Viber introduces Public Accounts: a new way to reach brands

December 7, 2016 3 min read
Viber public accounts - a new way to reach brands

When you need to talk to a friend, family member or colleague, the most natural thing to do is pull out your phone. You might try to get them on a call or maybe send a quick text message, but chances are that you wouldn’t consider any other way of getting in touch.

Our phones and, in particular, our messaging apps, connect us – more than any other ways and means of communication. But we’re not only communicating with the people we know or the people we have saved in our contacts. We’re also talking to brands and businesses – and whether we have a simple question about a product or a complicated customer service issue, we want to be able to reach them quickly.

To make that aspect of daily life easier and more efficient, we are introducing Public Accounts – an addition to the Viber family of features that offers a solution to all of your communications needs in one place – on Viber version 6.5 for iOS and Android.

With Public Accounts, you can now connect to businesses and brands with the same simplicity and convenience that you’re used to through Viber. Your conversations with a Public Account will appear in your chat list so they are easily accessible and you can glide between them and all of the conversations you’re already having.

You can now find Public Accounts by tapping the Public icon in the main menu on your Viber screen and start exploring the new feature! Violet’s Kitchen is a restaurant we created – not real (unfortunately) – to showcase what Public Accounts are all about. Below is what an account’s info screen might look like, with all of the details about the business and media shared through its Public Chat. Both “Message” and “Public Chat” are located front and center. If you choose to chat, the conversation ends up right in your chat list with the rest of your Viber chats, making your dealings with businesses as natural as reaching any of your contacts.

Viber public accounts - a new way to reach brands

If you’re already familiar with our Public Chats feature, you’ll notice that every Public Account has one. By following the account you will automatically follow the Public Chat, where you get a peek at exclusive content, announcements about promotions and specials and other in-app activities the business publishes.

Viber public accounts - a new way to reach brands

With access to the businesses they want to talk to and the brands they care about, Viber users can continue to enjoy the messenger they trust the most as a one-stop shop for all of their communications. What’s more, businesses have the unique ability to create custom experiences for their customers through the private messaging feature, so 1-on-1 chats with them may be through a visually-rich interface or even powered by a sophisticated chatbot. Whatever experiences businesses can dream up, they can be made possible with Public Accounts.

So, get your Viber updated to version 6.5 and start exploring the different Public Accounts that have already joined the growing community today!

Learn all about Public Accounts here.

This post was originally published on the Viber blog. Viber is a Rakuten Group company.
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