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    Infobip research shows rise of chat networks for customer comms

    Research from global cloud communications platform Infobip has reported that chat networks such as WhatsApp are becoming important channels for customer communications, proving the growing importance of conversational experiences.

    Infobip’s data shows an 80% and 62% increase in WhatsApp and rich communication services (RCS) interactions respectively in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.

    Conversational experience

    Customers now have access to more channels and devices than ever before. Whether for marketing, support, or sales, they increasingly want conversational experiences with a business or brand on their preferred channel. But organisations may struggle to keep up with such preferences and provide the experience customers have come to expect without the right omnichannel communications in place.

    To help businesses understand changing habits, Infobip analyzed more than 153 billion communications interactions on its platform from the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.

    The analysis reveals several trends in customer communications. First, customer communications today are more digital than ever, with a 68% increase in interactions across all digital channels. Second, alongside the growth in chat app interactions, some 99% of customer support and chatbot interactions are now on WhatsApp.

    Traditional still growing

    However, while newer channels are gaining momentum, the data shows the continued growth of more traditional channels, such as SMS and email. Interactions on these channels increased by 75% and 91% respectively with Infobip seeing emerging uses around timely alerts and security solutions such as two-factor authentication.

    Infobip also finds that many sectors also reflect the same trends. For instance:

    • 134% more WhatsApp interactions in banking and finance
    • 104% more WhatsApp interactions and 155% more email interactions in retail and eCommerce
    • 1063% more RCS interactions in telecoms
    • 428% more Messenger interactions in transport and logistics
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