Why communicating through OTT channels is good for your company and great for your customers

The advantages of communicating through OTT channels are many. OTT channels allows you to reach a larger target group and develop personal contact with a richer and more reliable interaction in channels they use daily. OTT means “over the top” which means different medias are transmitted to different users through internet connection. We usually refer to OTT communication when we talk about WhatsApp Business Solution, Facebook Messenger, RCS and WeChat. While examples of OTT services are HBO, Netflix and Spotify where users can stream video and music.

Statistics shows that the younger generations prefer to receive communication through OTT channels because the channels provide a comprehensive solution where they can do everything in one place. Users are given the opportunity to:

In addition, there is a clear advantage of OTT channels as they can be accessed through different types of devices and the only thing needed is an internet connection.

In several countries today the SMS cost for private individuals can be high, and through operator subscriptions with internet surf, more and more OTT communication is chosen over ordinary SMS. By adding OTT channels to your communication strategy, you increase the chance of getting in touch with your target group, while at the same time offering added value and a richer customer dialogue.

Multichannel is extremely important for companies today and it is important to have a presence in the right channels. By identifying where your target group is, and by ensuring that your brand is active there, the chances of satisfied customers increase.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is an example of how OTT channels can streamline a company’s communication. Already in 2016 KLM began sending booking confirmations, boarding passes, check-in notices and updates via Facebook Messenger. The goal was to make it easier for customers to receive the right information on time, and to increase customer satisfaction through simple and transparent communication. Over the years, they have further developed the communication to include live chat with employees for support issues, which has reduced the number of support calls for KLM.

By weaving together several different communication channels, you provide a professional and unified front to your end customer, and it is important that you as a company offer several different channels so that the customer can choose where the communication takes place. For instance, OTT channels work great for booking confirmations, promotions, notices and reminders. By offering communication in these channels you get direct contact with the customer via mobile or any other device.

has 2 billion users globally, and Facebook Messenger 1.3 billion. By using OTT, you are not only being present and available in several communication channels, but you are also leaving it up to the customer to decide on where they want to be reached. With OTTs you can gather all features and functions into one channel. With WhatsApp you can send documents like contracts, videos with instructions or audio recordings of conversations. You can show locations like pick up points, give instant customer feedback and use notifications for delivery, services and other inquiries. This two-way interaction creates an enriched customer dialogue in the preferred channel of the consumer.

 Why communicating through OTT channels is good for your company and great for your customers

Strengthen your communications with WhatsApp Business API

Expand and develop your customer relationships based on dialogue by communicating with your customers through one of the most widely used apps. Access the WhatsApp Business API easily through our API and communicate seamlessly with your customers.

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most used OTT channels. 

allows you to provide customers with simple, secure, and reliable messaging. The app has more than 2 billion users in over 180 countries worldwide. Compared to other messaging channels, it drives higher delivery in addition to increased open and conversion rates.

Through our WhatsApp Business API, you can connect to the WhatsApp Business API where you will be able to use it in two different ways:

Send notifications as business initiated, templated messages that can be sent at any time if the customer has opted in to receive them. With notifications you can:

With customer care, you can support two-way conversations with customers. This means that end users can initiate WhatsApp conversations with businesses. You can also ask your customers to rate your customer support straight after the contact, and in the same text conversation you can:

Besides providing customers with a channel that is simple, reliable, and secure, you can also enhance their customer experience with features like:

WhatsApp Business API gives you the opportunity to reach, engage and develop your customer interaction. The solution allows you to create trust from your customers with branded profiles. WhatsApp treats privacy and security with the utmost priority, and we have adopted a steadfast, multi-pronged commitment to user safety:

WhatsApp is built to be data- and battery-light, so that it can work reliably on the lowest cost handsets and with the worst connections. When other forms of communication are down or drop in quality, WhatsApp still works.

You can add images directly in the messages. These could be boarding passes, theater tickets, instructions, or manuals. The customer is then able to continue with follow-up questions in the same chat instead of having some information sent by email, some by mail and some through a customer care channel.

This is perfect for logistics and food delivery. Users can see the location and chat with the business and:

You can add videos straight in the message. This could be:

You can send documents straight in the message, referring to previous calls, following up with a manual, or resending invoices. You can also send:

You can send audio straight in the message. In this way you are able to create a more personal contact with the customer. You can:

You can easily add URLs to the message and also preview the message. You can use it for T&C agreements, invoices, order confirmations, applications, and payments.

With WhatsApp Business API you are able to share a contact with your customers straight from your customer support. You can use the multiple contacts feature to:

Notifications are business initiated, templated messages that can be sent any time. They enable you to:

The WhatsApp experience was designed to connect people in a simple way – maintaining a user interface free of unnecessary distractions and UI clutter, and offering the option of voice messages in addition to text. This amounts to a straightforward experience – No matter a person’s location, device, connection quality, or level of literacy.

You can increase customer satisfaction by keeping customers updated. With WhatsApp you can have a two-way communication regarding delivery scheduling and real-time location sharing. You can decide to give notifications such as:

Banking and insurance companies can use WhatsApp for several purposes. It can be used both for customer care and notifications such as:

Telcom companies can experience a lot of customer questions. Using WhatsApp, you can easily respond real-time to the issues or questions customers have. Whether it is account balance, upgrades, order changes or shipping delays. You can also use the channel for:

Within retail and e-commerce, you can easily resolve order changes or shipping delays by using WhatsApp. You can add the receipt as an attachment and give confirmations. You can also handle:

For the travel sector you would be able to gather all information in one channel. You can give confirmations and inform about changes to travel. You can also follow up during the travel and provide extra services. In addition, you can:

Businesses using customer care on the WhatsApp Business API have seen an increase in customer satisfaction and/or net promoter score in addition to an increase in customer service operational efficiency.

 Strengthen your communications with WhatsApp Business API

The importance of OTT channels for key communications

OTT (over-the-top) channels, like Facebook Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp, bring another level of enrichment, reach, and security features to messaging – and are the future of communications.

In this article, learn more about the importance of multichannel messages and their role in key communications, as well as some suggestions on how to implement this yourself. SMS has been known to be a reliable and effective messaging channel. As the market has developed, people’s habits have changed, and the world has evolved, new channels have emerged. They are often more relevant to certain customers, though SMS still plays a large role in communications.

More and more people, especially younger generations, prefer to send and receive messages using these OTT channels for a variety of reasons, such as:

There are also several reasons why your company should implement OTT channels. Based on the popularity of these channels, you increase the chance of reaching your target group, while also adding value and a richer customer dialogue. By using these channels, you can get:

By using OTT, you are not only being present and available in several communication channels, but you are also leaving it up to the customer to decide on where they want to be reached. With OTTs you can gather all features and functions into one channel. With WhatsApp you can send documents like contracts, videos with instructions or audio recordings of conversations. You can:

OTT channels have endless uses. They can include notifications, marketing, and customer service. They cover day-to-day messages or crisis-related information. Here are some ideas of how you can best utilize multichannel messaging and stay in touch with your customers:

Use notifications through SMS or other apps, such as Viber, for things like click and collect and updating customers about delivery times, store hours, or how to collect packages. You can also send reminders for health services, payments, and invoice details. Provide confirmations for online orders, received payments, or booked services. OTT channels are also great for internal communications to efficiently reach your own employees.

Reward loyal customers or entice new customers to make purchases with special deals. You can use coupons or send out discounts through SMS or other channels. Encourage certain behaviors using rewards, such as a discount for making a purchase online. You can also combine a coupon with other information, such as a reminder about opening hours or a survey collecting data.

Keep in mind that certain OTT channels, like WhatsApp, don’t allow marketing messages. Learn more by contacting us.

Learn what your customers want or prefer by using surveys and collect valuable data to use for your business. Increase response rate by sending the survey on the preferred channel of the recipient or by offering a discount to those who respond. With LINK Collect, which uses SMS, you can ask for responses and get information which will increase customer satisfaction and retention.

Customers want to be heard, and this is possible by starting a two-way dialogue. They will feel more involved and you can gain valuable insights into their wants and needs. There is also an opportunity for up-sales, cross-sales, and re-sales, increasing conversion rates.

There are times when you need to send urgent information, like emergency updates, closures, changes to opening hours, or new hygiene measures. With OTT channels, you have high read rates and engagement, as well as the opportunity to reach as many people as possible by sending messages on their preferred channels. Having multichannel capabilities means you can find the right communication channel that is optimal for critical and urgent information.

As a CPaaS provider, we offer many of the OTT channels that your business will find valuable and relevant for your customers. To learn more about why multichannel capabilities are important or how to use these different channels, 

https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/

Evolution or Revolution? RCS history, current state, and market outlook

RCS – Rich Communication Services – is slated to become the new SMS and MMS. In fact, it’s even been called SMS 2.0 as in the future, it will offer similar universality. Before explaining how and why to use it, we’ll share more about the history and where the market is headed.

is a digital messaging channel primarily for brand and consumer communications. It involves rich media and superb end user engagement within the messaging app – meaning no need to download anything. We’re kicking off a series on rich communication services starting with the background and market outlook of this channel. Stay tuned for more!

RCS isn’t that new of a concept. It was actually started back in 2007 when operators decided they needed to compete with OTT channels. OTT stands for “over the top” because they are channels that are in addition to – or “on top” of – basic messaging channels. This new channel was meant to keep carrier-based messaging relevant in the age of OTT apps.

, an association of mobile operators worldwide, took over the development of RCS. With such a large group of operators, there were many initiatives in the following years. They tried launching in one market but never made it to worldwide coverage.

Then, in 2015 Google decided to compete with Apple iMessage, so it moved into the operator space and teamed up with the GSMA. Google acquired Jibe Mobile, a leading RCS services provider, to help bring RCS to Android OS. This led to the GMSA publishing the first globally agreed upon standard for RCS and its specifications called Universal Profile in 2016.

After 2016, Google offered the solution for free in P2P cases – so people could reach friends across the world. This requires an agreement between the operators in each country and Google. If an agreement is not there, then RCS is not available. For A2P instances, RCS Business Messaging (RBM) was created.

To ameliorate this problem Google announced in 2019 that RCS would be launched in the Google Messages app and hosted by Google instead of the user’s carrier. RBM support would still require an agreement between end users’ operators and Google.

Finally, in 2020, Samsung decided to support Google chat (RCS) on their devices, which had previously only supported operator driven RCS.

As of 2019, 66% of consumers want rich communication services. According to a MobileSquared study, consumer research showed that after email and phone calls, business messaging (SMS and RCS) was the most preferred channel for brand and customer communication in 2020.

Business messaging for RCS is forecasted to explode. MobileSquared predicts the channel will become a 1 billion user platform by the end of 2021 and by 2028, 3.7 billion of the 4.89 billion Android devices globally will be RCS users. This means brands will be able to reach 61% of all smartphone users via RCS – more than double what Google or Facebook can reach today.* Penetration depends on several factors, including how many enabled users there are and the number of enabled operators in countries that offer rich communication services.

Furthermore, it’s predicted that “brands will spend $52.5 billion on RCS by 2028, equaling approximately 16% of total digital ad spend today” – and for good reason.* It’s already proven to be a huge success. Campaigns for McDonald’s and Disney in South Africa generated an average ROI of about 207% and an average read rate of approximately 72.4%.*

RCS is currently for Android users, with Apple’s equivalent being iMessage. Apple has also developed

(ABC) for iPhones (and iPads), which is comparable to RCS Business Messaging. It has features like in-app payments for purchases, calendar synchronization for scheduling, and automated responses for quick questions. Similar to WhatsApp, customers start the conversation. It is possible Apple will do something with RCS through ABC or another type of interaction, though it might depend on the market.

Now that we’ve piqued your interest in this channel, check back later for our next post on on this channel. In the second part of the series, you’ll learn more about the benefits of RCS – and some challenges. Already interested? Get in touch!

* “RCS: The Game Changer the Industry has been waiting for” published November 2020 by MobileSquared, in association with OutThere Media

Topic: OTT

Why communicating through OTT channels is good for your company and great for your customers

Strengthen your communications with WhatsApp Business API

The importance of OTT channels for key communications

Evolution or Revolution? RCS history, current state, and market outlook