Instant messengers that support private and group chats have overtaken SMS and MMS as the preferred method for sending text-based messages. New messenger apps appear regularly, with WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Viber being the leading solutions used by hundreds of millions of people. Such popularity of messengers is the main reason why companies should include messenger communication with customers in their digital marketing strategies and devise messenger-based sales tactics.
Reaching out to clients by sending promotional offers and conducting support via messengers allows brands to personalize their communication, driving up engagement and, consequently, conversion and sales. Following customer requests in a timely manner across multiple messengers and keeping consolidated data of all interactions in the CRM (customer relationship management) system is a difficult task, which requires sales representatives and support agents to work in many interfaces at once. This can be solved by CRM with messengers integration, which is utilized to automate routine work and allow employees to interact with all clients through a single interface. Since there are plenty of available solutions to integrate CRM systems with messengers, let’s take a look at what aspects a business should consider to choose the best option.
Messenger integration functionality
It’s also important to learn about the set of features each solution provides. While some integration APIs provide only the essential functions to receive and process messages through a single interface, others, such as Umnico, support extended capabilities, such as message delivery status and quoting. Appearing insignificant at first glance, such functions can noticeably improve productivity and efficiency during busy days when there are many simultaneous tickets.
Number of supported messengers
When choosing messengers with CRM integration, consider the channels each option supports. As a general rule, more supported messengers is better because it makes it possible to reach all potential clients through their favorite messaging apps. Of course, the expense of developing each integration has an impact on the final price of an integration. Taking this into account, select a solution that supports four to six most widely used applications among your target audience and location. By doing this, you can ensure that your employees would be able to process the overwhelming majority of customer inquiries sent through messengers.
Official and unofficial integration
There are two main approaches to setting up messenger and CRM integration: an official solution and an unofficial one. There are many unofficial integration APIs for messengers, like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp available. Their primary benefits are inexpensiveness (all outgoing messages are free, same as for private users), and a quick setting up process that requires only hours or a day. However, brands that actively use unofficial integrations to connect with customers should keep in mind a pretty high risk of account suspension. For example, a WhatsApp Web account that sends more than 200 messages per day may be suspended because WhatsApp doesn’t officially permit bulk messaging for private users. Thus, unofficial integrations can be a suitable solution for small companies with small budgets, whereas a large business should think about a professional solution.
The official WhatsApp Business integration is made specifically for brands that want to engage with their customers. Using such integration won’t result in a ban if a single corporate account sends hundreds of messages to many users at once. However, official solutions are pricier, charging a fee for every outbound message, and require business validation procedures that may take several days or weeks. Whether your company is a small one and wants to ensure there will be no account suspensions, or you have a business with large sales and support departments, the official solution is the preferred one in both cases.