Live chat is a powerful customer service tool that enhances support team efficiency through multitasking capabilities and automation. Many customers, like myself, also frequently use similar chat features in casual settings, such as texting, instant messaging, or "DMing."
For example, recent survey data shows that 65% of consumers use social media messaging apps to contact customer service. And, 55% of consumers even prefer to communicate with businesses using these apps over other communication channels.
It's essential for businesses to adapt and integrate popular mobile and social media messenger apps into their customer service platforms to meet evolving customer communication preferences effectively. In this post, let's explore some popular mobile and social media messenger apps.
What are social media messaging apps?
Social media messaging apps are software applications that enable users to exchange messages, photos, videos, and various multimedia content online. While primarily used for personal communication among friends and family members, these apps also serve as a platform for businesses to engage with their customers and clients.
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Most Popular Social Media Messaging Apps
1. Facebook Messenger
With 1.3 billion monthly active users, Facebook Messenger is arguably the most popular mobile messenger app. According to recent survey data, 43% of consumers have used it for customer service in the past year. With numbers like these, businesses should look to use a powerful social media platform that consistently attracts and engages new users.
Because of its popularity, Facebook Messenger is easily integrated into most help desk solutions. It has features like instant replies, automated messages, and personalized greetings that improve your team's productivity. And, chat threads are easy to initiate. Customers simply click on the "send message" button and it triggers an immediate conversation with your team.
2. WhatsApp
WhatsApp has the most users out of all the platforms on this list with two billion active users in over 180 countries. For many people, WhatsApp provides a cost-effective alternative to texting, especially when communicating internationally. Unlike most standard SMS messaging, WhatsApp doesn't charge its users to send messages to different countries.
WhatsApp hosts a range of features that are useful for customer service teams. For example, it has voice messaging that records speech and sends it via text. It also has a document-sharing tool that lets you send PDFs, spreadsheets, slideshows, and more to your customers. Together, these features allow your team to provide in-depth troubleshooting steps that guide customers to solutions without overwhelming them.
3. Instagram Direct
With over one billion monthly users, and 500 million using the platform daily, it's hard to ignore Instagram as a viable customer service medium. And, Instagram Direct has plenty of cool features that support professionals can use to provide better service to their customers.
One unique feature that Instagram supports is video chat. If a customer is having trouble understanding what your rep is trying to say, they can launch a video call directly from the chat interface. Reps can also loop in other teammates while on the call, so they can escalate issues without having to end or transfer the chat. This helps support teams avoid costly friction and provide delightful customer experiences.
4. Twitter Direct Message
Twitter is an excellent channel for customer service because it promotes the rapid sharing of information. It has 330 million users and 67% of businesses are actively using the platform.
With Twitter being an open forum for customer opinions and questions, direct messaging provides a private space where businesses and customers can exchange information. Rather than working on a complicated issue over a series of tweets, direct messaging creates a 1:1 channel where communication is consolidated into one thread. Reps can search for past conversations and recall important details from previous interactions with your followers.
5. WeChat
WeChat is China's most popular messaging app with over 1.1 billion users on the platform. Since some social media networks aren't available worldwide, WeChat provides alternative options for people to communicate digitally.
One cool feature that WeChat provides is its barcode scanner. Instead of asking people to provide personal information, WeChat users can scan a unique barcode that automatically adds contacts to their database. This not only saves users time but provides additional security for sensitive information.
6. LINE
LINE is a Japanese messaging app that's similar to WhatsApp. It has 217 million monthly active users who can text, call, and video chat for free. Customers can also follow their favorite brand accounts and receive updates and coupons that your business shares. And, for a little added fun, LINE has over 10 thousand stickers and emojis that can be used to spice up chat conversations.
7. Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app that prioritizes security for its users. It has 200 million active users and aims to have over one billion by 2022.
To ensure security, Telegram provides a few unique features that protect messages from falling into the wrong hands. For instance, businesses can encrypt messages to prevent unauthorized access, and even set "self-destruct" timers that delete the message after a certain period of time. This is particularly useful for B2B businesses that may be exchanging sensitive information that hackers would have an interest in.
8. Skype
Even though Skype is one of the earliest messaging apps to go to market, it's still a popular service with over 300 million people using the platform monthly.
Skype is perfect for 1:1 customer service because it hosts a variety of communication options. You can call a customer, chat with them face to face on video, or simply send instant messages back and forth. This is ideal for smaller customer service teams that don't have a large customer base and can afford to spend more time working with customers directly.
9. TikTok
As of May 2024, TikTok has amassed over 50 million daily active users. And yes, you read that right, daily.
While TikTok is known for its buzzing algorithm of quick videos and marketing, it's an underrated means of communicating with your customers. According to our survey data, 7% of consumers have used TikTok DM for customer support in the last year, and I believe that number will only climb as business owners increase their presence on the platform.
9. Snapchat
Snapchat, while intended for younger demographics like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, is a better way to reach customers than you think.
Using Snapchat for customer support enables real-time interactions and visual communication that its users love, fostering engagement and personalized interactions that resonate with younger audiences. The platform's ephemeral nature also adds a sense of urgency and exclusivity to customer interactions, driving customer interest and loyalty.
10. Zendesk Chat
Zendesk Chat is beneficial for customer support as it offers real-time interactions, automated workflows, and chatbot integration, enhancing efficiency and customer service quality.
The platform's customization options and robust analytics tools also allow businesses to personalize support experiences and track performance to continuously improve service delivery.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in April 2020 and has since been updated for comprehensiveness.
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