3 Ways Messaging Is Transforming the Path to Purchase
Explore how messaging apps connect people and businesses more directly at every stage, shortening their journeys and creating new paths to loyalty.
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Lígia, a 27-year-old in Brazil, was on a mission. She needed a costume for her belly dancing performance, and it had to look flawless and be ready by the next day. She also needed some expert advice—because she had never bought one before. So Lígia found the page of a local seller on Facebook, and after checking out what appeared to be some very promising photos, deployed her message: “How fast can you make a custom outfit for me?” She received an immediate response in Messenger. One by one, her questions about sizing, colors and delivery were addressed in full.
Lígia’s concierge-like experience transported her from concerned to converted in mere minutes. As consumers increasingly expect interactions that are personalized, immediate and frictionless, they find mobile messaging apps are delivering.
We know there is powerful momentum behind messaging, with 67% of people across 7 markets saying their messaging has increased over the past two years.1 We’re also seeing the continued growth of messaging across our platforms, with more than 1.5 billion people using WhatsApp every month,2 1.3 billion using Messenger3 and 1 billion on Instagram.4
See how brands can join the global shift to messaging and create personal connections that drive business results.
On Messenger alone, people and businesses around the world now exchange over20 billionmessages each month.5
Connecting directly at every stage
The global rise of business messaging clearly shows that the ways that people choose to engage with businesses is evolving.
For many, messaging businesses is a sticky habit, not just a trial behavior. In fact, the majority of people surveyed who message businesses do so throughout their consumer journey, seeking store hours, product details and gift ideas. People are booking dinner reservations and plane tickets, receiving boarding passes, sharing feedback and more, all through messaging apps.
How people surveyed message businesses across the funnel
Making an inquiry
People surveyed who message a business to ask about products or services
- Brazil 89%
- India 89%
- UK 81%
- US 83%
Making a transaction
People surveyed who message businesses to make a purchase or reservation
- Brazil 85%
- India 82%
- UK 74%
- US 75%
Making a connection
People surveyed who message businesses to get support for a product or service
- Brazil 88%
- India 82%
- UK 78%
- US 76%
Beyond this, the research shows that once people try messaging businesses, it often becomes their go-to medium. Across four markets, more than half the people we spoke to who message businesses say they do so across all stages of their journey6—from seeking product information to sharing product feedback.
Consolidating the consumer journey
What's driving the rapid rise of the world's messaging habit? Most consumers don't actually want a “journey”—they want instant gratification. People want products and services—and the more effortless and immediate, the better. In fact, people globally now value convenience so highly that 60% of people surveyed across 23 markets say they would actually pay more for convenience.7 Messaging is an anywhere, anytime, single-thread platform with a unique ability to shorten the distance between wanting and owning. Given consumers' shifting preferences, the era of messaging could not be more timely.
When asked why they message businesses, over 64% of people surveyed across 4 markets say it's because they’re “always messaging anyway.” And over 61% say messaging is the easiest, most convenient way to contact a business.
“
It’s about practicality. You save time. Buy and pay online. It’s very convenient, very comfortable.
— Lígia, 27, Brazil
Convenience is powerful, but ultimately, people want to get stuff done. And the combination of speed, quality of advice and personal care that people can experience when messaging is making it an irresistibly effective medium. People's expectations of messaging are reaching a tipping point, as messaging continues to supplant other ways of communicating with businesses.
Compared to more traditional channels, people surveyed who message businesses say messaging businesses provides them with the following:
We know that responsiveness can be key in creating positive and meaningful messaging experiences.
We’re also seeing that people feel more confident messaging businesses than using more traditional customer service channels. Whether they are more confident they’ll get a response or more confident their issue will be resolved, over 58% of people surveyed feel more confident messaging a business than calling them on the phone. Over 58% feel more confident messaging than filling out a form on a website, and over 55% feel more confident messaging than emailing a business.
Shaping the future of loyalty
Rather than simply driving people down the funnel, messaging draws people and businesses into what can become an ongoing conversation. In many cases, messaging can offer people a concierge-like experience. After answering an initial filtering question, people are able to engage in a two-way dialogue, unlocking a more meaningful and personalized brand experience. As this new paradigm can make people feel cared for, it is fostering brand equity and creating the sense of connection that can lead to loyalty.
How people surveyed say messaging a business makes them feel:
More confident about the brandOver 66%
More personally connected to the brandOver 55%
“
It’s been almost two years now since I started shopping with this particular page on Facebook, and I buy things from them very often. They’re nice, they ship stuff quickly ... and I’m used to chatting with them.
— Rattikarn, 36, Thailand
And when it comes to the future of messaging, things look bright. People anticipate that they'll continue to message businesses and purchase via messaging more—and that business messaging will itself continue to unlock better customer experiences.
People surveyed who message businesses expect to do so even more in the future.
I will message businesses more with customer service questionsOver 70%
I will use messaging more to make purchasesOver 59%
Messaging will create better customer experiencesOver 68%
Consumer demand for messaging businesses is here, it’s growing and it’s here to stay. There’s never been a better moment to harness the power of messaging, whether you want to unlock immediate action, future loyalty—or both at the same time.
What it means for marketers
Start with a clear business objective.
Forward-thinking businesses are leveraging the power of conversation to add value across customer experiences. But whether you're planning to meet people where they are on Messenger, WhatsApp or Instagram, be sure to build based on a solid objective. For example, do you want to generate leads, book appointments, sell products, answer common questions faster or even up-sell your loyalists?
Explore messaging’s potential across the funnel.
Consider where messaging can remove friction—or add delight—along your path to purchase, and how it could give people the confidence to move from consideration to conversion. For inspiration, dive deeper into messaging insights, peruse the success stories of other brands or explore advertising opportunities on Messenger.
Measure, test and learn.
Messaging may be transforming the path to purchase, but your measurement journey has just begun. It's critical to test performance, understand how messaging is impacting your business objective and identify areas where you can optimize flow or content. Messenger supports commonly used signals from the Facebook family of apps and services, including app events, pixel conversions and offline conversions. Just make sure to tag events that take place in Messenger so you can accurately track how messaging is driving your business.
Source unless otherwise specified: "Motivations, Mindsets and Emotional Experiences in Messaging (vs. Feed)” by Sentient Decision Science (Facebook-commissioned survey of 8,156 people in BR, GB, IN and the US), Jun 2018. Research refers to people surveyed who use messaging apps daily and have messaged a business in the past three months using one of their most commonly used apps.
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