Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are reinventing social media by prioritizing privacy and intimacy over public sharing. WhatsApp is growing 100 times faster than Twitter and these apps now have more users than Twitter and Instagram combined. Early adopters of messaging apps for brands were media companies looking to engage captive audiences at higher rates and innovate in messaging. As messaging apps continue to evolve, trends include a rise in AI bots and news in a story format, challenges from trolls leading to more moderation, and a focus on private engagement over public sharing.

1. X
How messaging apps are reinventing social media
Drew Benvie, March 2017
@battenhall

2. Drew Benvie, founder & MD, Battenhall
• battenhall.net
• db@battenhall.net
• Twitter: @drewb

3. The landscape today
• Organic social media engagement in decline
• WhatsApp growing 100x faster than Twitter
• Snapchatters view 10bn videos per day
• Privacy and intimacy driving growth in social
• WhatsApp & FB Messenger are each bigger
than Twitter & Instagram combined

4. A history of brands on social
For customer
engagement
To influence press or
decision makers
To improve search
engine optimisation
To help sell more
stuff….

5. Early experiments in messaging apps
Media brands were the early adopters
• Captive audience
• High engagement rates
• Innovation in the noise

6. Social media and messaging apps
Media brands were the early adopters
• Captive audience
• High engagement rates
• Innovation in the noise

7. Brands and media on messaging apps

8. 11,000+ AI bots in FB Messenger store

9. 11,000+ AI bots in FB Messenger store

10. Innovation in Asia: WeChat

11. The Evolution of Snapchat

12. The Evolution of Snapchat

13. The Evolution of Snapchat

14. 5 trends shaping the evolution of social media

15. 1. A change in behaviours
@battenhall

16. The death of the demographic
Watch
Network
Curate
Connect
Creative
News
Multipurpose

17. 2. Rise of the machines
@battenhall

21. Facebook Messenger Bots

22. Robot reporters

23. 3. The news feed is
dead, long live 'The
Story'.
@battenhall

24. ‘The Story’ is the new Feed

25. On Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp

26. 4. Trolls and the fightback
@battenhall

27. The social networks protecting you

28. Increase in trolls

29. We will see ‘comments off’ increasingly an
option
The growth of private networks and messaging
apps
More powerful tools to fight bot trolls
Community management will go up all the way
The social networks strike back

30. 5. The future of engagement
@battenhall

31. Engagement and WhatsApp

32. The Battenhall WhatsApp

33. Thank you
Drew Benvie Twitter: @drewb Insta / Snap: @drewbenvie