Let’s discover WhatsApp Business, the messaging application recently acquired by Facebook, which is attracting growing interest from businesses!
WhatsApp has established itself as the preferred messaging application for more than 2 billion consumers worldwide.
If the application is mostly used between friends and family, it is also becoming a popular tool for companies to chat with their prospects and customers. Especially with the unveiling of WhatsApp API, an enhanced version, which is aimed at large groups that want to optimize the ROI of their conversational marketing.
Let’s take a look at the advantages, specificities, and possible uses of WhatsApp Business and its API!
What is WhatsApp Business?
The WhatsApp messaging application is a fast, easy and convenient way to chat with friends or groups, share photos and videos, send and receive documents and engage in private and secure conversations at any time.
The WhatsApp Business version is, as the name suggests, dedicated to businesses that want to strengthen the dialogue with their community. This over-the-top (OTT) chat application brings the functionality and convenience of personal messaging to business communications.
More than 5 million business users now take advantage of this popular messaging platform. A popular alternative to SMS, WhatsApp Business makes it easier to exchange links, photos, videos, and product information.
Unlike texting, consumers can receive WhatsApp messages on any device with an internet connection. This improves the deliverability rate.
When used in conjunction with other mobile channels, WhatsApp Business becomes an indispensable part of a successful omnichannel marketing strategy.
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WhatsApp Business success in an omnichannel context
In today’s omnichannel world of texts, chats, posts, and tweets, consumers want to interact with businesses the way they interact with family and friends. It’s no coincidence that WhatsApp enables the exchange of more than 60 billion messages every day.
With WhatsApp Business, businesses can send appointment reminders, shipping alerts, order notifications, product demo videos, verification codes, customer surveys, and support messages.
It’s immediate, more personal, and consistent with current consumer expectations.
The advantages of WhatsApp Business
If the arguments given so far aren’t enough to convince you, here are 5 more advantages of using WhatsApp Business to optimize your customer relationship!
1. A communication tool that is part of the consumer’s daily life
WhatsApp Business offers businesses a way to engage with their prospects and customers through an app they already use for personal conversations.
The app offers businesses a direct gateway to easily engage with them.
2. A tool to improve customer service
Gone are the days of frustrating customer service and technical support calls, long wait times, endless routing to agents, and sometimes tedious email exchanges. WhatsApp Business offers businesses a direct and personal environment to chat with customers in real-time.
Whether before, during, or after the purchase, this immediate availability fosters trust and loyalty.
3. Global Reach
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in over 100 countries, making it a perfect channel for multinationals.
Moreover, as we said earlier, WhatsApp Business is an effective alternative to SMS. In international relationships, texting incurs additional costs when delivered abroad. With WhatsApp Business, you don’t have to pay mobile roaming costs, as the messages are sent over the internet.
4. Perfectly manage your image
Every company must create a “company profile” on WhatsApp Business. A unique identity that injects brand elements into your conversations.
You can add additional contact numbers, website URLs, store locations, promotional details, and more.
At least when a consumer chats with you through this channel, they know they are talking to a company advisor. Reassured, they are more likely to stay loyal or convert, depending on the nature of the conversation.
5. Turn WhatsApp Business into a lead machine
Once users opt-in to receive WhatsApp messages from your business, you can create templates that move customers along the conversion funnel.
By imposing strict policies regarding content quality and response times, WhatsApp Business ensures that users do not receive spam or irrelevant communications. The app also requires professionals to respond to customer inquiries within 24 hours, using an unmodeled message.
Focus on WhatsApp API
It is important to know that WhatsApp Business offers companies to connect via API. Indeed, while the application is suitable for small businesses, the WhatsApp API is more for large organizations.
The differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp API
The differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp API are mainly in the business features and technical performance.
WhatsApp API allows to:
- Handle a higher volume of messages than the Business application.
- Handle messages from multiple devices, via multiple users.
- Create automated message workflows based on customer requirements.
- Connect the application to external tools (CRM, ERP, emailing software, DMP…).
- Send notifications to customers.
- Encrypt communications from A to Z.
- Stay in compliance with the RGPD.
- Perform analysis and reporting on community exchanges.
- Offer a chat widget on your website.
- Synchronize your different communication channels with WhatsApp.
As you can see, WhatsApp API goes even further than the business application with more advanced features to optimize your customer relationship.
If you want to develop a successful conversational marketing strategy, this version is recommended. However, not all companies can afford it…
Who can install WhatsApp API?
Before you dive into the WhatsApp API installation, you will need to check whether your business can get approval from Facebook or not. There are some general conditions that need to be met regarding the size of your company and the sector you belong to.
The size of the company
WhatsApp is particularly concerned about data security. The application also wants to control the quality and reliability of the companies that use its API.
To this end, only known companies have access to the WhatsApp API. The others can always use the Business version.
The industry
WhatsApp has a strict business policy regarding the industries that can use its API. Companies involved in weapons, drugs, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and adult entertainment are automatically excluded.
But several other industries, including wellness, are also banned, such as manufacturers of lenses, wigs, or dietary supplements.
How much does WhatsApp API cost?
As you might expect, WhatsApp API is not free, unlike its business version. If you have the right to access it, you will have to pay :
Installation and implementation costs
The API integration is done through a service provider. It costs about €1,000 per WhatsApp number. Providers also guarantee technical support and updates, which range from €400 to €1,000 per month, on average.
Commissions on conversations
WhatsApp charges a commission for each conversation. However, the first 1,000 conversations per month are always free. After that, fees vary by country. In France, WhatsApp API charges 11 cents if the conversation is initiated by the company and 7 cents if it is initiated by the customer.
10 tips to use WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp API in your customer relationship
Whether you install the API or prefer the WhatsApp Business app, here are 10 best practices for using instant messaging in your customer relationship!
1. Create contact groups
In your marketing strategy, you probably have defined audience segments.
On WhatsApp Business, you can create groups. Consider using this feature to communicate differently with your customers and prospects, but also to define segments by interest, gender, location, etc.
This technique allows you to better target your community, to show that you know them and that you care about them. Of course, this increases your chances of conversion, since the messages are more personalized.
2. Greet users with a welcome message
Customers appreciate reading a warm welcome message when they take the time to contact a business. Especially since this message can help them wait for your response.
WhatsApp Business has a feature to automatically send a welcome message to users who contact you for the first time, or after 14 days of inactivity.
3. Schedule an out-of-office message
When users contact a company via an instant messaging application, they expect a quick response. However, your customer service is not necessarily available 24/7.
In order to reassure customers that their request will be taken care of and to make them wait, you can set up an out-of-office message. In this message, take care to reassure the contact about the good reception of his request.
4. Share promotional offers or discount codes
When your prospects or customers leave their mobile contact information, they expect to receive something from the company. Among the information that users are hoping for, discounts or great offers come out on top!
Every time you create a coupon, change your promos or organize private sales, send a message via WhatsApp. Your contacts will want to know more and visit your website, looking for a good deal.
This good practice increases your sales, as well as your customers’ loyalty.
5. Use quick responses to save time
Did you know that it is possible to pre-record responses via WhatsApp Business? This saves your advisors time when dealing with customer requests.
Once you have saved responses, you can easily find them by typing “/”.
Some examples of the types of messages you can pre-record are:
- “Thank you for your confidence in our company.”
- “Thank you for your interest in our products.”
- “Hello Sir/Madam, how can we help you?”
- “Can you send us your order number?”
By improving the speed of order response and processing, you increase customer satisfaction. This translates into more conversions and better customer retention.
However, be careful not to automate responses too much! Always take care to personalize the message, by using the first name of the person you are contacting and by adding details about their request.
6. Create a chatbot for WhatsApp Business
Using the WhatsApp Business API, you can create a chatbot that will greet and accompany customers. This chatbot is able to simulate a real conversation and answer the main requests of users.
You can set it up to answer questions about delivery tracking, product availability, your order conditions, compatibility between your offers, etc. There are even chatbots that can direct the user to the right product or service for their needs, or send content (blog articles, white papers, infographics, case studies…) that answers their questions.
7. Promote your useful content
Just published a blog post or white paper? Send them to contacts interested in the topic covered in your latest content.
Like a newsletter, WhatsApp Business can be integrated into your content marketing to boost the visibility of your content, attract qualified traffic to your website and get additional information about your prospects (especially if the content is downloadable against the filling of a form).
However, in order to avoid being considered a spammer, carefully select the information you send. The best way is to do it by a restricted group of users, making sure they want to receive this kind of news from you.
The more personalized the content is, the more it will fulfill the intended purpose.
8. Edit a communication schedule
Don’t overdo sending messages at any time or day. Remember that users will receive a notification on their phones. This can be considered intrusive if it comes when they are with family or sleeping.
Just as your business has a schedule for working and taking care of customers, customers have time dedicated to their well-being.
Surely you’ve thought about the best times to post on social networks or send your newsletter? To send your messages from WhatsApp, it’s the same principle! Find the time slots where they are willing to receive commercial communications (usually on weekdays, on a lunch break, or before going home…).
9. Format smartphone content
Via WhatsApp Business, you can design and share any multimedia content you want, like photographs, predefined images, GIFs, and videos… You can also send PDF files like Carrefour does when it sends its catalogs via WhatsApp
But don’t forget that your contacts will receive the message on their smartphone. It is essential that the content is perfectly adapted to a mobile screen. Use the same best practices on social networks:
- The short, visual content
- Useful tips that arouse curiosity
- A link to accompany users who want more information
- Interactive and fun formats that encourage interaction
10. Use statistics to improve your WhatsApp Business strategy
The great advantage of WhatsApp Business is its statistics tool! You can see how many messages you have sent, received, read, and responded to, so you know how much interaction you have with your customers.
With this information, you can improve your marketing strategy and customer relations on this channel to reach your goals.
Concluding tip for using WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business allows you to take your customer relationship to the next level! Even more so if you are eligible for the API…
Think now about integrating this tool into your omnichannel strategy.
And don’t hesitate to create your profile on WhatsApp Business, as well as on the best practices to adopt from the start or to use the WhatsApp API.