WhatsApp marketing: WhatsApp Business or API?

The guide you needed to understand more about WhatsApp and learn how to leverage this platform to grow your business 🚀

Why WhatsApp

Gone are the days when businesses relied solely on emails, brochures, and phone calls to market their products and services.

Today, the world of business marketing is constantly evolving, which has given birth to a new form of marketing, WhatsApp marketing.

WhatsApp has grown over the years to be one of the most popular messaging platforms, with over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide. In countries like the UK & Europe, where over three-quarters of the population use WhatsApp, people prefer this platform mainly because of its end-to-end encryption, which offers a more private way to connect with friends and family. For businesses, this messaging tool and marketing platform is a great way to connect with a wider customer base, increase conversion rates, and provide 24/7 support.

In this article, we'll discuss how you can leverage WhatsApp to meet your local business' marketing needs.

Why WhatsApp Marketing is a good idea

Using WhatsApp Marketing for your local business has tons of benefits. Here are some we thought of:

Reach a wider customer base

With over 2 billion monthly active users spread across more than 180 countries, WhatsApp messaging offers a wider demographic reach. It allows you to connect with potential clients from around the globe, irrespective of their race, gender, or age.

This international reach means you can scale your business to levels that would have otherwise been hard to achieve with most traditional forms of marketing.

Improved customer engagement

Interactive messaging is one of the best ways to create a more personalised relationship with your clients, and WhatsApp marketing offers exactly this. With WhatsApp, you can send more personalised messages, such as welcome messages, special discounts, birthday messages, and so on, to create a more engaging relationship with your clients. WhatsApp also offers features like emojis and stickers that give the messages a more human feel. Over 55% of people say they feel more personally connected with a brand that sends them messages!

Higher open rates

With WhatsApp messaging, the chance that a customer will read your message is high because an average WhatsApp user spends approximately 38 minutes on the app every day. On average, 80% of WhatsApp messages are read within 5 minutes.

Besides, the WhatsApp strict opt-in policy means you'll have conversations with customers who opt-in to hear from you, so no spamming, meaning the probability of the recipient ignoring your message is low.

Higher conversion rates

According to a report by Telemedia Online, businesses who use WhatsApp messaging reveal that their messages have an open rate of 99% and a response rate of over 40%. Compared to traditional marketing channels, 80% of WhatsApp messages are read within 5 minutes and have a 70% click-through rate. When effectively used, WhatsApp marketing can increase conversion rates by over 112%.

Cost-effective

WhatsApp marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience. This is because WhatsApp uses the internet to send messages, meaning there are no SMS charges except for WhatsApp API. Ideally, all you need for WhatsApp marketing is the app and the internet!

WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp API

When it comes to WhatsApp marketing, you can choose between the WhatsApp Business App or the WhatsApp API, depending on your brand's needs.

The WhatsApp Business App is good for the most basic form of WhatsApp marketing. It is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses looking for one-on-one or group messaging with indications that it's a business chat. On the other hand, WhatsApp API is tailored for medium and larger enterprises that need to power communications with clients worldwide. The WhatsApp API is designed to accommodate large volumes of messages that the standard WhatsApp Business can't handle.

When it comes to marketing features, the WhatsApp Business App lacks advanced features to make marketing more effective such as the ability to set up promotional push notifications and drip campaigns. These actions can only be set up on WhatsApp API when connected to a business messaging platform like Fuzey.

Regarding bulk messaging, the WhatsApp Business app needs you to create a broadcast list with a maximum of 256 contacts per list. On the other hand, WhatsApp API allows you to send bulk messages to an unlimited number of contacts depending on your tier level based on your WhatsApp partner.

The WhatsApp Business App is limiting in terms of usability and automation. It can only be used on one phone with four additional devices (per number). On the other hand, the WhatsApp API supports unlimited users and devices. Unlike the API, where automation can be custom built to suit the users needs, automation in the business app is limited to greeting messages, quick replies, and away messages.

However, to create the standard business app account, you only need your mobile phone number or landline number, but for the API, you must create an account by applying via a WhatsApp partner.

Rules you'll need to follow

There are rules you need to follow when using WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp API for successful marketing campaigns. These include:

Contacts opt-in

As per WhatsApp's terms and conditions, businesses can only send messages to people who have opted-in to receive messages from them. This means that you can only message new customers using a pre-approved templated message, and when they reply and accept your communications, you can message them freely.

Identity

When sending messages on behalf of your business, make sure your contact information is accurate and up-to-date. This includes your business name, address, and website.

WhatsApp Business & commerce policies

Comply with WhatsApp's Business and commerce policies to avoid getting your account banned. These policies include guidelines on pricing, refunds, order confirmation, and delivery notifications.

Tips for nailing your WhatsApp Marketing campaigns

Now that you've got the basics figured out, and you're ready to get started with WhatsApp Marketing, here are some tips to help you nail your campaigns:

• Prepare your campaigns using the same style/format that you'd use if you were messaging a friend on WhatsApp
• Ditch the formal email style: use emojis and informal language to make your message sound personal
• Make your messages more interactive with WhatsApp's features, such as groups, status, and location sharing
• Monitor and track your WhatsApp marketing campaign's performance using analytics tools like Google Analytics. Regular monitoring helps you see what's working and what's not so you can make the necessary changes.

Getting started with WhatsApp Marketing

WhatsApp marketing is one of the most cost-effective and easy ways to reach a wide customer base. When used effectively, WhatsApp marketing can improve customer retention and increase conversions and sales. By following the tips in this article, you'll be a step closer to conducting successful WhatsApp marketing campaigns!
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Get in touch with Fuzey for all your business' customer communication needs. All the tools you need to attract, convert and retain customers - in one place.

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