How to Use WhatsApp for Marketing?

Table of Contents

• What is WhatsApp Marketing?
• What are the Features of WhatsApp Marketing?
• How to Use WhatsApp For Marketing: A 7-Step Process

With two billion users worldwide, there is no question that WhatsApp messenger is powerful. Additionally, WhatsApp has introduced “WhatsApp Business Accounts” for its users to fuel their businesses. 

The platform only seems to be growing every day, and the potential for reaching customers through the app is increasing. Thanks to the ease of doing business over WhatsApp, more and more people are trying to sell their products and services on the platform. 

If you are wondering how to use WhatsApp for marketing, we have this complete guide for you. Here, we will discuss how using WhatsApp for business marketing can help you enhance customer reach and provide outstanding customer service.

What is WhatsApp Marketing?

In simple terms, selling products and services through your WhatsApp account is WhatsApp marketing. It can also be used to promote your personal branding image. 

It is a kind of messenger marketing wherein you can directly connect with your customer using end-to-end encrypted messaging. Although marketing through WhatsApp is relatively new, it is still effective. You should download a WhatsApp business account to promote your business.

The primary purpose of a business account is to connect with customers, nurture engagement, and deliver excellent service to them. Using WhatsApp for marketing and promotion can be ideal for all kinds of business, including local to enterprise level. 

Based on the size of your business, you can use different features available to improve your marketing strategies. By including WhatsApp marketing in your marketing plan, you can reach and serve your customer faster than most platforms.

What are WhatsApp Marketing Features?

Many features come with a WhatsApp business account, and you can use them for marketing your products and services. Here are some essential WhatsApp marketing features you should use:

• Profile: This lets you add information like address, description, phone number, email ID, website details, and so on.
• Quick replies: This lets you quickly answer frequently asked questions using one key, ‘/.’ 
• Automatic greeting message: This lets you send a greeting message when a user starts a dialog.
• Labels: This enables you to categorize and organize customer contact for easy access.
• Catalogs and collections: This lets you showcase your products to customers for easy browsing and selection.
• Interactive business messages: This lets users have a smoother shopping experience.
• List messages: This lets you list the number of messages from which the customer can pick any option instead of typing it manually.
• Facebook shops: This lets you create a customized shopping experience and seamlessly integrate them with Facebook.
• WhatsApp payment: This allows users to make payments effortlessly with the app.
• Access message statistics: This enables you to track important metrics such as how many messages got delivered, opened, and read.

When you start using a WhatsApp Business, your account will become a “Confirmed Account.” WhatsApp will verify your account phone number before giving it a confirmed status.

How to Use WhatsApp for Marketing: A 7-Step Process

1. Get started with the basics.

To use WhatsApp for marketing, you first need to carry out some basic steps:

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• Get the WhatsApp Business app from the App Store, Google Play, or WhatsApp site.
• Agree to the terms and conditions.
• Store the number you want to use as a business number.
• Add a profile picture and select the category for your business.
• Set up the product catalog for your products or services.
• Add address, description, working hours, website details, and more on the profile page.
• Start connecting with customers by sending an invitation.

2. Use messaging tools to make it look professional.

You can give your business account a professional look when you start using WhatsApp for marketing purposes. Tools such as “Quick Replies,” “Automated Greeting Message,” “Labels,” and “Quick Replies” will save your time and keep you connected with your potential customers.

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You can set up a greeting message for users that they will receive when they start a chat with you. Also, tools like quick replies can send out a preloaded message quickly without you having to type out the response for your customers. 

In addition, labels are an excellent way to organize and categorize your messages and contacts. There are some pre-programmed labels available, and you also have an option to create new ones customized to your business.

3. Showoff your catalog and collections

When using WhatsApp for business marketing, the next step is to load the catalog with your new, seasonal collection and bestseller products. 

Here are some features of the catalog:

• Upload up to 500 products and services.
• Add a title, price, description, product code, and link to your website.
• Use images for each product.
• Share links from the catalog in different groups and social platforms.
• Keep catalog as WhatsApp status.
• Receive direct inquiries related to products and services.

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Individual, small, and medium businesses can promote their catalog to reach more potential customers and keep them engaged. Also, sharing catalogs to other social platforms will help new users discover their business and widen their reach.

4. Create excellent content

Yes, “content is king” even when using WhatsApp for marketing and promotion. Having good quality content will attract more customers, which is essential for any business. 

Your messaging in WhatsApp needs to be short, precise, and powerful. Although there is no word limit on WhatsApp like Twitter, you still need to be cautious about what you write.

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Everything needs to resonate with your business, from greeting messages, to quick replies, and descriptions. Bad grammar, unnecessary usage of jargon, and lengthy content can disappoint your potential customer. Put forward the points that keep your customer engaged and are helpful for them. Also, ensure you proofread the content before posting. Here are five reasons why proofreading is necessary.

5. Start marketing through WhatsApp

After you set up your account to promote your business, it is time to create a solid WhatsApp marketing strategy. There are three ways to effectively use WhatsApp for marketing within the app.

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• WhatsApp Status: Status is a fantastic feature of WhatsApp that allows you to share posts, videos, photos, and GIFs that remain for 24 hours on the app. 

The status disappears after 24 hours, and you can update it again. However, it will be visible only to people with your contact number saved on their phones.

• Broadcast message: A broadcast is a list of contacts you can choose and send messages or media files at once. The message from the broadcast will be visible as an individual message from you. 

It is an excellent feature to target many customers without investing too much time. Currently, you can add up to 256 contacts to your broadcast list.

• Group message: Create an exclusive group for your business and invite as many people as possible to join. You can then share everything related to your business, such as new arrivals, live sales, discount codes, price drops, and more. 

It will instantly grab the participants’ attention and encourage them to engage.

These are some ways you can do marketing through WhatsApp and promote your business.

6. Provide excellent customer service

You might have a great product, but if you fail to deliver exceptional customer service, you will, in all likelihood, lose your customers. 

Investing in customer service is key to building long-term relationships with them. 

Here are some ways to ensure you offer excellent service when using WhatsApp for marketing purposes.

• Know your product/service: Have extensive knowledge about the product or service you are promoting. You should be able to answer any questions related to them.

• Have a positive tone: Since many customers will interact with you over chat and not face-to-face, ensure you have a polite and positive tone in your messaging language.

• Work on problem-solving: Your customers might have issues with your product and service. Be ready to solve the problem in all possible ways. It will increase customer commitment for your business.

• Be proactive in responses: For many people, time is everything, so be proactive in your responses. 

Get back to customers with solutions as quickly as possible to avoid them from losing interest in your product or service.

• Have personalized interactions: No matter how effective a chatbot is, it cannot take over human interactions. So, personalize your conversations whenever possible. It will build trust between the two of you.

• Pay attention to feedback: Getting feedback from your customer is a great way to improve your products and services. So listen actively to what your customer wants and work on it accordingly.

• Never let your customer down: Always deliver the promises you make to your customers. Customers do not like excuses; they are happy to deal with people who keep their words.

7. Expand your market through customer research

Not many people know that WhatsApp can be a fantastic platform for performing customer research. You can conduct surveys, quizzes, and polls to understand the current trends in your business arena. 

Get opinions from your customers regarding what they like or dislike about your newly launched product and improve on it. For example, an ice cream brand can reach out to their database and ask what flavors they like and choose between the options. It will give the brand an idea of what the customer is expecting.

Today, WhatsApp is an unbeatable platform to market your product. It can be great to build a contact list, engage users, generate leads, and more. You can also use WhatsApp to promote, sell, and grow your business. 

Incorporate WhatsApp marketing strategies with other business promotion plans to achieve better results. Just be creative in your approach and see your business become an instant hit. People worldwide are already discovering WhatsApp’s potential, and it’s now your time to build your brand!

Key Takeaways

• People across the world are using WhatsApp for business marketing. It is one of the most powerful tools to promote and grow your business in today’s market.
• WhatsApp business accounts have many features to help you establish your business for free.
• Although WhatsApp is a messenger app, there is no way you can be casual when using WhatsApp for marketing and promotion. Always try to keep your account as professional as possible.
• Content is the most crucial part when marketing through WhatsApp. Keep it short, precise, and powerful when conveying your message.
• WhatsApp marketing features like catalog, broadcast, and status updates can easily and quickly help you reach a vast audience.
• There is no alternative to prompt customer service. So, always try to offer excellent and quick customer service and enjoy a long-term relationship with them.
• WhatsApp is an excellent platform to perform customer research. You can conduct surveys, polls, and quizzes and get feedback to improve your product and service.

FAQs