{"id":42801,"date":"2022-07-18T20:38:35","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T10:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onesaas.local\/blog\/tips-for-business-instant-messaging\/"},"modified":"2024-03-27T19:51:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:51:20","slug":"tips-for-business-instant-messaging","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/messagemedia.com\/nz\/blog\/tips-for-business-instant-messaging\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips to delight customers with instant messaging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Messaging is gaining momentum as a quick and easy way for customers to connect with businesses. From Facebook Messenger and Google Business Messages (GBM), to WhatsApp and SMS, there are platforms aplenty for instant messaging. And it\u2019s up to you to ensure that your team and your systems are up to the task of delivering a great experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter which platforms you\u2019re using, your goal is to leave your customers smiling (or, at least, not frowning) at the end of every interaction. Here are some key things to keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. You need to respond fast. Really fast.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s called \u2018instant messaging\u2019 for a reason. Customers expect a swift response \u2013 much faster than traditional channels like phone and email. If you don\u2019t deliver, you\u2019ll risk losing their business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s fast? Let\u2019s use Meta\u2019s \u2018Very responsive to messages\u2019 badge<\/a> as a guide (which, for the uninitiated, is a badge that automatically appears on your page if you\u2019re a fast responder). To earn this badge, you need a response rate of 90% or higher and a response time under 15 minutes. That\u2019s pretty fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, most customers give you a little more breathing space. Only 13% of customers<\/a> on social media expect a response within one hour, with 44% expecting you to respond anywhere from one to 12 hours later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t wait too long.  With Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, you\u2019ve got 24 hours to reply to the most recently received message. After that, you can\u2019t send a message to the customer on that channel. Google gives you much longer to continue the conversation \u2013 up to 28 days. But you\u2019ll still want to respond fast, because they can suspend your chat service for too many missed or slow replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP TIP:<\/strong> Turn on notifications<\/a>, so you always know if a new message comes in and you can shoot back a response, even if it\u2019s just, \u201cThanks for your message. We\u2019ll get back to you on Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Polish your profile and welcome message<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First impressions count. So make sure your business profile is professional, warm and welcoming. It should be true to your brand, speak directly to your customers\u2019 needs, and include all the helpful information you\u2019d expect from a business (like, opening hours, locations, your website, and so on).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the welcome message, which your visitors will see the first time they send you a message. Think of it as an ice-breaker to start a (hopefully rewarding) conversation with your customer. Because it pops up before you know what your customer wants from you, it\u2019s best to keep it fairly generic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a simple welcome could do the trick. \u201cHi [First_name], welcome to [Business_name]. How can we help you today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or something a little more direct. \u201cHi [Name]. We\u2019re closed right now, but will get back to you within 24 hours. That\u2019s a promise. So, how can we help?.\u201d To set up a greeting like this, you do it in the app for Messenger<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>; while for GBM and WhatsApp, you set it up during the MessageMedia onboarding process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. It\u2019s social, folks, so keep it friendly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Instant messaging has its roots in social media. So, you\u2019ll want to keep things friendly and personal. Talk to customers like you\u2019d talk to friends or family. Use their name. Use emojis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, people who use visuals like emojis in their messaging are 1.59 times more likely<\/a> to say they have \u2018great conversations\u2019 than those who don\u2019t. Yep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP TIP:<\/strong>  Want to add an emoji when typing your message within the MessageMedia portal? Easy. Just press Command<\/strong>+Control<\/strong>+Space<\/strong> (Mac) and Win<\/strong>+Period<\/strong> (PC) to bring up the emoji keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Stay one step ahead with templates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the messages start pouring in, you\u2019re probably thinking, \u201cHow am I going to stay on top of it all?\u201d A little preparation goes a long way here. Set up templates <\/a>that answer all the common queries you get, so there\u2019s no need to reinvent the wheel or tap out a whole new message every time. Instead, it\u2019s a simple cut and paste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another big benefit of templates? If you\u2019ve got a team of people responding to messages at different times, templates help everyone stay on-brand and tonally consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP TIP: <\/strong>Get inspiration for your templates from our huge catalogue of SMS templates<\/a>, which can easily be repurposed for other messaging platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Grab your customers\u2019 details, just in case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On some channels, you only have 24 hours to respond to a customer who messages your business. With this in mind, it\u2019s a good idea to ask for your customer\u2019s details so you can follow up in another way if needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if a customer asks a question about product availability, and you need to check in with your supplier, you could respond saying, \u201cThanks for your query, [NAME]. We\u2019re checking with our supplier. Meantime, please share your mobile number so we can update you when I hear back from them (as a business, we can\u2019t message you back on this channel after 24 hours).\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just remember, If they give you their mobile number, you can only use it to continue the current conversation. You can\u2019t add them to your list for SMS marketing unless you explicitly ask them for permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got questions about our multichannel hub?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re an early user of our new multichannel inbox, we\u2019re here to help<\/a> with support and guidance as you put the power of multichannel messaging to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38648,"menu_order":60,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"popular":false,"coming_soon":false,"link":"","footnotes":""},"blog_category":[],"class_list":["post-42801","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Tips to Delight Customers with Instant Messaging | MessageMedia New Zealand<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether you\u2019re using Messenger or WhatsApp, Insta or Google Business Messages, some common rules apply for sending great messages. 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