With the use of messaging apps on the rise, more and more marketers are looking to messaging as the next wave of social media marketing, the next big channel to reach out and connect with their target audience. But do people actually want to interact with brands via message?
Messaging, of course, has long been a more intimate communications process, reserved for your closest friends and relatives, as opposed to posting to all your followers - or everyone - via social platforms. Given this, we can't necessarily assume that brands will be welcome in that space.
To provide some perspective on this, OpenMarket recently conducted a survey of more than 500 Millennials to get their perspectives on messaging and how they feel about brands contacted them via text. Their findings showed that:
- 60% of Millennials prefer two-way text engagement with companies because it's convenient, fast, and easy to use
- 80% of Millennials would prefer to text a company's 1-800 number versus waiting on hold
- 42% of Millennials would like to receive fraud alerts from their financial providers, while only 19% currently do
Given the results, it's safe to say that Millennials are open to brands utilizing messaging to connect, particularly if it provides an improved service process, an important consideration for those looking to use messaging to business to keep in mind. OpenMarket compiled their full findings of their study into this new infographic.