How D2C Brands can Engage in Meaningful Conversations

The rising popularity of the online D2C model is one of the biggest retail trends influenced by the pandemic. However, the D2C ecosystem is at an inflexion point of rapid growth in India. Today, consumers find inspiration, browse and research, purchase and pay, share and engage across multiple channels. According to a report, the number of online shoppers is expected to increase from around 100 million in FY20 to approximately 350 million by FY25, with significant demand from tier 2 and 3 cities. 

Scaling D2C Brands with the Power of Conversation

Although D2C brands recognise the power of good customer experience and the value of engagement, not many can master it. The process is data-driven and demands bringing together many components to derive actionable insights. A new beginning of conversational engagement is being seen, and thus, a need is felt for scaling up D2C brands through the power of conversational commerce. Most consumers agree that interacting with brands over messaging apps helps build one-to-one conversations, trusted relationships, and ease of shopping. 

Reshaping how Users and Brands Interact with Each Other

Customer experience is the cumulative output of all interactions a user has with a brand, from discovery to website/app navigation to payments and post-purchase interaction. And it should be seamless across all connection points. Businesses need to communicate with their customers in real-time, 24/7, regardless of the transactions involving confirmations, approval, reminders, etc.  At its core, conversational commerce addresses communication gaps that require experience, expertise, and an audience-driven strategic approach. As WhatsApp makes shopping easier for merchants and users, it is increasingly seen as an engagement tool and as a platform to enable conversational commerce.

Benefits of Conversational Messaging in D2C

Consumers want a conversation with D2C brands to be as convenient as chatting with a friend. Conversational messaging resolves the problem of engaging meaningfully with users in real-time with tools like chatbots. Let’s look at some more of these benefits: 

• Lead Generation

D2C and eCommerce brands have a higher chance of improving lead generation and follow-ups. This can be done by collecting details and contact information from prospects while taking them through a conversational journey. 

• Personalised Deals/Offers

As every one-to-one interaction evokes a customer’s expectations from a brand, businesses need not spam them with offers that barely resonate. Brands can readily understand each customer’s taste and create specific deals to navigate their buying decisions with a data-driven approach. Again, staying off spam marketing practices aids in building trust and boosting conversion. 

• Scope for Remarketing

Brands can launch campaigns on various channels like WhatsApp, SMS, Email, etc. Through these channels, brands can gain insights through user behaviour which can help them better advertise specific categories, optimise websites, or create new products. In addition, brands can quantify the impact of marketing campaigns on various parts of the business, including sales, product development and the in-store experience, by gathering near-real-time consumer feedback.

• Live Chat Support

This is an essential feature that turns prospects into paying customers. Most people prefer to completely understand the product before making a purchase. So, real-time conversations with customers to answer all their queries will make a difference for a brand. WhatsApp Business API provides rich conversational features to help reach more customers more personally. Reimagine your D2C brand with robust AI-powered chatbot solutions for better ROI.

• Product Discovery

Helping users find the most relevant products based on their questions and recommending matching items without overwhelming them with data overload are key to building value. 

• Collecting Customer Feedback

Deploy chatbots that can improve NPS, enhance customer retention, run surveys, and record consumer feedback for further processing by live agents.

Conversational Commerce: The Next Big D2C Trend

E-commerce has revealed that it will continue to grow, and D2C is a major area in which brands can change their relationship with E-commerce to maximise benefits, ensuring that they stay competitive in a highly connected and online world. Using Mtalkz's AI-powered chatbot will enable your business to engage customers on WhatsApp and automate everyday conversations. In addition, it will work with your business’s live agents to generate leads, drive sales, and build loyalty. Connect with Mtalkz today to achieve a more dynamic interaction between customers and websites and ensure real-time, relevant communication 24 hours a day, all through the year.