The growth of messaging apps is changing the way people interact with each other.
People are using messaging apps for much more than just texting. Messaging apps are being used to interact with the world of online business, sending questions to search engines and booking tables at restaurants. This is something we are seeing a lot these days. Almost all messaging apps have integrated new features to compete with others in the industry.
While the messaging app market may seem to have crossed 100+ million downloads, the fact is that technology and user behavior is evolving rapidly. This proves that there is room for new messaging apps to write their own success story for the future. For this, they must stand out from the existing apps and must be willing to be a step ahead of the trends.
Here are a few trending technologies that messaging applications must not skip:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Messaging apps are no longer confined to just texting as it has ventured into connecting customers to companies. Be it Facebook Messenger, Skype, Slack, Allo or any other popular messaging application, each of them supports chatbots that deals with marketing, customer support and other services.
Chatbots greatly promotes user engagement apart from being the selling feature of modern messaging applications.
Video capabilities
Today, every messaging app has video capabilities be it simple video calling options. Smartphone users are looking for such features as they have access to high bandwidth in which case, simple text messaging is not enough. Video capabilities provide an extra edge over the others in the market and the more innovative one gets, the greater visibility the app will get.
Payment options
Apple recently launched the new payment feature incorporated in iMessage in which users can make payments while texting. If payment through text is available to the user, it makes paying more convenient and handy with just a few steps. This trend is just catching up and you can expect it to go mainstream in a few years. Be it the payment for shopping to simple fund transfer to any contacts, everything can be done from the chat window.
Encryption
Security is a major concern for everyone using internet these days. With the new features like payments and video calling, messaging apps are handling almost all personal information which requires high level of security encryptions. While, we all know that Whatsapp already offers end-to-end security, other apps will also follow soon.
Social features
Most messaging apps are gradually transforming into social platforms by offering features like group chats, broadcasts and status sharing etc. And this trend is most likely to continue since messaging apps are being used by each one of us these days. We can surely expect a new level of social features being added in the coming years.
People love messaging and through messaging applications, brands are reaching their customers on a one-to-one level via the three most important components: Conversations, deep learning and extreme targeting
Conversations
Messaging encourages discussion which allows people to engage with each other whereas an ad in a magazine or TV does not allow anyone to engage with it. However, when companies interact with their customers through messaging app, customers have a chance to interact, ask questions and engage with the brand.
Learning
Every time you interact with the brand through messages, the brand is receiving data which it utilizes for learning. Any kind of communication that the brand has with you is a chance for them to understand their customers and provide better service in the future.
From these interactions, the company continuously improves its general strategy but on a granular level, by sending product offers that are more relevant to each individual.
Extreme targeting
The conversations and constant learning help the brands to perform extreme targeting. Every conversation between the consumer and the brand is a step towards knowing exactly what that consumer wants, needs, and will react to.
Finally, a combination of automation, chatbots, and a conversational mindset will be the most powerful form of marketing through messaging applications.
To put it in simple words, people like texting. While technology is outgrowing and messaging has been a part of our lives for a long time, we still continue to send a lot of messages only because of the advancement of features taking place. The features advanced from simple SMS to MMS, MMS to instant messaging which turned into Voip and then came video calls, chatbots and payments. If you want to develop your own messaging app, get in touch with us to discuss further.
