Five Ways Retailers Can Use Messaging Apps to Stay Top of Mind
There was a time not so long ago when retailers were clamoring to launch their own apps as a way to reach their customers on mobile. However, today, the majority of smartphone download no new apps a month, spending the lion's share of their time in just 10 top apps. The fact is retailers can no longer rely on shoppers to download their apps — they have to reach them where they are already spending their time. And with more people using messaging apps to connect with the people and businesses they love, retailers are starting to integrate messaging into their mobile marketing strategy.
Here are five ways retailers are using messaging to stay top of mind — and drive results:
Try before you buy
While online shopping enables you to make purchases, well, anywhere, being able to visualize the product in your physical space is crucial, whether it's the ability to try on a pair of glasses or match a set of throw pillows to your couch.
In fact, even with the rise of online shopping, the ability to see, touch and feel products is one of the top reasons consumers choose to shop in stores versus online. Augmented reality has the power to change that. If websites brought the store to your screen, AR brings the store to your space.
Sephora is doing this with their newly released AR effect in Messenger. People are able to browse through different makeup looks like “smoky eye” and “monochromatic warm”, try them on using AR and then capture the look using their camera. They can easily share the picture of themselves trying on the look with friends or loved ones to receive input, and can then purchase products directly within the Sephora.
Shipping updates and receipts
Messaging is a great way to send people things like receipts, order confirmations and shipping updates, all in real-time and in the context of your conversation. No more sifting through emails for tracking numbers or whether a package is set to arrive this week or next; and what's more, you can communicate updates on the fly. We are seeing household names like Zullily and 1-800-Flowers using Messenger to send customers updates in a way that is conversational and accessible.
Seasonal Moments
During the busy holiday season, messaging is a great way to stand out in the sea of discounts while delivering a more tailored shopping experience. For example, Saks Fifth Avenue launched its gift-guide experience for Messenger days before Black Friday to help shoppers figure out the best gift for their friends and loved ones. The bot asks shoppers several questions about the person they’re looking to buy for, including favorite drinks and vacation spots, and suggests relevant gifts from Saks.com. According to Caroline Klatt, CEO of Headliner Labs, the agency that built Saks' messaging experience, the bot tracks conversions and clicks over time and will adjust its future gift suggestions based on what people have purchased or browsed. This is a great example of a brand capitalizing on holiday momentum to re-engage customers throughout the year in a way that is personalized and conversational.
Exclusive offers
Because of the personal nature of one-to-one messaging, it is well suited for delivering limited-time or quantity offers and creating an aura of exclusivity for your customers.
For example, Nike, who has been re-imagining the 'shoe drop' for their members on the SNKRS app, took this evolution one step further by debuting a launch experience exclusively on Messenger earlier this month. Using an emoji “secret knock” people were able to unlock access to the Kyrie 4 Red Carpets, a limited release shoe. Once they entered the correct “secret knock”, the camera would open, “unlocking” the shoe, which using augmented reality was placed on a pedestal in their physical environment.
People could then walk around and engage with the shoe before returning to the Messenger experience where they could purchase the shoe right then and there. Using messaging, Nike was able to deliver an exclusive offer in an interactive and engaging way. And what's more, after dropping the Kyrie 4s exclusively in Messenger, SNKRS sold out of the shoe in under an hour.
Stefanos Loukakos is the head of Messenger Business at Facebook.
Here are five ways retailers are using messaging to stay top of mind — and drive results:
Try before you buy
While online shopping enables you to make purchases, well, anywhere, being able to visualize the product in your physical space is crucial, whether it's the ability to try on a pair of glasses or match a set of throw pillows to your couch.
In fact, even with the rise of online shopping, the ability to see, touch and feel products is one of the top reasons consumers choose to shop in stores versus online. Augmented reality has the power to change that. If websites brought the store to your screen, AR brings the store to your space.
Sephora is doing this with their newly released AR effect in Messenger. People are able to browse through different makeup looks like “smoky eye” and “monochromatic warm”, try them on using AR and then capture the look using their camera. They can easily share the picture of themselves trying on the look with friends or loved ones to receive input, and can then purchase products directly within the Sephora.
Shipping updates and receipts
Messaging is a great way to send people things like receipts, order confirmations and shipping updates, all in real-time and in the context of your conversation. No more sifting through emails for tracking numbers or whether a package is set to arrive this week or next; and what's more, you can communicate updates on the fly. We are seeing household names like Zullily and 1-800-Flowers using Messenger to send customers updates in a way that is conversational and accessible.
Seasonal Moments
During the busy holiday season, messaging is a great way to stand out in the sea of discounts while delivering a more tailored shopping experience. For example, Saks Fifth Avenue launched its gift-guide experience for Messenger days before Black Friday to help shoppers figure out the best gift for their friends and loved ones. The bot asks shoppers several questions about the person they’re looking to buy for, including favorite drinks and vacation spots, and suggests relevant gifts from Saks.com. According to Caroline Klatt, CEO of Headliner Labs, the agency that built Saks' messaging experience, the bot tracks conversions and clicks over time and will adjust its future gift suggestions based on what people have purchased or browsed. This is a great example of a brand capitalizing on holiday momentum to re-engage customers throughout the year in a way that is personalized and conversational.
Exclusive offers
Because of the personal nature of one-to-one messaging, it is well suited for delivering limited-time or quantity offers and creating an aura of exclusivity for your customers.
For example, Nike, who has been re-imagining the 'shoe drop' for their members on the SNKRS app, took this evolution one step further by debuting a launch experience exclusively on Messenger earlier this month. Using an emoji “secret knock” people were able to unlock access to the Kyrie 4 Red Carpets, a limited release shoe. Once they entered the correct “secret knock”, the camera would open, “unlocking” the shoe, which using augmented reality was placed on a pedestal in their physical environment.
People could then walk around and engage with the shoe before returning to the Messenger experience where they could purchase the shoe right then and there. Using messaging, Nike was able to deliver an exclusive offer in an interactive and engaging way. And what's more, after dropping the Kyrie 4s exclusively in Messenger, SNKRS sold out of the shoe in under an hour.
Stefanos Loukakos is the head of Messenger Business at Facebook.