Other Platforms Archives | Sprout Social Sprout Social offers a suite of <a href="/features/" class="fw-bold">social media solutions</a> that supports organizations and agencies in extending their reach, amplifying their brands and creating real connections with their audiences. Thu, 16 Mar 2023 18:27:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020/06/cropped-Sprout-Leaf-32x32.png Other Platforms Archives | Sprout Social 32 32 How the Sprout Social Salesforce integration strengthens your team https://sproutsocial.com/insights/sprout-social-salesforce-integration/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:58:11 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=159950/ There’s a reason more and more companies are linking their CRMs with social media management tools like Sprout Social: Optimizing your customer experience should Read more...

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]]> There’s a reason more and more companies are linking their CRMs with social media management tools like Sprout Social: Optimizing your customer experience should be at the forefront of your social media strategy.

Through a global partnership launched in 2022, Sprout and Salesforce are ushering in a new era of social customer care. The Sprout Social Salesforce integration empowers your brand to deliver world-class social customer care—all without interrupting your team’s workflow.

The Service Cloud integration ensures Salesforce customers can manage all of their social customer care requests directly from within Service Cloud while enriching customer CRM profiles with social data to provide a holistic view of customer interactions.

Want to speed up internal collaboration and uncover valuable customer insights at the same time? Our Salesforce integration empowers your social, sales and support teams alike.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how the Sprout Social Salesforce integration works. We’ll also highlight how the integration streamlines tasks across your entire business and makes it easier to prove the effectiveness of your strategies.

Why you need to integrate your CRM with social media ASAP

The importance of social media integrations with your business’ tech stack can’t be overstated. And your CRM platform should be a top priority.

This is especially true as customers rely on social media as a research tool, support channel and place to sound off about brands.

Looking at the top challenges of B2B marketers, the growing need for social media CRM integrations is clear. These challenges include:

  • Engaging buyers at the right time in the right channel (57%)
  • Giving the sales team relevant content to engage target buyers (23%)
  • Dealing with internal data silos and inefficiencies (17%)

The Sprout Social Salesforce integration addresses all of the above.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s dive into some of the key upsides of linking your CRM with your social presence.

Create a 360-degree view of your customer

Empower your agents with a complete customer 360 view before responding. Sprout Social enriches your Salesforce customer CRM data with social data to provide a comprehensive view. With this integration, agents can engage in real time with the right context.

Sprout’s Tableau Business Intelligence (BI) Connector takes it a step further by combining social data in an omnichannel view, customized with the exact visuals and metric combinations companies need. This delivers rich data options and visualizations that give users a complete view of their customers, without requiring time-consuming work.

Monitor make-or-break moments in the buyer’s journey

CRMs help businesses assist leads and customers on the path to purchase.

And social media is where so many crucial moments happen during that journey.

This rings true for B2B and B2C alike. Let’s assume that the typical B2B buyer’s journey is around eight months. Social interactions are a given for folks doing their homework on a product.

Meanwhile, recent research from TikTok describes consumer behavior as an “infinite loop” in B2C. The modern path to purchase is far from linear when people are bouncing between so many channels.

As customers bounce between platforms and content, social media serves as a place to make valuable touchpoints along the way. This includes answering questions and publishing educational content to nurture leads.

The same rules apply to existing customers. Data from The Sprout Social Index™ 2021 notes the majority of people that follow a brand on social intend to buy from them (or buy again).

Earn (and track) more social sales

The growth of social selling speaks for itself.

Do activities such as customer care and content marketing contribute big-time to closing and retaining leads? Of course.

Still, they’re difficult to track without a CRM.

With integrations like those between Sprout Social and Salesforce, it’s so much easier to attribute sales from social. The ability to quickly answer questions and handoff cases between social, sales and support likewise makes it easier to respond to people quickly.

Gather meaningful customer insights you might otherwise miss

The more info you have about your customers, the better.

Consolidating touchpoints between social media and your CRM gives you a more in-depth understanding of your audience. And by tapping into Sprout’s Tableau BI Connector, your team can access all consumer data in one place to get a birds-eye view of how social media fits into the larger picture.

Fact: 90% of marketers say data from social enables them to differentiate their brands in the market and stand out from their peers. Also, consider how many people use social media as a place to sound off about brands.

These conversations and activities provide insights for sales and support, including:

  • Sales objections
  • Pain points and challenges
  • Wants and needs
  • Competitor advantages (and disadvantages)

With all of the above on hand, your team can approach leads and customers with a much-needed sense of confidence.

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How does Salesforce integrate with Sprout Social?

Here’s a quick snapshot of the Sprout Social Salesforce integration and what you can do with it:

  • Create Salesforce contacts, leads and cases directly in Sprout. This means you can route social customers to support and sales without leaving Sprout or Salesforce.
  • Paint a complete picture of your CRM contacts with information and conversations via social media.
  • Tie your social presence to actual business results with analytics and reporting.
Sprout social salesforce integration link contacts
  • Respond directly within Service Cloud where agents work, reducing the need for multiple tools wrapped in a layer of governance and security.
Sprout Social within the Salesforce Service Cloud console

As an added bonus, our Salesforce integration is available on all Sprout plans. Features and requirements below:

  • Requirements: Salesforce account
  • Data types: messages, contacts, tickets
  • Key functionality: create leads, edit contact information, create cases, edit cases, auto-sync

What entities are available with the Sprout Social Salesforce integration?

Below is a breakdown of all the entities that can be created and edited directly within Sprout:

  • Leads: Kick off the sales process by identifying potential customers through questions, comments and other social media interactions.
  • Cases: Route customer issues or concerns posted on social to your support team without leaving the platform.
  • Contacts: Beyond customers, you can keep track of social interactions with contacts such as company partners.

To learn more, check out this detailed breakdown.

Sprout + Tableau + Salesforce

We understand there are times when you need to take social data outside of Sprout to combine with other data streams (including customer care and other marketing data), and to further customize it based on your company’s own internal preferences.

With Sprout’s Tableau BI Connector, you can combine the power of social data with other business channels. The tool enables you to analyze data, create custom metrics and merge different data sources.

A screenshot of a Tableau dashboard populated with Sprout Social data and other digital marketing data (banner ad impressions and email click through rates). The dashboard includes an interactive map that breaks down engagements per state.

This seamless and customized view gives you a consolidated source of truth for wider business insights and performance.

The integration:

  • Consolidates wider business updates
  • Builds your perfect dashboard
  • Accesses data without the dev network

For Salesforce users, this ensures social data and insights are included in your 360-degree view of your customers.

4 key benefits of using the Sprout Social Salesforce integration

To wrap things up, let’s look at some of the specific benefits of using a Salesforce social media integration like Sprout.

1. Provide better customer care

According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, there are two specific actions brands can take to earn consumer trust over a competitor:

  1. Respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of customer needs.

Our Salesforce integration can help you in both departments.

Again, logging social activity means a more comprehensive understanding of your customers’ wants and needs. Not having to bounce between your CRM and social tools is a huge time-saver. In turn, you speed up your response time.

sprout social salesforce integration case creation

Not only that, our intelligent case routing feature improves agent productivity and optimizes the customer experience through automated case creation and routing. Ensuring that inbound messages reach the right agent speedily—right inside of Salesforce.

The end result: Responding to customers faster and coming up with better solutions to meet their needs. Doing so is a recipe for long-term loyalty and retention.

2. Align your marketing, sales and support teams

Consider that 36% of marketers say they struggle with cross-team collaboration.

When marketing, sales and support are aligned, each team is empowered to do their best work. There’s so much room for error if you only log your customers’ social interactions sometimes.

Think about it. If marketing or sales leave out key customer details in your CRM, your support team is left in the dark. On the flip side, marketing should be aware of sales objections and concerns to better speak to customers’ desires.

Here are some specific ways that Sprout’s Salesforce integration can help:

  • Save time by eliminating needless back-and-forth between vendors, managers and social managers.
  • Swiftly route cases to avoid bouncing between tools.
  • Provide each team the context they need to serve your customers.
create a salesforce contact in sprout social

3. Boost the value behind your marketing content

Learning what makes customers bounce or stick around is invaluable for marketers.

Tracking these touchpoints can lead to the answers you need to create more impactful content and more meaningful marketing messaging overall. This includes:

  • Blog posts
  • Social posts (think: how-tos, tutorials and content you share to nurture customers)
  • Reports, white papers and other lead magnets
  • Webinars

For example, marketers might learn that high price points are the most common sales objection among lost leads. This information encourages the marketing side to reframe their messaging and how they speak to their audience.

4. More meaningful attribution via analytics

Perhaps most importantly, social integration with your CRM highlights the ROI of your team’s efforts.

This is an ongoing struggle for marketers, in particular. Although social media is a must-have for businesses, determining its business impact can be tricky.

That’s where Sprout comes in. Through our marketing and analytics features, brands can see how social engagements correspond with dollars and cents. Proving how these interactions contribute to revenue reinforces the value of social to stakeholders.

sprout social salesforce integration showing attribution for key metrics

And with our reporting functionality in Salesforce, you can keep track of your full omnichannel experience, including seeing which channels (e.g. phone, email, social) and social channels (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter) cases are being created from.

Salesforce Service Cloud console with Sprout Reporting

Food for thought: Sales strategy is the number one use case for social data, especially as social has more impact on the bottom line. However, only 65% of marketers use social data for their sales strategy.

This speaks to the importance of integrating social with your tech stack to advance the sophistication of your customer care.

When you need to aggregate all of your marketing, customer care and social data in one place, Sprout’s Tableau integration will help you best tell the story of your brand’s success on social and beyond.

Ready to try the Sprout Social Salesforce Integration?

From customer insights to better service, the upsides of linking your social presence with your CRM are crystal clear.

Thankfully, getting up and running with the Sprout Social Salesforce integration can be done sooner rather than later. Our platform makes it a breeze to beef up your tech stack while bringing your team closer together.

If you haven’t already, we invite you to request a demo of our Service Cloud integration or get setup via the AppExchange.

Don’t forget to take a peek at our other business integrations to see how else Sprout can help you level up your company.

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]]> 16 unexpected ways to use WhatsApp for business https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-use-whatsapp-for-business/ Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:55:34 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=159002/ Conversational marketing is on the rise, driven largely by consumers’ increasing expectations for convenience and tailored digital experiences. In fact, 90% of global consumers Read more...

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]]> Conversational marketing is on the rise, driven largely by consumers’ increasing expectations for convenience and tailored digital experiences. In fact, 90% of global consumers say they’ll spend more with companies that personalize the service they offer.

Coupled with recent government- and self-imposed restrictions on in-person shopping, more brands than ever before are turning to WhatsApp and similar messaging platforms to interact with customers in meaningful ways.

Today, millions of brands are using WhatsApp Business to build personal connections with consumers at scale. In this article, we’ll establish the growing importance of WhatsApp across business functions (not just marketing), showcase the ways some brands are using the app and highlight a few innovative tips for making the most of the network.

The benefits of using WhatsApp for business

For brands that use WhatsApp to engage with customers, there are a number of clear benefits.

Inventive ways to use WhatsApp for business

WhatsApp is more than just a place to answer one-off customer questions. Consider these ideas for integrating WhatsApp into your social media, sales or customer service strategies.

  • Optimize your profile: Use your WhatsApp business profile to share important information about your brand and provide answers to common customer questions.
  • Use digital catalogs: Create a digital catalog to help your customers discover your products or services.
  • Support customers: You can significantly reduce your reliance on call centers by outsourcing simple customer requests and queries to a WhatsApp-powered chatbot or digital assistant.
  • Share content via the Status feature: Use the Status feature to share content the same way you already do in your Facebook or Instagram Stories.
  • Develop creative marketing campaigns: Engage customers with an out-of-the-box marketing campaign.
  • Replicate core business processes: Identify key areas of your business that might be possible to replicate on WhatsApp.
  • Level up with ads: Use Facebook and Instagram ads that click to WhatsApp to initiate customer conversations that lead to sales.

7 WhatsApp Business account features to use

Once you create your WhatsApp Business profile, you’ll find a suite of tools you can use to scale your 1:1 messaging strategy on the platform. Here are seven that can help you make the most out of your presence on WhatsApp:

1. Quick replies

Quick replies are a great way to take some of the work out of addressing those frequently asked questions, like “when are you open?” or “is this in stock?”.

To set one up, all you have to do is click Quick Replies under the Business Tools section of WhatsApp. From there, you can create up to 50 unique replies that you can access via keyboard shortcuts.

A word to the wise: Start with 5-10 Quick Replies and add more as needed. That will make your new shortcuts easier to remember and use when talking to customers.

2. Automatic away messages

Adding 1:1 messaging to your strategy doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7. You can use away messages to set appropriate expectations with your customers and to give yourself a break as needed.

Away messages can be triggered by a few different scenarios, including:

  • When a customer messages you outside of business hours
  • During specific periods, like holidays or extended closures
  • When receiving high volumes of inbound messages

When you set up an away message, be sure to clearly state when a customer can expect to hear back from you. Remove as much ambiguity from the situation as possible for an improved customer experience.

3. Contact and message Labels

You can use labels to organize inbound messages and contacts on WhatsApp, similarly to how you might use labels to organize your email inbox.

When it comes to creating a label strategy, it’s a choose your own adventure game. However, if you want to keep your social media response times low, we recommend that you create a label specifically for unresolved issues. This will help keep them top of mind as you work to find the answer to a customer’s question.

4. Catalogs and collections

Use your WhatsApp Business account to drive social commerce sales by creating an inventory catalog within the app. Aside from the product title, all additional fields—price, description, website link, product code—are optional, so you can make your listing unique to your sales process.

You can also use collections to sort your catalog for easier browsing. For example, you can create a holiday-specific collection or one that features products currently on sale.

5. Catalog links

Once you create a catalog, you can share items in your catalog in conversations with customers. All you have to do is find the item you’d like to share and click Send link via WhatsApp Business.

Use this tool if a customer is asking about a specific item or to provide alternatives for items that have sold out. You can also use it to send loyal customers updates on items that have gone on sale.

6. Cart

While you can drive customers directly to your site using WhatsApp Business’s catalog feature, you can also create a more seamless checkout experience by encouraging them to complete their purchase in-app using the cart tool.

All you have to do is enable the Add to Cart feature within your catalog and your customers can handle the rest from there.

7. Broadcast lists

If a customer adds your business to their address book on WhatsApp, you can add them to a broadcast list. These lists help you send the same message to multiple customers at once, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Use this tool sparingly and with SMS marketing best practices in mind. If you use it too often, you risk alienating customers who appreciate your business enough to consider it a personal contact.

WhatsApp Business account vs. WhatsApp Business API

If you’ve been looking into setting up a WhatsApp Business account, you’ve probably also come across information on the WhatsApp Business API (also known as WhatsApp Business Platform).

Think of this as the next evolution of a WhatsApp Business account, designed for medium and large businesses to manage conversational marketing at a wider scale. The WhatsApp Business API provides access to the tools listed above, along with advanced marketing and customer care features, including:

  • Multi-agent access
  • Profile verification
  • Multimedia message templates
  • Message variables for personalization
  • Interactive messages

Of course, advanced tools come at an advanced price point. WhatsApp Business API also has a conversation-based pricing model whereas WhatsApp Business Accounts are free. Businesses using the WhatsApp Business API receive 1,000 free conversations per month, with monthly rates increasing depending on the number of user- and business-initiated messages sent within the billing period.

16 brands that demonstrate how to expertly use WhatsApp for business

Brands are using WhatsApp in a variety of ways that expand their customer-facing and internal capabilities. The following examples highlight use cases in customer service, financial services, marketing, human resources and pipeline growth.

Customer service

1. Vodafone, a German telecommunications company, has embraced WhatsApp for customer messaging, reaching more than 200,000 customers via this channel each month. Their artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, TOBi, recognizes more than 250 customer needs and will only pass requests over to employees if it encounters an issue it is not equipped to solve. More than half of these interactions result in a solution for the customer, removing the need for live customer service support in many cases.

Vodofone's chatbot Tobi helps with simple customer service requests

2. Estée Lauder was the first major beauty brand to use WhatsApp to offer personalized skincare consultations for customers. Liv, an AI chatbot, was developed in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to replace over-the-counter consultations customers previously had in department stores. These digital conversations help customers understand how to use the company’s products and gather tips for maintaining an effective skincare regimen.

Estee Lauder's chatbot Liv helps with simple customer service requests

3. Nissan Saudi Arabia, looking to engage younger customers and reduce its reliance on call centers, began using WhatsApp to handle inquiries and nurture sales. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, people under 30 years old make up nearly three-fourths of the population. To reach that market, Nissan developed an automated chatbot powered by WhatsApp that could answer simple customer questions without the need to transfer them to the call center. After the launch of the chatbot, leads increased 390% and inbound calls were reduced by 33%.

Nissan Saudi Arabia's chatbot helps with simple customer service requests via WhatsApp

Financial services

4. One of Spain’s leading insurance providers, Mutua Madrileña, offers personalized messaging for customers via WhatsApp on more than 1,000 topics. In the first six months of using this new channel for customer support, the company had received nearly half a million messages, making up 23% of digital customer inquiries. In late 2020, the brand became the first insurer in the country to allow customers to submit automobile accident claims via their WhatsApp virtual assistant, resulting in a process that is now 30% faster.

mutua madrilena uses whatsapp for banking

5. WhatsApp banking is also a thing. Many banks, primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Asia are using the app to make banking simpler and more convenient for customers. India’s ICICI Bank and Pakistan’s HBL Bank both use the app to answer customer questions and to conduct basic transactions.

hbl bank uses whatsapp for banking

6. Mukuru, one of the largest money transfer providers in Africa, realized more than $1 million in reduced SMS costs after implementing customer service via WhatsApp. It also improved the reliability and security of wire transfers for the financially excluded communities it serves across the continent. With WhatsApp available, consumers can reduce their dependence on mobile banking apps that traditionally use more unpredictable unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) protocols that don’t require an internet connection. Since the introduction of WhatsApp, the brand’s customer satisfaction has jumped from 65% to 80%.

7. Tikkie, a Dutch peer-to-peer payment app (similar to Venmo or Zelle), created their own set of 11 stickers for their WhatsApp users. The stickers allowed customers a fun way of communicating with each other to thank someone for paying or to remind them to do so.

tikkie created its own whatsapp stickers to engage customers

Marketing campaigns

8. Absolut Vodka, a Swedish spirits brand, used WhatsApp to publicize an in-person product launch event in Argentina. Customers were encouraged to message a chatbot doorman named Sven to try to convince “him” they deserved one of two available tickets. This campaign resulted in more than 1,000 messages from 600 individuals over three days.

9. Carrefour Group, a French-based big box store chain, uses WhatsApp to provide digital coupon catalogs to its client base. These offers were previously printed, but the company wanted to offset those costs and have better targeting capabilities based on customers’ locations and preferences. By inputting their zip code into a chatbot, customers can be directed to their nearest store and also receive tailored deals straight to their phone. According to Meta, 45% of users now engage with the digital catalog versus 10% who open the catalog via email.

carrefour group uses whatsapp to share digital coupons with customers

10. The Brazilian arm of Hellmann’s, a mayonnaise brand, launched a campaign via WhatsApp to provide its users with on-demand cooking advice delivered by culinary professionals. The campaign, called WhatsCook, allowed customers to converse in real time with chefs to get detailed instruction, answers to their questions, or specific assistance for preparing their meals.

Hellmann's Brazil created a marketing campaign called WhatsCook that allowed users to ask chefs questions via WhatsApp

11. Adidas’ 100% Unfair Predator campaign, launched via WhatsApp, helped the brand engage with a core set of customers: footballers. Users were allowed to chat with Adidas to request a professional athlete join their local teams for a single game. For the lucky teams chosen, Adidas-sponsored players showed up in the company’s new Predator20 Mutator shoes.

Adidas engaged with customers via WhatsApp to promote a new shoe release

Human resources

12. BASF Group, a German chemical production company, uses WhatsApp to engage potential recruits. Anilina, a digital career assistant in the form of a chatbot, helps to answer candidates’ questions quickly and on the spot. For more involved conversations, candidates can reach out to representatives Monday through Friday via WhatsApp chat.

BASF uses a WhatsApp-powered chatbot for their recruiting efforts.

13. Logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group allows candidates to apply to open positions directly from WhatsApp, eliminating the need to fill out lengthy and cumbersome online forms. The company deployed the chatbot to reach their target candidates where they are via a more user-centric application process.

Pipeline growth

14. French newspaper Le Monde used WhatsApp’s status feature to target customers in French-speaking African countries. The company posts content to its status, which is viewable for 24 hours (similar to an Instagram Story), three to four times a day. About 20% of the brand’s follower base typically consumes this content, and over time, Le Monde Afrique has grown its WhatsApp followers by 10,000.

15. Triya, a Brazilian beachwear brand, uses WhatsApp to converse with its customers and also to send order information like receipts and tracking information. After doubling down on their presence on the app, the company 5Xed their annual sales.

16. Centaline Property, one of Hong Kong’s largest real estate brokerages, uses WhatsApp to qualify leads more quickly and increase their sales pipeline. The company integrated the network with its property recommendation engine to allow leads to be funneled to the appropriate agent, along with each customer’s information and communication history. The use of key WhatsApp features like List Messages and Reply Buttons help Centaline Property personalize their outreach, resulting in a 27% increase in sales conversions.

Centaline Property uses WhatsApp to qualify leads more quickly and increase their sales pipeline

How will you use WhatsApp for business?

Conversational marketing is here to stay. The majority of customers expect it, and companies that strategically engage their audiences via channels like WhatsApp are better positioned to take advantage of the growth it makes possible.

If you’re looking for even more opportunities to use social messaging to build stronger customer relationships, this interview with Martha O’Byrne-O’Reilly, head of messaging developer partnerships at Meta, should give you some ideas.

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]]> Tumblr is back. What does that mean for marketers? https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tumblr-marketing/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:00:22 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=167000/ If social media platforms were teens from an 80s comedy, Tumblr would be the weird–but cool–kid. You know the one. Seemingly unapproachable but actually Read more...

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]]> If social media platforms were teens from an 80s comedy, Tumblr would be the weird–but cool–kid. You know the one. Seemingly unapproachable but actually super nice. They’re fixated on niche interests and the jokes they create. Plus, they have impeccable taste in music and clothes (just not the kind of music and clothes you think you could get away with). From 2007 to the late 2010s, Tumblr had a lock on the alternative social media market. They lost their way for a little, but it’s clear Tumblr is back with an understanding of what its audience wants and the willingness to execute on it.

Tumblr returns

Tumblr still feels like a relic of a different time. The platform’s interface essentially hasn’t changed since the 2010s. But that’s exactly what people like about it. The reverse chronological feed is the anti-algorithm–you see exactly what you’ve followed and basically nothing else. Tumblr feels free.

In a world where platforms are more and more defined by the type of content you consume and create–Twitter is for text, TikTok and YouTube are for video, Instagram is for all things visual–Tumblr’s environment invites post diversity. You might see a GIF next to a text post next to an image. And users–especially younger users–are responding to that freedom. Of the 135 million monthly users visiting the microblog site, 48% are Gen Z. That number might be even larger now, since Tumblr had a 96% adoption surge between October 27, 2022 and November 17, 2022.

Tumblr is one of the last bastions of wilderness on the internet, and I spend literal hours on here making stuff and talking to people and looking at stuff other people made.
@Kedreeva
Tumblr User

The enthusiasm for Tumblr is spilling over into other platforms. According to Sprout Social’s Listening Tool, between October 4, 2022 and November 17, 2022, there were over a million Tweets about Tumblr.

Number of Twitter conversations about Tumblr

With all of the renewed interested in Tumblr, marketers might be considering the platform for their social strategy. But before brands can decide if Tumblr is right for them, they need to understand the nuances of the platform.

Tumblr’s take on culture

If other platforms are defined by their content type, Tumblr is defined by its culture. Social media platforms are inherently cultural experiences but Tumblr feels different. Twitter is known for the spicy quote Tweet response while Instagram is known for aesthetically pleasing grids. But Tumblr, with little rules about content type or subject matter, is known for being weird.

Features like reblogging create viral inside jokes that make no sense out of context–and sometimes very little sense with context. The result is a strange, but pleasant, fever-dream-esque experience. Tumblr as a brand has fully leaned into where its audience has taken the platform.

Tumblr about page

Offering information for the uninitiated

Tumblr likes poking fun at itself. Site users have lovingly nicknamed Tumblr the “hellsite” due to its chaotic nature. Instead of making changes to the platform to curb the chaos, Tumblr recognized that its users want more of it and is more than willing to deliver. The platform is so devoted to its culture that it created a blog called “Hellsite High” for new users to learn how to assimilate and contribute to the culture. The tip blog covers everything from best practices to keyboard shortcuts to avoiding burnout. It’s just the type of tongue-in-cheek content that’s made Tumblr a cult favorite.

Absurdity on sale now

It’s hard to imagine retail products for most social media platforms. But Tumblr isn’t most platforms. Tumblr users don’t just love the content the site facilitates, they love the site itself. Tumblr is monetizing its users’ devotion with an online store.

Some products lean into inside jokes, like a pair of shoelaces with a Supernatural reference–a staple fandom on the platform. Others, like physical verification pins, poke fun at common social features that don’t exist on Tumblr. There are also products that comment on the state of Tumblr, like a sold-out bandanna that says “I grew up on Tumblr” or a branded notebook with “Welcome back to weird” emblazoned on the back. These products are absurd, but so is the platform. It works somehow.

A guide to Tumblr marketing

If you’re a marketer, you’re probably wondering how you can leverage Tumblr’s return. The answer is a little complicated. Tumblr can be an excellent avenue for the right brands but it has to make sense for yours. Here are some tips for marketing on Tumblr.

Evaluate if Tumblr marketing is right for your business

Tumblr has never been known for its moderation. Their method relies on user tags for posts that might offend, like nudity or sensitive subject matter. With that being said, brands need to seriously evaluate their risk tolerance with Tumblr. Even if your posts are squeaky clean, the reverse chronological algorithm means they could show up next to something more explicit in your audience’s feed. Tumblr is best for edgier brands with a more relaxed take on brand safety that wouldn’t be negatively impacted by such juxtaposition.

Brands should also evaluate whether their audience is even on Tumblr. Tumblr’s audience skews younger and more alternative. Fandom content, cult favorite products, clothing lines and niche interests will do best on Tumblr. If you’re selling luxury jewelry or baby products, your social strategy is probably better served elsewhere.

Organic posts reign for Tumblr marketing

Tumblr has never been good at ads. They’re clunky and because not all brands fit the Tumblr aesthetic, they’ve never been a huge revenue driver for the company. The platform even rolled out a premium ad-free subscription in early 2022, meaning power users won’t even see your ads. Which means your organic posts have to be perfect.

Tumblr’s unique approach to the algorithm means that your followers will see more of your posts than they would on other platforms, making this the perfect space for organic posts. When you add in the freedom of post type Tumblr is known for, it’s a winning marketing combination.

But be cautious. Tumblr users are some of the savviest social media users out there–and consumers rank authenticity as the second most important factor to them on social. They spend a lot of time online and see a lot of advertisements. If the content isn’t authentic and interesting, they’ll see right through it. Spend time on your Tumblr social strategy to make sure it resonates.

Have fun with your Tumblr marketing

Tumblr is endearingly strange. And that makes it fun. Tumblr isn’t the place for buttoned-up ads or HD product visuals. Tumblr is a place to have fun with your marketing. Get weird. Reblog slightly unrelated posts that your audience might enjoy. This is an opportunity to put your brand personality first and your product line second. Who knows, you might just become the next viral inside joke.

Emerging (and reemerging) platforms

Social media is unpredictable. Most people would have said Tumblr had about as much chance for a comeback as Napster, but things change constantly. As marketers, we have to be aware of those changes and be ready to shift strategy on a dime–when it makes sense. Evaluating whether or not an emerging platform is right for you is tricky, but it’s an important aspect of your social media strategy.

Want to learn more about new platforms? Check out this article about BeReal.

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]]> Top 10 social media apps and sites in 2022 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-apps/ Mon, 18 Jul 2022 12:41:49 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=161929/ When creating a social media marketing strategy, it’s important to find all of the best social media apps for your business to have a Read more...

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]]> When creating a social media marketing strategy, it’s important to find all of the best social media apps for your business to have a presence. But with so many options, it can be easy to overlook a platform that might actually be a great converter for your brand.

This is why we’ve put together a list of the top 10 social media apps and sites in 2022. Learn more about how many users each site has, its key benefits and why it might be a great fit for your brand.

Why should you use social media apps for your business?

Social media apps provide the perfect avenue for reaching your audience where they already are. About 58.4% of the world’s population are active social media users, spending an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes accessing social media each day.

There are three major benefits to social media marketing that your brand doesn’t want to miss out on:

Identifying and understanding your audience

Social media apps give you amazing insight into your target audience. Being able to see the types of posts your audience likes and shares helps you deliver consistently better content. It also gives you insight into the types of products or services your target audience might benefit from.

Having an active presence on social media apps helps you pinpoint exactly which demographics are most interested in your business by analyzing your followers and those who engage with you online. Through that analysis, you can get a much better understanding of who your audience is.

Gauging sentiment analysis of your brand on social media

Social media sentiment analysis is the process of retrieving information about your customer’s perception of your product, service or brand. And it’s yet another reason why monitoring your audience on your selected social media sites can be so valuable.

Through social listening, you can easily pay attention to what people online are saying about your brand, your products/services and your industry. This helps gauge whether you need to revisit your brand’s reputation or adjust your marketing messaging to better serve your target audience.

Using social media apps as a customer service line

Social media is also a great channel for providing customer service. In fact, some brands create social media accounts specifically for customer service, as we can see with this example from Spotify:

A screenshot of Spotify's customer service Twitter account

Add customer service into your overall social media strategy so that even if you don’t create a separate support account, you still have a process in place for handling support requests.

10 most popular social media apps

There are so many social media apps out there, and it feels like there are more popping up every year, so it’s easy to overlook a platform that might actually be a huge success for your brand. Whether you want to make sure you’re on all the best social media apps or you’re looking to branch out onto new platforms, we’ve got a list of the top 10 social media apps in 2022.

1. Facebook

2.93 billion monthly active users

  • The largest social media platform of them all
  • A Facebook Business Page that acts as a second website and online store
  • Comprehensive advertising to help you further reach your audience

Facebook is one of the longest standing social media apps, having been created back in 2004 before soaring to global popularity around 2007. Naturally, it has evolved over the years, offering many different features and making it easier for businesses to reach their audiences. With nearly 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a great platform for nearly every business to have a presence on.

2. Instagram

2 billion monthly active users

  • Visual content platform for sharing stylized photos, videos and more
  • Instagram Reels, short-form videos that are wildly popular with viewers
  • Filters, stickers, audio clips and more assets for creating visual content

Instagram, owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, is a visual social media platform that revolves around photo and video content. It also includes both stories and reels, giving users a number of ways to reach their audience. As a visual platform, Instagram is perfect for brands with a visual product to photograph and showcase.

3. Twitter

229 million monetizable daily active users

  • Platform where a lot of people get their news and discover trending topics
  • Great for conversations and text-based content
  • Twitter threads allow brands to engage users with more than 280 characters

Twitter was founded in 2006 and has stayed very similar to its initial concept—a place for short statuses. Although it increased its available character count from 140 to 280 per Tweet and has added in features like Retweets, quote Tweets, threads and more, its chronological feed is one that its users love. Twitter is ideal for news publications, B2B companies, tech companies and the like.

4. TikTok

1 billion monthly active users

  • Short-form, scrollable and easily digestible video content
  • Easy-to-navigate search feature that Gen Z uses frequently
  • Audio clips, captions and stickers to help create engaging videos

TikTok was the initial inspiration for the popular Instagram Reels feature, leading the charge in short-form video content. All sorts of brands can take advantage of this app; you just need to get creative with your content.

5. Pinterest

433 million monthly active users

  • Visual search engine ideal for online shopping and finding new products
  • Shoppable Pins that make online shopping even easier
  • Pinterest SEO helps your pins to show up in searches

Pinterest is another visual social media platform that is perfect for ecommerce platforms. However, brands can also create infographics and blog graphics to promote content from their website and increase web traffic. Just put together a branded graphic or two that you can reuse for each blog post you share on Pinterest.

6. LinkedIn

830 million members

  • Professional B2B platform for networking, job searching and recruiting
  • Platform for long-form articles you can share with your audience
  • Post polls to start conversations with your connections

LinkedIn is great for personal branding and business-to-business marketing. Professionals create profiles alongside companies, making this a great way for both C-Suite team members and the brand itself to reach potential customers.

7. Snapchat

332 daily active users

  • Built-in insights for checking in on your overall reach
  • Disappearing stories that allow you to show behind-the-scenes photos and videos with your customers
  • Stickers, filters and drawing tools for creating engaging visual content

Snapchat was the original disappearing story app that Instagram and Facebook stories emulated on their own platforms. It has evolved to include stories from prominent brands and publications as well as Spotlights, its own version of short-form videos similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels.

8. YouTube

2 billion monthly active users

  • Video sharing platform for long-form video content
  • Second most popular search engine with its own form of YouTube SEO
  • Video library perfect for sharing educational and product-led content

YouTube, owned by Google, is the most popular video-hosting platform available. It’s perfect for any brand looking to share long-form educational content with their audience. Create playlists for each series to organize them on your YouTube channel.

9. Reddit

1.5 billion monthly visitors

  • Forum with endless rooms called “subreddits” focusing on various topics
  • Have industry-specific discussions in subreddits dedicated to your niche
  • Use your blog content and educational videos to add more to your forum responses

Reddit is a popular online forum with subreddits in nearly any topic you could think of: finance, marketing, tech, etc. Browse through related subreddits to your industry to see if you find any questions your company has knowledge on. Create a brand account for your responses. Brands can also sponsor topics to get even more awareness on the platform.

10. Clubhouse

10 million weekly active users

  • Host an audio chat about a topic related to your industry
  • Join like-minded audio chats to offer input

Clubhouse popped up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for professionals to still network while quarantining. Users could start an audio room for others to join and listen in to learn about something as well as ask permission to join as a speaker and provide their own insight.Clubhouse is a unique social media app and a first of its kind, but that also presents its own challenges. If an audio discussion app seems like something your brand and your industry are interested in, it may be worth looking into.

Find the best social media apps for your brand

Build your brand’s presence on the best social media apps for you. Find your target audience, create content suited for each platform and start building a following. Learn even more about how to build your social media presence.

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]]> SMS marketing 101: How to use text messaging in your marketing strategy https://sproutsocial.com/insights/sms-marketing/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 19:17:12 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=161094/ Looking to tap into the marketing strategy that gets 4x more open rates than email? It’s something 6.57 billion people are already using, and Read more...

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]]> Looking to tap into the marketing strategy that gets 4x more open rates than email?

It’s something 6.57 billion people are already using, and one of the best ways to get your message across in the digital age. It’s SMS marketing—one of the easiest and most effective ways to reach your target audience.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what SMS marketing is, different types of SMS marketing campaigns and share some examples of how businesses are using SMS marketing to reach their goals.

What is SMS marketing?

SMS marketing (or “text marketing”) is a form of mobile marketing that allows businesses to send text messages to customers and prospects. These messages can be anything from promotional offers and discounts, to appointment reminders and shipping notifications.

Marketing by SMS has several advantages over other mobile marketing strategies like email marketing and push notifications. For one, SMS messages have a nearly 100% open rate, which means your audience is much more likely to see your text message than your email (average open rates for emails are around 22%).

SMS marketing is a great way to reach your target audience with a concise and clear message. For example, if you’re running a weekend sale or promotion, you can let your customers know via text. Or, if you own a restaurant, you can send SMS messages with your daily specials.

Types of SMS marketing campaigns

There are many types of SMS marketing campaigns, from simple and straightforward to more complex.

Here are two of the most effective forms:

Promotional campaigns

Promotional SMS marketing campaigns are designed to generate interest in a product or service. They can include discounts, coupons and other special offers.

Coupons and promotions can be an excellent way to drive more people to your store or website, especially when accompanied by a quality call to action (CTA). Here’s an SMS marketing example from fashion brand Jenni Kayne, which includes a personalized coupon code and a direct link to their shop page:

example of sms marketing

Transactional campaigns

Transactional SMS marketing messages are sent in response to an event or action. These campaigns offer information that is time-sensitive and relevant to the customer, such as appointment reminders, shipping notifications or password resets. Because these messages are so timely and relevant, they have a high open-rate and can be very effective in driving conversions.

An example of a transactional SMS campaign is an order confirmation from an ecommerce purchase. Here’s an example from Baking Steel that includes order confirmation, tracking information and an unsubscribe option.

example of sms marketing

Why do businesses use SMS marketing?

Did you know 75% of consumers are comfortable getting SMS messages from brands, as long as they opt-in?

SMS business marketing reaches your target audience with timely and relevant information that can help increase brand awareness and boost engagement.

Here are just a few ways you can use SMS marketing for your business:

Reach customers faster

If you have time-sensitive information to share, SMS is the right medium, as 90% of text messages are opened within three minutes of receipt.

For example, if you’re running a limited-time offer, you can use SMS to let your customers know.

Increase response rates

Unlike other marketing channels, SMS allows you to reach your customers directly on their mobile devices. Because of this, text messages have a much higher response rate than other marketing channels. Response rates can help keep your customers engaged with your SMS marketing and open opportunities for further offers.

To increase response rates, try including a CTA in your text messages to encourage customers to take the next step. For example, you could include a CTA like “Reply YES to RSVP,” or “Click the link to learn more.”

Complement other marketing channels

While an SMS marketing strategy is strong on its own, it can also be used to enhance other marketing channels. For example, you could use SMS to promote a contest or sale on social media or include a link to an email newsletter in your text messages. You could also use SMS to remind customers of an upcoming event or webinar, in order to increase signups.

Build customer loyalty

SMS marketing can build loyalty with your customers, as it allows you to send personalized messages and offers to individuals. This is a great way to make your customers feel valued, and increase the chances of them returning to your business in the future.

Increase revenue

SMS marketing can help you increase revenue by driving traffic to your store or website. You can use SMS messages to promote special sales and events and include a call to action that encourages customers to take advantage of the offer. You could also use SMS messages to remind customers about items they’ve left in their shopping cart, encouraging them to complete their purchases.

SMS marketing strategies (with examples)

Ready to ramp up your SMS marketing? Here are some creative SMS marketing strategies, along with examples, to get you started:

Send welcome messages to new subscribers

Once a customer subscribes to your SMS marketing campaign, send them a welcome message! This will ensure they know they’re subscribed, and it will give you an opportunity to engage with them right away. Plus, it sets the tone for future interactions.

Welcome messages don’t have to be long or complex. A simple, “Thank you for subscribing!” will do. You could even include a coupon code or special offer to sweeten the deal.

example of sms marketing

Announce new product releases

Another smart use of SMS advertising is to announce new product releases. If you’ve got a new product or service you’re excited about, let your subscribers know as soon as (or before) it’s available.

This is a great way to generate buzz and interest, and it might even encourage customers who haven’t purchased from you in a while to come back and check out what’s new.

You can also try driving traffic to your website or storefront by including a link in your SMS campaign. For example, text “Check out our new arrivals!” and include a link to your website or online store. This can boost traffic and give people a reason to visit your site.

example of sms marketing

Follow up on abandoned shopping carts

The average cart abandonment rate for e-commerce businesses is 69.82%. That’s a lot of potential revenue that’s left on the table!

SMS marketing can help you recover some of that lost revenue, by sending abandoned cart messages to customers who have left items in their online shopping carts.

Here’s an SMS marketing example from CB2, a home furnishings retailer.

an example of sms marketing for brands

Inform customers when products are back in stock

One of the most frustrating things for customers is discovering an item they want to buy is out of stock. With SMS marketing, you can notify customers as soon as products are back in stock, so they can buy them before they sell out again. You can also let customers know when products they may be interested in are about to go on sale.

example of sms marketing

Collect customer feedback

Customer feedback is essential for businesses to understand what they’re doing well and where they need to improve. SMS surveys collect customer feedback quickly and easily.

You can use tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to create a short survey, then send the link through SMS. Or, simply ask a customer to reply to your text with a rating from one to five, then follow up with any customers who give a low rating to find out what you can improve.

example of sms marketing

Provide text-based customer service

You can use text messages to provide customer service. This is especially useful for businesses that have a mobile workforce, like plumbers or delivery drivers.

If a customer needs to get in touch with someone, they can simply send a text rather than having to make a phone call. This can save the customer time, and it can also be less disruptive for the business.

Here’s an SMS marketing example from U-Haul, which offers customers the opportunity to check-in and out via text:

example of sms marketing

Ask for production or service reviews

Many companies use SMS marketing to gather reviews about their service or staff. You’ve probably seen this from companies like Uber, which ask customers to rate drivers after their ride. Asking for customer reviews is an effective way to get feedback on their experience and identify areas that need improvement.

According to The Nielsen Company, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from family, friends and other customers. So, consider displaying these reviews on your website or social media pages, as well as in your SMS marketing messages.

Promote online and in-person events

Promoting your upcoming events through SMS marketing can help get people excited and engaged.

Your SMS event reminders can include:

  • Date, time and location of your event
  • A CTA to encourage people to buy tickets or sign up
  • A link to your website or event page
  • Details about what attendees can expect
  • Hashtags to promote on social media
  • Emojis to increase engagement

If you have a limited number of spots available, be sure to include an RSVP link in your text so subscribers can reserve their spots right away.

an example of sms marketing

Start a VIP program

A VIP program encourages loyalty among your customers and subscribers. People love to feel like they’re part of an exclusive group, so make them feel special by offering VIP-only discounts, early access to sales and new products and other benefits.

To promote your VIP program, include a signup link in your SMS messages when customers purchase a product. You can also promote your VIP program on social media, on your website or in-store.

Make sure you’re using an SMS marketing service that allows you to segment your list so you can send different messages to your VIPs and general subscribers.

Segmenting your list ensures you’re sending the most relevant messages to each group, which leads to higher engagement and conversions.

4 SMS marketing best practices to follow

Now that we’ve gone over how to do SMS marketing for your business, let’s take a look at some best practices you should follow to get the most out of your campaigns.

1. Only send texts to those who opted in

Only send texts to those who have explicitly given you permission to do so. The best way to do this is to include an opt-in form on your website or other online channels.

Even if you have an opt-in, it’s a good idea to send an initial text thanking a new subscriber and asking them to confirm opt-in with a simple reply of “Yes” or “No.”

an example of sms marketing

2. Make it easy for customers to opt-out

Make it easy for customers to stop receiving texts from you by including an unsubscribe option. This could be as simple as replying “STOP” or “Unsubscribe” to the text itself.

3. Identify your brand early

Once you have your customer’s phone number, be sure to introduce yourself. Your message will likely be coming through as an unknown number, and you don’t want them to delete your text before they read it. We call this SMS branding.
Including your brand name at the beginning of the message lets customers know who you are right away, and get them engaged with your content.

4. Keep messages short and to the point

When using SMS, you have a maximum of 160 characters to get your message across. That’s why it’s so important to get to the point quickly and avoid any unnecessary fluff.

When structuring your SMS, use this framework:

  1. Company name
  2. Customer name
  3. Offer or promotion
  4. Applicable conditions
  5. CTA
  6. Opt-out option

If you need to provide more information, consider using a shortened link customers can follow for more details.

Potential drawbacks of SMS marketing

While SMS marketing is an effective way to reach and engage your audience, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider:

Limited character counts

As we mentioned, SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. This can be both good and bad. On one hand, it forces you to get straight to the point without any fluff; on the other hand, it can be difficult to include all the information you want in such a limited space.

Consumers are protective of phone numbers

Another thing to keep in mind is that consumers are generally quite protective of their phone numbers. So even though SMS marketing requires an opt-in, you still need to provide value with your messages, or you run the risk of people unsubscribing.

Requires considerable planning and management

Like any other marketing campaign, SMS marketing requires careful planning and management in order to be successful. You need to consider factors like frequency, offers, calls to action, etc.

Adherence to privacy laws and regulations

Finally, you need to make sure you’re complying with Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) privacy laws and regulations, which apply to SMS marketing.

Take advantage of SMS marketing in 2022

SMS marketing can help you reach your target audience and increase engagement. By marketing to your customers where they are most active, you have a better chance of keeping their attention.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of SMS strategies at the start. Some customers may prefer discounts or deals, while others may be looking for customer service support through order confirmation or shipping updates. You can explore social testing (A/B testing) to get started and find out what works for your target audience.

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]]> How to use Google’s Business Messages to engage with your customers https://sproutsocial.com/insights/google-business-messages/ Mon, 16 May 2022 15:58:33 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=160109/ Online customers don’t have the luxury of walking up to a salesperson and asking an important question—but they still expect a fast response when Read more...

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]]> Online customers don’t have the luxury of walking up to a salesperson and asking an important question—but they still expect a fast response when they’re seeking information. Google Business Messages can help businesses meet that expectation.

Google’s Business Messages is the real-time chat feature in Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business).

And as research shows, 75% of consumers now prefer to engage with a brand over private messaging channels versus traditional channels.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

What is Google’s Business Messages?

Google’s Business Messages is a free real-time chat service that helps people get in touch with your business straight from your Google Business Profile listing on Google Maps and Google Search.

Think of it as Google’s equivalent to Facebook Messenger:

  • It makes it easy for customers to contact your brand to ask questions or raise concerns.
  • It helps build their trust in your brand and enhances their customer experience.

As a result, people can contact your business directly instead of clicking through to your website and looking for an email address or phone number.

How Google’s Business Messaging works

When users search for a business by name in Google Search or Google Maps, they’ll see a Google Business Card. That card contains buttons users can click to call the business, visit the website or get directions. If a business has set up Google’s Business Messaging, users will also see a “Message” button.

Businesses large and small utilize Google Business Messages in their Google Business Card.
Source

Having a direct line from a Google search listing opens a new avenue for business owners to connect with potential customers.

Before you can use the messaging feature, you’ll need to create your free Google Business Profile.

5 benefits of Google’s Business Messages

Here are five reasons Google’s Business Messages improves the customer experience:

You’re available when customers need you

Google’s Business Messages lets customers communicate with you from your Google Business Card. Instead of going to your website first or searching for your social profiles, they can chat with you directly via the message button.

Integrate and automate customer touchpoints

You can integrate Google’s Business Messages with the social media management software or messaging service you’re already using via the API. For example, if you use Sprout Social, you can automate your communication in Google’s Business Messages with chatbots to enhance the customer journey. To note, you can create up to five welcome messages in GBM to help start the dialogue with customers.

Provide personalized on-demand support

With Google’s Business Messaging, you can share rich media like photos and carousels, providing a more personalized experience for customers when responding to queries. Adding visuals to your conversation is an effective way to eliminate miscommunication about a product and address their questions.

Reduce response and resolution times

According to the 2020 Sprout Social Index™, 79% of consumers who reach out to brands on social media expect a response within the first 24 hours. Maintain multiple conversations at once in Google’s Business Messages and help reduce customer wait times for responses and increase resolutions.

Increase foot traffic and revenue

If you have a brick-and-mortar location, the ability to respond to inquiries in real-time can help you provide directions or parking information for customers, which in turn could mean more customers coming through your door. Don’t pass up an opportunity to engage with a potential customer.

How to set up Google’s Business Messages on desktop

If you’re getting started on Google My Business, here’s how to set up Google’s Business Messages on desktop.

Step 1. Sign in to your profile

Log into your Google Business Profile by clicking the button in the top right corner. Follow the prompts to access your Business Profile.

This screenshot points to the sign in button on the Google Business Profile login page.

Step 2. Select Messages in the menu options

In the left menu screen, select Messages.

Step 3. Turn on messaging

You should see a blue button in the top-right corner of the screen that reads Turn on messaging. Click that and you’re done! Customers can now message your business directly from your Google Business listing on Google Maps or Search. It’s that simple!

Step 4. Customize

Remember to customize and personalize messages to your customers. Whether it’s a warm welcome message or setting up an automated chatbot system for after-hours queries.

Turn on notifications so you don’t miss any messages. Google will deactivate the chat or messaging feature from your listing if you consistently don’t respond in a timely manner.

How to set up Google’s Business Messages on mobile

Let’s look at how to set up Google’s Business Messages on Android and Apple mobile devices.

Step 1. Download the Google My Business app from Google Play or the App Store:

Download the Google My Business app from your preferred app store.

Note: The Google My Business app will be deprecated this year, so Google will have to develop a workaround.

Step 2. Enable messaging

Sign in, go to Customers, then Messages, then click Turn On. Now the Message button appears in your Google Business listing.

You’ll get an email from Google confirming the message button is activated.

Step 3. Customize your welcome message

Choose Edit welcome message and enter the greeting you want people to see when they start chatting with you:

Screenshot showing how to customize your welcome message in GBM.

How to manage Google’s Business Messages in Sprout

Here’s how to add Google’s Business Messages in Sprout so that you can respond to your customers quickly.

Connect your GBM profile to Sprout

Follow these steps to connect your Google’s Business Messages profile to your Sprout account:

Step 1. Log into Sprout, select your name and choose Connect a Profile to launch the Profile window:

Screenshot showing Google Business Message as an integration option in Sprout.

Step 2. At the prompt, Create Google Business Messages Profiles, click the Next button on the lower right.

Step 3. Complete your Google’s Business Messages profile, including:

  • Your company name
  • Your logo
  • The agent’s name
  • Welcome message
  • Live chat timeframes

Then click Next.

Step 4. Review your information for accuracy and agree to the terms of use. Click Submit. Within five business days, the Sprout team will review your brand information for approval.

View and schedule Google’s Business Messages in Sprout

After connecting your Business Messages profile, you’ll begin to see new messages arrive in your Smart Inbox.

With all your messages across all your social profiles, as well as Google’s Business Messages, you can manage them in a single inbox. Whether it’s just you or a team of social media specialists, you can filter and manage your messages with ease.

Filter to view your Google Business Messages in Sprout Social.

If you have multiple locations or storefronts, you can now add additional locations to your existing Google Business Messaging profiles in Sprout. With many digital interactions between business and customers happening through Google’s Business Messages, it’s important that you can communicate with them regarding their preferred location — all in a single tool.

7 Google’s Business Messaging best practices

Follow these seven best practices below for the best experience with Google’s Business Messaging.

1. Create a welcome message

When people click on the Message button in your Google Business Profile, they’ll see your welcome message.

Craft a welcome message that thanks customers for contacting you and asks them how you can help.

2. Use a shared inbox

It’s good practice to use a shared inbox that multiple people can monitor for messages and notifications. Make sure you control permissions so that only the most qualified team members can field the inquiries.

3. Reply within 24 hours

Seventy-nine percent of consumers who mention or message a brand on social media expect a response within 24 hours. Google supports that sentiment and may deactivate chat for businesses that don’t respond to inquiries within 24 hours.

It’s possible to use saved responses for quick replies to common inquiries, but you’ll also need service agents to resolve complex or unusual customer service issues. Keep in mind that inquiries may be coming from multiple channels, so you’ll need a tool like the Smart Inbox to ensure you’re seeing (and responding to) every message.

4. Enable notifications

It’s important to turn on notifications to know when you have a new message. Then you can ensure you’ll keep the message button active on your profile by meeting Google’s requirement for a 24-hour response time.

5. Be concise

When you respond to a query from a customer, be clear, concise and conversational in your response. If needed, you can ask for or provide additional information during a brief Google’s Business Messaging exchange.

6. Use visuals

Besides text messages, you can also use visuals, like photos, in Google’s Business Messages. Sometimes, visuals are a more effective and efficient way to answer a question.

Example of using images and carousels in a Google Business Message to customers.

In the example image above, Google illustrates how businesses can use images to provide additional context—in this case, the agent shares an image carousel featuring the hotel rooms with the best views.

7. Never ask for personal information

You should never ask for personal information over Google’s Business Messages, such as:

  • Credit card numbers
  • Social Security, passport or other government identification numbers
  • Login credentials, like passwords

Exchanging sensitive details via messaging could compromise the privacy of customer data. And it’s also considered a violation of Google’s messaging guidelines.

Make customers aware that it’s your policy not to ask for such personal information so that they can spot any suspicious requests.

Google’s Business Message examples

Now that we know how to use the feature, let’s look at four examples of brands using different Google’s Business Messages.

1. Woolworths, the largest supermarket in Australia, uses Google’s Business Messaging to help customers search for products and check availability at their local store:

Example of Woolworths using GBM as part of their strategy.

2. Walmart lets customers quickly find information about store hours, and pick-up and delivery options, using quick-reply chips for many frequently asked questions:

Example of Walmart using GBM to provide special store hours.

3. Mattress Firm helps customers shop for a new mattress by sharing videos and product information on Business Messages:

Example of Mattress Firm using GBM to provide product information.

4. DISH (Satellite TV) has reduced average handling time for customer support requests by more than 22%, using Business Messages:

Example of Dish Satellite using GBM to handle customer support requests.

How do I publish posts on my Google’s Business Profile?

Because Sprout is integrated with Google My Business and Google’s Business Messages, you can publish posts to your Google My Business Profile from a single platform, as well as maintain other social profiles associated with your business.

To publish posts to your Google Business Profile in Sprout, open Compose, then choose one of your Google My Business locations. Add the text or image that you want to include.

Screenshot of setting up a Google My Business message and update in Sprout.

Click the dropdown arrow next to the send button and select your Post Type: What’s New? or Event. The What’s New? post type will require you to input text, but uploading an image is optional.

For an Event, create an Event Title and select the Start and End dates. You can also choose a call to action from a dropdown list, by clicking on Button Type:

Gif of using Sprout to publish a GBM or Google My Business Event.

After you’ve built your post, you can save it as a draft, publish it immediately, schedule a publication time or add it to the Sprout Queue.

Screenshot of a Google Business Message update scheduled to queue in Sprout.

Manage Google’s Business Messages with Sprout Social

You’re now ready to start engaging with people via Google’s Business Messages.

Give your customers a chance to connect with a live agent and improve your customer trust and loyalty by responding to Google’s Business Messages via Sprout. Remember to turn on notifications and be concise, clear and friendly in your communication. And try to respond as quickly as possible.

Ready to start managing your GBM in Sprout? Try a free 30-day trial of Sprout Social today.

 

The post How to use Google’s Business Messages to engage with your customers appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> 11 Social messaging apps every marketer should know in 2022 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-messaging-apps/ Tue, 10 May 2022 14:22:41 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=159848/ Social media messaging is an integral part of daily life for most of us. Today, 70% of people agree they expect to have conversational Read more...

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]]> Social media messaging is an integral part of daily life for most of us.

Today, 70% of people agree they expect to have conversational experiences with brands on social media, too. But finding ways to talk directly to your consumers can seem intimidating. So, how can you integrate conversational marketing into your strategy? Enter: social media messaging apps.

Social messaging apps give marketers the opportunity to connect with people one-on-one by creating impactful, personalized touchpoints. These channels are approachable for consumers, social media managers and customer care specialists alike.

When choosing the right apps to talk to your audience, consider why and how people want to connect with your brand.

  • Do they want a quick response to a frequently asked question?
  • Are they looking for a video consultation with an expert before buying?
  • Do they need help using your product or service?

A Sprout Social user reaches out to our team on Twitter and we ask him to send us a DM.

In this guide, we’ll break down the 11 most popular social messaging apps and their use cases. From the well-known to the often overlooked, we’ll help you find the right app(s) to reach your community.

Why should your brand use social messaging apps?

The customer journey is changing. Social media is now an essential part of reaching people, from generating awareness to creating advocacy. Consumers expect to direct message, voice chat or video call your brand when they’re in a moment of need. Social media messaging apps allow you to meet consumers’ new communication expectations while supporting your business objectives.

Engage in conversational commerce

About 90% of consumers buy from a brand if they follow them on social. That impressive number reveals how important it is to invest in your social messaging strategy. When brands adopt conversational commerce tools like chatbots, live chat and video consultations, they deliver easier buying experiences and win more sales.

The Fandango chatbot instantly responds to an inquiry in their Facebook DMs

Provide customer service and care

People will no longer settle for one-way communication or outdated 1-800 numbers when dealing with a customer service issue. They expect brands to use the most convenient channels for them, including social messaging apps.

If you’re not available to support your customers with social messaging, you will leave gaps in the customer experience. Some 67% of consumers identify responsive customer service as the most important factor in creating a positive experience with a brand on social.

Build a pool of brand evangelists

Be attentive and engage thoughtfully when people send you a positive direct message. By providing an extra level of care, you will make them feel like a top priority, and more likely to become a loyal customer.

RX Bar responds to a fan in their Instagram DMs

Take it a step further by surprising some of your diehard admirers with V.I.P. discount codes, premium offers, access to exclusive live events and sneak previews. These extra steps will turn your customers into brand advocates.

Navigate a social media crisis

On the flip side, show just as much care and attention when things go wrong. Although you can’t always control a social media crisis, you can minimize its negative impact by addressing customer concerns via social messaging apps. Keep a keen eye on your notifications and @mentions to prevent negative feedback from snowballing.

Thankfully, this doesn’t mean monitoring your social feeds 24/7. Social media engagement tools like Sprout Social can notify you of engagement spikes and spot a potential crisis before it snowballs.

11 most popular social messaging apps

Now, let’s dive into the most frequently used social media chat apps.

  1. WhatsApp
  2. Instagram direct messages
  3. Messenger
  4. TikTok direct messages
  5. WeChat
  6. SnapChat
  7. Telegram
  8. Discord
  9. Viber
  10. Twitter direct messages
  11. Zendesk

1. WhatsApp

Monthly active users: 2 billion

Key benefits:

The growing buzz around WhatsApp has many marketers asking, “What’s up with WhatsApp?” As the most popular messaging app in the world, WhatsApp is proving to be an essential part of modern marketing and customer care strategies—especially for brands with a global audience. WhatsApp makes it possible to streamline all messaging with consumers in one convenient place. Whether they have an issue with their order or are looking to buy something new, WhatsApp is the channel people turn to.

WhatsApp is the most popular social messaging app in the world. Adidas responds to fan inquiries and questions with their automatic replies.

On WhatsApp, you can call, video call or live chat with customers. If you face a high quantity of messages, you can also employ chatbots on the app. Although the app doesn’t allow advertising, brands have other opportunities to effectively reach consumers. For example, some leading brands use digital catalogs to help their customers discover their products and services.

2. Instagram direct messages

Instagram monthly active users: 2 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Instagram
  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery
  • You can add filters, effects and drawing to images
  • Video and voice chat

Instagram is the most downloaded app in the world. Instagram direct messages (DMs) play an important role in its success by allowing users to connect one-on-one and in group messages. In the Instagram app, you can send DMs to all users, including brands.

Instagram DMs are a great way to dip your toe into social messaging apps. Chances are if you have a presence on Instagram, you’re already familiar with DMs, as they don’t require a separate app or account. Even when a consumer tags your brand in their Stories, you’ll automatically see it in your DMs.

Instagram DMs have built-in GIF and sticker galleries so you can infuse whimsy into your messages. If you send a photo or video, you can also add filters, effects and drawings. As Instagram continues to evolve into a video-first app, you can now make video calls and voice chat in DMs, too.

3. Messenger

Monthly active users: 1.3 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Facebook
  • Automated replies and chatbots
  • Built-in GIF and sticker library
  • Video chat

Messenger is Meta’s most-used feature. Originally launched in 2011, the app is separate from the Facebook platform, but still integrated in the user interface. Well-known around the world, Messenger is the right app for brands trying to reach a wide variety of people.

When using Messenger for business, you can create automatic replies and set up chatbots to answer frequently asked questions. This is useful for brands who receive a high volume of incoming messages.

Like Instagram, the app offers a built-in GIF and sticker gallery so you can infuse personality and playfulness into your live-chat, too. If your customer care cases go beyond chat, Messenger also provides video call capabilities.

4. TikTok direct messages

TikTok monthly active users: 1 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with TikTok
  • Custom auto-replies

Like Instagram, TikTok messaging is integrated in the app. With 1 billion monthly active users and growing, the potential for reaching people increases everyday. But TikTok messaging is unique. To send a message, the recipient must accept your message request—even if they’re a brand.

To send other users a message on TikTok, they must accept your follow request. Even brands, like Nuuly.

For some consumers, this feature adds a roadblock on their customer journey. But this extra step also prevents your inbox from overflowing—which makes it easier to prioritize ongoing conversations with brand advocates, influential creators and high priority customers.

TikTok also offers an automated response option for business accounts. This helpful workaround allows you to acknowledge people sending you messages before accepting. It also enables you to answer frequently asked questions based on common keywords.

5. WeChat

Monthly active users: 1 billion

Key benefits:

  • Reaches Chinese-speaking communities worldwide
  • Video and voice chat
  • Broadcast messaging
  • Social commerce capabilities

If you’re trying to reach Chinese-speaking communities, WeChat is a must-use app. Facing steep competition, WeChat emerged as the leading Chinese messaging app because of its high message capacity and social commerce capabilities. In fact, users can send up to 45 billion messages a day. They can also send voice chats and make video calls. Like other social media platforms, they can broadcast messages publicly on WeChat, too.

WeChat’s social commerce integrations are among the best in the mobile payment app industry. WeChat Pay boasts 900 million users who send money and make purchases within the app.

For global brands, WeChat should play a pivotal role in their strategy—especially for timely events like Lunar New Year celebrations.

6. Snapchat

Monthly active users: 500 million

Key benefits:

  • Disappearing images and videos
  • Custom filters, effects and drawings

With certain social messaging apps, success depends on cross-promotion with other platforms. Take Snapchat for example. For people to see your content, they must subscribe to your Profile. To spark intrigue, share snippets of the highly engaging videos you’re posting on Snapchat to other social apps. This might include behind-the-scenes tours, interactive custom filters or influencer takeovers. You can also include links to your website or app in your content.

SnapChat is a social messaging app where brands can create Stories and Lenses.

Once you amass a following and your Profile is verified, you can start having meaningful conversations around the Stories you post. For example, your subscribers can send you questions or share their love for your new product. You can also Quote your followers’ replies and share them on your Story—this level of engagement is key to creating loyal superfans.

7. Telegram

Monthly active users: 500 million

Key benefits:

  • Edit and delete messages after you send them
  • Location sharing
  • Expiring messages
  • Unique themes and stickers
  • Supports group messaging up to 200,000 people

Similar to WhatsApp, Telegram is a popular alternative to traditional SMS texting—particularly for people messaging between countries. Telegram enables large group messages, location sharing and unique themes and stickers. But it also has additional features popular for businesses, including B2B brands.

In Telegram, you can edit and delete messages after they’ve been sent, or set an expiration date on a message. This could be valuable when you need to send a customer an expiring code or if you’re a B2B business sending confidential paperwork.

8. Discord

Monthly active users: 350 million

Key benefits:

  • Video and voice chat
  • Screen sharing
  • Bottom of the funnel opportunities
  • Live events

Discord, the social messaging app used most frequently by gamers, is a new frontier for many companies—even retail brands are beginning to tap into the platform’s potential.

By creating a Discord server, you are able to add channels catering to the niche interests of your community. Your channels can be private, public or view-only.

Brands can use the social messaging app Discord to reach their customers, like the brand ChannelFireball.

In your server, you can host live events. Whether it’s an “ask me anything” video or a gaming tournament, live events encourage advocacy and conversation within your community. Leading brands on Discord also give their consumers access to premium channels to encourage repeat purchases.

9. Viber

Monthly active users: 250 million

Key benefits:

  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery
  • Video chat
  • Built-in QR code scanner
  • Supports unlimited group messaging

Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is another social messaging app often preferred over traditional SMS texting, especially in eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. Known for its security and end-to-end encryption, it’s marketed as one of the safest messaging apps. Viber offers group messaging with no size limitations, video chat and a built-in GIF and sticker gallery. Users with a subscription plan can also make calls to all telephone numbers.

Viber for Business allows companies to chat with customers through its platform, but this feature isn’t available in many countries. However, all brands can create ads for the app and take advantage of the built-in QR scanner.

10. Twitter direct messages

Twitter monthly active users: 217 million

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Twitter
  • Chatbots
  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery

If your brand is on Twitter, you probably already use your Twitter DMs to communicate with customers. Twitter DMs are integrated into Twitter, and anyone can send other users messages. In your DMs, you can employ chatbots to provide exceptional customer care, too.

When you slick "send a DM" on Sprout Social's on Twitter, our chatbot will automatically greet you.

We recommend using the built-in GIFs, sticker gallery and emojis to infuse your brand’s identity into your conversations.

11. Zendesk

Key benefits:

  • Omnichannel customer care
  • Voice chat
  • Chatbots

Although not technically a social messaging app, Zendesk is the glue that holds an effective social messaging strategy together. Zendesk is a customer service software dedicated to helping brands create meaningful, personal and productive relationships with their customers.

The software integrates with your social messaging apps to provide customer support and sales outreach at scale. You can also connect Zendesk with a social media management platform like Sprout Social to resolve issues faster across your social and customer service teams.

Manage your social messaging apps in one place with Sprout Social

If these social messaging apps are already a part of your strategy, you know the struggle of trying to balance so many channels at once. Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox unifies your social channels into a single stream to monitor all incoming messages. It simplifies customer care and outreach by making it easy to see messages, mentions and brand keyword usages at a glance.

Sprout Social's Smart Inbox helps you manage social media messaging apps in one place.

The Smart Inbox offers tools like People View to help you provide personalized experiences for your contacts. In People View, you can foster connections with influencers, manage your VIP Lists and view conversation history with a specific user profile.

It all boils down to this: When using social messaging apps, you must make your customers feel like they’re your top priority.

Looking for more guidance to help you refine your social messaging strategy? Learn why social messaging is the future of the customer experience.

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]]> 11 corporate communications tools to boost team performance https://sproutsocial.com/insights/corporate-communications-tools/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:08:00 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=158989/ Communications tools are make-or-break for modern companies Because every missed deadline, bottleneck and minor misunderstanding trickles down to impact your team’s productivity. But the Read more...

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]]> Communications tools are make-or-break for modern companies

Because every missed deadline, bottleneck and minor misunderstanding trickles down to impact your team’s productivity.

But the bigger your company, the faster these issues tend to snowball out of control.

That’s why dedicated business communications tools have become a staple of in-person, remote and hybrid teams alike.

The problem? There’s no shortage of software out there. Couple that with the fact that onboarding your team to new tools is no small feat. This is especially true for enterprises.

If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered in our comprehensive guide to corporate communications.

What are corporate communications, anyway?

Corporate communications refer to how stakeholders in business interact with colleagues (internal) and customers (external). From updates and expectations to messaging and results, businesses prioritize communications for the sake of organization, productivity and accountability.

And so corporate communications tools represent the software and apps that stakeholders use to manage the interactions above.

These tools can be put into two buckets based on their respective audiences — internal and external.

Internal vs. external corporate communications tools

Internal communications cover interactions that happen among stakeholders within an organization. This includes employees, folks at the C-level and other internal collaborators (think: freelancers or contractors).

To manage these relationships and keep stakeholders up-to-date, companies might use:

  • Project management tools
  • Team chat tools
  • Video conferencing tools
  • Company Intranet or wiki tools

On the flip side, external communications tools are used to deliver key messages to customers, subscribers or partners. These tools might include:

  • Marketing tools (think: social, CRM, email)
  • Customer communication tools (think: live chat or help desk software)
  • PR and media tools

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to adopting comms tools. That said, a combination of internal and external tools is key to keeping everyone involved with your business in the loop.

Why business communications tools matter so much

Investing in dedicated digital communications should be a matter of “when” and not “if” for companies of all shapes and sizes.

Enterprise. SMBs. Solo. You name it.

Consider the well-documented benefits of streamlined communication below:

  • Encourage meaningful collaboration among your team. When teams’ tasks and goals are aligned, they create better business outcomes. There’s a reason why effective communication and higher rates of employee engagement go hand in hand.
  • Empower people to be more productive. Recent research from Teamwork notes that people are up to 25% more productive when they have quick access to deliverables, requirements and other critical project information. With the right business communications tools, you can consolidate all of the above in one place.
  • Create a more connected company culture. Food for thought: only 7% of workers feel that communication is “accurate, open and timely” at work. This signals the need for businesses to really put their corporate communications under the microscope for the sake of not only productivity but their workers’ well-being.

Also, keep in mind that the efficiency of internal communications has a direct impact on how you communicate with customers.

For example, consider how marketing messaging and creatives for campaigns require multiple steps, stakeholders and approvals.

When a department is on the same page and able to communicate effectively, its messages to external stakeholders are more likely to resonate.

11 corporate communications tools to try

Below is our breakdown of the best comms tools, all proven to bring businesses together and help workers communicate better.

Of course, no company necessarily needs everything on this list. That said, the internal and external tools here can highlight areas where your business’ comms might need a tune-up.

Internal communications tools

Building an internal communications strategy is a must-do, especially for remote and distributed teams. Let’s start by looking at tools to help your team internally.

1. Asana

Especially given the rise of remote teams, project management tools are a must-have for companies big and small.

Tools like Asana provide businesses with a unified place to plan and track the progress of any given project. From tasks and to-do lists to full-blown project timelines and department calendars, Asana makes it all easy to track with:

  • Multiple project views (including Kanban boards, lists and calendars) that provide a constant pulse on the progress of a task
  • The ability to assign roles and permissions for collaborators (including entry-level employees, contractors and C-level) to keep workflows structured
  • Automated updates and notifications to keep a constant pulse on task progress
Screenshot of Asana project management

2. Slack

It’s hard to find a team that isn’t using Slack (or a similar team chat tool) to stay connected.

Slack is one of the top corporate communications tools.

With Slack, you can organize your team’s communications into company-wide, department-specific or role-specific channels. This allows for immediate, timely communication that doesn’t totally interrupt workers or cause needless meetings. Arguably the biggest selling point of Slack is its ease of use and endless integrations (including many of the tools on this list).

3. Teamwork

A project management solution that’s almost a hybrid of the two tools above, Teamwork sets itself apart with its ability to track granular project data in addition to updates and messaging. For example, you can track individual contributions to any given task as well as team-wide time spent on tasks.

Teamwork answers “what’s been done, what needs to be done and what’s next” in one place. The platform’s project tracking features represent a massive time-saver and create fewer back-and-forths among collaborators.

Screenshot of the Teamwork workload planner.

4. Confluence

From internal docs and policies to reference pages and wikis, Confluence represents a sort of “home base” for teams to refer to.

The platform serves as a project management tool in its own right but also provides teams with a digital whiteboard to brainstorm and make notes as needed. Confluence’s features are yet another example of how you can consolidate corporate communications rather than jump between multiple apps, inboxes or internal drives.

Screenshot of Confluence internal Wiki and project outline.

5. Employee Advocacy by Sprout

Employee advocacy is all the rage right now. Sprout’s Employee Advocacy platform empowers your teammates internally to earn maximum on external marketing messages.

For example, Employee Advocacy makes it easy to boost your brand’s biggest announcements and latest blog posts. Rather than craft individual updates or captions, the platform provides templates, inspiration and creative options to boost your social posts messages in the most engaging way possible.

An example of the Sprout EA curation tool

6. Dialpad

Dialpad represents an all-in-one video conferencing, chat and phone solution that’s ideal for distributed teams.

Perhaps the most “corporate” of our corporate communications due to its enterprise clientele, Dialpad boasts a number of features to improve team comms. This includes AI tools such as call sentiment analysis, automated notes to address sales objections and automatic call transcriptions.

Screenshot of the Dialpad team communication tool.

External communications tools

For the second half of our breakdown, we’ll look at external tools you might consider as part of your marketing tech stack.

7. Sprout Social

No surprises here! Sprout Social is a powerful, all-in-one tool for streamlining internal and external comms related to social media.

How so? For starters, we allow teams to consolidate all of their social messages and notifications in one place. Not only does this mean less jumping between platforms, but also empowers teams to respond to more messages faster via collaborative features. The ability to combine your inboxes is a massive time-saver and likewise gives you a more comprehensive view of your customer comms.

Sprout Social screenshot showcasing the all-in-one power of the tool.

Beyond that, Sprout also serves as the home base for all of your external social content.

Updates and announcements. Videos and images. Stories, Reels and everything in-between.

With Sprout, you can schedule and optimize your content across multiple social networks at once. Having all of your social media assets and updates in a single platform allows you to maximize your reach and get your message across to the appropriate audiences faster.

Sprout screenshot showcasing previews of social posts before scheduling.

And we don’t stop there!

Below are a few more ways you might use Sprout as a corporate communications tool:

  • Developing and rolling out your social media crisis plan
  • Listening to crucial social conversations and shout-outs to uncover opportunities to intervene or answer questions for customers
  • Encouraging cross-team collaboration and unified comms among your entire marketing department (including social, design and content marketing)

8. SendinBlue

While trends in marketing come and go, email remains a staple of external comms.

Newsletters. Welcome messages. Winback campaigns. The list goes on.

Platforms like SendinBlue are scalable and make it a cinch to set up automated workflows for any campaign you can think of. The ability to assess engagement metrics and fine-tune your campaigns over time means that you can maximize the eyes on your marketing messages.

 

Screenshot of the SendInBlue email workflow

9. HubSpot

HubSpot’s suite of corporate communications tools includes a robust CRM, email marketing platform and CMS rolled into one.

Having all of the above in one platform gives marketers the opportunity to have a more complete understanding of their customers and their needs.

For example, which content do our leads engage with the most? What’s our most common sales objection? Which of our campaigns results in the most direct revenue?

With HubSpot, you have a holistic view of your marketing channels and likewise what makes your customers tick.

HubSpot's CRM serves as a corporate communications tool both internally and externally.

10. Muck Rack

PR and relationships with bloggers, journalists and media outlets are key for businesses looking to earn some much-needed exposure.

Tools like Muck Rack make the process of finding relevant outreach targets and pitching them faster. Providing instant access to thousands of journalists, the platform allows you to track the progress of your pitching campaigns and automate the process of conducting follow-ups as needed.

Screenshot oof the Muck Rack pitch tracker.

11. Shorthand

Shorthand is a self-proclaimed “scrollytelling” tool that allows users to create digital experiences (such as websites and landing pages) to share with customers. The tool boasts a variety of team collaboration features that makes it easy for writers, designers and other marketers to come together to create the most compelling stories possible.

Below is a snapshot of how the platform works:

How to pick your corporate communications tools

We get it: choosing between tools can be tough.

This is especially true if you’re on the hunt for an enterprise solution.

To wrap things up, let’s review a few key details that’ll help you make a decision faster.

Be mindful of your budget

No-brainer, right? Most SaaS tools require negotiated pricing for larger teams. Regardless, try to pick solutions that are reasonable to scale and don’t involve usage-based pricing.

Screenshot of Slack's pricing tiers as an example of different budgets.

Onboarding should be a breeze

Ideally, you should be able to adopt and roll out corporate communications tools across your team ASAP. Many tools go to great lengths to educate and empower teams when it comes to onboarding. Some will basically hold your hand through the process to make it less daunting.

For example, Asana has a ton of resources, guides and videos to help teams get started.Example of onboarding resources for corporate communication tools.

Don’t second-guess security

Security matters for any piece of software and your business communications tools are no different. Potential breaches or data loss isn’t an option when you’re dealing with sensitive company materials.

For example, many businesses defaulted to Zoom during the pandemic. However, ongoing privacy concerns highlight how choosing a tool prior to shopping around can result in headaches down the road.

Double-check integrations with your current software

As noted earlier, anything you can do to consolidate tools and communications is a plus. Most major comms tools connect with each other to help boost productivity and likewise reduce notification spam.

Below is a snapshot of two of Sprout’s most popular integrations for both internal and external comms.

This screenshot example shows integrations between corporate communication tools.

Make sure your comms tools have a track record

When in doubt, read reviews! Although there’s nothing wrong with test-driving brand new tools, we recommend sticking to a more “proven” platform for comms.

Review sites like G2 can highlight which apps have long-term users and the most satisfied customers. Insights from buyers can likewise break down specific features or concerns that might be relevant to your team.

Screenshot of reviews for various corporate communication tools.

Which corporate communications tools do you use?

If you want your teams to communicate more effectively, start with your tech stack.

Any combination of the tools above is a solid starting point toward building a more connected and aligned business. Doing so not only makes your workers’ lives easier but also empowers your team to send the right message to your customers.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out or guide to leveling up your corporate communication skills to do exactly that.

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]]> Everything you need to know about WhatsApp marketing https://sproutsocial.com/insights/whatsapp-marketing/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:16:58 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=158844/ Remember the feeling of “being a regular” somewhere? No shopping experience can compare to spending money with a company that knows who you are Read more...

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]]> Remember the feeling of “being a regular” somewhere? No shopping experience can compare to spending money with a company that knows who you are and what you like.

In this era of accelerated digital transformation, the concept can feel like a thing of the past. The truth is, it’s not gone; it’s just changing shape. Stand-out customer experiences still hinge on creating that sense of familiarity and personalization. Now, marketers can pull it off at scale with 1:1 messaging tools, like WhatsApp.

WhatsApp marketing taps into the preferences of today’s always-on, digital-first consumer. As of 2021, WhatsApp is the most popular global messenger app worldwide. With over two billion active users, WhatsApp is more than likely where your customers connect with family, friends and maybe even your competitors across the globe.

Marketing with WhatsApp can modernize your approach to customer care, helping you create stellar experiences that people remember and repeat. Keep reading to learn more about WhatsApp marketing and its role in your social media strategy.

Why you should include WhatsApp marketing in your social strategy

You’ve likely experienced frustration caused by an impossible-to-find support center hotline.

Or the boredom brought on by a seemingly endless customer service wait time.

These common customer experience pain points used to seem inevitable. Now, people can and will avoid them.

Your customers want to connect with businesses the same way they connect with their friends and family. No special hotlines or single-use platforms. Just fast, simple and convenient messaging.

WhatsApp marketing supports seamless customer experiences, encouraging retention and even evangelism. If you’re still on the fence, here are three prime reasons you need to include marketing with WhatsApp in your social media strategy:

It’s how you’ll beat your competition

As I said above, customers can and will avoid disjointed customer experiences. The latest Sprout Social Index™ found that responding to customer service questions in a timely manner is the easiest way to get customers to buy from a brand over a competitor.

A chart describing the actions brands can take to get a consumer to buy from them over a competitor. Across all ages, responding to customer service questions in a timely manner takes the top spot.

With WhatsApp, your brand can secure a competitive edge that makes a measurable difference on your bottom line. A WhatsApp Business account allows you to set up messaging tools that guarantee quick response times with less effort. When 77% of consumers expect a response in less than 24 hours, speed is what will make your business stand above its rivals.

It’s where your customers are most responsive

WhatsApp marketing open rates are much higher than traditional email open rates. In fact, many estimate they’re on par with SMS marketing open rates, hovering somewhere around 90%.

This responsiveness opens the door for more meaningful interactions that go beyond support requests. Now, customers are using social messaging to ask questions about products, provide feedback, and give shout-outs. These behaviors empower your social media and customer care teams to act as digital sales floor associates, giving them real-time influence on purchasing behaviors.

A chart showing the top five reasons consumers reach out to brands on social media.

It’s the future of commerce

According to Meta’s Head of Messaging Developer Partnerships, Martha O’Byrne-O’Reilly, messaging is here to stay. She believes this influx of 1:1 messaging, combined with social commerce, is creating a new wave of what’s known as conversational commerce.

“[Conversational commerce] encapsulates the full range of reasons people chat with businesses, from asking about store hours to booking appointments, tracking deliveries and resolving issues,” says O’Byrne-O’Reilly. “And it’s happening in all the places where people are spending time online, which is predominantly social and messaging platforms.”

New technologies, like machine learning, chatbots and messaging, are ushering in a new era of customer experience. In fact, 77% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand if they could browse or get questions answered via messaging. Building WhatsApp marketing into your social strategy today can help future-proof your marketing strategy for tomorrow.

The 3 best WhatsApp marketing examples we’ve seen (so far)

A quarter of the world’s population, mainly in Latin America, Asia and Europe, use WhatsApp. It’s no wonder brands from those regions lead the pack when it comes to stand out WhatsApp marketing strategies.

If you’re planning to roll WhatsApp into your social marketing strategy, here are three brands you can look to for inspiration:

1. World Health Organization

In March 2020, the World Health Organization launched dedicated COVID-19 WhatsApp hotlines to service users in seven languages.

A screenshot of the World Health Organization COVID-19 Hotline, built using WhatsApp.

Users can access the hotline by messaging a location-specific number via WhatsApp. They’re then given several prompts to pick from for more information on the disease, vaccines and more.

This automated chatbot provides users with a solid middle ground between self-service and live support.

2. Lidl

Lidl, an international food retailer specializing in discount goods, has been riding the WhatsApp train since May 2020.

Initially, in response to the pandemic, the brand created a “Quiet Time” chatbot that allowed shoppers to check store capacity before heading over to shop. Now, Lidl has rolled out a full scale customer care strategy on the platform to provide a seamless support experience to their shoppers.

A screenshot of a Lidl customer service exchange on WhatsApp.

The company uses the platform to provide instantaneous support with automated greeting messages. When a customer sends a question or request, they get a message thanking them for their business. The message also shares that a live support agent will be with them shortly.

3. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Flight information typically lives in two different places: in a password-protected account or somewhere in an email. Neither of these options are particularly helpful when you’re speeding to the airport, trying to catch a flight. KLM is using WhatsApp to provide their passengers with something better.

When a person books a flight with KLM, they can opt into WhatsApp communications. This allows them to centralize their booking, baggage and flight status information in a single, searchable conversation thread.

Blending WhatsApp into your social media strategy

WhatsApp marketing isn’t a magical solution to connecting with your customers. A poor messaging conversation will drive a customer away just like a poor in-person experience might. Like all marketing strategies, you get what you put into it.

If you’re ready to start marketing with WhatsApp, here’s everything you need to do before jumping in.

Decide on your team goals and operating norms

Your WhatsApp marketing goals will be different from your goals for traditional social media networks. Instead of engagements and impressions, you’ll want to start by tracking customer care metrics.

KPIs like average reply time and total response volume can help you benchmark your initial WhatsApp marketing efforts. Eventually, you’ll be able to use that data to inform more commerce-driven channel decisions.

You’ll also want to use this time to decide on operating norms. WhatsApp Business accounts only allow for one active user at a time, so creating a clear channel management schedule is imperative.

Luckily, you won’t have to experience this issue for long. Sprout is bringing WhatsApp messaging into its product suite before the end of 2022.

Sign up for WhatsApp Business

You won’t run your business account out of the general WhatsApp app. Instead, you have to use WhatsApp Business.

WhatsApp Business is available for both iOS and Android devices. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll see the account setup is pretty simple. All you have to do is verify your phone number and update your business information. For a full walkthrough, check out the video below.

Craft templated messages

WhatsApp Business offers several messaging tools to streamline your workload and customer response times. All you have to do is craft your message.

These templated responses are designed to help you act on important conversations in advance. WhatsApp’s messaging tools include:

  • Away message: When an away message is enabled, customers who message you will automatically receive a reply indicating that you’re busy or offline for the day.
  • Greeting message: Your greeting message automatically sends out a warm welcome when customers interact with you for the first time or after 14 days of no activity.
  • Quick replies: These canned responses can be used to quickly reply to frequently asked questions. They can be accessed in message conversations using specific shortcuts and you can save up to 50 at a time.

Build out a product catalog

The catalog is a powerful WhatsApp marketing feature that allows customers to browse through your products or services directly within the app. Once a product is in your catalog, you can share its link anywhere for more discoverability.

An Android mockup of WhatsApp's catalogue feature.

If you offer several products, try starting with your most popular items. As you continue to build out your product offerings on the app, you can sort them into collections for easy browsing.

Promote your presence on other channels

WhatsApp isn’t an “if you build it, they will come” platform. Customers need to know your WhatsApp number to reach out.

Once your business profile is all set up, run a lightweight awareness campaign to let people know you’ll offer customer care through the platform. This might include an email to existing customers, promotions across other social media networks, and a quick update to your website’s “Contact Us” section.

Say “what’s up?” to WhatsApp marketing

Marketing with WhatsApp sits at the intersection of marketing and customer care, opening up new ways for brands to connect with fans and prospects alike. If your approach to messaging is more reactive than strategic, now is the time to use WhatsApp Business to step into the new normal.

If you want to learn more about messaging as a channel, then check out this guide we created in partnership with our friends at Zendesk. Use it to learn how to effectively integrate social messaging into your customer experience so you can prepare for the future of customer experience.

The post Everything you need to know about WhatsApp marketing appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Escalation management: how to keep social customers happy https://sproutsocial.com/insights/escalation-management/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/escalation-management/#respond Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:23:31 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=148775/ The boom of social media as a customer care channel is unprecedented. Timely and transparent, social is a prime place for consumers to seek Read more...

The post Escalation management: how to keep social customers happy appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> The boom of social media as a customer care channel is unprecedented.

Timely and transparent, social is a prime place for consumers to seek out answers and solutions.

But many brands still struggle with social customer service.

Specifically, the volume of messages coming from social media is often overwhelming. Serious issues fall through the cracks, resulting in angry customers, negative press and lost business.

Listen: you can’t afford to treat customer care as secondary. You need to address pressing issues in a speedy, thoughtful manner without overwhelming your customer support reps.

That’s where your escalation management strategy comes into play.

What is escalation management, anyway?

Escalation management is the process of prioritizing customer service concerns, ranking issues based on severity and ensuring that they’re addressed by the right reps (in the appropriate order).

Food for thought: companies have seen a staggering 66% increase in service requests from digital channels in the past three years. Couple that with the fact that social service requests are just as legitimate to modern customers as phone calls or in-person conversations.

This speaks to not only the importance of separating your requests into tiers but also delegating responses to the right people.

Escalation management goes hand in hand with greater customer retention. Mastering it means maintaining a timely social media response time while also empowering your best-equipped reps to handle their respective tickets. The end result is more satisfied customers and positive sentiment via social.

How to handle escalation management through social media

Below we’ve broken the steps to put together a customer service escalation process as it pertains to social media.

1. Prioritize your customers’ most pressing issues

First thing’s first: you need to differentiate between tasks that deserve your immediate attention versus issues that can wait.

There are some instances where a saved response won’t cut it. Also, failure to respond quickly could cost you customers.

For example, there’s a huge difference between deleting a troll comment and de-escalating a social media meltdown from your biggest client. Below are some examples of priority issues when it comes to escalation management.

Major product and service problems

Arguably the most important issues related to escalation management involve your customers’ finances and understandably so. Some examples might be:

  • Unexpected charges or fees (such as double billing)
  • Service interruptions or outages
  • Undelivered or unusable products or services (damaged products, broken links)

These types of issues that can snowball from a single customer issue to a full-blown call-out if left unanswered.

And again, speed counts. Consider that two-thirds of people expect a same-day response from brands on social media. Especially when it comes to massive customer inconveniences, you can’t let those bad feelings linger. These are situations where you need to own up and suggest next steps ASAP.

Inflammatory comments and call-outs

We understand: navigating call-out culture is tricky.

Sometimes it’s difficult to decipher legitimate call-outs from minor complaints or trolls.

However, if you receive a flood of negative mentions from industry players, influencers and/or verified accounts, damage control can’t wait. Whether it be a clarification or apology, brands have to find a balance between timely and thoughtful responses to keep the situation from getting worse.

This is yet another situation where the customer care rep that makes the response really matters. Leave delicate situations like these in the hands of people who understand your brand voice and values.

Opportunities to close eager customers

Not every situation related to escalation management is necessarily negative.

For example, let’s say that someone via social is shopping around products and asks about a feature or a demo. The longer you wait to set up a demo or potential meeting off of social media, the more likely they are to look elsewhere or potentially bounce to a competitor.

The takeaway? For good and bad situations alike, you need to emphasize proactive service that’s in the hand of the right reps.

Doing so is an ongoing process that requires you to both learn your social media specialists’ or customer care reps’ strengths and continuously improve your response times. Tools like Sprout Social encourage you to do both by keeping tabs on your reps’ customer interactions.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social Inbox Team Report, which shows the average reply and wait times of individual team members and the entire team.

2. Determine your levels of service (and the reps responsible for them)

Simply put, you need to establish a social media policy that prioritizes your service tasks at different levels. For example:

  • Tier 1 support deals with common questions, many of which could be answered by a saved reply or knowledge base.
  • Tier 2 support deals with individual issues that require a personalized response but aren’t necessarily pressing.
  • Tier 3 support deals with the high-priority problems that we discussed above (such as billing problems, outages and so on).

And for each level of customer escalation, you can assign different reps (think: junior versus senior reps)

How this sort of policy works in practice varies from business to business. Either way, the concept is simple enough: issues are ranked by severity and are only dealt with by the proper personnel.

For the sake of organization, consider coupling your escalation management strategy with permissions and approvals. Doing so not only keeps your reps’ tasks organized and creates a sense of accountability, but also ensures that the right tasks go to the right people.

Below is an example of escalation management using Sprout, serving as an all-in-one place for reps to tag issues by tier, go back-and-forth via comments and reply to customers without leaving the platform.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social Smart Inbox showcasing message tagging for customer support escalation. A message is being tagged for Tier 2 Support.

 

3. Create a process for assessing and responding to customers

Now that you’ve figured out what your priority problems are and who should address them, what about the actual process of responding?

Escalation management is largely situational. Companies can’t treat all customers identically, nor should they rely on one-size-fits-all responses to complex issues.

That said, you should absolutely streamline the process of responding to customers. Below is a step-by-step example of a customer escalation management process in action:

Step 1. The social marketing team vets any and all inbound messages. Anything deemed worthy of escalating is sent to support as a priority ticket.

Step 2. Social team members read their full conversation history with a user, as well as:

  • The user’s previous seven days of tweets
  • Their bio
  • Relevant mentions and replies

The goal here is to gain literacy about who you may be interacting with and whether they have any ulterior motives (think: trolling, indirectly mentioning your brand or employees and so on).

Screenshot of a Twitter troll example, who has no images, no followers and is only following a few accounts.

Step 3. Use tagging to identify more severe incidents that may require review from another team. This could be any kind of aggressive or reportable content, messages about specific employees or issues with company conduct.

From here, messages and comments associated with internal tags can be directed to senior team members. Depending on the situation, a social manager might bounce the concern back with a suggestion or take the reins themselves.

Screenshot example of a Sprout support issue with internal comments and conversation history.

Step 4. Over time, make sure to develop reply templates as well as internal tagging for common issues. This can help speed up your response time and likewise help newer reps with replies without totally templating them.

Screenshot example of Sprout Social saved replies feature by message tag.

4. Train your reps to tackle issues before they escalate

Perhaps the best line of defense against escalating issues is making sure your reps are prepared for them.

Here are some key issues to focus on when it comes to escalation management:

Practice empathy

Modern social customer care is built around empathy and listening to people, not copy-and-pasting a canned response. Always put yourself in your customers’ shoes and make a point to reassure them.

Respect the chain of command

In short, reps should acknowledge which issues are in their wheelhouse and which aren’t. The clearer your reps’ roles and responsibilities are, the easier it is for them to hand off and address issues.

Be willing to collaborate with fellow reps

An open, collaborative culture is key to dealing with issues in a timely manner and ensuring that your reps maintain a good relationship with each other.

This is where tools like Sprout come in handy, allowing reps to go back-and-forth within a single platform and resolve issues without stepping on each others’ toes.

Collision detection in Sprout prevents overlap during escalation management.

Do you have a plan for escalation management?

Sure, you shouldn’t assume the worst what-if scenarios for your service reps.

Even so, you need to be prepared.

Having an escalation management plan in place will make your reps’ lives easier and help you maintain more positive customer relationships at the same time. Doing so requires a conscious customer escalation process and you can’t afford to just “wing it.”

In that same vein, make sure to check out our guide to social media crisis management.

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