Your intro to Viber Business API
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Which messaging channel has over 1 billion users in 190+ Countries and is one of the top 10 downloaded apps of all time? If you guessed Viber – you’re right! Here, we’ll explain more about the Viber Business API, as well as its advantages and limitations.
The Basics of Viber Business API
Viber Business API is an interface that allows a business to communicate directly with its audience through Viber. Businesses are able to personally interact with customers and keep them engaged to drive performance and encourage specific actions. It’s free to set up but does include monthly fees and messaging fees. A Viber chat can support:
Text
Images
Videos
Buttons
Links
Files
Two-way conversation between brand and customer
…and more all in the same message.
Additional features:
Ability to implement a chatbot, community, stickers, and advertising.
Viber Business Messages takes the best of both worlds from RCS and WhatsApp: in addition to the reach and popularity of the Viber app. We’ll go into more of the benefits below.
Multiple Forms of Communication
A business can choose between a one-way or two-way messaging. Each kind requires a different integration. One-way messaging delivers direct messages to customers without them being able to reply. Two-way messages create a dialogue between a brand and customers, allowing both parties to send and receive messages in a conversation.
Types of Messages
There are two types of messages that can be sent with Viber Business API: promotional messages and transactional messages.
Promotional Messages
A promotional business message is a message that contains information that promotes a business’s products or services, offers a discount, or provides commercial information. This message may include a button, emoji, image, video, and more.
Transactional Messages
A transactional business message is a message that contains text only, though it may also contain a URL.
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Business messages that are not transactional and/or targeted to a specific user will be considered and charged as a promotional message. When a first message is sent from a business to a user it must be a personal, informative, and a targeted message - not a promotional one.
Viber Business API Advantages
Viber has a lot of great features. It combines the benefits of other messaging apps to provide many advantages such as:
The app is available all over the world with strong market share.
Messages are secure with end-to-end encrypted communication.
End users don’t need to opt–in to receive messages (like they do for WhatsApp).
End users can easily unsubscribe from messages.
Rich media is integrated into messages: images, videos, buttons, text with 1000 characters, etc.
Brands can customize their profiles with logos and colors.
End users can search for businesses within the Viber app.
Businesses only pay for the delivered and seen messages on Viber.
There is the option to use SMS as a fallback for undelivered Viber messages (for example if the customer has unsubscribed from the brand’s messages or doesn’t have the Viber app).
Option to send messages to both the mobile phone and computer or just to the mobile phone app.
Conversational two-way messages have a “seen status,” so businesses can see when the end user has read the message.
Limitations
Viber Business API does have some limitations for what you can use it for. You may not send Viber messages related to the following industries and services:
Political parties or organizations with a political nature
Gambling and Trade – online and offline casino businesses, bidding, lottery, bitcoin, binary options and forex companies.
Credit/loan services and pawn shops unless these services are offered by a registered financial institution such as banks and services that are endorsed by banks
Content with sexual nature and any other adult content
Tobacco related services
Alcohol related services
Businesses that are involved in weapons and drug trade
Open portals/blogs that have no control over the published content, for example
Internet websites that allow its users to create content and share it
Religious services including churches, temples, mosques etc.
Online spiritual services such as tarot cards readings, astrological mapping, etc.
Companies that are considered Viber’s competitors
Additionally, they have policies for traffic and their market:
Business Messages should be targeted and informative by nature.
Business Messages’ content will not include any of the following:
Content which infringes or violates any rights.
Content which is or may be considered to be abusive, discriminating, harassing.
Content which is illegal by any applicable laws or regulations.
Content that contains or transmits viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, or any malicious code.
The recipient of your messages must provide their consent (opt-in) before you can send them any message and you must retain proof of receipt of such consent.
Messages that are sent to users without their consent will be considered as spam messages and the service will be subjected to a penalty as mentioned in the warranty’s latter.
Viber pro-actively monitors and blocks spammers from sending service messages.
Users will be able to block the service from sending messages at any stage.
If more than 5% click unsubscribe on Viber Sender, Viber has the right to terminate that sender.
Viber is a powerful tool that your customers already use. It’s time for you to get started as well. Contact us to learn more!