6 Tips and Tricks for Viber Business Messages

Viber Business Messages is gaining traction around the world. In 2021, over 500 billion Viber messages were sent. Some of the top markets for Viber include the Philippines, Vietnam, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Belarus. Currently, there are over 8,500 brands worldwide using Viber Business Messaging to communicate with their customers using rich content such as files, videos, and images.

If you’ve been considering sending Viber Business Messages, check out these six tips which might help you get started on the right track.

1. First impressions count

You only get one chance to make a first impression. The first message your company sends offers a very easy way for customers to block your brand. Hence, it’s extremely important to make sure everything looks professional and trustworthy. Always set the right name and logo on your Viber business profile. You can also share additional contact information and your website’s URL, creating a mini home page for your customers.

Pro tip: If the first Viber message you send is accepted, then your brand will have a lower block rate. Always request a demo before sending out your first Viber Business Message.

2. Figure out your formats

Once you start sending Viber Business Messages, you’ll surely want to make use of their rich content for promotional purposes. With Viber you can engage with your customers by sending coupons, custom offers, invoices, booking reminders, and other enticing content which you can always personalise. However, it’s important to make sure all your content is sent in the right format. Below you can find the file formats supported by Viber:

Files: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .dot, .dotx, .odt ,odf, .fodt, .txt, .info, .pdf, .xps, .pdax, .eps, .xls, .xlsx, .ods, .fods, .csv, .xlsm, .xltx

Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .svg, .webp

Videos: .3gp, .m4v, .mov, .mp4

3. Whitelist your content

Viber has very strict policies when it comes to opt-in and message content. As an official partner of Rakuten Viber, Messente manages the approval of your Viber Business Account on your behalf. This way, all you have to do is implement and start using our Omnichannel API to send Viber (and SMS) messages. However, pre-registered message templates are required in certain countries including Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

Here are some of the content combinations currently supported by Messente’s Omnichannel API:

• Text only

• Text + Button

• Text + Button + Image

• Image only

4. Always have a plan B

If your company operates in a country with a high penetration of Viber users, there’s nothing more convenient than sending Viber Business Messages using text, images, buttons, or links. You can do this seamlessly over our Omnichannel API. However, you should always have a fallback option such as SMS in case your customers do not have the Viber app or cannot receive Viber messages.

5. Never leave your customers hanging

When using a messaging channel such as Viber for your B2C communication, it’s important to remember that customers expect a prompt response. To avoid leaving your audience waiting too long, Viber has the option to enable a custom auto-reply. Using an auto-reply is a great way to keep your customers engaged by sharing alternative contacts, opening hours, or any other relevant information.

6. Take advantage of session-based pricing

If your customer initiates the conversation on Viber, it will turn into a session after your first reply; another reason to implement a custom auto-reply. In terms of billing, your company is billed per session and not per each message delivered. This will allow your business to send and receive multiple messages at a fixed per-session price. The session is set to a default period of 24 hours, and up to 60 messages can be sent per session, perfect for customer care.

Start sending rich content with Viber today

The advantages of using Viber to communicate with your customers are all very attractive. With over 1 billion users worldwide, Viber Business Messaging can effectively solve all your brand’s promotional, transactional, and conversational needs. Most importantly, you can send rich content up to 1,000 characters as opposed to 160 characters with traditional SMS, while keeping your customers engaged with buttons, files, photos, and videos like never before.