Business messaging emerging as key tool to connect with customers
Messaging is playing an important role in people's daily lives, reflecting the accelerating shift in how people interact online and how they want to connect with a business in the same way they chat with their friends and family.
During a panel discussion via Zoom application on Tuesday, Facebook Thailand from Meta said 76 per cent of Thais prefer messaging over email and phone, and 81 per cent feel more connected with a business they can message directly.
With one billion people worldwide – and 78 per cent of Thais – connecting with a business account across Meta’s messaging services every week, it said the volume of daily conversations between people and businesses grew 50 per cent year on year.
“Even before the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen businesses in Thailand and the region leading the way when it comes to business messaging," said Ankur Prasad, director of business messaging for Facebook and Instagram, Meta.
"In fact, a lot of the features we have built are inspired by how businesses in Asia Pacific are using our platforms to find and connect with customers in a personal, timely, and relevant way."
He added that the company will continue to invest in features that create seamless discovery and messaging experiences for Thai business and consumers to meaningfully connect.
Methit Mukdasiri, industry head at Facebook Thailand from Meta, added that with the significant rise in conversational commerce around the world, and with 74 per cent of people in Thailand saying they message a business more frequently since the pandemic, customers want to be met where they already are, which is increasingly on the messaging platform of their choice.
During a panel discussion, multi-format, multi-category retailing platform Central Retail delved into the importance of business messaging and their commitment to delivering seamless end-to-end customer experiences.
"With a strong foundation of next-gen omni retail built on digital infrastructure, we have the potential to fully connect customers and department stores in a limitless shopping experience without borders that creates further opportunities for sustainable business growth,” said Adisai Thammaromdee, head of omnichannel & digital marketing, Central Department Store Co Ltd and Robinson Plc under Central Retail.
Zwiz.ai also shared how they have successfully helped businesses such as Thai apparel brand era-won grow to handle larger orders and enquiries by leveraging Meta platforms – with their Messenger-powered digital assistant creating an eight times return on ad spending – and highlighted the importance of businesses using the latest technologies and solutions to become more efficient and make their shopping experiences more fun and seamless.
“In an era where customers are trying to find the easiest way to communicate with businesses when buying or selling, business messaging provides a crucial opportunity that every brand must focus on and prioritise for sustainable growth,” said Zwiz.ai’s chief executive officer and co-founder, Chanakarn Chinchatchawal.
