- Are you frustrated with the poor results of email marketing campaigns?
- Are you not happy with SMS marketing?
- Are you tired of cold calling on thousands of data?
- Do you have lakhs of contact numbers of potential buyers but don’t know how to reach out to them effectively? Neither have the resources to reach out to them.
- Have you tried sending bulk WhatsApp messages and your number got blocked?
One answer fits all questions. You need to learn the nuances of WhatsApp marketing through WhatsApp business API.
Today, WhatsApp is not just a personal messaging app; it’s also a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their customers. WhatsApp marketing, when done right, can be an effective way to engage, communicate, serve and build relationships with your audience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the importance of WhatsApp marketing and how to do it effectively.
What is WhatsApp Marketing?
In simple words, WhatsApp marketing is a strategy that involves using the WhatsApp messaging platform to reach and engage with your target audience. It allows businesses to send promotional messages, share updates, and provide customer support through the app. This approach has gained popularity due to the widespread use of WhatsApp worldwide, making it a valuable channel for marketing efforts.
What are the advantages of WhatsApp Marketing?
Before we delve into the how-to approach of WhatsApp marketing, let’s understand why it’s a vital component of your marketing strategy:
- Userbase: WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app worldwide. It is also the third most popular out of all social media apps of 2023. With 2.7 billion active users in a month and around 138 billion WhatsApp messages every day, around 52% of internet users globally use the platform. It is expected that the app’s monthly active users worldwide are going to grow by 18% from 2023 to 2025. WhatsApp has over 2 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular messaging apps globally. This vast user base offers a tremendous potential audience for your business.
- High Open Rate: WhatsApp messages have a baseline open rate of 58%. This makes it an excellent channel for companies to use as a marketing communication channel. Post message optimization, personalization, and timely reach-outs, WhatsApp messages from companies see an open rate of 70%. This means the messages sent over WhatsApp have a higher chance of being read and engaged with compared to other marketing platforms.
- Direct & Personalized Communication: WhatsApp ensures direct and one-on-one communication with your customers, establishing a personal connection. Since messages are sent directly to a customer’s phone with a notification sound, it is easier to build relationships and establish trust. Latest advancements can also enable businesses to send personalized messages based on customer names and other demographics like interests and behaviour.
- Ease of using the App: The simple yet effective user interface of WhatsApp allows users/customers to respond to marketing communication quickly and easily.
- Rich Multimedia Messaging: You can send text, images, videos, documents, and links via WhatsApp, allowing for creative and engaging content.
- Real-Time Communication: WhatsApp allows companies to communicate with their customers in real-time enabling quick responses to marketing or servicing messages. This helps companies win the trust of their prospects/ customers.
- Automation: With the help of chatbots, most communication can be automated, saving companies time, money and resources.
- Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional marketing channels, WhatsApp marketing offers a cost-effective solution with minimal expenses. Sending messages, updates, and offers to customers is often free or significantly cheaper than other marketing channels.
How to do WhatsApp Marketing Effectively?
There are two ways WhatsApp marketing can be planned; WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API
WhatsApp Business App is a free application by WhatsApp designed for individuals and small companies. One can download the WhatsApp Business App, create a business account and connect with customers to drive sales instantly however it has multiple limitations which do not let you scale. Those limitations are as follows:
- Broadcast is limited to 256 people only
- Users outside your contact list can not be sent broadcast message
- No option for Analytics to track your campaigns
- Inability to integrate chatbot for automation
- Inability to send messages with clickable buttons
- Inability to protect customer data from employees
Companies with the intention to scale will have to resort to a much more sophisticated platform and this is where WhatsApp Business API come to the rescue. Let us look at the comparison between WhatsApp API and WhatsApp Business App.
| Functions | WhatsApp Business API | WhatsApp Business App |
| Broadcasting Limit | Unlimited Users | 256 Contacts |
| Multi-user Access | Unlimited Users | Up to 5 Devices |
| Install Chatbots | Yes | Not Available |
| Automated Messaging | Yes | Not Available |
| Broadcast Reaches | All Users | Only contact list |
| Coding Requires | Yes | No |
| Verified Green Tick | Yes | Not Available |
| Clickable Messages | Yes | No |
What is WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp Business API is a version of WhatsApp designed specifically for businesses to communicate with their customers at scale. It allows businesses to send messages, notifications, and provide customer support through the widely popular WhatsApp messaging platform. With the WhatsApp Business API, businesses can automate and manage customer interactions, send transactional messages, share updates, and more. It provides various features like messaging templates, media sharing, analytics, and integration with customer relationship management (CRM) tools for a seamless business communication experience.
What are the pre-requisites for WhatsApp Business API?
Businesses need to have two things to apply for WhatsApp API
- A Business Website and a Business Email
- New Mobile Number
How to apply for WhatsApp Business API?
There are two ways to apply for WhatsApp Business API
- Directly from Meta: Businesses can send and receive messages using a cloud-hosted version of the WhatsApp Business Platform. The Cloud API, hosted by Meta, allows you to implement WhatsApp Business APIs without the cost of hosting of your own servers and also allows you to more easily scale your business messaging. One can apply for Cloud API by clicking here.
- From a WhatsApp Business Solution Providers: WhatsApp Business Partners are intermediates that help you get quick access to WhatsApp API.
What are the advantages of Choosing WhatsApp Business Partners to apply for WhatsApp Business API?
Choosing WhatsApp Business Solution Providers over the WhatsApp cloud API can provide several advantages to Indian companies. Here are a few:
1. Ease of implementation: WhatsApp Business Solution Providers simplify the implementation process, allowing businesses to quickly set up and start using WhatsApp for customer communication without the need for complex API integrations.
2. Ready-to-use solutions: WhatsApp Business Solution Providers offer pre-built solutions and customizable templates that can be easily tailored to fit specific business needs. This saves time and effort in developing and designing custom solutions from scratch.
3. Support and guidance: These partners provide dedicated technical support and guidance throughout the integration process. They are experienced and well-versed in using WhatsApp for business, helping companies troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
4. Compliance and policy adherence: WhatsApp Business Solution Providers stay up-to-date with the latest compliance and policy guidelines set by WhatsApp. By partnering with them, businesses can ensure that their WhatsApp interactions follow the platform’s guidelines and avoid any potential violations.
5. Scalability and reliability: WhatsApp Business Solution Providers offer scalable solutions that can handle high volumes of messaging and ensure reliability. They have the infrastructure to handle business growth and provide uninterrupted service.
6. Value-added services: Some WhatsApp Business Solution Providers provide additional features and services, such as integration with CRM systems, analytics, chatbot development, and automated messaging. These can enhance the customer experience and streamline business operations.
It’s important to assess your specific business requirements and choose wisely among which business provider suits your needs.
List of some of the WhatsApp business solution providers in India
Conclusion:
WhatsApp marketing is a powerful tool to engage with your audience and promote your business. When executed correctly, it can yield excellent results in terms of customer engagement and conversions. Start by setting up your business profile, building your subscriber list, and creating engaging content. As you progress, continually analyze your efforts and make necessary adjustments to achieve the best results. With WhatsApp marketing, you can establish a personal connection with your customers and boost your brand’s success in the digital age.
Remember, staying informed about WhatsApp’s policies and industry best practices is key to a successful WhatsApp marketing strategy. Good luck with your WhatsApp marketing journey!
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.