10 Tips for an Effective Rakuten Viber Messaging Campaign

As the holiday shopping season is coming, so is the time for marketing campaigns that can make a difference. After all, businesses that are prepared for this busy time of year will be able to capitalize on the increased demand and make the most of their e-commerce efforts. At Rakuten Viber, we have been helping companies around the world to connect with their customers through messaging for nearly a decade. In that time, we have seen many trends come and go, and that's why we've put together a few tips to help you get the most out of your marketing strategy. By following these recommendations, you can ensure that your messaging campaigns are effective and profitable, your customers are happy and your business is growing. This holiday season, all your resolutions are sure to become true!

1. Plan your campaign in advance.

In order to ensure that your Rakuten Viber messaging campaign is successful, it's important to plan ahead and decide on your goals and objectives. What does the planning involve? First and foremost, it is determining exactly who your target audience is so that you can customize your messages to appeal to them. By taking the time to carefully adjust your approach, you can maximize your chances of success and reach your customers in a way that is both cost-effective and efficient. It may sound obvious, but understanding your audience with laser precision is the foundation of any successful campaign, especially the one to be live during the high shopping season. Everything else – creative, frequency, types of campaigns – will come naturally once you decide on your target audience for the holiday season. 

2. Keep your messages short.

It's a fact: customers are more likely to read and react to a shorter message than a long one. That's why you need to create compelling and attention-grabbing content. Think about it: when was the last time you read a long, drawn-out message from a brand? Probably never. But you've surely seen a lot of short, punchy messages that stick in your mind. Why? Because those ads are simply easier to digest. People's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and your customers are more likely to interact with content that is brief and to the point. 

Here are some tips to help you create messages that are both simple and engaging:

• Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
• Use strong headlines and subheads to grab attention
• Use bullet points to break up your content and make it easier to scan
• Add images, infographics, and videos to break up your text and increase visual interest
• Use active voice and strong verb choices to make your content more attractive

This way, you can create content your customers will want to read and react to, and that will help your messaging marketing campaign be more successful.

3. Use emojis and gifs.

Don’t be afraid to get creative, interact with your customers! Using emojis and gifs helps brands spice up their texts and add a bit of character to them. This way, you can communicate with your audience in a more engaging way, which will help you stand out in the crowded and noisy world of content, full of default "Dear [username]!" messages. Plus, adding fun and original media will give you the opportunity to build a personality around your company, humanize your brand and paint a picture of a real person behind all the services and products you promote. It is especially important in the era of cold, faceless corporations, and your clients are sure to immediately sense and appreciate it.

4. Personalize (if you can) to drive higher conversions.

Customizing your messages for every client will help your brand make your marketing campaigns more effective. Think about it: by tailoring your content to specific clients, you can ensure that your campaigns are even more relevant and impactful. Not to mention, you'll likely see an uptick in engagement and conversions. It's as simple as can be - your customers are more likely to respond to a message that feels like it was written just for them. That's why you need to personalize your texts to connect with your audience on a deeper level. This is more than just adding a name at the beginning of an email - you need to understand your customer's needs and desires and then craft a message that resonates with them on a whole new level. When you take the time to personalize your content, you're showing your clients that you care about them as individuals. This can go a long way in building a long-term relationship with your audience.

5. Use Rakuten Viber’s multiple features to your advantage.

With over 1 billion downloads on Android alone, Rakuten Viber is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. And with good reason – it’s easy to use, it’s available on all major platforms, and it has a ton of tools that make communication more convenient and fun. It is a versatile app that offers a variety of features that can be used by brands to make their marketing campaigns more effective. 

We provide many great instruments that businesses can make use of to improve their connection with customers and prospects. Here are just a few of the things you can do with Rakuten Viber:

• Send messages to multiple people at once when you want to reach a large audience quickly
• Schedule your content in advance, so you can make sure it is always timely and relevant
• Use multimedia to add a visual ro video element to your communications
• Advertise on Rakuten Viber
• Create chatbots, so you can set up automatic responses to common questions and other messages.

There are lots of other great features available on Rakuten Viber for Business, so be sure to check it out and see how it can help your business communicate more effectively. Who knows, maybe your brand will be the one to find a new, creative way to use Rakuten Viber Lenses or business messages for conversational commerce?

Learn more about Rakuten Viber for Business Solutions

6. Timing is everything.

At Viber, we know that timing is key in any messaging campaign, regardless of the industry you’re in. It can mean the difference between successful communication and one that falls flat. If you don't time your campaign correctly, you risk missing your target audience and your message falling on deaf ears. That's why it is important for brands to send their notifications at a time when they know their recipients are more likely to be available and able to respond.

Before you can determine the best time to send your message, you need to know who your clientele is. Consider their location, age, gender, occupation, and interests. All of these factors can play a role in when they’re most likely to be receptive to your message. And don’t just assume that what works for one group will work for all of them. The only way to know for sure is to test different approaches to see what gets the best reaction. If you keep these things in mind, you’ll be well on your way to timing your message marketing campaigns for maximum success.

7. Keep it relevant.

When it comes to marketing, relevance is key. After all, what's the point of spending time and money on e-commerce if your messages aren't resonating with your target audience?

There are a few ways to ensure your content is relevant to your clients. First, (and we know we keep repeating!) get to know them. Conduct market research and find out as much as you can about your target market. What are their demographics? What are their interests? What motivates them? What are they looking forward to for holiday experiences? Once you have a good understanding of your customers, you can start to create marketing messages that are tailored to them. Speak their language and address their specific needs. Be sure to keep your texts fresh, relevant, and engaging, and you'll soon see the results you're looking for.

8. Make use of call-to-actions.

Call-to-actions (CTAs) are a great way to encourage recipients to take the desired action, so you should use them where appropriate. For example, to encourage people to visit a store or shop online, to request more information, or to make a purchase. There are a few things to keep in mind when using CTAs:

• Make sure your CTA is clear and concise
• Use persuasive language that encourages the desired action
• Use wording that suits the message and audience
• Test different CTAs to see which ones are most effective

If you keep these things in mind, you can use call-to-actions to great effect in your marketing messages. But keep in mind that it is important to add CTAs sparingly and only when they are appropriate. If used too often or in the wrong context, they can come across as pushy or sales-y, which can turn people off. When used correctly, though, CTAs can be a powerful tool to help you achieve your marketing goals. So if you're considering using one, ask yourself if it's the right move for your brand and your audience. If it is, then go for it!

9. Use images and videos.

Images and videos are a great way to grab attention and make your marketing messages more engaging. Here are some tips on how you can use them to your advantage:

• Use high-quality images that are relevant to your brand
• Make sure your videos are well-produced and offer valuable information
• Experiment with different types of content to see what works best for your audience

By using visual content, brands can communicate their message more effectively and connect with their audience on a deeper level. Images and videos can help to break through the noise and make your brand stand out. Besides this, they can be used to tell a story and create an emotional connection with your customers. When used correctly, media can be a powerful tool to help you achieve your marketing goals.

10. A/B test your messages.

A/B testing is a technique used to compare two or more versions of a marketing message to see which one performs better. By monitoring and analyzing the results of those tests, brands can fine-tune their strategy to be more effective. A/B testing can be used to test different types of headlines, call-to-action buttons, and more. By comparing the outcomes of the different versions, you can see which message is more likely to get clicked, shared, or otherwise generate the desired response. By constantly assessing and tweaking your marketing texts, you can ensure that they are resonating with your target audience and generating conversions. The key is to find what works best for your customers and your brand. A/B testing is the best way to do that. You can test your creative even before the holiday season starts, and then adjust as you go during the campaign’s high season.

There is no secret in the fact that e-commerce is more than just selling products or services. It's about building relationships and connecting with customers on a deeper level. Rakuten Viber’s suite of messaging and advertising solutions is a great opportunity to give your e-commerce business the personal touch it needs to succeed. 

Here are a few extra recommendations for building a great Rakuten Viber marketing campaign – these are always relevant, but are especially important during the high-sales holiday season:

• Be original - the key to success in any marketing campaign is to be different. Think outside the box and come up with original ways to reach your target audience.
• Get creative with your content, your visuals, and your overall approach.
• Be genuine - customers can spot a fake a mile away.
• Be authentic in your efforts and make sure your messaging is true to who you are as a brand.
• Be engaging - your texts should be designed to start a conversation.
• Ask questions, encourage feedback, and make it easy for people to connect with you.

And don't forget to have fun in the process - your marketing should be reflective of your brand's personality.