Viber Business Messages – A Quick Guide to Understanding and Using Them for Your Business!

Viber is among the most popular messaging tools today, not just for personal communication but also for all kinds of business communication. With more than 1 billion users globally across 190 countries, rich messaging capabilities, and secure end-to-end encryption, Viber is increasingly being used by businesses looking to improve their customer service, prevent churn, and boost sales by connecting directly with customers throughout their purchase journey. 

Viber for Business is a powerful tool for brands to manage their customer relationships over messaging. It has a number of solutions that are geared toward helping businesses connect with their customers over an official channel. Viber Business Messages is a key offering of Viber for Business that enables customer-focused companies to share multiple types of messages with customers using the same channel. To send business messages via Viber, brands first need to register with an official messaging partner of Viber and request a Viber Business Profile. Once the profile is reviewed and approved by Viber, they can start sending messages from this official business account. Not only does this build trust and boost a brand’s public image online, it also drives up conversions significantly.

It’s no secret that being present on multiple channels gives brands an edge when it comes to connecting with customers. The Viber API Business Messages channel is a serious contender for companies looking to step up their customer communication due to its many advantages. First, it empowers brands to initiate conversations over messaging using only a phone number. Second, this channel can be easily connected with a CRM platform, which helps to creates a frictionless and personalized customer experience. Third, the channel comes with automated chatbot capabilities that improve operational efficiency and help to provide 24/7 customer support. Fourth, Viber API Business Messages has a number of optionally available rich features such as emojis, GIFs, images, QR codes, interactive buttons, direct links, and stickers that increase the appeal of such messages viz-a-viz other channels like SMS. Fifth, they are cost-effective because businesses are charged only when these messages are delivered. And finally, they are highly secure and HTTPS only, creating an instant sense of security.

Viber Business Messages are primarily of three types — transactional, promotional, and conversational — with each performing a different set of functions.

Transactional Messages: These are company-initiated, text-only messages sent to customers automatically to inform them of any important update. They are triggered each time there is a change that customers should be made aware of. Businesses can select as many triggers as they want based on how closely they want to keep the users updated, for example:

  • account activation messages (verification codes, welcome messages)
  • order-related updates (purchase receipts, confirmation links)
  • shipment-related updates
  • back-in-stock notifications
  • travel-related alerts (QR codes of e-tickets, flight timing changes, etc.)

The chief purpose of these messages is to keep users informed.

Promotional Messages: Promotional messages, as the name suggests, are primarily used to recommend products to particular segments of customers based on their demographics, interest, browsing history, etc. Businesses can share information related to:

  • new product launches
  • live streams / tutorials / events, etc.
  • hot deals
  • back-in-stock messages, etc.

to keep loyal customers informed, or to re-engage inactive customers. Such messages can have images, files, and buttons that are all geared toward gently nudging users toward purchases, to woo back dormant customers, or simply to keep them informed about the business’ activities.

Conversational Messages: These two-way messages, also called sessions messages, simplify conversations between brands and customers. They are best for dealing with customer service queries as well as for collecting feedback from customers. If customers are facing any issue, they can directly send a Viber message to the business instead of calling them and being put on hold or drafting complicated emails. Interactive in nature, they help businesses have real conversations with customers, no matter what stage of their journey customers are at. Also, customers love the convenience of simply messaging a business.