Designing and Executing a WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

WhatsApp has evolved from a simple messaging platform to a critical marketing tool. With active users surpassing two billion globally, WhatsApp allows businesses to connect with audiences instantly.

Marketing through WhatsApp provides one of the most convenient ways to stay in touch with customers. However, to realize the potential of WhatsApp marketing, you need to design and execute a perfect strategy that will offer returns. A WhatsApp marketing strategy will support your customer experience goals and add value to your business.

WhatsApp marketing refers to promoting products and services and engaging customers through the messaging platform. By leveraging a WhatsApp Business API solution, businesses can create more meaningful connections with their customers. Marketing through this platform offers the following benefits:

• Real-time customer service and support
• Foster high engagement
• Personalized customer interaction
• Supports automation
• Can be used for various demographics

Your strategy will require several elements that are vital in ensuring you achieve success. Below are a few aspects to consider:

Define your objectives

The first step of designing the strategy is to define your performance targets. Having objectives is critical in helping you focus on meaningful activities towards increasing sales. With objectives in place, you can easily distinguish between aspects that add value to your business. Furthermore, review your business goals and identify the KPIs that might help you understand whether you have met the targets.

Identify your target audience

The right audience will determine your business success. To narrow down your target audience, ask yourself why people use your products? What value do they get? What outcomes do they intend to achieve? Although various approaches can determine your target audience, you can also interview some of your current customers who have recently made purchases. Note that you need to engage your customer with WhatsApp as you would with a friend. A personalized approach is more effective compared to formal email marketing.

Select your WhatsApp business API provider

The introduction of WhatApp Business API is a game-changer. Integrating the API is part of the technical aspect of your marketing strategy. In this case, you need to partner with a reputable WhatsApp API solution provider. Your preferred API option will also enable you to set up a customer service strategy. Through an effective API solution, you can automate responses to segments like frequently asked questions, in return allowing you to resolve most customer queries almost instantly.

Install WhatsApp for Business app

Download the WhatsApp business from your preferred app store. With your app, ensure you have a business profile with crucial information like your address, business description, and contact details. You can also add a catalog showcasing the products and services you offer. Observe other customer retaining techniques like quick and automated replies to stay in touch with customers and provide answers immediately.

Build a contact list

As more customers engage with your product, be sure to store their contacts for future communication on new offers or products. You can also get the contacts through subscription forms placed on a website. Although the target is to use WhatsApp, you can give customers options on where they wish to receive related updates. Remember, with WhatsApp business, there are two types of communication: user-initiated and business-initiated. Despite the option you opt for, always observe customer privacy.

Stick to WhatsApp regulations

With the emergence of business features, WhatsApp has released several strict guidelines that should be adhered to. Sticking to the guidelines will make it easier to engage with your customers. As more businesses utilize WhatsApp, the platform is also increasingly cracking down on policy violations. At the same time, observe some other unwritten rules like not sending huge PDF files to your customers while ensuring the image post size is 800 x 800 px.

Optimizing your WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

With WhatsApp, you are guaranteed of reaching more clients at once. Beyond the normal marketing practices, below are vital guidelines to meet your goal:

Create a campaign: Campaigns help in generating a buzz around your business. You can leverage both online and offline campaigns to have people engage with your brand or products. It is recommended to target your campaigns for all to achieve the maximum results.

Automatic responses: You can have less human involvement in your marketing. Use the automated message to reach out to your customers through your API solution provider. The 24/7 availability builds reputation.

Deploy notifications and promotions: WhatsApp for business enables you to send notifications to your customers who have subscribed to your services. Leverage the available features to send messages on new offers, discounts, renewal, and expiry of subscriptions, among others. These notifications can help in retaining customers.

Create a community forum: With consent from your subscribed customers, you can create a group where you can easily interact. This will help consumers understand your brand, products, and services and share different ideas.

Multimedia messages: You can share videos promoting an event or a new product. Most people prefer consuming multimedia messages that can be easily shared.

Popular WhatsApp Marketing Tools

• WhatsApp bulk suite: This tool is a marketing software used to send WhatsApp messages in different formats, including video, audio, text, GPS to different targets.
• WAPanel: The software facilitates managing the WhatsApp marketing strategy through the cloud.
• WhatsApp bulk sender: It enables the identification of the most active WhatsApp numbers and sends messages at a recommended time.

WhatsApp Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

• Spamming customers
• Inconsistency
• Adding people to the contact list without permission
• Send text without the image
• Generalizing messages
• Lack of official working hours

WhatsApp Marketing FAQs

1. How does WhatsApp Business differ from Whatsapp Business API?
   WhatsApp Business is a mobile application that works well with small businesses. At the same time, Whatsapp Business API is designed for larger firms that handle a large volume of clients and are linked with a WhatsApp to CRM system.
2. How can I integrate Whatsapp with my preferred CRM?

You will need to deploy a Whatsapp Business API solution offered by different vendors. Through the Whatsapp business API, you can automate operations like answering clients.

Endnote

WhatsApp is changing the form of marketing with the platform offering the most personal experience. WhatsApp marketing is primarily vital for small businesses. While leveraging this channel, it should not replicate the mistakes on other platforms like spam emails and texts. By offering a clean experience, WhatsApp can provide value to customers as they engage with your products and services.

Image by Jorge Henao from Pixabay