. The customer has the opportunity to reply freely to the message, for example to edit the order, or to ask for a more specific delivery time.
Are you considering using instant messaging applications as part of your marketing automation? Contact us to talk more!
Also read: Instant messaging channels as part of other software
