Mobile Marketers can learn Messenger apps
The first time I heard about WhatsApp messenger app was 2009. At that time I was in college and some of my overseas classmates used WhatsApp to contact friends without paying data costs. expensive. I thought it was a smart idea and even a little angry when the application was not invented a year earlier when I was studying abroad, so I had to use the "old school" email to communicate.
By 2016, messenger apps have made tremendous progress compared to the first days associated with phone carriers, not connected to the network. The messenger app has been ingrained in our daily lives. Do you think I'm exaggerating? See the statements below:
- "You took my Snap from Friday night, right?"
- "I will slack you as soon as you finish the job."
- "Facebook message for me about details"
When people start using the application name freely as a verb in sentences, you know that they have played an important role in our lives. If it is still not convincing enough, the following figures will prove you will see:
More than 40% of children in the US, UK and Australia are using SnapChat [ Digital Tweet This ]
An astonishing number of 68% of 25-44 year old Internet users in China use WeChat [ This Digital Tweet ]
6 of the 10 most used applications worldwide are messaging applications [ Digital Tweet This ]
Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp already have 1 billion users [ Digital Tweet This ]
77% of companies in top Fortune 100 use Slack [ Digital Tweet This ]
Now you have a clear reason for the existence of messenger apps. But overall, what role do these applications play?
State of Mind Messenger
In 2014, Facebook shook the tech world by confirming WhatsApp with $ 19 billion just five years after WhatsApp launched. Although this is a bold move, but if you pay attention to the trend of messages, it is not too surprising. Zuckerberg realized the time spent using Messenger apps is reducing the time spent on his social platforms (Facebook & Instagram). And when Facebook messenger could not overcome WhatsApp's reputation, Zuckerberg conducted the method: "If you can't beat 'em, buy' em" – "If you can't beat it, buy it".
Facebook is not only the only social networking platform to invest heavily in messenger features. SnapChat's entire hypothesis is based on the idea of texting friends and proving great success. This is not only the most popular social networking platform for teenagers, but according to Gizmodo , SnapChat now has about 150 million active users per day, more than Twitter.
SnapChat's success is based on the core of the application: messaging. It gives users the ability to keep it secret (if they want to) and only share some snaps with the users they want. This is inherently different from traditional social networks like Facebook and Twitter, because the only option is to display all messages to your entire network. Without a doubt, the ability to capture control of a subject is snap, which is the reason for driving traffic, especially for young people. Combining the meaning of security with other fun features like filters to stickers, we understand why SnapChat is so successful.
Network operators are imitating
We are not the only ones who realize how messenger applications dominate the market. Both Google and Apple continue to make regular updates to their own messenger apps. Apple has announced a series of new changes related to Messenger that came with iOS 10 this fall: emojis are predictable, full-screen visual effects … Google also added many image features. Go to the messenger app like the GIF creation feature in the keyboard.
Apple and Google found their applications no longer dominate the market, and are facing a great threat as competitors continue to grow and defeat Apple and Google in their own game. Both technology giants act too late and miss the signs of social networking trends that make these applications more interactive. As a result, they are scrambling to move forward while many are heading towards better choices
What can Mobile Marketers learn from Messenger apps?
Do not underestimate the power of messaging features within the application. We are innate social creatures, thanks to modern technology, with each generation, the need to share is even more compelling.
For example, FitBit has done a great job of messaging features to encourage more app sessions. They not only bring a leaderboard to show their most active friends, but also give them the ability to challenge friends, cheer or message them. This feature has boosted the app sessions, and users can feel the community in FitBit. Users can be motivated by connecting friends based on the same fitness goals:
Spotify is another good example of messaging application exploitation. Found a new good song? You can share with Spotify friends directly in the app or even message those songs to people outside Spotify. This feature increases discovery, increases app sessions and even cheers new users to use the application:
Integrating messaging elements in the application allows users to keep social status in a group of friends with similar interests instead of propagating each of their activities to the world. When users have created their own small community, this is an extremely effective way to promote engagement and retain users.
Source: IDE Academy via Info.Localytics