A Guide on Creating a Whatsapp Marketing Strategy

With over two billion active monthly users, WhatsApp is arguably the biggest platform where dark social sharing happens. You may have witnessed it when friends share their favorite TikTok videos on WhatsApp or even a link to groundbreaking research. You can also make it a part of your social media marketing strategy. 

That means if you are focused on making your content shareable on dark social, WhatsApp should be at the top of your list of platforms to target. This article will guide you on how to encourage the sharing of your content on WhatsApp.

What is WhatsApp Marketing?

As the name suggests, WhatsApp marketing involves using WhatsApp to connect with your target customers, promote products, and drive engagement. It is an excellent channel for sharing personalized updates or running promotions in a format similar to that of a chat. It can also be an excellent platform for leveraging the voice of the customer, building relationships with your customers, and providing them with the necessary support. If you offer promotions and discounts to your customers, you can use WhatsApp to reach them.

Benefits of WhatsApp for Business Marketing

WhatsApp offers benefits that you won't find in traditional social media sharing platforms. It's fast, personal, and highly effective in getting users’ attention and driving sales. That said, here are a few benefits of using WhatsApp marketing:

High Sharing Rate

If you are already on WhatsApp, you will agree with me that hardly a day passes without someone sharing something in your WhatsApp group. When compared to platforms such as Slack, Discord, or Messenger, WhatsApp drives the highest share rate. 

Therefore, if you want to increase the visibility of your content, you need to market it or your brand on the platform. If users find it worth sharing, you can easily go viral. It can also help grow your Facebook page when your posts are shared on WhatsApp.

High Open Rates

Consider a marketing method such as email marketing. It is common for your target audience to ignore your emails, likely due to a high spam rate. On the other hand, people share content on WhatsApp with a tight circle of family and friends. Due to the trust that users have in the people who share, the majority of WhatsApp users have no problem opening the content. 

This explains why WhatsApp has one of the highest open rates at 90%. That means there are higher chances that the message you share on WhatsApp will be read, seen, or even acted upon. 

Focus on Conversational Commerce

WhatsApp marketing typically takes the form of a conversation. When you send a marketing message on WhatsApp, you can instantly get a response from your audience. You can then take the conversation from there, clearing their doubts and building trust with your target audience. When you build trust, you can easily increase conversion.

WhatsApp App or WhatsApp Business platform

Before you start marketing on WhatsApp, it's essential to understand the distinction between the app and the business platform. The app may be what many people are familiar with, as it works on mobile phones and allows them to message each other directly. Create a business profile on the WhatsApp app to receive fast replies, add chat labels, and even market your products on the platform.

On the other hand, the business platform is a tool that is designed to provide users with more capabilities than the basic app. This is often used by small to large companies that receive a high volume of messages and need to integrate these messages with other platforms. Some of the features of WhatsApp Business are:

• API access for automation.
• Bulk messaging
• CRM integration
• Multi-agent support

As a small business getting started with WhatsApp marketing, the app can be a good place to begin.

How to Create a WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

Before getting started with WhatsApp marketing, you need to determine what you want to achieve with it. This should align with your overall business objectives. For instance, you can set a goal such as increasing sales, improving customer service, or enhancing brand awareness. After this, you can create a list of contacts, but make sure that you have the customer’s permission before messaging them.

After this, you can focus on the message you want to convey and how frequently you will send it. Ensure your content includes a mix of promotional and helpful content. Remember that you should share more than that occasional discount code. Leverage your ability to speak to your audience in one voice, and select a WhatsApp tool that meets your needs from the two options we outlined above.

Designing Your WhatsApp Messaging

After conducting research and compiling a list of contacts, it's time to develop a marketing message. When doing so, it's essential to choose a voice that's consistent with your tone and aligns with your brand. To keep the brand voice at the forefront of your mind, make it central to your social media strategy.

When creating a personalized WhatsApp marketing message, use a friendly and conversational tone to engage with your audience. However, ensure that you maintain your main messages and don't lose sight of your call to action. For instance, if you are a restaurant, creating a Valentine's Day giveaway, you can use a message such as “Dine in style this Valentine's Day with a complimentary bottle of fizz, and live music. Reserve a table today.” 

This can be a compelling marketing message. However, remember to send the message at the right time and leverage WhatsApp features such as lists and buttons, so that the messaging is not only easy to read but can also be easily acted upon.

Set Up WhatsApp Flows

Marketing on a conversational channel such as WhatsApp helps maintain a seamless user experience. Whatsapp flow and customizable and dynamic features of the WhatsApp Business Platform enables businesses to create an interactive and structured customer journey, leading customers through the different touch points. From the initial contact to after-sales service, WhatsApp enables a conversational experience.

Therefore, it helps simplify the use case as the user doesn't need to keep switching between the platform and third-party apps. Instead, you can create and offer a complete customer journey on the platform. One of the benefits of WhatsApp Flow is that it helps improve engagement and enables businesses to create content tailored to the different stages of the customer journey, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and increased conversion. 

Use Personalization and Visuals

Adding visuals, such as videos and photos, to WhatsApp marketing messages can help keep people engaged for longer and, therefore, increase engagement. You also need to ensure that the visuals align with your brand identity. Elements such as color schemes, fonts, and imagery should remain consistent to increase brand awareness and recognition. 

If you have the customer's data, use it to create some personalized messages that include details such as the customer's name. These details can also help you tailor offers to customers based on their past purchases and interests. You can leverage third-party tools such as Brandwatch to personalize the customer’s messages.

WhatsApp Business Account Set Up

After creating your WhatsApp strategy, it's time to set up an account, so choose from the options we mentioned above. As mentioned earlier, if you are a small business, the app may be sufficient, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.  

WhatsApp Business Platform is an excellent choice for medium- to large-sized brands that frequently handle large volumes of data and wish to link their WhatsApp account to a Meta Business Account. It also comes with some features such as:

• Fast replies
• Greeting messages
• Away messages

Previously known as the WhatsApp Business API, this is part of the Meta Business Suite, incorporating Instagram and Facebook. To create this account, you need to ensure that you have a Meta Business Account, and then choose a solution that meets your budget and needs. You will be guided through the setup process, which includes verifying your account and integrating the API into the system. You will find many providers.

Whether you use the Business suite or app, ensure that you verify your account to gain your audience’s trust. If you are using the app, you can do that by simply adding your business name, category, and business. You might be required to provide additional documents to verify your business details.

When creating the WhatsApp Business Platform, you will need to provide your official documents, which will be reviewed. After the documents have been verified, a green checkmark will be displayed next to the business name, indicating to the customer the legitimacy of your business.

Have an Opt-in Strategy

Before you begin messaging your customers, you will need to have them decide if they are comfortable receiving your messages. You can have a consent form for customers to fill out. When they initiate a conversation, you can consider that as consent to message them. When collecting the opt-in data, ensure that: 

• The person understands they are opting to receive messages from your brand through WhatsApp.
• They understand the name of the business from which they will be receiving messages. 

To increase your number of opt-ins, you can use the following tips: 

• Create Facebook and Instagram ads that direct users to click on WhatsApp.
• Keep the opt-in form prominently displayed on your social media pages and website.
• Have an opt-in request strategy. For instance, at the end of the sales funnel, you can show customers the benefits of opting in. This could include receiving notifications about delivery, registering as a producer, or receiving special offers.

Understand Different Marketing Methods

When marketing on WhatsApp, consider different marketing campaigns to choose the most suitable one for your brand. Some of the top options are: 

Promotional Messages Broadcast

Sending out promotional messages on WhatsApp is one of the most common types of WhatsApp marketing methods. When using this method, you send messages to large groups of customers while leveraging WhatsApp's broadcast feature. You can use the feature to promote various activities, such as the launch of new products, company updates, or special offers. 

However, there are some best practices to bear in mind when using these marketing methods. These include: 

• Ensure you obtain the customer's permission before sending them messages.
• Create a targeted campaign that segments the different audience groups.
• Grab people's attention using visuals.
• Measure the message delivery and open rate.

Remember that if you are not following WhatsApp's rules, you may end up getting blocked. Also, be careful to avoid getting flagged as spam, and ensure that you only send messages that meet the interests of your audience.

WhatsApp Notifications and Reminders

A creative way of marketing on WhatsApp is by automating your messages. Doing so will help you connect with your audience faster than when using DMs and email. You can send different types of messages, such as:

• Shipping updates and order confirmation
• Reminders of appointments
• Notifications of payment due
• Loyalty programs reminders
• Sending birthday wishes

By automating these simple tasks, you can save the time that would have been spent on many small and mundane tasks. To connect WhatsApp with your e-commerce store or CRM, use the WhatsApp API. By doing so, you can be assured of personalized and timely communications. These messages should also have an easy opt-out method.

WhatsApp Ads Marketing

WhatsApp enables businesses to place ads, but the most effective way is to place ads on their sister platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook. Once someone clicks on the ad, they can then be directed to WhatsApp. This is an effective advertisement strategy, as it allows you to interact with customers and provide them with additional information. By chatting with consumers on WhatsApp, you can gain better results, such as:

• More leads directly to your WhatsApp.
• Conversing with your potential customers.
• Providing your customers with instant support.

For the best results with ads, ensure they are designed in a way that attracts viewers and shows them the benefits of chatting with your business on WhatsApp. Use clear and compelling visuals and copy to drive clicks. You want to ensure that people are clicking on the ad, and stop scrolling on Facebook or Instagram to message you on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Retargeting Campaign

You can use WhatsApp to instigate retargeting in several ways, such as:

• Reminding your audience of their abandoned carts.
• Providing exclusive discounts to audiences.
• Providing your audience with personalized product recommendations.

Measuring the Success of Your WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

Marketing to your customers on WhatsApp can provide you with a lot of data. Since it's the top messaging app, people leave a lot of data. By tracking the right metrics, you can determine whether your WhatsApp marketing strategy resonates with your audience or not. First, examine the broadcast size, and how many people you can reach on the platform.

After this, consider the number of people who are opening your messages or clicking through, and if your messages are grabbing the reader’s attention. Achieving a high audience open rate indicates that the content resonates well with your target audience. You will also need to track the number of conversions and sales you are getting on WhatsApp to determine its impact on your bottom line. 

You might be surprised to see that most of your conversions are from WhatsApp users you weren't previously tracking. Take time to measure the customer’s satisfaction rate, and analyze whether customers are delighted with your customer service to determine if you are truly meeting users' needs.

You should also delve deeper and check statistics, such as engagement rates, to determine how people are interacting with the content. Don't forget the opt-out rate, which shows you the number of people who are unsubscribing from your WhatsApp messaging list. This can be a good measure of whether your content is resonating with your audience.

You can also look for a way to track your ROI to determine if your WhatsApp marketing resonates with your goals. Track the campaign's performance to determine if it supports or hinders the goal, then utilize data to gain critical insights and identify areas where you can double your efforts. 

Best Practices in WhatsApp Marketing

After creating a WhatsApp marketing strategy, the next step is to ensure consistency. This is important as an inconsistent approach can impact your marketing. Here are tips for a quality WhatsApp marketing campaign:

Have a Proactive Marketing Campaign

You need to be proactive in engaging customers. Otherwise, if you are only sending them promotional messages, your customers might think that you are spamming them. To gain the trust of your audience, you must first establish a closer relationship with them, as a deeper connection can help you generate more sales. 

If your customers have comments or complaints, ensure you are listening to them. When they make queries after a purchase, be responsive. Always use a relaxed language without overusing formal language. On the other hand, too much informal language may make you look unprofessional. The key is to have a balanced tone.

If you have different customer segments, you can create separate group chats for each one. You can then share the relevant tips, updates, and exclusive offers with each group. However, avoid overdoing it and make sure you respect people’s messages and privacy. Where possible, provide users with a personalized message. This can be easier for a brand with a small customer base, as they can send their messages manually.

Optimizing Your WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

When conducting WhatsApp marketing, it is essential to track the performance of your campaign to keep your strategy well-optimized. You can achieve this by monitoring various metrics, such as click-through rates, open rates, and conversions. You can then use this data to refine your approach in the long-term. 

Ensure that you also ask for customers' feedback. This will provide essential insights into the kind of content they find helpful and whether your messaging frequency works for them. They will let you know if they need more offers or if you are meeting their needs.  

Also, ensure that you stay up-to-date on WhatsApp's policies and features. Since Meta regularly adds new tools for customers, you can utilize these tools to enhance the automation process. Staying up to date will help you maximize the platform's potential.

Leverage Chatbots

A chatbot is a conversational tool that can help enhance your marketing campaigns by facilitating more effective conversations with customers. The chatbot should reflect your brand’s persona through its messaging image and style. By connecting the chatbot to the customer's data, you can collect valuable information that you can use to re-target your customers in the future.

Product Catalog Set Up

The product catalog feature allows for the addition of up to 30 images, each accompanied by a detailed description and corresponding photos. Your customers can then browse through these products in the product chat. You can integrate this feature using the API. 

When your audience is ready to make a purchase, they can do so directly on WhatsApp or through your store’s checkout page, where they can complete the transaction. This makes it easier for customers to transition through the different stages of the customer journey within the WhatsApp app.

Add an Outstanding Carousel

Instead of creating one message, you can achieve more with carousels. These enable you to add a maximum of 10 cards where you can promote your products, discounts, abandoned cart items, showcase travel destinations, or anything else your brand wants to market. The scrolling feature of carousels makes them easy to use and ensures a more engaging experience for users. You can then add a call to action to a carousel with quick replies, URLs, click-to-call options, and more.

Use a Time Offer to Create a Sense of FOMO

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a psychological marketing tactic that creates a sense of urgency in customers’ buying decisions. This is one of the methods you can leverage with your WhatsApp marketing to show countdowns and expiration dates in your offers, which will make your customers understand that the offer has a time limit, and increase conversion. 

When the time expires, the coupon will also expire, rendering the code inactive and making it unusable. You can combine the WhatsApp strategies with Instagram stories to create a sense of urgency.

Use Lite API to Optimize Your Marketing

The Lite API can be a good way to take your brand to the next level. The app leverages the meta API to optimize your campaign, adding frequency caps and quality checks. This ensures that your message gets to the right audience and at the right time. The app can also enhance message delivery and read rates while eliminating spammy vibes.

To start using the app, you will need to have a WhatsApp Business Account. You can do this on MetaCloud to begin enjoying a higher ROI and to enable you to unlock new formats of messaging. You can then use the WhatsApp campaign to scale up.

Add WhatsApp Payment

If you are successful with your conversational marketing flow and you have driven customers to the end of the sales funnel, there is no need to redirect them to a new channel. Instead, you need to increase their chances of conversation by enabling WhatsApp payment. Although the feature is not currently available in some regions, it will be rolled out soon. 

Final Thoughts

There are numerous benefits of WhatsApp marketing that no brand should overlook in its marketing strategy. From high user engagement to personalized messages and a global reach, you can reap a lot of benefits from WhatsApp marketing. 

Statistics indicate that WhatsApp marketing also delivers a higher user engagement and conversion rate. However, with the platform used for personal sharing, it can be a big challenge to engage customers on WhatsApp. Fortunately, by reading our detailed guide, you can develop an outstanding WhatsApp marketing strategy to take your brand to the next level.