Table of Contents
Benefits of WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp as a messaging service may not be your preferred cup of tea, so to speak, but that doesn’t mean it can’t help you grow your brand quickly. As with any marketing endeavor, consistency is key to long-term success, and it will take time to establish a strong foothold on the platform. That said, if you put in the time and are persistent, your ROI will be considerable.
Provide the Highest Quality Customer Support
A lot of businesses use the WhatsApp platform to provide first-class customer service to their customers. In fact, providing service or tech support via WhatsApp routinely increases customer satisfaction by over 200%. WhatsApp users expect to be able to contact businesses directly with any customer service issues that they have. By setting up your customer service on WhatsApp, you will allow users to contact you directly while also establishing your brand on the platform.
Over 175 million WhatsApp users contact businesses directly each day. Users prefer to send a message to a business on WhatsApp rather than navigating their website and contacting the business by email. Why? People want immediate or nearly instant results and with WhatsApp a customer expects an almost instantaneous response.
WhatsApp Offers a Convenient Shopping Experience
Businesses can use the end-to-end shopping process provided by WhatsApp. Users like this because it means that they can stay on the WhatsApp platform to make their purchases. You can accept payments on WhatsApp for your products and services.
You can set up a sales funnel on the WhatsApp platform, which users prefer to visit an external company website. If a user has to visit your website, then they will need to use a browser on their device, which is extra work for them. Sell more of your products and services with the WhatsApp end-to-end shopping process.
Solve Customer Problems Fast
If a customer has a problem with a purchase, they have made online, then some companies will request that they use a ticket process to resolve the issue. They do not offer a live chat feature, and customers become frustrated waiting for the company to respond.
The WhatsApp platform has the advantage of instant customer communication. A customer can send you a message, and you can respond swiftly. This increases customer confidence in your business because they perceive that you care about them and want to help them.
Include Multimedia Files in Messages
You can attach multimedia files to your WhatsApp messages. Perhaps you have a PDF document or an image that will help your customer make a purchase decision. Maybe you have a short video clip that will answer your potential customer’s question about usability or a specific feature of your product or service. You could even include a downloadable audio attachment – perhaps share a recent podcast with the customer.
Promote Your Brand Globally on WhatsApp
When you have a WhatsApp Business account, you can create a more dynamic profile. You need to set up your profile in a way that will consistently promote your brand. Your profile will contain a tagline about your business, and you can provide other helpful information to your customers.
Many businesses have used the platform to expand internationally, and you can do the same. Millions of people use WhatsApp in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Spain, and Italy, for example.
Setting Up WhatsApp Business For The Best Results
You must set up your WhatsApp Business account in the right way to achieve the best results on the platform. After all, you want to maximize your brand exposure and, hopefully, grow your business through marketing on the platform. To do that, you must set up your account properly to optimize the results.
WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp Business API?
There is an upgrade to the free WhatsApp Business account called API. The API upgrade provides a lot more features than the standard Business account, and you need to decide if these additional features are right for your business.
If your business is small (less than 6 employees) then the free account is likely to be the best option for you. With the API upgrade, you can connect more than one person to the account. This is a good option if you expect to generate a lot of customers inquiries, and you need more than one person to handle them.
The API upgrade allows you to add chatbots to your WhatsApp Business account. It also removes restrictions on broadcast messages, and you can integrate with CRM systems and more. There is a monthly fee for the API upgrade of around $90.
Download the WhatsApp Business app
You must download the Business app if you want to promote your brand on WhatsApp. It is available for iOS and Android devices, and you can find the app on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The WhatsApp website also provides access to the Business app.
We recommend that you use a separate phone number for a WhatsApp Business account. If you have an existing normal WhatsApp account you can use the same number, but you will only end up with a Business account.
Create an Enticing Profile
Your WhatsApp profile is your shop window, so you need to spend time making it look enticing. Create an enticing tagline for your business that explains what you do and why WhatsApp should care. Make sure that you use high-quality images with your profile.
Make sure that your profile contains useful information for WhatsApp users. Provide your official website URL, your email address, the location of your physical store if you have one, your hours of business, and more.
WhatsApp users do not pay attention to businesses that have incomplete or empty profiles.
Set up Automated Messaging
WhatsApp provides you with automatic messaging tools. You can set up “quick reply”, “greeting” and “away” messages that are shown to users when they send you a message.
Engaging with your customers is very important to WhatsApp, so we encourage you to set up these automated messages.
The “quick reply” messages are useful for answering the most common questions that users will have about your business. Greeting messages allow you to welcome users in a friendly way. With an “away” message you can tell users that your business is currently closed and refer them to your hours of operation for example.
Set up your Catalog
All WhatsApp Business account holders can set up a catalog to showcase their products and services. This feature allows users to browse through the various products and services that businesses offer and to make purchases or generate inquiries.
If the catalog feature is available in your country, then we strongly recommend that you use it. It will take some work to add everything you offer to your catalog, but this will be worth it in the long run.
4 Proven WhatsApp Marketing Tactics For Your Business
There are several proven marketing tactics that you can use with WhatsApp. From using chatbots, to split-testing your list, and joint-venture partnerships, we’re going to cover the proven successful methods that other business owners have used to generate substantial brand growth.
Implement Effective Chatbots
To implement chatbots on WhatsApp, you will need to go for the Business API upgrade. There are a lot of advantages to implementing chatbots on WhatsApp that will justify the $90 a month fee. One of the major benefits is that your business will be open 24/7.
An effective chatbot can provide an instant response to a lot of the common questions that WhatsApp users will have about your business. You need to think about what questions your customers will have about your products and services and other areas of your business.
Use this information to create chatbots that can provide instant answers. A customer may ask the same question in different ways, so you need to consider this when implementing your chatbots. An effective chatbot can also reduce your employee costs by as much as 30% as well.
Develop Different Broadcast Lists
Another proven marketing tactic with WhatsApp is the creation of different broadcast lists. You can create different lists based upon different subjects or sections of your audience. Once you have created these different lists, you can send appropriate one-way messages to them.
Some businesses on WhatsApp have found that using different lists is a good way to create more sales. For example, you may have some customers that regularly purchase different products and services from you. You could provide them with a special VIP discount to encourage them to make more purchases.
Send Personalized Messages
You should get a better response from messages if you personalize them. Send messages on a one-to-one basis to your customers on your contact list and make them personal to them. Most of your customers will appreciate that you have taken the time and effort to provide a personal touch.
Use the call features of WhatsApp for personalized messages as well. You can hold an audio or video call with individual customers to discuss your products and services, for example.
Not many businesses take advantage of this and will just send text messages. As long as your customers are happy to receive a call from you, they will appreciate this a lot more.
Create Partnerships with other Businesses and Influencers
There are some businesses on WhatsApp that are developing their contact lists and generating more leads and sales through the use of partnerships. You can look for businesses that are in your niche or complementary niches and approach them to discuss a mutually beneficial partnership. Perhaps you can promote their products, and they can promote yours for a commission.
WhatsApp has several influencers, and you can contact them with a view to collaboration. These influencers usually have large contact lists and are in touch with users that you will never get to by using your resources. Some influencers may demand that you pay them for creating a shout-out about your business.
When considering any possible partnership, you need to ensure that it is a good deal for both parties.
