WhatsApp marketing is nothing but promoting your products/services and engaging with your audience through the messenger app “WhatsApp”. WhatsApp is widely used to communicate with our friends and family on a day-to-day basis. Thus, when you use this app to market/promote your products and reply to your consumers’ queries, it becomes the most personalized form of shopping experience and communication.
Apart from setting a distinct business profile, there are many useful features on the app. For instance, you can see message info (number of messages read, sent, received and delivered). You are also able to set “Quick replies”, “Away Message”, and “Greeting Message” and can decide how and when to send them. Furthermore, you can add a label to every chat – a new customer, new order, paid, order complete, pending payment, and multiple custom labels.
The app works exactly like the regular WhatsApp. It has the same interface, the same accessibilities, and the same options. Your contact list will show up on the app; you can set up stories for promotion; delete sent messages, and you can use WhatsApp Web on a desktop/laptop. WhatsApp allows you to set up an auto-reply option when you’re busy wherein your users will get automated pre-set replies depending on their messages.
You can receive and send payments via WhatsApp. Furthermore, you can also generate a lead, and convert them into customers. It has proved to be a safe payment method and thus, pushing consumers to make a purchase.
Small business owners are on restricted budgets. WhatsApp realised this and therefore kept its business app completely free just like the regular application.
The first step should definitely be to create a resonating brand persona on the app. Create a personality that reflects your brand and also connects with the target group at the same time. This will make users feel like they are connecting to your brand directly and not with a robot.
Another strategy should be to start gathering your data of contacts. Give your consumers some incentive in exchange for their contact details. Once you have that, you can send promotional messages directly to them. You should also strategize how to update your audience on their product journey. Right from placing the order, to the shipment updates and when it is out for delivery. An option of cancellation/exchange would be a cherry on top as it becomes trustworthy for users. Use stories to inform clients of popular products back in stock, new products, awards and recognition you have received, what goes on behind the scenes, etc. We would like to conclude by saying that WhatsApp is a growing social media platform and is here for years to come. It is only wise to be present on this platform if it’s suitable for your industry.
