Viber is an instant messaging and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) app with over a billion users worldwide. It's free to download and enables people to connect with others through high-quality voice and video calls, text and media messages and more.
Viber is an excellent alternative to both personal and business text messaging. The app is packed with tons of features, including bulk messaging.
You might need to send bulk messages to customers and prospects for many reasons. An everyday use case is for marketing – spreading the word about new products, flash sales, VIP loyalty offers, etc. Another is for conveying essential or time-sensitive information to employees, for example, to ensure everyone receives a company announcement at the same time.
This article explains how to send Viber bulk messages through Broadcast Lists, Groups, Communities and Channels. But first...
Why use Viber messages for business purposes?
Viber helps create meaningful connections between your brand and your customers; it can keep conversations flowing and drive more sales. Here are the main benefits Viber offers:
A powerful customer connection tool – Viber offers text-based marketing, plus various forms of advertising and customisable 'stickers' for users to download and share. The app also supports audio and video content, GIFs and polls. As well as marketing messages, you can also send conversational messages and transactional notifications.
Easy to use – Viber is user-friendly, intuitive and beautifully designed. Navigating the app's features is straightforward; getting to grips with Viber is a shallow learning curve.
Affordable – Viber offers a competitive and cost-effective pricing structure where you only pay for messages that are delivered to customers (this is the case with transactional and promotional messages). Conversational messages are charged per session.
Near-perfect delivery rate – 97% of Viber messages get delivered to recipients, and 89% are read, according to recent Viber statistics.
Highly convenient – Viber is simple and effective for all parties to use for daily communication. All message types are sent through the same channel so the customer can see all their chats from your business in one place. Sending files like booking confirmations, invoices, identification documents, etc., is a breeze.
- Messages are sent over WiFi – Viber relies on the internet for message transmission, not mobile networks. This is a major benefit for areas where cell network coverage is weak.
How can I send bulk messages on Viber?
Viber offers four main channels that you can use to send bulk business messages. Read on for the key need-to-knows about each one:
1. Broadcast Lists
Viber's Broadcast List feature lets you send the same Viber campaign to multiple people without having to add them to a group chat. It's ideal for communicating with small groups of individuals that don't know each other.
Broadcast messages are sent privately and look like a single text message sent only to one person. (Recipients won't know you've sent a mass text – it's a bit like a BCC email). You can also receive replies separately, which only you can see.
With Viber Broadcast Lists, you can add up to 50 contacts at a time. It's important to manage your contacts properly and remove people if they no longer want to be on your list.
2. Groups
With Viber Groups, you can chat privately with multiple people, and everyone can see each other's responses. Groups aren't anonymous – members can see the personal details of others. So it's best for people who know each other (like employees) or who want to be part of your business community.
Only the people you add to a group can participate; it's not open to the public. You can add up to 250 people to a single group, but if audience growth is your priority, Communities and Channels are better options for reaching much larger numbers. Another thing to note about Groups is that you can't partner with Viber for exclusive services and support.
3. Communities
Communities offer a more controlled environment. Admins can moderate the chat and set permissions for members. They can also allow one or two-way communication and make the community private or public.
Any community member can add another member, and there's no limit to the number. There's a level of anonymity with Communities in that phone numbers are hidden; however, each member can see the names of others.
A big advantage to Communities is that admins can access member insights. For example, the number of active users, community growth statistics, the quantity of messages sent over a specific time frame, which members have joined and left, age and country demographics, and more.
Creating a community opens the door to partnering with Viber for special services like Viber chatbots.
4. Channels
Channels are the ultimate option for sending messages in bulk as they offer maximum privacy, and there's no limit to the number of people who can subscribe.
Subscribers can't see any details of any other subscriber – names and phone numbers are completely hidden. Only admins can see this information (and all subscribers can see who the admins are).
Channels can be private or public. If private, they can be joined by explicitly accepting an invite from an admin. Admins have full control over the group content and subscribers' activities. No replies are supported, so you can only send one-way communication.
Channels are best for sharing interesting and valuable content with a potentially massive audience. They're great for marketing and generating awareness about your brand, products or services. Like with Communities, admins can access useful member insights and statistics, and benefit from Viber's special services.
Whichever channel you choose, be sure to grasp the golden opportunity Viber offers for businesses. Follow Viber's recommended texting practices to attract maximum followers and create memorable customer experiences and interactions.
How to set up your Viber bulk message sender account
Messente can help you set up your Viber business profile (sender ID) and get great value pricing too. The process is really easy – have the following information on hand to speed things up when you register:
Your business name, a brief description of your offering, phone number and website.
Your company logo.
Your business category.
The country where your business is registered (along with the complete address).
The countries where you intend to send messages in bulk.
Verification documents to prove your business is legitimate.
Bulk messaging made simple with Viber business messages
Viber is a popular messaging and calling app that operates worldwide. The app itself is fresh and simple to use, and businesses can take advantage of its impressive suite of communication tools.
You can carry out bulk messaging through four different channels, depending on whether you want to target a mass audience to increase brand awareness or have more informal chats with specific groups, like VIP customers and employees.
Get in touch to learn more about Viber business messages.
