THE RISE OF ZOOM APPS
Kieran Ferrol
16/11/2021
If there were any "winners" from COVID, Zoom was clearly one of them. But what happens after the pandemic? Kieran Ferrol, CX Strategist, looks at their options.
Zoom, the video conferencing company, will forever be associated with the pandemic. No iPhone or iPad app had more downloads in 2020, and sales in the last three months of that year were up 370% compared to the same period in 2019, hitting $882.5m.
Where do Zoom go from here?
Introducing: Zoom Apps (Or “Zapps”... not officially, but after this article is published I’m sure it’ll catch on…).
Over the summer, Zoom announced the release of the Zoom Apps marketplace. These apps work as a type of in-product integration that lets you bring your favourite apps right into your Zoom Meetings. This is all part of Zoom’s ambition to transition from an app to a platform, opening up the opportunity for users to go beyond just video calling whilst remaining in the meeting.
With Zoom Apps, you can streamline workflows, collaborate with colleagues, and also bring elements of fun and wellness into your interactions with colleagues, friends, and family members. It gives you plenty of screen space to collaborate with the ability to expand and collapse the Apps side panel, open your app in a new window, and switch between multiple Zoom Apps at once.
The integration of third-party apps also presents wider revenue opportunities for Zoom. Although Zoom doesn’t reveal the number of free accounts on their platform, they did confirm that last year saw an “unprecedented number of free participants”. So in order to drive revenue, there needs to be a focus on paid and business accounts who are likely to take advantage of integrated apps.
A leaf can be taken out of Facebook’s book. Although their monetisation model differs from Zoom’s, they also have a substantial amount of free users. Yet over the past couple of years it was revealed that, in the USA at least, they make a higher average revenue per user than Netflix, a platform where all members are required to have paid subscriptions. Although there is no expectation for Zoom to reach these dizzy heights anytime soon, the provision and promotion of Zoom Apps is a good way to attract new paid users and convince existing paying members to keep renewing their subscriptions as it offers something new and different.
Of course, another “non-app” method to increase revenue for Zoom is the inclusion of pop-up ads. However, judging by this video from The Pin, this may not always end well!
Who’s on board?
Zoom has already partnered with brands such as Dropbox, Heads Up, Kahoot and Survey Monkey.
Perhaps the most ambitious Zoom App so far comes from WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers).
Their ‘Wellness that Works’ app helps users move more, eat better and shift their mindset with tools like:
Personalised stand and stretch push notifications throughout the workday, at designated intervals between 5 to 30 minutes and in between Zoom meetings
Water tracker with cues and tips on how to stay hydrated throughout the day and during a Zoom break
Stress-relieving breathing techniques developed by WW's behaviour-change team
Weekly dinner inspiration and regularly refreshed WFH snack ideas created by WW's leading nutrition and food experts
By allowing users to focus on their health and wellness while at work and in meetings, WW have helped to alleviate a concern that many users have - how to maintain fitness and wellness whilst sitting at a computer all day. So this app makes life easier for the user and enhances their overall experience of Zoom, over and above the standard teleconferencing features, by satisfying a different, but important, need.
So, what does that mean for the brand and customer experience?
This latest addition to Zoom has raised the bar for what people expect from their video conferencing platforms. And this presents a fantastic opportunity for brands to dig into the world of Zoom Apps and explore ideas for integration onto the platform.
We’ve seen integrations like this work successfully in the past. For example, Virgin Media’s cable TV service has hosted the apps of several other TV broadcasters and streaming companies for a number of years. Customers of Virgin Media are seamlessly able to access apps such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and Netflix among others whilst using their Tivo box. This eliminates the need for users to switch to a separate device or change the input on their TV when they want to go from watching normal cable programmes to app programmes, or vice versa.
Integrating apps and platforms in this way appears to be the future. People want their applications to ‘talk to one another’ to help create efficiencies that make life easier.
When done correctly, integrating your brand with another can yield huge benefits for both parties, as well as the user. And with hybrid working seemingly here to stay, this is where the value may lie in brands launching apps on Zoom.
Launching an app on Zoom that isn’t directly related to work could not only drive customers to Zoom, but could also build awareness and engagement for your brand that consumers may not otherwise have come across, via a channel that is different from the norm.
In the WW example above, consumers may lean towards Zoom if they know there is an app on there that can help maintain their fitness whilst at work. And, in turn, using this app may cause them to search for WW outside of work to see if there’s anything of interest to them. This second action may never have taken place if they were not introduced to WW via the first action.
By following WW’s lead and creating a Zoom App that isn’t directly related to work, brands can offer users a whole new video calling experience. Particularly when the app is designed to satisfy some other need without hindering the primary function of Zoom, this can create delight in the user and leave them with a positive impression of both brands. And as mentioned before, it could also drive traffic and engagement to the brand’s other activities off of Zoom.
So, with remote working showing no immediate signs of slowing down, and Zoom’s revenue projected to continue growing into next year, the floor is open for brands to create a new channel for consumers to engage with them.
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