Considering how crowded and competitive the modern digital environment has become, efficient multi-channel marketing heavily relies on leveraging the most popular communication platforms to make sure your message reaches the broadest audience possible. While campaign goals may vary, the importance of scale remains constant. Core messaging channels like Email, SMS, and Mobile Push notifications each offer unique strengths, chipping in to a holistic marketing approach. Mastering these foundational tools is crucial, but a truly advanced strategy goes beyond the basics.
To stay ahead, marketers need to explore lesser-known, yet highly influential channels that are dominant in specific regions. One such platform is Viber, a messaging app with around 1.8 billion users globally. Though it may not be top of mind in English-speaking markets, Viber is a powerhouse of communication in several European countries.
By integrating Viber for Business into your multi-channel marketing strategy, you can engage with customers directly through the app they already trust and rely on for their day-to-day communication. Be it transactional messages or promotional offers, Viber offers a direct, personalized touch that meets users at various stages of their journey.
In particular, Viber’s dominance in parts of Europe makes it an essential tool for any business looking to connect with audiences in this region. If you’re planning a mobile messaging campaign there, Viber for Business is a channel you simply cannot afford to overlook. It could be the missing piece in your multi-channel marketing efforts, ensuring that you reach and engage your audience on the platforms they’re most active on.
It’s high time to get familiar with it!
What is Viber? A powerful SMS alternative to boost customer experience
Viber is a Voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging app that allows users to make calls, send messages, and share media over the Internet. It’s available across all major operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, making it accessible on both mobile and desktop devices. Known for its end-to-end encryption and ease of use, Viber is a trusted platform for personal and customer communication alike.
Viber features
Viber offers a wide range of features that make it a valuable tool for both personal and business communication. Its ability to handle everything from casual chats to high-quality video calls, including cross-device synchronization, lets users stay connected on mobile and desktop. This flexibility, combined with advanced messaging options, makes the Viber app an essential platform in any multi-channel communication strategy.
🗒️ Some of the standout features Viber users enjoy include:
High-quality voice and video calls
Instant text messaging with support for photos, videos, and file attachments
Voice messaging for quick audio communication
Message editing and deleting options, offering more control over conversations
Disappearing messages for enhanced privacy
Group chats, as well as group video and voice calls for easy team or community collaboration
User communities for managing large groups and engaging with followers
A wide selection of stickers and GIFs, including the ability to create custom ones
Cross-device synchronization to make conversations accessible on mobile and desktop
Who uses Viber the most?
If you’re anywhere in the Western World, you may be tempted to think mobile messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp are leading the way globally, but this isn’t actually the case.
Aside from the Middle East and South-East Asia, Viber is the favorite messaging app in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. A key metric to consider here is the app’s smartphone penetration – the percentage of all smartphones with the app installed on them. Several countries show an incredibly high penetration rate indeed:
🇷🇸 Serbia (country’s #1 messaging app; 94% smartphone penetration)
🇷🇺 Russia (close to 35 million users)
🇺🇦 Ukraine (98% of Android users are also Viber users)
The Balkans (around 90% smartphone penetration)
❗ This translates to a target user group going into tens of millions, hardly a number you can ignore.
Viber for Business
Clearly, Viber is an excellent app for anyone’s personal messaging needs. That said, its capabilities extend into the business realm, allowing brands to manage various aspects of customer relations through interactive messaging. Think of it as a direct line to your clients, where you can engage them in real-time, answer their questions, and even guide them through the purchase process – all in an official and secure environment. Much like RCS Business Messaging sender verification, Viber works to authenticate business senders, so your customers know they’re interacting with a trusted source.
💡 What makes Viber primed for business use is its socially-oriented design. With features like Viber Communities, users are already expecting engaging, interactive communication. The devil’s in the details though, and this app is more than just another channel for broadcasting your message. To use Viber Business messages efficiently, you need to be looking to start conversations that feel personal, relatable, and interactive. This creates an opportunity to connect with customers on a more social, personal level, something Viber users naturally expect.
In essence, Viber for Business, available through the app’s official messaging partner, provides a layer that allows brands to expand their digital presence. Similarly to RCS Business Messaging, Viber for Business is designed to help you capture attention, engage customers, facilitate transactions, and keep the relation going long after the sale. It’s a versatile tool that allows you to be there for your customers at every step of their journey, keeping your brand top of mind.
How to use Viber for Business
Viber for Business offers many opportunities to strengthen your customer relationships and grow your brand. If you’re looking to build brand awareness, generate new leads, or communicate with your existing customers, Viber has the toolkit you need to reach and engage your audience effectively. With features built for both marketing and customer support, it allows you to:
Advertise products or services to a fresh audience and boost sales with existing customers through interactive Viber Business messages that can include up to 1,000 characters, clickable links, and attached media.
Send promotions, important notifications, and updates with confidence, thanks to detailed delivery and read reports, ensuring your messages reach the right people at the right time.
Improve customer experience and foster loyalty by providing personalized support directly within the app. You can track messages via Viber logs and keep communication consistent across platforms.
Viber also ensures that your brand stays front and center with custom branding options and cross-device synchronization.
In cases where delivery might fail, the app offers an automatic retry feature, giving you peace of mind that your Viber Business message will reach its destination.
Plus, the platform is designed with customer convenience in mind, featuring an easy unsubscribe option within the app, allowing users to opt out if they choose so.
Viber for Business API
The Viber for Business APIlevels up your communication strategy by enabling automation and integration with your existing systems. Connecting the Viber app with your CRM or other platforms in your eCommerce or retail tech stack optimizes customer interactions and builds a consistent experience across channels.
🤖 A standout feature of the API is its chatbot capability, which allows you to offer round-the-clock support without straining your team. Answering common queries or guiding customers through purchase processes becomes easy. Viber chatbots help you maintain a high level of service while reducing manual effort.
🖼️ The API also offers a variety of rich features, making your messaging more exciting. You can include emojis, GIFs, images, QR codes, interactive buttons, direct links, and even stickers to boost user engagement. High-level personalization contributes to a better customer experience regardless of whether you’re promoting products or providing support.
🔒 Security is also a top priority with Viber for Business, as the entire API communication is conducted over HTTPS for enhanced protection of your data and your customers’ information.
We’re currently working on developing our Viber API to allow you to automate your messaging in this channel in the near future.
Unlocking the potential of Viber Business Account
To fully take advantage of everything the app has to offer, you’ll need a Viber Business Profile. It acts as your business’s public profile within the Viber ecosystem, making it easy for users to find you through the app’s main search bar.
Once set up, your Viber Business Account lets you showcase a product catalog directly within the app, providing customers with a convenient way to browse your offerings. Plus, it opens up channels for both direct communication with individuals and broadcasting messages to all your followers at once.
Using a Viber Business Account, you can utilize three distinct types of messages to engage with your audience:
Promotional messages: Share offers, promotions, and product launches to attract new leads or drive sales with existing customers.
Transactional messages: Keep customers informed with order confirmations, shipping updates, or appointment reminders (requires API integration)..
Conversational messages: Engage in real-time conversations with customers, whether it’s to provide support or nurture relationships.
Having a Viber Business Account means you can easily manage both one-on-one communication channels and large-scale broadcasts, all while taking full advantage of the app’s interactive features.
Integrate Viber into your multi channel communication with MessageFlow
Viber, with ~1.8 billion users worldwide, is a vital platform for businesses looking to expand their mobile marketing efforts – especially in selected European markets where the app enjoys widespread popularity. As mobile marketing continues to gain momentum, it’s clear that people are increasingly using different OTT messaging apps like Viber to stay connected, making it an essential part of any comprehensive communication strategy.
Enhance your strategy with Viber Business messaging
MessageFlow now offers you the opportunity to bring Viber into your multi channel marketing campaigns. Using a Business Account, you can start delivering Viber messages directly to users through a trusted, verified profile in an environment they’re already familiar with. This helps maintain the ever-important, consistent brand presence across all channels, with customers easily recognizing and trusting your communication, no matter where they’re receiving it.
Combining Viber with other channels like Email, SMS or Mobile Push creates a truly omnichannel customer experience, allowing you to reach your audience in the most effective ways possible. At MessageFlow, we’re here to guide you through the entire process – from setting up your Viber sender ID to launching your first campaign.
💡 Campaigns we’ve already run with some of our clients in countries like Ukraine, Serbia, and Bulgaria have shown an impressive average view rate of 56% which is way higher than what you can expect with Email open rate, for example. Plus, if your list has contacts with no Viber installed, your message will be automatically turned into an SMS and still delivered.
Ready to transform your multi-channel strategy with Viber for Business? Contact us to get started today!
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