The evolution
From sharing photos with friends to chatting with customer service, more and more people around the world are choosing and downloading mobile messaging apps.
Explore what’s driving the meteoric rise of messaging across 14 markets.
Skip ahead:
- Messaging more than ever
- Messaging makes life better
- Messaging for many reasons
- Messaging opens new doors
- Messaging means business
- Marketer takeaways
- Additional resources
Explore
Messaging
more than
ever
The future of messaging looks bright
as people across
generations
favor chat
apps over other forms
of
communication.
People are messaging
more than ever
People increasingly prefer
messaging when chatting
One-to-one
ranked
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
With a group
ranked
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Out of nine modes of communication *
People across generations
prefer to message
than call or email
When chatting one-to-one
or with a group
Messaging
makes
life better
Messaging ignites conversations, helps
groups gather and
nurtures
connections that
matter.
Across 14 markets on average
People say messaging has made
their communication
Simpler
More frequent
More thoughtful
More ongoing
65
%
say messaging has made
group
communication easier
communication easier
People say messaging
enables them to
Mobile messaging
transforms relationships
60
%
say it has changed
the way
they connect with others
they connect with others
Nearly
1 in 2
say it has helped
improve
their relationships
their relationships
Messaging
for many
reasons
Convenience may be king at a global
level, but the reasons
people message
are as
diverse as the ways they do it.
Words people associate with messaging
Convenient
Economical
Efficient
At my pace
Fun
What do people around the world message their friends about?
Tap to find out
- Women
- Men
Messaging
opens
new doors
Messaging is making the world
smaller, connecting people across
borders and contexts.
People are most interested
in translation services in
Over the next two years, people
expect to use
messaging apps
more for communicating
50%
One-to-one
60%
With a group
Messaging
means
business
People are paving a new path to
purchase—using chat apps
as
their mobile compass.
Among people who message
businesses
67
%
say they will message with businesses
more over the next two years
53
%
say they are more likely to shop with a
business they can contact via a chat app
People increasingly
prefer to message
businesses
Out of nine modes of
communication*
ranked
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Across their journeys, people who
message businesses increasingly say messaging
is the best way to engage with a business
Sources
+
*Modes of communication include postal mail, emails, phone calls, social media, SMS/text messages, VoIP, video chat, in-person conversations and messaging apps.
Unless otherwise specified: “Facebook Messaging Survey” by Nielsen (Facebook-commissioned study of 12,500 people ages 18+ who used a mobile messaging app in the past 30 days in AE, AU, BR, FR, ID, IN, JP, KR, MX, TH, TW, UK, US and VN), Mar 2016. Unless a market is selected or called out specifically, data is on average across the 14 markets. Millennials are defined as people ages 18–34, Gen Xers as 35–54 and Boomers as 55+.
1. Facebook data, Jul 2016.
Marketer Takeaways
Owning the message
People are messaging on a global scale, and
they increasingly expect to be able to connect with friends, family and their favorite
brands through the apps where they spend so much of their time. Start connecting in more
proactive, personal and powerful ways than ever.