Adidas and Sephora are among the brands that are testing Facebook’s software update for a messenger app that promises to help businesses control customer communication via the sister app Instagram. The new application programming interface (API) for Messenger allows businesses to integrate Instagram with other enterprise software and workflows, announced by Facebook in a blog post.
The update to Facebook’s Messenger API is a photo-sharing app, especially popular among teenagers and young adults, to help businesses improve communication with customers who use Instagram. The in-depth integration between Messenger and Instagram will allow mobile marketers to advertise on Instagram or sell directly through Facebook’s family apps, providing more tools to control communication with customers.
The company says there has been a more than 40% increase in daily conversations between people and businesses on Messenger and Instagram as millions of people spend more time at home during epidemics. Those conversations will not affect the business if they need to be managed and maintained on specific platforms, or require teams dedicated solely to Instagram and Messenger.
As many businesses use other types of customer relationship management (CRM) software and systems to manage customer interaction, they are looking for solutions that provide a more complete picture of the customer base. A more personal perspective is especially important for customer service representatives, the only direct contact people can ever have with a business. The in-depth integration with Messenger and Instagram provides a way for businesses to control the interaction with customers who use apps more for support.
The company’s continuous integration with Facebook’s messaging applications is due to the company’s advancement towards e-commerce. Earlier this month, Instagram added shopping abilities to Reel and IGTV, and in July launched Instagram as a hub for photo-sharing apps, personal advice, exclusive items, and products from brands and inventors.
U.S. users are spending more time this year on mobile messaging apps to stay in touch with others during the Pandemic. The average time adults spend on a mobile messaging app will grow by 20% to 24 minutes a day by 2020, with research engagement predicting increased engagement on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Apple iMessage. That increased use may indicate that users are increasingly relying on messaging apps to interact with businesses.
