WhatsApp Marketing: The new way to reach your customers!

Contents

When you think marketing, you probably think Emails, Facebook, Instagram. WhatsApp is never the first channel to pop up in anyone's mind. And that is understandable because WhatsApp was not developed as a marketing tool; it is primarily a messaging service.

But WhatsApp’s time is here. And WhatsApp is here to stay.

100 billion.

That’s the number of messages sent on WhatsApp daily. What started off as 1 billion in 2011, has now increased 100X in just a decade. Can you imagine the scope that you can harness for your business?

Running ads on Facebook to drive sales is a thing of the past. Target and Retarget your prospects using WhatsApp for better returns.

WhatsApp marketing: The new way to reach your customers

But, What is WhatsApp Marketing?

WhatsApp Marketing is a type of messenger marketing. Messenger marketing implies using chat apps, such as WhatsApp, to enable businesses connect with prospective customers.

WhatsApp Marketing.

Since these days people tend to check WhatsApp more regularly than they check their email, the open-rate for WhatsApp is also higher than that of emails.

Don’t believe us?

WhatsApp boast of an open rate of 98%. Emails have an open rate of only 30%

With stats like these, you shouldn’t be thinking twice before deploying WhatsApp as your most effective marketing tool. WhatsApp marketing also allows for efficient two way conversations if the business wishes to keep that channel open.

Why Should I Use WhatsApp For Marketing?

Apart from the high open-rate, there are numerous other advantages.

1. Cost-effective -

WhatsApp is highly affordable. It will not make a huge dent in your business’ coffers. It can be used by businesses that are huge and also small businesses that are just setting up shop. This makes it highly adaptable to any size of business. The cost does not compromise on effectiveness as the average WhatsApp user is said to check his WhatsApp at least 23 times a day.

2. High Conversion Rate -

Some marketing emails tend to go to the spam folder. Such is not the case with WhatsApp messages. The messages are easier and quicker to view as well. Providing clickable buttons with CTAs, and sending videos and images converts prospects to customers very efficiently.

3. Better Sales -

A simple messaging app with a valid phone number, internet connection, and a green tick can do wonders when it comes to taking your sales off the charts. Customers are shown to be more responsive towards when they see that a business uses the simple and approachable WhatsApp for marketing.

4. Stronger Relationships -

As mentioned above, there is a stronger connection between customers and businesses that use messenger apps like WhatsApp. Personalized messages and offers on days like birthdays, anniversaries, and other festivals can increase a customer’s affinity towards the business. Customers say that they respond better to messages that are personalized and targeted.

How To Start Off With WhatsApp Marketing and Advertising using the WhatsApp Business App.

1.Setup a WhatsApp Business Account by downloading the WhatsApp Business App from the Play store, or Apple Store. The number you use to register should be a totally unique number. The number can also be a landline number!

2.Add your business information like business name and image. It is vital you add details like business hours, website, email address and other such relevant details. Be sure to add Business Description and category as well. Such details are what legitimize your account in the eyes of the customer.

3.Explore the business settings in the app to get the most out of your business profile. You can add labels to the different chats for easy identification of different customers and groups. You will also be able to segment them based on where you got their lead from, whether they are new customers or old, based on their age or any criteria that you decide.

You can save some quick replies like Welcome messages and Thank you messages. On the WhatsApp Business App, you can see certain statistics like how many messages were sent, how many were delivered and how many were read by the recipients.

4.Set up the WhatsApp Pay option as well if you would like to enable a customer to have a complete sales experience on WhatsApp itself.

You’re good to go!

Now that you have set up a WhatsApp Business Account, choose the right WhatsApp Marketing strategy according to your business and the desired results.

WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

Before determining and establishing your WhatsApp Marketing strategy, there are some factors that you need to keep in mind.

You will have to decide who your audience is and what demographic they fall under. Determining this is very important as you will have to send templates based on this factor.
After this, pinpoint some issues that you wish to tackle head-on with WhatsApp Business Marketing. Decide on KPIs and goals that you wish to achieve. A holistic strategy can then be devised based on those KPIs.

Identify what your brand persona is. This will help you in deciding the tone of the WhatsApp messages you send. For example, Rolex’s brand persona is Sophistication, Red Bull’s persona is excitement, and Harley Davidson’s is ruggedness.

Using a person’s name as a signature in the templates will also help in showcasing your brand as one that is keen on building a relationship with the customer.

Your WhatsApp messages should be crafted and drafted with a lot of attention to detail. The brand persona should shine through and it should show the value the brand would bring to its customers. Communication need not be promotional all the time, it can also be informative.

When it comes to WhatsApp Promotional Marketing, the frequency of the messages also should be considered. Sending a barrage of promotional messages on WhatsApp will defeat the purpose as the customer will be hassled, and he will also not be able to focus on the offer to redeem.

Once you have all the above sorted out and decided, you can devise your strategy and how to go about it.

If you are a clothing brand, then you can send personalized recommendations to the customer based on his previous purchases.

In case you run a skin care business, you can re-target the products purchased previously at a better price with a better offer.

If you own a cosmetics brand, you can suggest new products in the same color palette as the previous purchase.

How to Grow Your Audience Using WhatsApp Marketing

Once you have setup the WhatsApp Business Account and come up with a solid WhatsApp Marketing strategy, it is time to grow your contact list and audience.

An easy way to increase your contact list on WhatsApp is by adding a WhatsApp widget on the website itself.

This allows your customer to reach out to you easily. He need not look up your number and take the long route.

Instead of adding a widget, you can tell the customers to give you their number in exchange for some amazing discount code. You can get creative with this; it need not be just a discount code. It could be a freebie, it could be a sample travel size product etc.

Once you send them the desired discount code, do not stop there. Keep the engagement going!

Reaching Your Target Audience Using WhatsApp Marketing

It is time start reaching out to to your target audience and demographic. WhatsApp is a totally different ball-game when compared to SMS and Email. The communication style used by your business on WhatsApp needs to be in sync with the kind of communication that generally happens on WhatsApp as well.

The conversations on WhatsApp happens mostly with family and friends. The style of the conversation is informal and jovial. Ideally, that is the style that needs to be maintained by your business.

Use informal language, unlike emails. Use emojis to up the informality aspect.

The informality aspect can further be enhanced if, as suggested in WhatsApp Marketing Strategy, you use a person’s name a signature at the end of the templates. A name that is simple, easy to remember , and that makes the brand more personable. Even though in reality multiple members of your sales team may be handling the account and chatting with customers, a common name can be chose to increase the effectiveness of the WhatsApp business account.

When a customer feels like he is talking to a real person, he feels valued and customer satisfaction with the customer service provided increases.
Tips and Practices for the Best WhatsApp Marketing
WhatsApp shows an engagement rate higher than that of Facebook. So it is essential that your business keeps the communication levels up.
Generate leads using QR codes. To start promotions, you need contacts. QR codes in magazines, or through a community cheerleader, or through partner brands can get you valid and trusted leads. Once they scan the QR, they will be taken to your WhatsApp chat screen directly and you can start promotions and marketing.
Even though it may be tempting to go full force with promotional messages, it is best to remember that at the end of the day, it is still a personal messaging app. Time and schedule your messages accordingly such that the customer does not get overwhelmed with the number of messages. Click here to read more about the different kinds of messages you can send to your customers!
Stick to the guidelines set up by Meta for WhatsApp templates. Framing your templates based on the guidelines will get them approved faster and guarantee high open-rate and click-through rate. The specifications and guidelines include the formatting that can be used, how to show products, how to link websites.
Use WhatsApp as an additional campaigning tool instead of the only campaigning tool. Take full advantage of the unique features of WhatsApp, like accessibility and convenience, that is not available on email and SMS. But the content that goes out via email and SMS should not be the same as WhatsApp. The content on WhatsApp should be unique and me multimedia rich. The CTAs, the content should also be tailored specifically to suit WhatsApp.
Design and create a product catalog specifically for WhatsApp. This feature lets you create a WhatsApp store wherein you can add up to 500 products.
Instead of sending a message to each customer separately, you can create broadcast groups. It is almost like sending out a group message but with all recipients in BCC.
When they send a reply to your broadcast message, the reply opens up as a separate chat with the customer. You can then take the conversation further depending on what the customer wants.
Start Group Chats! This will not work for all businesses and all demographics; but wherever it is applicable, it does wonders. A group chat enables your customers to talk with one another about the product. If your product is a designing software, then your customers can communicate with one another other to explore the product and find other unexplored use-cases for it.
Use the list feature to send feedbacks and surveys. Feedbacks and surveys on WhatsApp are an excellent way to know where you are lacking and tailor your subsequent marketing and adv campaigns based on the feedback. The feedback is not only extremely valuable, but it also increases the Customer satisfaction since he is able to give feedback easily.
Zithara provides you a platform that lets you get the best out of WhatsApp for your business. You can use all the features of WhatsApp and design your marketing campaigns using our platform.
You can fulfill all your Customer Acquisition, Retention and Engagement needs by partnering with Zithara.

FAQs

1. Is WhatsApp marketing legal?

It is legal if approval is granted by WhatsApp. WhatsApp does not allow sending of unsolicited marketing messages without WhatsApp's prior consent.

2. How much does WhatsApp marketing cost?

The cost of WhatsApp marketing depends on whether the conversation is user-initiated or business-initiated.

3. Can you advertise on WhatsApp?

You cannot post banner ads like you would on Facebook. You can, however, run click-to-chat ads on Facebook that would redirect the person who clicks to the WhatsApp chat screen.

4. Is WhatsApp direct marketing?

Yes. Since brands use personalized messages to reach out to customers and interact with them, it is considered direct marketing.

5. Do I need to pay for WhatsApp Business?

No. It is free, but it can be used only on one device for one business phone number.

6. Is WhatsApp API free or paid?

Getting a WhatsApp API is free, but the conversations on it are charged. The charges are based on the country of the recipient and whether the conversation is user-initiated or business-initiated

7. Can I sell my products on WhatsApp?

Yes, you can. All you need to do is download the WhatsApp Business App and add information like Business name, an image, website information and other relevant details.

8. How many messages can I send on WhatsApp business per day?

There are different tiers with varying messaging limits.

1k business-initiated conversations with unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
10k business-initiated conversations with unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
100k business-initiated conversations with unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
Unlimited number of business-initiated conversations in a rolling 24-hour period.

9. How do I start marketing on WhatsApp?

The first thing any business should do is get the WhatsApp Business App. It is available on both Android and iOS. It provides features that give an advantage over the regular WhatsApp like Automate, Sort and Quick Response.

10. What are the benefits of WhatsApp marketing?

It has a higher conversion rate, shows better sales, and is very cost-effective.

11. How can I use WhatsApp to promote my business?

You can use the WhatsApp Business App to communicate with customers instead of using the normal WhatsApp. WhatsApp Business App lets you use multiple features like automate, sort, and labels that are not available on the usual app.

12. Which app is best to sell items?

With the number of users growing exponentially, WhatsApp has the widest reach and is best to sell products.

13. How do I list my products on WhatsApp?

On the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp allows businesses to list their products on the app. A maximum of 500 products can be added to the list. Details like product image, price, service name, description, website link can be added as well.

14.What is the best time for WhatsApp marketing?

There is no single best time. It all depends on the target demographic. For some, it might be morning and for some evening. Businesses should optimize the timing by checking the open-rates and deciding what time is most suitable for their customers.

15. Who is the target market for WhatsApp?

According to statistics, customers aged 15-45 are the ideal target market for using WhatsApp as a marketing strategy. But with the growing acceptance of WhatsApp by those aged 50+, WhatsApp has become a very versatile platform.

16. What can you sell on WhatsApp?

Products ranging from Jewelry and Clothing to Home Decor can be sold on WhatsApp. On the other hand, drugs (recreational/prescription), tobacco items and its paraphernalia, alcohol, and medical and health care products cannot be sold on WhatsApp.

17. Which companies use WhatsApp Business?

Over 500 million companies use WhatsApp Business globally. Some big names include Adidas, Financial Times, Netflix and BookMyShow.