One size doesn’t fit all in international customer outreach programs, according to Mitto, a leading provider of global omnichannel communications solutions.
When it comes to how global customers want brands to communicate with them, channel preference varies by almost every demographic, Mitto says. Whether it’s SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or others, different factors such as generation, geography, and the industry the company operates in, can determine the channel’s effective reach.
“What might work for a younger woman in the United States may not work for an older man in India, for instance,” says Laura Apel, SVP Marketing at Mitto.
A Global View
Research from Mitto found that 87 percent of US consumers use social media apps to message with brands, while 80 percent of consumers in China, Brazil, India, and Nigeria use chat apps for brand engagement.
Research among US consumers shows increased messaging with brands is driving their purchasing decisions, with 55 percent reporting a brand’s social media messaging influenced a purchase via the website, 39 percent in store and 42 percent via the social media app.
The types of messaging consumers like to see from brands via social media include promo codes (70 percent), sales (61 percent), customer support (54 percent) and order updates (52 percent).
Mitto has also found strong parallels globally among the chat apps consumers report using the most for personal use and for brand engagement, suggesting chat apps are used interchangeably for both purposes.
“As customers across the world continue to expect personalized experiences from their favorite brands, businesses aiming to create the best customer experience must implement an omnichannel messaging strategy to meet their customers at their channel of choice.”
She confirms an omnichannel strategy allows businesses to adopt multiple channels to engage with their customers “on the customer’s terms”, through any of their preferred channels.
Stronger Customer Experience
“When you give customers what they want with highly personalized messages, accessible across a variety of channels, brands create a stronger customer experience that will drive growth and brand loyalty. Our Conversations tool specifically allows for the type of dynamic, two-way communication customers desire,” maintains Apel.
Mitto’s application-to-person (A2P) messaging technology, via SMS and all major chat/social apps, extends brands’ ability to engage with customers on their favorite channels.
Messaging via various chat apps, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber, enables brands to send content-rich messages of up to 3,000 characters, and include images, videos, expressive content, interactive buttons and links, and live message status updates.
These rich communication channels, combined with Mitto’s intelligent, AI-powered A2P traffic routing – for fast, reliable delivery – gives brands personalized and high-impact ways to engage a global audience, “with simple and seamless integration”, says Mitto.
No matter which channels your customers are using, or what their location is, Mitto says it can help you build and maintain engaging relationships with them. To learn more, you can contact Mitto’s team of messaging experts here.
