It’s been seven years since Facebook bought Instagram, and five since it bought WhatsApp. So we’ve all known this day would come at some point: Facebook recently announced plans to integrate the messaging portions of all three into one single-source messaging platform.
Details are still scarce and the actual rollout may not happen for another year, but the impact on communication is huge. For users, it’s going to mean the convenience of not flipping between apps to keep in touch with all of their contacts across different platforms. For Facebook, it meant a way to remain relevant among younger users, a huge demographic for WhatsApp’s platform.
But nowhere is the potential as huge as it is for anyone looking to market their business online. Fortune favors the early adapters, so now is the time to start preparing for what we’re going to call The Great Integration™. OK, we didn’t trademark it. But we’re still going to say we came up with it first.
So what does The Great Integration™ mean for your business? Well…
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Your Reach Just Got Gigantic
Between the three apps, these messaging platforms reach 2.6 billion people. Depending on your business, it may not help you all that much that you can now seamlessly connect with the under-25 demographic or user bases worldwide. But it couldn’t hurt.
Ultimately, no matter who your target is, this is going to make it easier for them to get in touch with you and find their way into your sales funnel. You’re in the connections business, and business just hit boom town.
You Have an Opportunity to Get Clever
If you haven’t been utilizing Chatbots in your customer service, The Great Integration™ might just give you a reason. These artificially intelligent customer service wonders offer up instant customer service, fine-tuned to your customers’ needs and available 24/7.
You may already be using a chatbot on your business’ Facebook messenger, and when all three of these platforms come together the conversion will be seamless, giving you one single chatbot platform to reach customers across the globe.
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It Might Even Offer an Alternative to Email Marketing
For the time being, email marketing is still critical to any online marketing plan. The medium’s pre-social media roots may give it an old-school reputation, but it’s still an incredibly effective way to build customer loyalty, entice potential buyers further down the sales funnel, build a brand and keep your business top of mind.
But it won’t always be that way. Especially as more users migrate toward instant messaging platforms. Current trends show open rates and click-through rates on a steady decline, down to 20% and 2.43%, respectively. Conversely, open rates for messenger platforms run closer to 60-80%, with click-through rates nearly 10 times their email counterparts.
Make no mistake, The Great Integration™ is going to be huge for online marketing. It’s the wave of the future, and it will be lead by those who get there first.
Do you want your business to be on top of all the latest industry trends?
Contact us today to get started!
