According to a forecast by Juniper Research, users of instant messaging services will grow 9 percent and reach 4.3 billion this year, as more people turn to mobile communication during the COVID-19 crisis.
The study also suggests expanding the capabilities of messaging channels via different protocols – such as digital payments. Juniper’s study advises companies such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to develop e-commerce channels that will make use of digital payments and boost the use of messaging protocols – even after the pandemic is over.
For instance, WeChat – a very popular messaging service in China shows how a messaging platform can also offer other services such as food delivery, travel booking, and shopping via digital payments. WeChat allows marketers to create mini-programs within their app, which ultimately helps expand the services' capabilities beyond messages.
In another recent press release JuniperResearch predicts that the total number of app-to-person SMS will reach 3.5 Trillion this year, rising from 3.2 trillion in 2019.
Juniper also highlights the upcoming Rich Communication Services (RCS) by Google. A replica of iOS iMessage, the RCS would be supplementary to the traditional SMS service and would allow users to send rich text messages over Wi-Fi.
In fact, Juniper tells the marketers not to wait for Google to launch RCS and develop a marketing strategy that would allow them to continue their dominance in the market even if the latest addition in the messaging sector becomes more popular.
"The report forecast that the number of RCS-enabled smartphones will grow by 45 percent from 2019 to 2020, with over 740 million smartphones using RCS services by the end of 2020."
Read next: eMarketer Forecasts That Instagram And Snapchat Will Experience Higher Engagement Growth During This Year Compared To Facebook
The study also suggests expanding the capabilities of messaging channels via different protocols – such as digital payments. Juniper’s study advises companies such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to develop e-commerce channels that will make use of digital payments and boost the use of messaging protocols – even after the pandemic is over.
For instance, WeChat – a very popular messaging service in China shows how a messaging platform can also offer other services such as food delivery, travel booking, and shopping via digital payments. WeChat allows marketers to create mini-programs within their app, which ultimately helps expand the services' capabilities beyond messages.
In another recent press release JuniperResearch predicts that the total number of app-to-person SMS will reach 3.5 Trillion this year, rising from 3.2 trillion in 2019.
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Juniper also highlights the upcoming Rich Communication Services (RCS) by Google. A replica of iOS iMessage, the RCS would be supplementary to the traditional SMS service and would allow users to send rich text messages over Wi-Fi.
In fact, Juniper tells the marketers not to wait for Google to launch RCS and develop a marketing strategy that would allow them to continue their dominance in the market even if the latest addition in the messaging sector becomes more popular.
"The report forecast that the number of RCS-enabled smartphones will grow by 45 percent from 2019 to 2020, with over 740 million smartphones using RCS services by the end of 2020."
Read next: eMarketer Forecasts That Instagram And Snapchat Will Experience Higher Engagement Growth During This Year Compared To Facebook
