In Latin America, more than 62% of consumers prefer to use WhatsApp to interact with companies and brands, as revealed by a recent study from Infobip. This report, titled “Messaging Trends 2024,” highlights a 91% increase in global usage of conversational messaging channels over the past year.
The adoption of WhatsApp and other messaging platforms like Telegram, Line, Viber, and Facebook Messenger is transforming the way companies communicate with their customers, enabling everything from making purchases to managing customer service in a more direct and personalized manner. These tools not only facilitate more efficient communication but are also being integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) to improve segmentation, offer continuous availability, and provide effective access to information.
The integration of AI into these channels has allowed companies to offer interactions that, although automated, retain a human quality that consumers appreciate. Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer of Infobip, explains that users, despite knowing they are interacting with an automated system, prefer to maintain the feeling of a human conversation. This has led to the development of conversational AI technologies that can identify when it is necessary to transfer the interaction to a human agent.
In this context, WhatsApp has introduced new features such as WhatsApp Flows and Payments, which further simplify the purchasing process and customer service by eliminating intermediate steps like logging into mobile applications and authentication, providing a smooth and secure user experience.
The study also highlights significant growth in the use of other platforms in the region, with Viber experiencing a 261% increase in adoption, social media platforms seeing a 178% increase, and rich communication services (RCS) experiencing a 126% growth.
Industries that have benefited the most from these tools include media and entertainment, production and manufacturing, and tourism and hospitality, sectors where direct and effective customer interaction is crucial.
This increase in the adoption of conversational messaging and AI technologies represents a significant evolution in how companies communicate and engage with their customers, marking a shift towards more personalized and efficient interactions that are likely to continue to develop and expand in the coming years.