WhatsApp is prevalent in South Africa. WeChat is widely popular in China. Snapchat’s biggest market is Ireland. A new report has determined the top three messaging apps – WhatsApp, WeChat and Snapchat – in various markets around the world.
GlobalWebIndex released its findings of the three messaging apps last week regarding the percentage of usage by online adults.
The report discovered that WhatsApp has an enormous presence in South Africa, Malaysia, India, Mexico and Spain. Snapchat’s ubiquity among adult consumers isn’t immense but its most popular markets include Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, India and the United States. WeChat is most dominant in the Asia-Pacific: China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan.
The most interesting part of these findings is the fact that Snapchat is a multi-billion-dollar company but its share of the messaging app market, particularly in the U.S., is rather low. The video messaging application is worth about $10 billion and CEO Evan Spiegel is planning an initial public offering soon.
How Messaging Apps Can Affect B2B Marketing
Marketing gurus and tech experts believe 2015 is the year for brands to fully utilize messaging apps when connecting with consumers in their social media strategies. As messaging apps adoption continues to soar, the WhatsApp and Snapchats of the world could begin to snatch ad dollars from conventional social media leaders.
Indeed, B2C brands already maintain a strong presence on this medium. But B2B brands are asking the question: where do we fit in?
Analysts liken the current quandary for B2B brands to the pioneer days of Facebook and Twitter. Digital marketers were unsure how to move forward with advertising efforts on the social media outlets. After trials and errors consumers hopped on the Twitter bandwagon, followed by B2C brands and then finally B2B brands.
Of course, this trend was a long process, and the very same thing could take place on messaging apps. However, perhaps both B2B and B2C brands have learned their lessons and are now embracing marketing strategies on messaging apps. Essentially, messaging apps can be more attractive than social media because of popularity, the ability to cut through the noise, boost brand loyalty, direct communication, surprise the media and remain ahead of tech trends.
The final point in that list is very important for the B2B industry because many accuse of it being antiquated and behind the times.
Brian Honigman of Honigman Media provided a glimpse into how a chat marketing initiative could work. For instance, it could be similar to Gmail ads: clandestine, hyper-relevant and contextual links to certain apps or websites. Content distribution could be another method.
Unfortunately for B2B companies, it remains unclear as to how they can leverage messaging apps. Whatever the case, a B2B marketing strategy needs to be employed as soon as possible.
Best Messaging Apps for B2B Brands
It seems messaging apps are popping up every single day. A simple search on Google Play will result in pages of an array of messaging apps. However, it could be difficult for B2B brands to pinpoint the best one.
Earlier this year, we published a primer on newcomer Yik Yak, a social media messaging app for the Android and iOS. What makes it unique is the fact that it connects people anonymously within a 10-mile radius. This close proximity permits users to share more relevant content (no photos, videos or links), whether it’s writing, responding or voting up or down certain “yaks.”
This messaging app could prove lucrative for tech-savvy B2B brands that want to target specific audiences in precise locations. Or, as Stephanie Medeiros wrote in her primer of Yik Yak:
“Special, targeted promotions can be placed into a Yik Yak community and when people open up the app to browse through their timeline, that user can find the promotion and redeem it. Alternatively, it could be used as a type of ‘treasure hunt’ game by savvy businesses looking for a unique guerilla marketing campaign to try for branding, new marketing campaigns, or even competitions and sales.”
Youth may not be instantly ecstatic with B2B marketing, but as they get older and mature and become professionals the investment will pay off.
Image source: GlobalWebIndex.net
