Why Interactive Instant Messaging Improves Cross-Channel Strategy
The interactive instant messaging features of platforms like WhatsApp are transformative. The capabilities enable seamless, bi-directional experiences, enhancing customer interactions and reducing friction.
Being a successful marketer today means one thing: understanding your customers. By knowing more about them and their interests, marketers can provide meaningful and valuable experiences.
To make that happen, brands should focus on engaging with their customers on the channels that matter most to them.
The most successful way to do this is to build a cross-channel engagement strategy that includes a range of different messaging options—such as in-app messaging, push notifications, email, and SMS. However, with the right tools, marketers can take their engagement strategies further.
In recent years, core marketing channels have expanded and become more sophisticated. With more flexibility and new features, marketers can now demonstrate greater value while providing their customers with a voice in the experiences they have with a brand. One trend driving this evolution is the rise of interactive instant messaging.
There are a number of messaging channels that can support interactive messaging, however, WhatsApp is emerging as a key instant messaging service for marketers.
WhatsApp leading the way for marketers looking to engage in real-time
WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular 1:1 messaging platforms, with two billion monthly active users in over 180 countries. As a channel for customer engagement, it’s no surprise that it offers marketers the ability to contact their customers on a massive scale and global reach. It’s also quickly becoming an essential channel for marketers around the world. Braze research shows that global brands are increasingly interested in leveraging these messaging apps above all other channels for communications with their customers. In fact, according to the Braze Customer Engagement Review, 47% of marketers said they are using or plan to use messaging apps.
As WhatsApp is built for two-way messaging, it offers marketers the tools to be truly personalised in its messaging, facilitating rich conversational experiences. Marketers have also begun to use WhatsApp alongside more traditional channels like email, mobile and in-app messaging. It’s no longer just about customer support but also a channel for transactional and promotional marketing messages. Marketers are now able to engage with customers on a channel ingrained in everyday life—all customers need to do is opt-in.
Thanks to a range of features built within WhatsApp, businesses are able to build stronger customer relationships that can drive more revenue.
However, to maximise the platform’s potential, marketers will have to assess the best ways to effectively incorporate WhatsApp into cross-channel strategies.
Effectively incorporating Whatsapp in the marketing mix
For a recent and successful campaign incorporating WhatsApp, let’s look at Floward, the go-to online flowers and gifts delivery destination in MENA and UK.
For their Valentine’s Day campaign, Floward used a cross-channel strategy featuring WhatsApp, push notifications, in-app messages, and email, powered by the Braze platform. Personalised, segmented messages were deployed, resulting in reduced churn and increased sales.
Floward’s strategy led to higher engagement and conversion rates. However, WhatsApp messages generated the highest revenue and conversion rates of all channels used, significantly improving user engagement and re-engaging inactive users. The read rate for messaging sent on WhatsApp was significantly higher, with 1 in 2 (55%) messages read. This resulted in increased customer retention, higher lifetime value, and enhanced brand loyalty.
Floward’s own testimony underscores this. “Braze has played a key role in strengthening our customer relationships by enabling us to deliver personalised, timely communications across multiple channels, including WhatsApp. With Braze’s powerful segmentation and real-time data analysis, we’ve seen significant improvements in engagement, retention, and overall customer satisfaction, allowing us to build more meaningful connections and drive better results for our business.” — Mohamed Mousa, Chief Marketing Officer, Floward
Diversifying Your Channel Mix for Maximum Impact
Incorporating new channels like WhatsApp into a broader cross-channel strategy can deliver powerful results. Not only does it expand the reach of marketing efforts, but it also enhances customer engagement, leading to higher conversion rates and improved customer lifetime value.
The two-way messaging capabilities of instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp are game changers. In a fast-paced landscape with an abundance of choice, cutting through the noise and delivering bi-directional experiences to each customer provides a more frictionless experience with a brand.
