FINDING NEW WAYS TO CONNECT: BUILDING EMOTIONAL BRANDS WHERE IT MATTERS
Back in 2010, messenger applications were a new thing. WhatsApp was just scratching the surface, and other messenger apps outside of your phone’s native option were mostly paid apps with limited functionality.
The big promise of these apps, though, was to reduce the cost of sending SMS texts to your contacts because they were a fortune and would run-up your phone bill. In 2018, this is no longer the reason consumers spend a majority of their time on messenger apps. Messenger apps now provide a number of utilities for consumers, so much so that the average consumer now sends 200 direct messages per day on their messenger apps yet they post just 1 or 2 times on their social media platforms.
With this change in connectivity, the question is simple: How is your brand staying connected with your target audience?
Before we dive too fast into the answers, let’s start with the consumer because, yes, we do exist to serve them. If we are not providing a service, product, or message that taps into their needs then no amount of marketing will ever cut through to them.
Let’s meet our muse, we will call her Rachel.
Rachel is 23-years-old and social is at the core of her day. Rachel is a heavy communicator who prides herself on being always-on, meaning, she is connected 24/7 and expects to have access to everything she needs day and night. This hyper connectivity gives her a great sense of belonging and of her position in the social sphere, constantly trying to find ways to express herself and become known amongst those who matter to her.
Rachel and her friends are constantly active on multiple social networks and use social media not only to stay connected but to increase their social clout by sharing witty updates, checking in at the trendiest locations and showcasing their personal and professional accomplishments.
Why should you care?
With 81 million fake Facebook profiles, 60 million active business profiles, and 40% of users claiming they don’t like brand pages, how are brands expected to cut through the noise and build an emotional connection with our consumers?
Many believe they have untapped social potential and are constantly looking for ways to increase it. Their life-stage means their network is constantly expanding and they believe that being connected to a wide source of people and experiences brings with it social opportunities.
This means not only connecting with their different social circles, it also means connecting with people they trust. Today’s consumers are digitally native and socially-savvy individuals and want to be friends with brands just as much as brands want to be friends with them. If you are not available to meet their needs when, and where they are, you’re missing a huge opportunity to prove yourself as reliable and build those deep connections that brands always hope for.
The days of deciding who you want to target, throwing out bait and hoping something catches on should be long gone. We live in a consumer-first world, and we need to start to cater to those we want to connect with.
It’s all about meaningful connections
The world shifted from desktop to mobile over the past 10 years, and during that time hyper-connectivity became a non-negotiable part of our lives.
Today’s consumers live a digital life. We know they don’t trust brands, they trust people — they don’t want to make a purchase without a recommendation from a friend or someone else on the internet, so why not humanize your brand and start to build that trust between brand and consumer?
There’s a few things we know about today’s consumer that can help brands not only reach their community, but build an authentic connection with each of them, individually.
We all know traditional marketing strategies are in constant evolution, but they can make brands lose touch and even push away the consumer. This is why, recently, brands are accelerating into another “digital transformation”. They want to prove they are still relevant and have the capabilities to prosper in an ever-changing digital landscape. But how can a brand be expected to authentically change when organizations are still looking at digital as a function, not as a way of working.
There is a clear gap between current way of connecting and how the consumers live their lives. This is why, even more effective than a digital transformation, is putting the consumer at the heart of your strategies and plans.
More than simply understanding the digital platforms, today’s marketing leader must be native to digital — approaching digital as a mindset within their daily habits as well as their brand strategies.
Messenger Apps have outgrown Social Media
Messenger platforms are where it’s happening, yet companies and brands aren’t tapping into these spaces.
WhatsApp has 1.5 billion monthly users and over 55 billion messages are sent per day. Messaging is the most critical and time-consuming activity on mobile and brands are missing out if they don’t do something to connect with consumers in their natural habitat.
WeChat, China’s most popular multi-purpose messaging app, has over 1 billion monthly active users. 65 % of these users were born in the 80s and 90s, 83% of them purchase products online and the average user checks the app at least 10 times per day.
Although Facebook purchased WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger is still Facebook’s native messaging app with 1.3 billion active users across 200 countries.
All of these apps are free and allow users to text, video chat, voice chat, send photos, videos, and voice notes. Consumers spend time building connections with friends while logged into these apps, so why would your business not want to try and build those same connections with consumers?
Remix your marketing mindset
Brands need to break down the silos and meet the consumers’ needs, not force them to readjust their habits.
Brands are built on authentic relationships between product and consumer. Products need to serve a purpose, ease a pain point, and make your consumers’ lives better. The buyers’ journey and consumer experience with your brand should not only be pain free, but it should be simple and an enjoyable experience for the consumer.
There doesn’t need to be a wall, or 4 different landing pages between a consumer and brand interaction. It can be seamless, convenient, and within the context of the consumers’ everyday social interactions.
Why not place your brand where it matters most? You’re losing out by keeping yourself at a distance.
Over to you
Have you incorporated messenger into your marketing mix and what is your company doing to tap into this space?
Fabio is a modern marketer and have helped build iconic brands like IBM, Nokia and Nike. He thrives working in multi-cultural environments in six countries and have held various roles as a global leader with a focus on all things digital. Fabio also serve as a Board Member and Adjunct Professor at the Clemson University’s Erwin Center for Brand Communications. Connect with him here, here, or here.
