Do you know that WhatsApp marketing is a low-cost way to reach your customers?
Two billion active users make WhatsApp a powerful tool to boost your business-customer interaction.
Confused about where to begin?
This article will tell you what WhatsApp business marketing is. You will learn all about crafting engaging content and examples of successful WhatsApp marketing strategies.
Let’s get started!
Why should your business use WhatsApp marketing?
WhatsApp has a whopping 2 billion users worldwide.
This makes it among the most popular instant messaging platforms in 100+ countries. The instant messaging platform records over 487 million WhatsApp users in India alone.
While email has a 35% open rate, WhatsApp has an impressive 98% open rate.
All this makes WhatsApp a great marketing strategy for your business.
Imagine taking these impressive numbers and converting them into sales.
Your sales will skyrocket when you begin marketing your products on WhatsApp.
Now who wouldn’t want that?
But that’s not all. WhatsApp marketing has many more advantages for your business.
How to Build a WhatsApp Business Opt-in List: 5 Expert Tips
How can your business benefit from WhatsApp marketing?
You need bulk WhatsApp marketing to grow your business, reach a wider audience, and drive sales. Use WhatsApp to connect with customers and achieve your marketing goals.
How?
Let’s find out below.
1. Cost-effective
You don’t need to pay to use WhatsApp Business for marketing.
This makes WhatsApp one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your customers.
Compared to other digital marketing platforms, WhatsApp as a marketing tool saves your costs.
2. High engagement rate
Here’s something we all can agree on.
WhatsApp messages are more convenient than reading emails.
Since it’s a popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp users read messages within a few seconds of receiving them.
So when you send a marketing message via WhatsApp tool, you get higher engagement and open rates.
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3. Personalised communication
WhatsApp marketing lets you directly communicate with your customers.
The app offers group platforms and 1:1 chat rooms to foster better communication.
For example, you can use your WhatsApp account to send personalised welcome messages to new customers. Or send follow-up messages to existing customers who have made a purchase.
You can even set up automated messages sent at specific intervals. These automated messages can go out when customers abandon their shopping cart on your website.
What does this do for you?
You build stronger customer relationships, increase loyalty, and ensure high customer satisfaction.
There’s one thing that makes it even better.
WhatsApp lets you add attachments and stickers in your chats. You can add a perfect human touch to all your business interactions.
4. Global reach
It’s easy to spread information via WhatsApp as many people use it.
Since WhatsApp is already popular globally, you don’t need to spend time teaching your customers how to use it.
Instead, you can get right into creating engaging content for your audience. This makes for seamless and efficient communication.
No matter where your audience is, rest assured that they will receive your message.
Use the platform to communicate time-sensitive information or event reminders to anyone, anywhere.
5. Diverse messaging options
People mostly use WhatsApp to chat. But the app also offers the file-sharing options.
WhatsApp lets you share audio, video, and picture attachments.
But that’s not all.
You can also use WhatsApp to make audio and video calls. These features make it easier to communicate with your customers at all times.
Do your customers want to see your products before they buy them? Then send pictures and videos to please them.
Customers got complaints? Connect with them via WhatsApp audio or video call.
The versatility of this app is one of its most vital selling points as a marketing tool.
6. Take advantage of the newness
Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are teeming with ads from business owners like you.
Take a quick stroll through any social media platform, and you’ll find at least two product ads.
You can be different. Use WhatsApp in addition to these other platforms.
WhatsApp is a marketing newbie compared to Facebook and Instagram. With WhatsApp marketing, you’ll reach a newer audience and gain access to your customers in a way other businesses haven’t.
Take advantage of the novelty. Stay ahead of your competition by expanding to WhatsApp business marketing.
Boosting Conversion Rates: How WhatsApp Chatbots Can Help Nurture Your Leads
How to create a WhatsApp marketing strategy for your business?
You need to create a solid strategy to dive deep into WhatsApp marketing. Only then can you reap the full benefits of WhatsApp marketing.
Let’s walk you through how you can create a marketing strategy to market your products.
1. Know your audience
To start with WhatsApp marketing, you must first identify your audience and their preferences.
Ask yourself four questions:
- Who is my typical customer?
- What does my customer want when they contact my business on WhatsApp?
- Do my customers prefer text messages or multimedia (images and videos)?
- What times are my customers most active on WhatsApp?
You need answers to these questions to create content that connects you with your audience.
2. Set your goals
You must first set clear objectives and goals to create your WhatsApp marketing strategy.
Do you want to increase sales, build brand awareness, or provide customer support? Your goals can be any one of the following or even all three.
Also, find weak spots in your existing marketing campaign. Use these findings to refine your WhatsApp marketing strategy.
Determine the KPIs that you’re looking out for. Your KPIs include customer engagement, clicks, live chat statistics, and resolution time.
Defining your goals will help you create a more focused and effective strategy.
3. Use the WhatsApp Business app
WhatsApp started as a personal communication tool. But, as the e-commerce industry grows, brands take advantage of every available platform.
Thus, the company created WhatsApp Business.
A platform with all the features of the original app but with the added perks that your business needs.
WhatsApp business includes the following extra tools:
- Professional profile to showcase your business.
- A catalogue that highlights your best products to customers visiting your profile.
- Automated replies to messages from your customers.
- Statistics to track messages that your business receives from customers and potential buyers.
4. Grow your WhatsApp audience
Build a contact list of customers who have opted-in to receive your business messages.
Create subscription forms for interested customers.
You can add a WhatsApp button to your website. Include a call-to-action in your email signature. Or, promote your WhatsApp number on your social media channels.
Allow your customers to choose the right platform for them with multichannel forms.
5. Track your results
Track your WhatsApp marketing efforts to create an effective marketing strategy. And make sure you analyse the results.
Look at the metrics like open, click-through, and engagement rates.
Use all this information to adjust your strategy and improve your results over time.
Let’s say you’re seeing low open rates.
What’s the solution?
Try sending messages at different times. Or you can tweak your message content.
Remember, WhatsApp marketing is all about connecting with your audience and driving engagement.
So keep analysing your results to fine-tune your approach.
In time, you’d achieve your marketing goals.
6. Use a reliable WhatsApp API provider
A WhatsApp Application Programming Interface (API) is software that lets businesses integrate WhatsApp’s messaging capabilities into their systems.
Using a WhatsApp API can help your business in many ways.
It allows your business to send and receive messages. Likewise, you can use the API to respond to customer inquiries quickly. You can even automate these processes.
You get to streamline communication and engage with customers better.
A reliable WhatsApp API provider, like Telebu Social Connect, can greatly benefit you.
Telebu Social Connect offers message templates and message scheduling.
With Telebu Social Connect’s analytics feature, you get to optimise your marketing strategy. You can also measure your overall impact.
Telebu Social Connect’s API services are reliable and easy to integrate with existing systems.
And if you ever run into any snags, our customer support is prompt and effective.
Partner with Telebu Social Connect to improve communication with your customers.
And on top of that, create targeted marketing messages for higher engagement and conversions.
Now that you know WhatsApp marketing’s benefits and steps to create a successful strategy, here’s what you need to do next.
Put these tips into action.
Take inspiration from some real brands that are doing it right with WhatsApp marketing.
5 successful examples of brands using WhatsApp for marketing
Want to see how the big players are winning at WhatsApp marketing?
Check out how these brands use WhatsApp to build brand awareness and drive sales.
1. BBC News
The news is on the TV, we know.
But times are changing. And BBC News understands this.
In 2018, BBC News launched a WhatsApp service to send daily news updates to its subscribers.
Users can send a message to sign up and receive news stories via text, images, and videos on WhatsApp.
This service was popular in countries where WhatsApp is more common, such as India and Brazil.
The result?
By using WhatsApp, BBC News started reaching a wider audience and providing important news to users. The service also allowed users to provide feedback.
What can you learn from BBC’s WhatsApp marketing example?
Seize the opportunity to provide engaging content and connect with your subscribers.
2. Absolut Vodka
In 2022, Absolut Vodka’s South American branch had a genius idea.
Absolut Vodka aimed to improve customer interaction and build awareness. So, the community manager handled the team’s WhatsApp account under the name Sven.
The goal was simple. Chat with Sven, and convince him that you are worthy of winning an exclusive party ticket.
This campaign was successful. Over 6,000 people participated, sharing over 1,000 videos, images, and audio files.
And what happened?
Absolut Vodka recorded three days of chats with participants.
3. Netflix
Even the popular guys need to get innovative now and then.
Let’s take Netflix for example.
Netflix is popular as one of the best streaming platforms. In 2019, Netflix ran a WhatsApp marketing campaign titled “I Am In”.
The goal was to reclaim inactive Netflix subscribers. So, Netflix partnered with WhatsApp and offered users new movie recommendations and updates. All they had to do was click the “I Am In” button.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Netflix was among the first companies to start WhatsApp marketing. The company was able to convince inactive members to resubscribe to Netflix.
4. KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched a WhatsApp-based service to keep customers updated.
The chatbot shares boarding passes and other travel updates with customers on WhatsApp.
KLM was one of the first companies to take advantage of Whatsapp marketing. They became one of the first verified WhatsApp business accounts too.
The airline also keeps its customers in the loop about their flight details.
Take a page out of KLM’s book. And be innovative with your marketing strategy.
Here’s how you can do the same thing.
Offer something that your competitors don’t. Let your customers know that you put them first.
5. Unilever
Unilever carried out a Whatsapp business marketing campaign in 2019. The company titled the campaign “I will bring back your beloved clothes”.
The Sao Paulo marketing board came up with a WhatsApp chatbot and named it “MadameBot”.
The campaign aimed to spread awareness for a new Unilever fabric softener. Participants texted on Unilever’s WhatsApp number to earn a 50% discount and free shipping.
And they didn’t stop there.
As a bonus, MadameBot also delivered free tips on how to care for clothes.
The WhatsApp marketing strategy was successful and recorded over 290,000 WhatsApp messages. The brand also saw a 14 times increase in sales and around 12,000 customers.
Now you know how you can market your products on WhatsApp. Take a hint from these WhatsApp marketing examples to build product awareness.
Best practices to reach your target audience on WhatsApp
Wondering how to start with WhatsApp marketing? Here are some best practice tips you can follow:
- Be consistent in your messaging efforts. Trial and error will only make your strategy stronger.
- Build a contact list of customers interested in your business.
- Provide your customers with valuable content. Include deals, discounts, and promotions.
- Use multimedia messages to keep your messages fun and engaging. Images, GIFs, stickers, and videos will grab customers’ attention.
- Personalise the messages you send to your customers on WhatsApp.
- Provide buttons on your website to take your customers straight to WhatsApp chat.
- Use a reliable WhatsApp API provider.
Unlock the power of WhatsApp marketing with SMSCountry
You now know that WhatsApp marketing can help increase engagement, build brand loyalty, and expand your global reach.
So, start planning out a WhatsApp marketing campaign for your business!
Begin by setting clear goals.
Next, create personalised messaging.
Finally, leverage the versatility of WhatsApp’s features. Don’t forget to take inspiration from campaigns from Unilever and KLM Airlines.
And last but not least, pick a reliable WhatsApp API provider like Telebu Social Connect.
With Telebu Social Connect, you can enhance your business’ potential and achieve better results.
Book a demo to learn how to start WhatsApp marketing with Telebu Social Connect.
