Communication tools are essential for success in today’s business world, A well-developed instant messaging app can be critical for success in today’s highly-digitized business world. In fact, the numbers paint a clear picture. Consider these facts and statistics surrounding communication tools like messaging mobile apps.
- 74% of employees regard communications tools as a primary driver behind improved efficiency and productivity.
- 83% of employees rely upon collaboration tools as they work with colleagues.
- 86% of employees blamed poorly-designed communication tools for challenges in the workplace.
- A well-developed communications system can help companies retain top talent by 450%.
- 20% of employees who work remotely regarded communication as an “obstacle.”
Considering a platform’s form and functionalities is just one part of the recipe for success. Appearance and user interface have a major impact on how a communication tool such as a business messaging app is received. Researchers at McKinsey found that 70% of digital transformation projects failed due to employee resistance and poor user adoption rates. But there are proactive measures that you can take to improve user adoption and overall user experience. Branding your messaging app is one very effective solution.
What is a Branded Instant Messaging App?
Consumer-grade mobile apps fall short in many areas when it comes to business messaging and a company’s communications. But a branded enterprise messaging app can make a world of difference.
Branded messaging apps feature your company’s logo, official colors and other aesthetic elements that are unique to your business. This is different from an un-branded app or a consumer messaging app, which has its own logo, color scheme and visual components. In these cases, it is clear that you’re using a third-party application which can be a source of challenges for user adoption, among other things.
The Benefits of a Branded Messaging App
Companies stand to see a much higher ROI when they opt to invest in a messaging app with their business’ unique branding elements integrated into the user interface (UI).
Professional Appearance – Your business is investing in a custom enterprise messaging platform; it should look like it’s yours too. A customized UI with your logo, company colors and other branding elements drives home the fact that this is your app, designed with your users and operations in mind. This is also true of business messaging apps that are also used by clients and customers. It looks far more professional if the app has your company branding in place of generic brand elements.
Higher User Adoption Rates – At a psychological level, we are far more likely to use an app or software platform that was designed specifically for us. Company branding drives home the fact that this is a customized platform that was developed with the company and its needs in mind. This promotes higher user adoption rates.
Greater Engagement – Engagement is key for ensuring the success of an enterprise messaging app platform deployment. A branded messaging app has a psychological impact because it leads users to feel as though it’s “theirs” and this sense of collective ownership or “we-ness” leads to greater engagement.
Centralizing Communications – It’s not uncommon to encounter a business where you have employees using multiple, disparate instant messaging platforms to communicate with colleagues and clients. The use of multiple messaging platforms impedes communication and collaboration, even posing a risk management challenge to your company. And this says nothing of the moderation, regulatory compliance and data governance-related challenges that may arise. Eliminating the use of multiple messaging apps and centralizing communications on a single branded business messaging platform can go a long way toward promoting productive, compliant communications. Users are far more likely to use an “official” company messaging app when it’s branded and feels as though it’s collectively “theirs.”
Additional Benefits of a Business Messaging App Platform
A business messaging app — branded or not — also brings significant benefits in terms of regulatory compliance. The best enterprise messaging apps like SayHey Messenger® include regulatory compliance-friendly tools, such as messaging data exports, auditing tools and reporting tools. These features are critical for achieving legal and regulatory compliance while simultaneously avoiding fines and penalties.
What’s more, instant messaging aligns with the way in which we naturally communicate — in short, succinct bursts. As such, we tend to communicate more effectively via IM or SMS texts versus other forms such as email. It’s much easier to write and read a short text versus a long, missive in email form. This translates into better communication, which is always advantageous in a business environment.
Benefits also arise from greater control over your company’s messaging environment. When your employees are using multiple messaging platforms, you’ll struggle to collect, manage and retain messaging data. And effective moderation is virtually impossible when you’re using several different third-party messaging platforms. This can create inclusivity challenges that would make your HR leadership cringe.
Boosting Communications Efficiency and Minimizing Risk With a Business Messaging App
It’s clear the instant messaging brings many advantages to companies seeking to connect more effectively with customers and clients, but consumer-grade SMS platforms represent an area of concern in the risk management landscape. Many of these risks can be mitigated with the deployment of an instant messaging mobile app and desktop platform that’s specifically designed for business communications. That is precisely what SayHey Messenger® is designed to do.
SayHey Messenger® is a unique and regulatory-compliant business instant messaging platform that solves many of the challenges that companies face when it comes to communication. The team at 7T developed SayHey Messenger® as a method for patching the holes in your company’s messaging situation.
The SayHey Messenger® app features:
- Data sovereignty for control and ownership of all messaging data;
- Fully compliant instant messaging for regulated businesses;
- Seamlessly integrates into existing company software platforms;
- Admin portal for moderation, auditing, and inclusivity;
- SayHey Spaces for company-wide broadcasts and team collaborations;
- Engaging, intuitive user interface for incredible adoption rates;
- Send compliant SMS messages to external users with full data retention; and
- Custom UI with your logo, colors and branding elements for a style that’s all yours.
SayHey Messenger® offers two deployments: a SayHey Messenger® Business deployment with a mobile app platform (for iOS and Android) and web app portal. There’s also SayHey Messenger® Enterprise deployments, which entail storing all messaging data in the client’s private cloud environment and the platform is fully integrated within the client’s existing software platforms, including mobile applications. This allows users to access their instant messages without leaving the screen, leading to greater productivity, higher user adoption rates and better efficiency.
Consider using SayHey Messenger® as your business messaging platform. And the best part? We can deploy this business messaging solution in a matter of days. Contact us today to learn more about SayHey Messenger®.