Private Conversations

The most interesting conversations happen often happen in private, right? So it’s perhaps not a surprise that Digiday says it’s, ‘all about the group chat now’, with data showing that time on social has reached a ceiling.

Being part of a group chat - especially one that is invite-only - makes you feel part of something in a way that simply following a brand’s social media page or lightly engaging with its content cannot match.

Let’s dig in to what to watch out for…

Back to the Future

As the article reminds us, ‘For marketers and advertisers, the shift in how people communicate online is reminiscent of the early 2000s” and Facebook’s push of the ‘Groups’ product.

In more recent times, Adidas has experimented with a private Whatsapp channel, using it as a way to build hyper-local communities. A key function of the groups was finding football players to join casual games in their area.

And Wendy’s launched a Discord server in 2021, with competitions, Twitch stream announcements and gamertag sharing. The brand claims that it is the biggest server of its kind on the platform, with over 50,000 members.

Don’t Overwhelm Me

There are, however, a couple of key risks here. One is the scam potential of WhatsApp and similar platforms. The other challenge is potential customers feeling anxiety via keeping up with yet another group chat.

Data shows that people feel like they receive too many notifications from the groups with only their friends, family and colleagues so brands must be conscious about how regularly they add to the conversation and the value they are adding to it.

Where and How

Much like the social media platforms, it’s hard to know which one to choose. There’s Discord, WhatsApp, WeChat, Signal and Telegram to name just a few. The right choice depends on the content and whether the brand is creating a new community or joining an existing one.

Similarly, tone of voice and use of language is crucial. Use of the wrong emoji and the brand might be chucked out of the group faster than you can say, ‘millennial’.