Australian Messaging Apps users trending up
There is no question that the number of messaging app users in Australia is continuing to climb.
When this article was first published in 2016, messaging apps were still in their infancy however in just two short years the landscape has changed significantly.
WhatsApp for example, in Dec 2016 had 3.1M active users and now in Jan 2019, it has 7M active users representing an increase of 125%.
And it’s not alone.
Snapchat has increased 60% to 6.4M active users and 6 in 10 Australians use Facebook, with 50% using it on a daily basis.
So the world of instant messaging and messaging apps is certainly shifting.
WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Line, Google Hangouts, Voxer, Twitter Direct, Skype – there is a long list to choose from!
Data by Statistica has shown there are now 11.1M Australians using messaging apps, up from 9.4M in 2016 – an 18% increase.
Given the increase of messaging app users in Australia, it’s no surprise that companies are looking to shift their customer service support to where the customers are at.
This includes live support from customer service teams, and of course, the use of chatbots to reduce the load on live operators and enable a host of other benefits.
We’ve left the content written by Kwame Aforo-Addo in 2016 below as it many of the sentiments still ring true, and it also makes for a pretty fascinating read on how quickly things change in this space!
Australians love of Messaging Apps in 2016
Currently, in Australia, there are 10.5 million Facebook Messenger users, with just over a third citing messaging as their primary form of communication.
Furthermore, current research shows downward trends for previous favourite forms of communication such as SMS.
55% of people stated they preferred messaging because it’’s the cheapest way to send messages overseas.
Count in the ability to add video and the case for why we are flocking to messaging apps only strengthens.
With further evidence revealing 35% of Australians check their messaging apps first thing in the morning and late at night before bed, it’’s our new addiction.
Current forecasts predict that in 2017, Facebook Messenger users in Australia will exceed 11 million.
That’s nearly half the population.
When you factor in that over 32 billion messages will be sent this year (and again tipped to rise next year) a feel for the scale of opportunity becomes clearer.
It’s a lot of messages and a lot of opportunities for brands.
In Australia, much like the rest of the world, Facebook Messenger represents the best opportunity for businesses.
A recent Forrester report released in November 2016 predicts that in 2017, consumers will spend 90% of their time using just five apps.
Will messaging apps be in the five?
You better believe it.
Messaging apps have fast become our second home screen locally and globally, and with higher retention and usage rates than most mobile apps, they’re going to change the way we do business with each other.
Are messaging apps one of your top three?
You’ll find a list of chatbots, Virtual Assistants, consultants and other automation technology solutions in our CX Directory
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