5 tips for brands to generate buzz via IM apps

We are currently experiencing the transition from traditional means of marketing to digital and more engaging ones. Within the realm of digital, innovations in marketing are rising in sync with the quick rise in technological innovations. Branded communications are getting more targeted and personal day-by-day, and what better way to target a personalised message to a consumer, than through the use of instant messaging (IM) applications?

We are all well aware of the smartphone phenomenon that has gripped the nation by storm. The primary reason for this is the level of connectivity that smartphones provide, through a plethora of IM apps such as WhatsApp, Hike, Snapchat, etc. However, among them, WhatsApp comfortably leads in India, with more than 50 million monthly active users. With such extensive and targeted reach, it is only natural to include WhatsApp in marketing strategies for brands.

Here are a few marketing tips on selling via IM apps:

Innovative ideas to create a buzz: If you need to quickly get a message out to more than one person at a time, the easiest way to do this is to 'broadcast' a message. The support of multi-media content also doesn't restrict the communications of the brands, thus paving more room for creativity and innovations. 'Klick', a premium chocolate brand, introduced a game 'Klick says' and asked users to invite Klick to their groups to start the game. Over 2,000 teens invited Klick to their groups, 91 per cent completed the task, and the buzz created a million impressions on Facebook.

Going personal for higher engagement: Nowadays, it is popular to share deals by brands on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, however, communication between the customer and the brand via IM apps gets personal and more engaging. HomeShop18, a digital commerce platform, provided customers in India with the option of subscribing to entertaining memes, updates on the daily offers (called Caturday sales) and exciting weekly offers via WhatsApp through their micro site. They were the first to adopt WhatsApp in their marketing strategy. Such initiatives garnered awareness and pushed customers to visit the shopping portal.

Integrate it in the marketing campaign: Working with the right mix of digital marketing on a campaign with a deep data analysis can provide a better perspective of selling products to the right kind of people. Text messaging is a form of personal interaction which can provide a direct conversation (an efficient feedback medium) while you promote your campaign. Personalised engagements with your audience during a campaign can provide a strong database of people that are aware of the campaign, and thus, create an effective word-of-mouth.

Use of rich media: WhatsApp offers the option of sharing images, voice recordings and videos. These can be utilised instead of just sharing text messages to have a greater impact on the recipients. The interactive HomeShop18 micro site provided customers the option of subscribing to entertaining jokes and memes weekly. Such an initiative kept the users engaged with the brand.

Keep the message engaging: Relevant and engaging messages create a better online reputation for the brand as the customer is engaged in a positive manner. For instance, the famous vodka company Absolut wanted to grant their Argentinean audience access to their exclusive guest list to celebrate the production of four million uniquely designed Absolut bottles. The unique approach of WhatsApp was used as a prime tool to select the guest invite list. Around 600 contacts convinced 'Sven' "the virtual doorman of the brand to give them a pass to enter. Thousand images, videos and audios were shared just in three days.

The future of WhatsApp is unknown but from what we've seen, it's personal and it works. It opens up a different content marketing avenue and will provide a great platform for a unified marketing strategy provided it is used wisely and keeping consumer sentiments in mind.

(Rais is the founder & CEO of Mindshift Interactive, a digital media agency. As told to Techcircle.in's Nikita Peer)