How to Use WhatsApp for Business Marketing
You're probably familiar with WhatsApp as a messaging app for friends and family. But did you know that it can also be used for business marketing? That's right—it can be a powerful tool to help you reach your target market and grow your business. Here's everything you need to know about how to use WhatsApp for business marketing.
DISCLOSURE: Some of the links that I share in this article ARE my affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. In fact, sometimes you'll get a discount or free credits just FOR using my link. 🙂
Why WhatsApp is a powerful marketing tool
WhatsApp is a powerful marketing tool because it allows you to reach your target market in a very cost-effective way. It's also very easy to use, which makes it perfect for small businesses that are just starting.
According to Hootsuite's Digital 2022 October Global's Statshot Report, Whatsapp is the world's favorite Social Media Platform.
WhatsApp is Free: It is free to use on both your phone and computer. There are no subscription fees and it doesn't try to sell you ads.
No limits: WhatsApp lets you share as many messages as you want. You don't have to pay per message, so you can send as many messages as you want to market your business.
One-Time Message: When you want to send a message, you do it once and it's sent to all your contacts. You don't have to pay for each message.
Easy Sharing: It's easy to share media, like photos and videos, on WhatsApp. You can also share contact information through it.
Whatsapp has the highest open rates in comparison with other channels such as email and SMS. According to an article by AiSensy, Emails & SMS have open rates of 21.33% and 2-5% of click-through rates.
However, WhatsApp's open rate is 98%, meaning that out of every 100 messages sent 98 messages are read. This is because of its popularity as a messenger application, with over 2.2 billion global users worldwide.
Plus, WhatsApp has a massive user base, so you can be sure that your message will reach plenty of people. So if you're looking for an affordable and easy-to-use marketing tool, WhatsApp is worth considering.
How to use WhatsApp for business marketing in your business?
Build a presence of your business
The first step to using WhatsApp for business marketing is to establish a presence on the platform. You can do this by creating a profile for your business, and adding relevant information such as your business name, address, website, and contact information.
You can also add a profile picture and cover photo that represent your brand. Adding this information will help customers find your business, and it will also give them an idea of what your business is all about.
Connect with customers
Once you have a presence, you can start connecting with customers by sending them messages. This is a great way to build relationships with your customers.
You can send them messages to wish them a happy birthday, thank them for their business, or just check in to see how they're doing.
You can also use WhatsApp messages to stay in touch with customers, answer their questions, provide them with updates about your products or services, and more.
Lastly, you can also use messages to create a sense of loyalty among them. When used correctly, they can be an extremely powerful marketing tool.
WhatsApp lets you send messages, but you can also call your customers or send them a voice message. This helps communicate with customers who don't have access to a computer.
Reach Your Target Market with Groups
Another great way to use WhatsApp for business marketing is to create special groups for your customers or target audience. This way, you can easily reach a large number of potential customers with your messages.
Once your group is created, start sharing helpful information, tips, and resources with your members. Remember to keep your messages interesting and engaging so that people will want to stay in the group.
For example, if you own a bakery, you can include photos of your delicious pastries and mention how you can deliver them to people's homes.
Videos are another great way to market your business with WhatsApp. You can create a short video about your business and then share the link to the video in your message. The video can be fun, informative, or inspirational, and it may encourage people to visit your business at some point.
Groups are a great way to cultivate loyalty among your customer base, and they’re also a great way to get feedback about your products or services. You can use groups to conduct surveys, offer discounts or coupons, and more.
Promote special offers and discounts just for your subscribers. Then, share special promotions and discounts with this group. Create a call to action. Send out messages urging people to visit your website or check out a specific deal or special offer.
Generate new leads by offering special discounts for existing clients. Tell them that if they refer a few friends, they'll receive a special reward as well.
Remember: When adding people to groups, always get permission first! No one likes feeling like they’re being spammed with marketing messages, so make sure you have permission from each person before adding them to a group.
Get More Customers with Broadcast Lists
Another great way to use WhatsApp for business marketing is to create broadcast lists. Broadcast lists allow you to send messages to multiple contacts at once without creating a group chat.
This is a great way to announce sales or promotions, share blog posts or other pieces of content, or simply stay in touch with your customer base regularly. However, it’s important to use these features wisely so that you don’t come across as spammy or pushy.
Make sure the messages you share are relevant and interesting, and limit the number of times you use broadcasting features so that you don’t become annoying or overexposed.
Use WhatsApp to send automated messages
You can send automated messages to your customers. For example, you can set up an automated message to wish them a happy birthday or to remind them of an upcoming appointment.
You can also set up smart auto-replies for FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) such as pricing so that you if customers send you enquiries containing a certain keyword, the smart reply can be triggered and respond with relevant answers.
Take advantage of chatbots
One final way to use WhatsApp for business marketing is to take advantage of chatbots—software programs that simulate human conversation. Chatbots can be used to automate customer service tasks such as answering frequently asked questions or providing product recommendations.
They can also be used to generate leads or even close sales—all without requiring any human interaction whatsoever!
How to use Whatsapp for business marketing: The common mistakes
WhatsApp is a powerful tool for businesses – but only when used correctly. Many businesses make common mistakes when using it for marketing, which can lead to low engagement and even getting banned from the platform.
Here are the three most common mistakes businesses make when using WhatsApp for marketing, and how to avoid them:
Not respecting user privacy
WhatsApp is a platform that is built on user privacy. This means that businesses cannot simply add random people to their groups or contact lists. Doing so will not only lead to low engagement but can also get your business banned from WhatsApp.
To avoid this, make sure you only add people to your groups or contact lists who have explicitly given you permission to do so. The best way to do this is to use an opt-in form on your website or social media platforms.
Sending too many messages
Another common mistake businesses make is sending too many messages to their WhatsApp contacts. Just like with email marketing, bombarding your contacts with too many messages will quickly lead to low engagement, unsubscribes or worse, complaints.
To avoid this, make sure you only send messages when you have something valuable to share. If you need to send multiple messages per day, consider using a tool like WA Web Plus, which is one of the Best Business Resources I Use In My Business and allows you to send messages to many contacts.
Not using WhatsApp branding
WhatsApp provides businesses with several branding opportunities, such as the ability to use a custom profile picture and description. Many businesses fail to take advantage of these branding opportunities, which can lead to low engagement and brand awareness.
How Often to Send Messages on WhatsApp for Business Marketing
When it comes to how often to send messages on WhatsApp for business marketing, there isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all answer. However, a good rule of thumb is to only send messages when you have something valuable to share.
The worst thing that could happen is when you just send for sending's sake. This will lead to people becoming bored and tuning out of your messages, which is not what you want.
If you need to send multiple messages per day, consider using a tool like WA Web Plus, which allows you to send messages to multiple contacts one by one automatically. You can check out the review I did previously on WA Web Plus here: WA Web Plus: Unleash The Full Potential of WhatsApp Web For Marketing
Measuring the Success of Your WhatsApp for Business Marketing Campaign
Once you have started using WhatsApp for business marketing, it's important to measure the success of your campaign to determine what's working and what isn't. This will help you to optimize your marketing strategy and get better results.
There are a few different ways to measure the success of your WhatsApp marketing campaign:
Analyzing engagement rates
One way to measure the success of your WhatsApp marketing campaign is to analyze your engagement rates. This can be done by counting how many people have opened, read, and clicked on your messages.
If you see that your engagement rates are low, it might be a sign that you need to adjust your messaging strategy. Conversely, if you see that your engagement rates are high, you can continue doing what you're doing!
Measuring conversion rates
Another way to measure the success of your WhatsApp marketing campaign is to measure how many conversions it has generated. This can be done by counting how many leads or sales were generated as a result of your WhatsApp marketing efforts.
If you see that your conversion rates are low, it might be a sign that you need to adjust your marketing strategy. Conversely, if you see that your conversion rates are high, you can continue doing what you're doing!
Conclusion
WhatsApp is a powerful messaging platform with over 2.2 billion active users worldwide. And small businesses can now take advantage of this app to reach and engage their target audiences.
In this blog post, I have shared how to use WhatsApp for business marketing, how often to send messages on WhatsApp, and how to measure the success of your WhatsApp marketing campaigns. Now it's time for you to get started with what we've discussed here today! !
