Conversational Messaging: The Future of Business Communications

Why Now? The Growth of Conversational Messaging

One-to-one conversations between businesses and customers aren’t new.

We didn’t universally wake up one morning and suddenly demand a text thread with our local bank or hair salon. But customer behaviors, and technologies are shifting – causing a massive change in the way we communicate.

They also allow customers to play a more active role in the relationships they’re building with brands. Studies show 7 out of 10 customers now want conversation with brands – they don’t just want to be bombarded with broadcasts.

They’re craving those interactions through every stage of their journey, whether they’re just learning about a business, or looking for help with an issue.

At the same time, the platforms that companies use for conversational messaging are exploding in popularity. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and similar tools have billions of users. SMS is available everywhere – with more than 5 billion users worldwide. Even RCS is gaining steam, with almost 3.5 billion users (since the Apple adoption)

Demand for messaging is only going to continue growing, and as the technology evolves, there’s really no excuse for not getting involved.

How Companies Can Use Conversational Messaging

Now that we’ve nailed down what conversational messaging is, it’s worth taking a closer look at where it shines. It’s not just a tool for customer service.

You can experiment with:

Customer Support:

The most Obvious, and popular use case. Instead of forcing customer to submit tickets or wait on hold, conversational messaging allows people to ping your team instantly. Whether they’re checking the status of an order, resolving an issue, or asking a simple product question, they can resolve problems faster with messaging – and on their terms.

Marketing and Sales:

Imagine browsing a new skincare brand. You get a message asking if you’d like help picking the right serum. You reply “sure”, and the brand follows up with 3 suggestions based on your skin type. One tap later, you have the product you need. That’s conversational marketing (and conversational commerce) in action. Conversations in marketing and sales don’t just increase conversions – chatters often spend up to 60% more per purchase too.

Collecting Insight:

Most customers don’t want to fill out annoying, long, surveys. But if you chat with them after a discussion and ask how you did, they’re usually happy to share feedback. You can even use a conversational messaging platform to automate, tag, and analyze responses automatically. Plus, you can use these tools to follow up with VIP customers, invitee them to loyalty programs and more.

In other words, you can add real dialogue to every step of the customer journey.

The Benefits of Conversational Messaging

The biggest benefit of conversational messaging is simple – it strengthens your relationships with your customers. In fact, 95% of customers say hey would trust a brand more if it was easier for them to initiate a conversation.

But the advantages stretch further too. With the right platform, you can access:

• Higher Engagement Rates: Email open rates usually hover at around 20%. Compare that to SMS, which sits at a jaw-dropping 98% open rate, and 90% are read within just 3 minutes. When messages are this immediate, brands get more responses, and more engagement.
• Personalized Experiences: Using a conversational messaging platform that integrates with your CRM allows for tailored conversations. You’re not just sending generic messages, you’re reminding Sarah that her prescription is ready, or letting James know his favorite jeans are back in stock. This leads to better relationships, and loyalty.
• Intuitive Automation: Chatbots and AI assistants can handle FAQs, route messages, or even provide suggestions, while your teams focus on other things. Done right, automation can turbocharge your efficiency rates.
• Stronger Retention Rates: Customer who feel heard are more likely to come back. It’s that simple. According to studies, 89% of customers want to engage in two-way conversations – deliver that, and you’ll earn their loyalty.
• Higher Revenues: Since conversations allow customers to ask questions and address concerns before they make a purchase, conversion rates increase. According to one study, a customer that engages with an agent via chat is almost 3 times more likely to buy.

Plus, you get better reach. You’re not just waiting for customers to stumble onto your website or call your team – you’re actively connecting with them wherever they are, whenever it makes the most sense.

Choosing the Right Conversational Messaging Platform

You can’t just grab your smartphone and start launching a conversational messaging strategy. You need the right technology. There are plenty of great tools out there that make it easy to build and manage campaigns.

The key things to look for are:

• Multi-Channel Integration: You want to talk to customers on their terms. That means supporting SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and even channels like Telegram or WeChat. A good platform brings all of those into one centralized inbox.
• Built-in AI & Automation: The best conversational messaging platforms come with features like chatbots, auto-replies, and sentiment analysis. That way, you can keep conversations going 24/7, even if your human team’s offline.
• Compliance & Security: Messaging comes with regulations, like 10DLC for SMS and GDPR for data privacy. Look for platforms that bake compliance into their systems, including opt-in flows, message throttling, and encryption.
• Analytics & Reporting: If you’re not tracking open rates, response times, and resolution rates, you’re missing out on crucial insights. Choose a platform that shows you what’s working and where you can improve.
• Easy CRM + Workflow Integrations: Personalization doesn’t work without data. Whether you’re using Salesforce, HubSpot, or a custom CRM, your conversational messaging platform should integrate smoothly and share information in real time.

Don’t just think about cost – think about which platform can deliver the best results long-term. That’s what really makes a difference. 

Tips for a Winning Conversational Messaging Strategy

So, you’re sold on conversational messaging, that’s great. But where do you start? A random text campaign or a rogue WhatsApp message isn’t going to cut it. You need a strategy. One that’s smart, scalable, and customer-focused. 

Here’s your five-step game plan:

Step 1: Define Clear Goals

Figure out what you’re going to be using conversational messaging for – based on the use cases we outlined above. Are you trying to boost the ROI of your marketing strategies and deliver more personalized promotions to customers? Do you want an easy way to keep people engaged throughout the purchase cycle?

Do you need to embrace messaging strategies to support your sales teams, customer service reps, or even your customer success experts? Decide on your goals and use cases in advance, and decide how you’re going to measure success. 

Step 2: Choose Your Channels

There’s more to conversational messaging than just SMS, or social media apps. SMS is a great starting point – since most consumers already have access to it. However, you’ll also want to consider other platforms, based on what your customers use. 

Do your research and find out where your target audience prefers to interact with brands. That could mean exploring channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, Slack, or even RCS. Decide, in advance, how you’re going to use each channel. For instance, SMS might be better for customer service, while RCS is great for marketing.

Step 3: Pick Your Platform

Next, using the criteria we outlined above, start comparing messaging platforms. Remember to look for easy-to-use, scalable, and compliant tools that align with your specific goals. Options like Clerk Chat are fantastic for omnichannel messaging strategies. This platform also comes with access to intuitive templates, analytics, and customizable AI agents.

Plus, it can integrate with all of the technologies you’re already using for customer service, sales, marketing, and even communication archiving (compliance). Once you’ve chosen your platform, train your teams on how to use it.

Step 4: Master Messaging Best Practices

What you say, and how you say it matters. Whether you’re focusing on conversational messaging for sales, marketing, or customer service:

• Personalize Everything: Segment your customers, and create campaigns and messaging strategies that align with their preferences. Link in your CRM platform so you can track crucial details through the conversation. 
• Keep it Simple: Don’t overwhelm your customers. Use short, human language. Avoid jargon. Design your messages like a text thread, not a press release. Include clear CTAs (e.g. “Reply YES to confirm,” “Need help? Just ask!”).
• Be Flexible: Give your customers options. If they can’t connect with you via RCS or WhatsApp, make sure they can still reach out over SMS. If they’re speaking to an AI agent, make sure they can escalate to a human. 

Step 5: Measure, Learn, Iterate

Track your KPIs: open rates, click-throughs, average response time, satisfaction scores. Use what you learn to optimize your tone, timing, and targeting. The beauty of conversational messaging is that it often delivers feedback in real-time, so take advantage. 

Analyze results and look for ways to not only improve your strategy, but scale. For instance, you might start off with a strategy that focuses on customer service, then branch into using conversational campaigns for sales and marketing teams too.

The Role of AI in Conversational Messaging

One other major best practice to consider right now? Embracing AI. With conversational AI for customer service, sales, and marketing teams, you don’t need to hire hundreds of people to keep conversations going 24/7. 

Today’s AI agents are more intuitive and empathetic than ever before. They can adapt to your tone of voice, collect data and draw on insights in real-time. They can also automate endless tasks, from FAQs, to order tracking and appointment reminders. 

Platforms like Clerk Chat even give you access to flexible agents that can handle specific tasks, like dealing with common troubleshooting issues, or collecting feedback. Plus, with AI, when you gather information, you can dive into that data more effectively.

Intelligent platforms can track intent, sentiment, and behavior to help tailor responses in the moment. This means:

• Suggesting relevant products during a chat
• Personalizing recommendations based on purchase history
• Detecting when a customer’s frustrated- and handing it off to a human

AI doesn’t replace your team. It boosts their capacity and improves consistency.

Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Conversational messaging is powerful, but it’s not foolproof. Here are a few traps to avoid when you’re just getting started:

Mistake 1: One-Way Messages Disguised as “Chat”: If your customer can’t respond, or get ignored when they do, it’s not a conversation. Make sure every message invites and respects a reply.

Mistake 2: Bots Gone Wild: Automation is great, but you can’t automate everything. Don’t let your chatbot become a gatekeeper. Always offer an easy path to a real human, especially when the issue is sensitive or complex.

Mistake 3: Poor Personalization: If you send “Hey there!” to everyone, you’re missing the point. Use your CRM to tailor messages by name, behavior, and preferences. People know when they’re being treated like a number.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Compliance: Texting without opt-in? Violating 10DLC rules? That’s how you get fined, or blacklisted. A good conversational messaging platform will help you stay compliant from day one.

Avoid these missteps proactively and remember to keep learning and updating as you go.

Join the Conversation and Grow

The future of customer communication is smart, personalized, and inclusive. It’s not about sending more emails or shouting through ads. Success comes from meaningful two-way conversations on the channels people actually use.

With the right conversational messaging platform, you can meet customers where they are, offer help when they need it, and build loyalty that lasts far beyond the sale.

Stop just broadcasting messages at our customers. Start a dialogue, build a relationship, and watch your business grow.