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What You Need To Know About WhatsApp
Before we dig into the most common myths surrounding WhatsApp, you need to know several things about the platform. Think of this article as part WhatsApp 101 and part WhatsApp Debunking Myths. We want to make you have a solid foundation on just what the huge messaging service is and how it can help you.
The Biggest Messaging Platform in the World
WhatsApp is the world’s biggest messaging platform with over 2 billion active users. On average, there are over 100 billion messages sent on WhatsApp every day. While text messages are still the most popular format, voice and video calls are surging in popularity. In fact, WhatsApp users have already spent a combined 2 billion minutes using these features.
The WhatsApp service is used in 180 different countries across the world and is available in 60 different languages. India is the biggest user of WhatsApp and other countries such as the United States, Indonesia, Germany, and the UK also have millions of WhatsApp users.
Former Yahoo Employees created WhatsApp and Facebook Now Owns It
Two ex-Yahoo employees created WhatsApp back in 2009. They saw the need for additional notifications on smartphones and used the Apple App Store platform to initially launch the app. A year later the app was available for Android mobiles as well, which resulted in many more downloads of the app.
Today, the WhatsApp app is regularly in the top 3 downloads for both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. By 2013 there were 200 million WhatsApp users and the next year this increased to 500 million. This attracted the attention of Facebook, which purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.
A company like Facebook saw the potential with WhatsApp, and they were correct. The number of users grew significantly after they purchased the platform, and now it has exceeded the 2 billion mark. Not all Facebook acquisitions have been home runs, but WhatsApp absolutely was, as now the messaging service leads both Facebook (1.3 billion) and WeChat (1.2 billion) in active users each month.
WhatsApp did not make money until 2014
It took a few years for WhatsApp to start making a profit. The original owners had to attract investment to keep the project running. In 2014 the revenue for WhatsApp was around $1 million. Revenue grew significantly after this and in 2017 experts estimate that WhatsApp revenue was around $1 billion. Now it is estimated at $10 billion a year. Of course, these are educational estimates only, as Facebook does not break down WhatsApp revenue.
WhatsApp has always been an app for Mobile Users
You have to have a smartphone or tablet to use WhatsApp. There is a desktop version of the app available, but this has to be associated with a mobile phone to work. All WhatsApp users have to provide their mobile phone numbers to use the app.
WhatsApp has launched a business version of the app called WhatsApp Business to distinguish business users from personal users. The WhatsApp app is only available for Apple iOS devices and Android devices. Although some WhatsApp users may have tablet devices, the vast majority (97%) use the app on a smartphone.
You can find your Target Audience on WhatsApp
One of the main reasons that so many businesses are turning to WhatsApp for marketing is because of the volume of users and the ability to find their target audience on the platform. Several businesses have used WhatsApp to grow their businesses internationally, as the platform has a good reach in different countries.
Businesses that choose to promote and market on the app have experienced very impressive returns as WhatsApp users make purchases regularly.
Ignore These 6 Common WhatsApp Myths
There are myths about every social platform, and WhatsApp is no different. But the opportunity to grow your business on the platform is huge, so let’s dispel these myths, so nothing can hold you back.
Myth: WhatsApp is only useful for customer support.
This is a very common myth about WhatsApp. There’s so much more you can do, as a business owner, with the platform than just provide customer service. You can indeed provide the highest quality customer service using WhatsApp, but don’t limit yourself to just that.
Engagement is high on WhatsApp, and many small to medium businesses have found great success running niche specific ads that draw users to message them for promotions.
Myth: Only huge corporations (and big businesses) can afford the WhatsApp Business API.
A lot of people think that the WhatsApp Business API upgrade is only for large businesses that have deep pockets. This is nonsense. The cost of the API upgrade is only $90 a month, which businesses of all sizes can afford.
There are a lot more features available with the API upgrade. You need to look at these to see if the upgrade makes sense for you or not. If you believe that the enhanced features are worth more to you than $90 a month, then it makes sense to go for it.
Myth: It takes too long to implement chatbots on WhatsApp.
This is a strange myth that people believe about WhatsApp marketing.
Chatbots can make your business more efficient on WhatsApp, and there is no reason to believe that they take months to implement. In fact, there are several commercial WhatsApp chatbots available right now, you simply adjust the bot to your specific business. You can do that in a few weeks.
Of course, you want to ensure that any chatbot you implement does what you want it to do. There will be planning and testing required to make sure that any chatbot is providing you with the results that you want. But this does not have to take months.
Myth: Broadcast messages are limited to transactions only.
Some people have the impression that the broadcast message feature provided by WhatsApp can only be used for transactional messages. This is not true, and you can use the broadcast feature to send other types of messages as well. Make sure that you stay within the WhatsApp rules for your messages, and you will be fine.
Myth: You can only implement simplistic and basic chatbots on WhatsApp.
Here is another myth that doesn’t make any sense. We are not sure where this myth originated from, but the bottom line is that it isn’t true. You can do a lot more with chatbots on WhatsApp than just deal with very simple inquiries.
Some businesses have implemented sophisticated chatbots on the platform and achieved good results with them.
Myth: Approval from WhatsApp is required for all chatbot responses.
You do not require approval from WhatsApp for all of your chatbot responses. This myth may have arisen because WhatsApp does not tolerate spam. But regardless of where it came from, there is no truth in this myth.
Can you imagine the additional overhead for WhatsApp if they had to approve all chatbot responses?
Now that you understand the basics of WhatsApp, and we’ve separated fact from fiction, you should be ready to get started using the messaging behemoth to grow your business.
