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WhatsApp is likely already familiar to you from your personal life. The instant messaging service allows the exchange of text messages, images, videos, voice recordings, location information, and documents with your contacts. But did you know that there are also WhatsApp solutions for businesses for marketing, sales, and support purposes?
In this blog post, I'll share everything you need to know about WhatsApp Marketing and why this channel can be relevant for your business. I'll also present proven methods, explain how to start your first WhatsApp campaign, and highlight the advantages of WhatsApp Marketing compared to other CRM channels. I'll try to clarify which WhatsApp Marketing tool is best suited and how to set up a business WhatsApp account.
How Does WhatsApp Marketing Work?
WhatsApp, the free messenger originally developed as an SMS alternative, is now owned by META (formerly Facebook) and allows not only message exchange but also sending images, videos, and files. The app can be installed on both smartphones and desktops.
Why Is WhatsApp Marketing Worth It?
The impressive numbers speak for themselves: Over 2 billion people in more than 180 countries use the messenger, and in Germany, an estimated 80% of the population uses WhatsApp. WhatsApp is particularly relevant for your mobile audience, as the app is primarily used on smartphones.
WhatsApp is more popular than other messenger apps, making it a suitable platform for businesses to engage in WhatsApp Marketing. This term encompasses all advertising messages sent through the messenger. Due to WhatsApp's high popularity, the loss of reach is low, and the open rates, especially compared to emails, are particularly successful.
Using WhatsApp for Business? Caution is advised: Companies should not send advertisements through a private account to avoid inundating users with ads and to comply with privacy regulations. Furthermore, it is important to rely on a GDPR-compliant WhatsApp solution.
To engage in WhatsApp Marketing, the messenger provides two options: the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.
Business Account on WhatsApp
The WhatsApp Business App is a standalone application for businesses that allows creating product catalogs and providing company information. Here, up to 256 people can send messages simultaneously, and automated messaging is possible upon request. The Business App does not differ significantly from the private messenger.
Professional WhatsApp Marketing via WhatsApp Business API:
In contrast to the WhatsApp Business App, the WhatsApp Business API is an interface mainly interesting for larger companies. With this, businesses can link the WhatsApp Business Account to a CRM or a marketing tool and conduct WhatsApp Marketing. This involves linking software tools for WhatsApp Marketing so they can exchange data. Messages to your contacts are not composed in the app but in a tool of your choice. This incurs costs for the provider and maintenance.
However, the advantages of the WhatsApp Business API outweigh. Here's an overview of the advantages of your WhatsApp Business Account:
- Unlimited contact list
- Sending mass messages is possible
- Message templates
- Chatbots
- Advanced features in customer support
- GDPR compliant
- Ability to request a green checkmark
To use the WhatsApp Business API, you need a Business Account, which you can create for free, and a third-party provider who can set up the API. Here is a rough overview of the differences between WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business Platform. The costs for the WhatsApp Business Platform play a significant role:
Source: Chatarmin
Marketing via WhatsApp makes sense, especially if you want to use it for customer and consultation services. Customers expect guidance rather than advertisements from your company via WhatsApp.
A WhatsApp newsletter can share special offers, exclusive discount promotions, the launch of new products, or updates on new blog posts. The only difference from an email newsletter lies in the delivery channel. Subscriptions for WhatsApp newsletters can be done via QR code or CTA through the website or email campaigns. You can use incentives such as a discount to encourage subscriptions. After registration, the chat in WhatsApp opens automatically with a pre-made message, and upon submission, an internal opt-in workflow is triggered.
7-figure D2C brand from the DACH region with WhatsApp results for Black Week 2023
WhatsApp newsletters are an easy way to reach new and existing customers. Customers become loyal fans when they feel valued. WhatsApp also allows keeping customers informed about order updates. Due to direct contact with individual customers, it's worthwhile to address them with tailored offers.
Even when a potential customer shows interest in your products, you can build a customer relationship. WhatsApp provides an easy way to quickly connect with your company for questions, problems, or suggestions. The double opt-in ensures that your WhatsApp Marketing is GDPR compliant and theoretically allows reaching millions of users, as the majority of people in Germany use WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Marketing offers advantages for businesses of various sizes. You actively reach your customers where they already spend a lot of time. Since the WhatsApp Business App is free, it is particularly suitable for smaller businesses to reach customers with newsletters. However, advanced marketing features like push notifications or drip campaigns are only available through the paid API.
Open rates on WhatsApp are generally higher than email campaigns, where newsletters often end up in the spam folder. Due to higher open rates, there is a chance to better reach the target audience.
● RPR: Minimum revenue per recipient (€2.00-€2.50)
● ROCS: Minimum return on campaign spending (8,000%-10,000%)
● CTR: Minimum click-through rate (15%-20%)
● Minimum open rate (85%-95%)
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