10 graphs that show why your business should be available through messaging apps

Apple announced the iPhone ten years ago (yes it was 10 years ago, how is it possible?) which gave birth to the App Store and the resulting app ecosystem. 10 years later this growth is starting to slow down — app usage saw a low increase of 11 percent last year — but one category of apps stands up among all: messaging apps. This means that it will be harder for new apps to get downloads. Let me explain you why with data.

1. Messaging & Social Apps are growing as no others

Despite the fact that overall app usage had a really low increase rate — 11 percent year-over-year — some apps are clearly doing better than others, not surprisingly messaging and social networking apps had a great year, with sessions growing 44 percent from 2015 to 2016.

Source: Flurry Analytics, 2015–2016 Year-Over-Year Session Growth

2. People are spending more and more time in Messaging Apps

The increase in the number of sessions in Messaging Apps was huge, but the increase in time spent last year was massive.

Source: Flurry Analytics, 2015–2016 Year-Over-Year Time Spent Growth

3. 72% of people use less than 7 apps per day

The average smartphone user uses 4–6 apps per day. This shows how difficult it is to push consumers to use a new application. A better approach from marketeers could be to integrate the companies’ services into an app that people are already familiarized with.

Source: muz.li

4. Facebook Messenger is the platform coming close to true global reach

Messaging apps are a global phenomenon, and they are wide popular across different countries. Facebook Messenger seems to be the one with the biggest worldwide reach.

Source: eMarketer

5. Messaging Apps Have Surpassed Social Networks

The top four messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber) have more monthly active users than the top four social networking apps (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+). If users are using messaging apps, it should be then natural for brands and services to be present where there customers are.

Source: The Messaging App Report, Business Insider

6. Messaging apps are growing exponentially

Every major messaging app has seen big-time growth over the past two years, but WhatsApp in particular has exploded.

Source: Statista

7. More than half of US users between the ages of 18 and 55 have used chatbots

According to BI Intelligence survey data, Chatbots adoption has already taken off in the US with more than half of users between the ages of 18 and 55 having used them.

Source: BI Intelligence

8. 51 percent of people say a business should be available 24/7

Consumers do not believe in opening hours anymore and they are demanding businesses to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Source: The 2016 Mobile Messaging Report

9. 46 percent prefer messaging over email to contact a business

Emails have been around for decades and messaging apps are relatively new, but still over 45 percent of consumers say they would choose them over email to get in touch with a business.

Source: The 2016 Mobile Messaging Report

10. 49.4 percent would rather talk to a business through messaging than phone

Whatever it is, the consumers are looking for a conversational alternative to phone calls, and that alternative might very well be messaging apps.

Source: The 2016 Mobile Messaging Report

Call to Action

Let your consumers know that whatever they prefer, you are aware of it and you make it available to them! If you want to know more about this subject, check this post!