Phone calls and emails are dead for the next generation of digital media users. Social media and mobile messaging completely dominate how the millennial generation and generation Z communicate with others today. More than 1.4 billion people used mobile messaging apps in 2016 (source: eMarketer), an increase of nearly 15% from 2015. By 2021, digital marketing analysts predict that the number of users will rise to 2.48 billion. For brands, these statistics serve as a glimpse into the future—if you think your customers hate having to call and wait on hold today, hold onto your hats; the customers of tomorrow will be furious.
Why Should Businesses be using Mobile Messaging Apps?
Quite simply, your business should be using messenger apps because your customers are using them, and they expect to find you there. Although the use of brands’ mobile apps has existed since 2008, we are in the midst “brand app fatigue”. Messaging apps, by contrast, are booming and will not bust anytime soon. And no one blames them: if consumers had to download an app for each brand they interact with, they would run out of space on their smart phone.
The biggest advantage to using a mobile messaging app for lead generation and customer service is its history – the continuous thread between customer and brand. An order confirmation email, even one prompting further action, often dies in an inbox. Conversations on messaging apps, on the other hand, are ongoing dialogues that never seize to exist. This difference makes follow-up conversation easier and more natural, affording you with the opportunity to up sell, cross sell, and encourage sharing.
YOUR NUMBER ONE MOTIVATIONAL REASON:
According to Business Insider, the 4 most popular messaging apps combined have more active users than the 4 largest social networks combined. And according to half of respondents to Nielsen’s Facebook Messaging Survey said they were more likely to do business with brands they are able to message and chat with directly.
The 4 Most Secure Mobile Messaging Apps of 2018
1. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the largest of the mobile messaging apps, sending more than 75 billion messages every day. Communication is based on phone numbers, rather than friend connections, as the app was initially branded as an SMS alternative. Recent additions like video messaging and document sharing have made the app more robust and popular. In terms of its security, if cyber thieves were to hack into WhatsApp today, they would not be able to decrypt or access your conversations. That is because of the encryption by Open Whispers System and because WhatsApp does not store your messages on its servers. However, given that WhatsApp is owned by Facebook and in light of the recent Facebook data breach, it would be wise to keep an eye on the steps Facebook is taking to protect its users’ data.
2. Signal Private Messenger
Signal Private Messenger is another free messaging app and is very easy to use. The one thing that stands out about it is that it is an open source – users can freely inspect the app’s code. For security, it uses an advanced end-to-end encryption to secure all the messages shared with other Signal users. There are other features like highly encrypted voice calls, group chats, media transfer, archive functionality, which require PIN codes or other login credentials to access. Its selling point? All messages can self-destruct after a set amount of time and cannot be recovered by anyone.
3. Viber
Viber is a cross-platform encrypted messaging app, which first appeared on Android devices in 2012. It can now be found on Blackberry devices, window phones, and iPhones too. If you are a seasoned Skype user, you will find that using Viber will be easy. In their latest encryption technology, end-to-end encryption service on all the available platforms. Another benefit to using Viber is that it uses a color-coded system to show how protected a conversation is.
4. Telegram
Telegram’s motto is a “messaging app with a focus on speed and security”. It offers end to end encryption as well and affords users with the opportunity to have “secret chats”, which could easily be accessed through advanced setting. Their winning point: once you delete messages on your phone’s app, the messages on the other side of the chat will be deleted as well. Users also have the option of setting the amount of days, photos, messages, videos, and files will be live until they self-destruct.
iRISEmedia – Digital & Social Media Marketing Company
iRISEmedia.com is a digital marketing agency, specializing in social media management and online branding. We strive to help clients create, manage and grow their social media and online presence. We service clients in Toronto and throughout Canada and the U.S. If you have any questions about how you can accommodate mobile marketing apps in your marketing initiatives, contact our digital marketing company in Toronto. Our digital marketing experts would be delighted to discuss the mobile messaging requirements for your particular company’s needs.
