Matthias Mehner, chief marketing officer at MessengerPeople, a leading Software-as-a-Service messenger communication firm, says that messaging apps are on the rise.

2018 saw exciting and unexpected changes in the digital communication scene: traditional social media usage is falling, data protection laws are becoming stricter, and the varied but over-saturated digital landscape is making advertising trickier. 
One trend for 2019 is clear: messaging apps have positioned themselves as the dominating communication channel for companies focused on their customers.  WhatsApp and Apple Messages have begun offering enterprise business messaging, and both consumers and companies are turning towards messaging apps for customer service. Research institution Gartner has even predicted that in 2019, consumers will get in touch with businesses for customer support more over messaging than over social media.

WeChat in China has already made the leap from being primarily a consumer messenger to a profitable business channel as well, and LINE in Japan is similar. Now WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple’s Messaging App are catching on: they have already claimed their status as an integral part of daily life, and businesses are starting to profit from this too. 

Messaging apps: reaching everyone
The Asia Pacific region leads the world in mobile traffic consumption – but it’s not only local messaging apps that dominate usage. Next to the big regional players like WeChat and LINE, the most used messaging apps are global favourites: Facebook-owned Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

A study by We are Social showed that in the UK, WhatsApp reaches 70 per cent of the entire population, and that messaging apps are currently the most-used smartphone function. Even more interesting is a survey on digital transformation that shows that 65 per cent of mobile users specifically want to contact companies via chat!

This is great news for businesses. Messaging apps offer direct, personal, immediate connection to clients. No distractions, no algorithms, and no unnecessary downloads or logins. Automation allows both marketing and customer service to become more efficient and economical, all while providing an excellent service for customers. The messaging app newsletter statistics speak for themselves, with up to 95 per cent open rates and 35 per cent click rates.

Business opportunities for messaging apps
How exactly does a WhatsApp newsletter work? Can you personalize content distribution for different target groups? (Answer: yes!) What is the ROI of Messenger Marketing and what concrete KPIs can one expect? Can you integrate Chatbots and easy automation processes into your different channels? Is messenger marketing GDPR-compliant? (Spoiler alert: it is!) Which successful businesses are already using messaging apps?

In the Professional Messenger Communication Whitepaper by MessengerPeople, we have the answers to all these questions and more. This focused report is available for free download, offering:

• Messaging App User Statistics
• Strategy Checklists and Expert Tips
• A Deep Dive into the Rise of Messaging Globally And in The UK
• Use cases from The Washington Post, PrettyLittleThing, HolidayPirates & More
• An Inside Look into Marketing Innovation for The Mobile Landscape

Its crucial for modern businesses to meet customers where they spend most of their time: on their phone. Are you interested in meeting your business goals with messaging apps? Then take advantage of the comprehensive research in our Whitepaper and get started using messaging apps for customer service and content marketing.

Download MessengerPeoples free Whitepaper here today.