Vratislav Holub Press Release: Social media is one of the most effective ways for brands to connect with and successfully communicate with their customers. Not convinced? Just look at Starbucks' campaign Holiday Red Cup Campaign, which caused quite a stir on Twitter. The simple announcement that customers could get a free limited-edition reusable mug with the purchase of one of the Christmas drinks kept the company top of mind on Twitter all day.
Twitter has long been a tool for brands to reach their customers. But another communication channel is gaining importance, namely the communication application. Marketers thus have another option to reach their current and future customers with news about products, campaigns and other activities.
Here are the top reasons why communication apps should not be missing from any communication mix for brands and retailers looking to maximize their marketing efforts:
Personal connection
Brands and retailers should focus on creating meaningful moments in their communications, and there's nothing that resonates with customers more than feeling like you're talking to them and only them. While platforms like Twitter allow you to communicate with the masses, communication apps do the exact opposite. They facilitate meaningful communication with individuals. And why is it so important? If a brand succeeds in communicating directly with individuals, a stronger bond is created between it and the individual, increasing the all-important brand loyalty.
Focus on how the customer feels
Everyone makes mistakes and that includes brands. Whether the mistake is big or small, it is essential to focus on solving the situation. To reduce customer dissatisfaction, it is important to give them the opportunity to express their frustration, disappointment or concern and to allow them to feel understood by the other party. Communication apps give space to such communication as it offers a place where customers can communicate with the other party in private.
Stand out from the competition
Incorporating communication applications into the communication mix gives brands the opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition. We often focus on reaching the maximum number of potential customers who logically feel like just a number. But we have the opportunity to differentiate ourselves and let customers know that they are important to the brand, that it is interested in their opinions and feelings. All this, with the help of targeted marketing, can lead to an improvement in the overall results of the company.
In 2020, we are sure to see an increase in the number of customers who want to interact with brands that care about their needs. Therefore, brands should use the potential that communication applications offer them and focus on how to improve personal communication with customers, take better care of them and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Debbi Dougherty is Vice President of Communications and B2B at Rakuten Viber. This communication platform is one of the largest communication apps in the world and currently has more than 1 billion users.
