9 most popular messaging apps in 2023
Want to slip into your client’s DM? There is an application for this.
Social messaging apps are now essential communication tools. And not just for individual social media users, but for brands too.
Social media is a great way to get your message across to the sweet, sweet worldwide web, but if you’re looking for a closer connection with your fans and followers – and a way to offer best-in-class social media customer service – it’s time to check out the most popular messaging apps.
What are social messaging apps?
Social messaging apps are programs on your phone or computer that allow you to have a private chat with one or more other users. Many include video chat.
Unlike SMS and text messages, you are connected via the Internet and not by phone. As long as you have amazing access to a Wi-Fi or 3G network, you can send messages to your heart’s content.
Social media messaging platforms give users the ability to create public profiles, images, and statuses with other users on their network. However, direct messages (DM) to each other are not public. You can exchange words, photos or video messages, as well as share links – just like in a text message. (Big news for all you emojis.)
Social messaging apps often connect to social media platforms so that you can send messages to other social media users. For example, Messenger is a social media messaging app tied to Facebook. If someone is contacting customer support for help in a Facebook post on your business page, you can move the conversation out of public view and into a private conversation on Messenger to decide.
So discrete! So sophisticated! Miss Manners would be delighted.
9 most popular messaging apps in 2023
In 2023, there are too many ways to connect with someone. (Thank god it’s no longer possible to poke someone on Facebook or we’d be completely overwhelmed.)
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be in every messaging app. Instead, think about what your specific target market uses the most and focus your attention on it. But it’s good for social media marketers to understand the full range of options, so here’s a breakdown of the nine most popular social messaging apps for 2023.
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 2 billion users worldwide. This is a great way to reach a huge number of people and use the conversation for personal experience, which we hope will speed up the buyer’s journey.
On WhatsApp, you can use chatbots to answer customer FAQs, set up automatic push notifications, or personally answer questions to make shopping more intimate.
The downside of WhatsApp is that WhatsApp Business is not available globally (you won’t find it in Canada, for example), so not all of the platform’s business, targeting, and advertising features will be available to everyone.
WhatsApp may be the most popular app in the world, but it is less popular in some regions. Before diving into WhatsApp completely, make sure it’s right for your own customer base. Check out some interesting statistics about WhatsApp here.
Messenger
Messenger has a huge reach in the US and Canada, so if the North American market is important to your business, Messenger might be the best social messaging app for you. (Although that doesn’t mean global brands can’t benefit: over 1.3 billion users use Messenger to stay connected with friends and family, as well as business.)
The messenger can be configured using conversational chatbots. Facebook’s Shopping feature can also be integrated into Messenger, allowing users to make purchases right in the chat.
Facebook also sells Messenger ads and sponsored posts if you’re interested in paid placement with this tool.
Another cool feature of Messenger is that your response time is displayed right on your Facebook business page, so consumers know exactly what level of customer service to expect. Check out the Facebook Messenger stats here.
WeChat is the superstar of the Chinese app world. It has over a billion users and is used by 78% of the country’s population aged 16 to 64. It includes thousands and thousands of additional programs and features. The company tried to launch the platform outside of China, but did not have much success.
If China is the majority of your target market, then WeChat is a must for your business.
WeChat is also used as a payment tool, making it a natural fit for conversational commerce. Businesses can sell on WeChat by requesting an official account or by partnering with third parties.
If you have an official account, you can create content on WeChat, interact directly with your followers and customers, and sell to them.
Over 100 countries (including Canada) can now apply for an official account even if they don’t have a business license in China.
Learn more about using WeChat for business here.
QC
QQ is another messaging app used primarily in China, although it seems tiny compared to WeChat, which has only 574 million users. (They are owned by the same parent company, Tencent.)
It’s more popular with young people, so if Generation Z is of interest to your brand, this could be a social media messaging tool. QQ also offers games and blog services.
Snapchat
As of 2022, Snapchat is still among the 15 most popular social networks in the world. While American businesses are best known for their disappearing videos and photos, they can also use Snap as a text chat tool…and one that connects you directly with the core audience of Gen Z shoppers.
Snapchat users can swipe up on a story to visit the company’s website or download an app, or they can also swipe up to call or message the company from their mobile device.
Users are 60% more likely to make impulsive purchases on this platform, so this is a great place to talk. The new Snap desktop feature lets you manage your chats from your computer, not just your phone.
New to Snapchat? Check out our beginner’s guide to Snapchat here.
Google Business Messages
Google My Business Messaging is a free messenger that helps customers contact you in real time right from your Google business profile.
This means that customers can contact your business directly from search results, without having to go to your website and look for an email address or phone number.
Pro? Potential customers can communicate with you directly from your Google Maps or Google Search listing. Minuses? It’s not the tool they necessarily use to connect with their family and friends, so using it isn’t as familiar or convenient as using the more mainstream app.
However, it probably won’t hurt to set up Google My Business Messaging. Messages can be delivered directly to your phone or desktop so you can easily respond to requests wherever you are.
Learn more about setting up a Google Business Profile here.
Instagram DM
At first glance, Instagram is a photo and video sharing app, but it has also become an extremely popular communication tool. The companies that have a presence on this app, which by the way boasts 1.22 billion users worldwide, will likely have more than a few subscribers moving into their DMs. In this way, you can also prepare a customer service strategy to work with them.
Forty-four percent of Instagram users make in-app purchases on a weekly basis, so that’s a great reason to want to make yourself available to chat. Instagram also has helpful quick reply tools that make it easy to answer frequently asked questions.
Instagram posts can be text or contain photos and videos (which can include effects and captions).
For brands and creators, sending direct messages can be a good way to build personal relationships with followers, connect with potential partners, or provide customer support with questions or feedback.
Line
Line is a popular messaging app in Japan (with 92 million users out of 178 million worldwide) that also offers much more than just a chat feature. With the app, you can send money to friends, shop online, stream music, or order a taxi, a super app that’s very similar to China’s WeChat.
Line has a timeline and home page similar to Facebook or Instagram, allowing users to follow their friends’ and brands’ posts. “Official Channels” is a place where companies can share news with subscribers.
Line users can create group chats with up to 500 people, as well as create discussion boards, making it a great app for brands to connect with relevant communities and fandoms.
One of Line’s most unique features is the popularity of stickers. Digital illustrations are often sent back and forth via chat and are a huge source of income for Line. Brands interested in being online might want to release their own set of stickers, or at least learn how users often use gif stickers.
Viber
Every hour there are 70 million interactions on Viber, and users in more than 190 countries. So if you haven’t heard of Viber yet, it might be time to listen.
The app is positioned as a “consumer-centric platform”with tools that make it easy for brands to engage and engage with audiences. Use ads, personalized stickers, targeted messages and offers for Viber users, and offer 24/7 support with chatbot integration.
Viber also allows businesses to segment existing and potential customers in order to communicate more accurately. Purchases can also be made directly on Viber.
Why use social media messaging apps for your business?
Okay, you know what a social media messaging app is. You know which social media messaging apps are popular. But if you’re going to be using messaging apps in your business, you’ll probably want to know why.
We got it: Here are the reasons why your brand might want to use social media messaging.
Customers are already using these social messaging apps
If you want to talk to someone, you need to be where they are. You can’t chat with this cocktail party cutie if she’s hanging in the kitchen and you’re stuck in the bathroom (again), right?
It is predicted that 3.51 billion people worldwide will use messaging apps in 2025 – WhatsApp alone already has over two billion such active users.
Social messaging apps are what regular people use to message their friends and families. Why not make their life a little easier and be available there too?
It’s a fast way to offer services
It’s called “instant messaging”for a reason. Social media messaging can be a super-fast way to respond to requests, comments, and concerns, compared to email or leaving someone sluggish in music purgatory on your helpline.
Ninety percent of consumers say that resolving a problem quickly is the most important thing in a positive customer experience. But if you’re understaffed or overloaded with messages, it can actually be hard to keep up with the speed that social media users expect from chat apps because those messages come in fast and furiously. For example, on Facebook Messenger, customers and businesses exchange 20 billion messages each month.
Technologies such as conversational chatbots can fill this gap and answer common questions, so you can save (human) power to deal with more complex customer service issues. Read more about the benefits of chatbots here.
Harness the power of conversational commerce
Having a real conversation with someone is a classic real-life sales tool – “conversational commerce”is the digital equivalent.
Conversational commerce is the sweet spot between shopping and messaging apps. Consumers can use social media messaging tools to get recommendations, ask questions, get support, and communicate with company representatives.
They may be messaging with a real person or a conversational AI chatbot, but either way, this is a new way to shop that is extremely beneficial for businesses. Global spending through online commerce channels is projected to reach $290 billion in the next two years.
If your brand wants a piece of that pie, it’s time to enter the chat.
Communicate with clients and critics one-on-one
Doing business with an online presence means you have potential global reach… which can also make it difficult to have a face-to-face conversation just like you would in a physical store or even over the phone.
The proliferation of social media messaging apps has given brands a direct connection to every follower from afar.
This provides a great opportunity to build affinity and loyalty with special customers, brand ambassadors or potential partners…and the opportunity to connect directly with your critics to defuse tense situations out of the public eye.
Whether you’re facing a social media crisis or you have a frustrated client who blows up all your messages, social media messaging tools can help you connect directly in hopes of turning a tantrum into a conversation.
An app for all your social media posts in one place
Okay, you’ve got all this amazing information in your head and you’re ready to dive into using social media messaging apps for your brand.
Pro tip: Having multiple conversations across multiple platforms managed by multiple people and teams is tricky. You will need a single social inbox to keep everything neat, tidy and easy.
And, if we can be that bold, we know that the Hootsuite Inbox is just a tool to get the job done.
Hootsuite Inbox is an intelligent social media inbox tool that combines public and private social media messages in one place. It is designed to take the stress out of checking all your DMS.
You’ll find conversations from all your social networks in one place for easy management. You’ll also get access to all of Hootsuite’s social media tools to help you stay on top of mentions and schedule posts.
Other sweet details:
- Set up quick replies and automatic message replies to provide better information every time.
- Assign messages to teammates and streamline your workflow
- Bulk rejection and advanced filters allow you to quickly view messages.
In other words: it’s a one-stop inbox that collects all your public and private messages so you don’t miss anything. Try a free 30 day trial here and see for yourself, or learn more about the Hootsuite Inbox here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Popular Messaging Apps
What is the most used messaging app?
WhatsApp is the most popular global messaging app. In January 2022, WhatsApp had 2 billion monthly active users. WeChat is in a distant second place with just 1.2 billion monthly active users; Facebook Messenger comes in third with 988 million.
What is the #1 chat app?
According to research by Statista, WhatsApp is the most popular communication app in the world. With 2 billion monthly active users, it is the most popular messaging app in the world.
At the same time, different regions of the world prefer different applications. For example, in China, the market is dominated by WeChat, while the social media messaging tool LINE is popular in countries such as Japan and Taiwan.
What do Americans use instead of WhatsApp?
Facebook Messenger is the most popular messaging app in the US, accounting for 52% of the messaging app market share. WhatsApp is the second most popular messaging app in the country, used by 26% of American conversations.
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Source: Statista
What messaging app is used in Canada?
The most popular messaging app in Canada is Facebook Messenger. Seven out of 10 Canadians use Facebook itself, and 62% of those users also use the Messenger app.
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