We’ve tried to work around WhatsApp’s restricted marketing features to communicate with customers since its inception. To market our products, we use Groups, contact lists, and broadcast messages. These tools were overwhelming, yet we didn’t stop using them because the return on investment was too great to pass up! 

WhatsApp released its API solution in response to a growing demand from businesses to effectively communicate with clients on the platform. The first step was to make it available for customer service use cases, with a strong emphasis on avoiding spam on WhatsApp. Using the WhatsApp template message tool, each business-initiated message must be manually approved by the WhatsApp team.

WhatsApp stated in June 2021 that businesses will be able to use marketing templates to start expected, relevant, and timely conversations. 

As a corporation, we must respond swiftly and effectively to this transformation. We have an amazing marketing tool at our disposal that is more personal than email and more successful than SMS. 

This post will show you how to make the most of WhatsApp as a marketing tool and how to utilize it to develop long-term relationships with your clients.

Why should you use WhatsApp? 

With over 2 billion users and over 100 billion messages sent every day, WhatsApp is by far the most popular messaging app. WhatsApp is most people’s preferred method of communicating with family and friends. 

Customers like to communicate with brands using WhatsApp and other messaging platforms. According to WhatsApp data, 61% of respondents would rather send a message to a business than call them. And 59% of people would prefer it over sending an email.

WhatsApp is a new direct response marketing medium that is disrupting the industry. 

Direct Response Marketing is a strategy for encouraging customers to respond to a company’s offerings by emphasizing ROI over brand knowledge. 

The most popular direct marketing mediums are email and SMS. That was true until WhatsApp made its move, at which point you’ll need to rethink your channel approach.

WhatsApp vs. Email 

Phone messaging methods (such as SMS) have a 98% open rate, whereas emails have a 25% open rate on average. Customers are more likely to share their phone number with a company than their email address. Furthermore, having two-way communication with a business via WhatsApp rather than email is far more convenient.

From a business standpoint, WhatsApp has capabilities similar to those of the email channel, including rich media, open, read, and call-to-action monitoring. Aside from being able to conduct a two-way discussion. 

On Whatsapp, the spam rules that apply to email are considerably harsher (we’ll go over them in detail later), but who wants to spam people anyway? The only benefit of email over WhatsApp is the cost. The WhatsApp channel’s return on investment (ROI) should provide an answer.

SMS vs. WhatsApp 

Despite SMS’s tremendous reach and open rate, it lacks a number of features: Rich media isn’t available, text length is limited, and sender branding is limited. Furthermore, there is no way to track message read statistics on the channel. 

SMS transmission is governed by country-specific rules, which adds another layer of complexity. Compared to traditional SMS, WhatsApp is a clear winner.

Create and implement a WhatsApp marketing campaign. 

A good WhatsApp marketing Malaysia campaign is defined by a can’t-resist offer that is tailored to a specific segment and delivered at the right time. It’s time to launch our campaign now that we have adequate information about our customers.

Begin with a goal. 

Consider the objectives you wish to achieve with your campaign. The goal should have a direct influence on ROI because it is a direct response marketing campaign. Do you wish to advertise a new product, have surplus inventory, or open a new branch, for example? Every component of your campaign will be easier to develop if you have a clear goal in mind.

Choose a segment and create a persona. 

Investigate your customers’ data based on your goal. The information should provide an answer to the following question: 

Will I be annoyed or feel that this communication is important to me if I get it as a customer?

Create a unique deal. 

People’s emotions, desires, frustrations, and anxieties must all be addressed in offers. Consider your purpose and your target audience: what will motivate them to take action?

Make your point clear. 

We have 4 seconds on average to capture the attention of customers. As a result, the message must convey sufficient context, value, and reasons for action. 

Before launching your campaign, make sure you A/B test your messaging with a sample of your target demographic.

Create a compelling call to action. 

Every direct response campaign has a clear call to action that asks customers to take a specific action. Here are a few examples: 

• Make a reservation. 
• Complete a form 
• Make use of a discount code 
• Make a product inquiry 
• Purchase now. 

When creating your call to action, keep WhatsApp conversational nurture in mind. When a customer responds to your message, they may interact with a chatbot or a sales representative. 

You must assess your marketing in terms of the number of customers who take action. Also, before committing to the final structure of your campaign, A/B test your call to action.

Carry out the Campaign 

Set up and run your campaign using your WhatsApp business solution. 

WhatsApp isn’t free, so you’ll have to pay to track your ROI. You must compare the expense of your campaign to the income (or objective) you achieved, just like you would with any other direct marketing effort. 

How often should you send a customer a WhatsApp marketing message? 

Your marketing goals, customer behavior, and the type of material you’re distributing will all influence how frequently you send notifications. Allow me to explain: 

Daily

Engaging with a customer on a daily basis should be avoided at all costs. If you must, make sure it’s for a limited time and for a clear reason that the customer understands (they just bought a product from you, and you want to onboard them with the best uses of the product).

Weekly:

Weekly interactions are ideal for connecting with current clients, such as gym members and dietician patients, on a weekly basis. 

Monthly:

No brand should engage with a contact for more than a month. Make it a point to engage with customers at least once a month. Giving an offer during a public event is a terrific idea. 

Real Time:

Real-time notifications keep people informed or alert them to happenings that are directly relevant to them.

Conclusion 

WhatsApp’s new stance on accepting Marketing Templates has the potential to transform the way we interact with our clients. Direct marketing may never be the same again. 

To date, WhatsApp is the most intimate and engaging platform. We don’t want it to go down the same path as spammy email and SMS. It must be kept clean. It must be a channel that adds value to clients and aids in the creation of pleasurable experiences and long-term relationships.

This article is posted on Posting Proof.