Social Media Messaging Apps: 4 Points Brands Should Understand

In just a few short years, social media messaging apps such as Snapchat, Line, WeChat, and WhatsApp have brought together millions of users around the world.  And those numbers are rapidly growing.

Brand strategists, marketers, and B2B providers have recognized the potential in these new fields and are successfully creating niche markets through those apps.

Larger brands are trying to find a seamless way to mix delivery of content while offering app-exclusive value to a loyal customer and client base, while some apps, such as WeChat, are being used by individual entrepreneurs as direct marketing platforms.

While an expanded marketplace is usually welcome in business marketing, it is important to note that each of the above mentioned social networks serves a different purpose in the market, caters to different consumer demographics, and employs different revenue-generating strategies. The good news about these differences is that whether you are a manufacturer, product distributor, or a service provider, there are strategies that will fit your marketing needs.

Differences aside, what these apps share in common is that they are all highly influential media platforms with the potential to instantaneously connect massive amounts of people and enable the instantaneous sharing of content and ideas. In order to successfully tap into these markets, your brand should understand the following points about social media messaging apps:

1. MESSAGING APPS ARE NOT DONE EXPANDING.

According to a report by ComScore, the majority of digital media consumption today is now focused on mobile app activities. Facebook Messenger, GroupMe, and Line saw the most growth from April 2014 to April 2015, increasing their user bases by 138 percent, 92 percent, and 73 percent respectively.

Not only are more people using apps, but they are now spending more time on them than ever before. Apps now account for seven out of every eight minutes of media consumption on mobile devices.

Instagram is the runaway powerhouse of the messaging apps with 12 billion minutes in user time spent, while Snapchat racked up about six billion minutes—an impressive mark given its narrower demographic base and lower overall audience reach.

2. MESSAGING APPS ARE THE DOORWAY TO THE MILLENNIAL MARKET.

Snapchat, with 74.9 percent millennial users, Kik, with 68.4 percent, and GroupMe, with 65.6 percent, all skew toward younger users, according to the ComScore report.

The good news for brands is that millennials are using messaging apps for more than just chatting with friends. They also use them to share pictures, videos, and other blog-like content, which are the same marketing strategies that most brands are using on these apps.

Distributors and service providers will benefit from the delivery of mixed media and written content to niche audiences and potential clients. One interesting trend to take note of is that a majority of millennials prefer the smaller apps over the older and larger social networks, such as Facebook.

3. MESSAGING APP USERS WILL INTERACT WITH BRANDS.

A recent study by MEC reports that 63 percent of 18–34 year olds surveyed stated they are active mobile app users, and 46 percent of those are likely to engage with brands that interest them.

Moving beyond millennials to all users surveyed, the number of users willing to engage with brand categories jumped up to a total of 79 percent. Almost 80 percent audience engagement across the board is very good news for manufacturers and distributors.

“As messaging apps like Snapchat, Kik, WeChat and WhatsApp continue to amass users, marketers are just beginning to test out ways to utilize to their advantage. We’ve been watching as these apps quickly move beyond utility to offer both brands and their fans enhanced content experiences. Savvy brands that seamlessly integrate themselves into the conversation have the ability to not only deliver value, but to shape the future of this new environment.” - Rachel Pasqua, MEC

4. USERS ARE SEEKING VALUE THROUGH THE APP EXPERIENCE.

Messaging apps are portals through which brands can deliver content and a rewarding interaction with their customers. Brands should deliver both if they want to capture the entire available market.

MEC found 35–49 year olds are more likely than 18–34 year olds to engage with a brand if they are offered discounts on products. Millennials, however, are more likely to engage with brands that deliver relevant and meaningful content.