WhatsApp has become essential in our daily routine activities, but what are some creative ways to maximize engagement with your customers and build your brand’s image?
Using WhatsApp as part of your communication strategy and marketing plans has proven effective in approaching customers with campaigns. Businesses can quickly reply to customer queries and send promotional content and reminders for appointments or calls.
As of January 2023, WhatsApp has emerged as the dominant messaging platform worldwide, boasting a staggering user base of over two billion people.
This marks a significant shift from the past, where email used to be the primary mode of communication, often leading to messages being ignored or deleted without even being opened. In contrast, WhatsApp boasts an impressive average open rate of 98%, ensuring that promotional content reaches its intended recipients effectively.
The potential of WhatsApp for marketing purposes extends to both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies that are dedicated to delivering exceptional services.
For B2B companies, WhatsApp provides a secure platform to exchange sensitive information like contracts and financial details, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained throughout communication channels.
B2C companies, on the other hand, can leverage WhatsApp to send personalized messages and multimedia content to customers. This facilitates a deeper understanding of individual perspectives towards the brand and helps drive sales by establishing a more direct and engaging line of communication.
Let’s understand what to do in WhatsApp marketing and what not to do!
The Do’s of WhatsApp Marketing
- Define your target audience
- Use a conversational tone
- Personalize your messages
- Provide value to your customers
- Make it easy for customers to opt-out
The Don’ts of WhatsApp Marketing
- Don’t spam customers
- Don’t send unsolicited messages
- Don’t use WhatsApp for customer support
- Don’t ignore customers’ privacy concerns
- Don’t violate WhatsApp’s terms of service
The Do’s of WhatsApp Marketing
1. Define Your Target Audience
Understanding the customers your brand is catering to is ideal for providing tailored marketing that guarantees engagement.
A successful marketing strategy is based on identifying a suitable customer base that engages with the promotional material sent. Build a buyer’s persona by looking through the existing customers in the database. Additionally, you can interview a few of your customers.
Identify demographics such as age, income level, and shared interests which prospects them to choose your brand. For example, if you’re a B2B marketing company, target mid-sized companies with a marketing budget of $50,000 – $100,000 annually.
The next step is understanding what your customers expect from your brand, the products or services they prefer, and how much they value your brand. B2C companies can use WhatsApp analytics to obtain user engagement and behavior reports. This gives you a better understanding of content that will increase sales and retain customers.
Targeted WhatsApp marketing creates messaging and promotions that speak directly to your customer, increasing engagement and ultimately driving sales. By identifying your ideal customer and refining your targeting over time, you can create a more effective and profitable WhatsApp marketing strategy.
2. Use A Conversational Tone
Build a rapport with your customers by making them feel that a conversation on a messaging platform is as easy as having one on a call. Ensure that the tone of the message conveys a positive note, keep a casual one-on-one conversation, and avoid technical jargon.
Keep the messages engaging to avoid ordering customers. If you are a B2C travel company, approach your clients in the following manner:
“Hey there! Looking to plan your next getaway? We’ve got some amazing deals on hotels today.”
Using a conversational tone in your WhatsApp messaging establishes a friendly relationship with your audience, making them more likely to engage with your brand and ultimately convert into customers.
3. Personalize Your Messages
Personalizing messages is one of the most effective strategies for successful WhatsApp marketing. The first step is segmenting your clientele based on consumer behavior, purchase history, geography, and preferences.
With this information, you can send out offers specific to a customer’s location, their preferred product and engage with customers who have not purchased in a long time. This makes customers feel that your brand values them and increases the relevance of the conversation.
Use customer data to personalize messages and include information such as their name, purchase history, and preferences. A B2C retailer, you can send the following personalized message to a customer who recently purchased a pair of shoes:
“Hey, Mr. Khan!
Thank you for purchasing these trendy brown shoes. Redeem the code for a 10% discount on your next purchase!”
4. Provide Value To Your Customers
Since customers receive a multitude of messages on WhatsApp every day, your conversation with them should hold value. Get back to customer inquiries and feedback promptly. This builds trust and establishes your business as responsive and customer-focused.
WhatsApp allows options to automate in case of the unavailability of a respondent. For instance, when a customer sends a message, you might send a template such as,
“Thanks for reaching out! A representative will answer any queries soon.”
B2C companies use WhatsApp to give regular updates on order status and send customers shipping information and delivery estimates. Customers value exclusive discount offers and personalized product recommendations and launches. For example, giving incentives to customers, such as a trial period after purchasing, guarantees retention and builds loyalty.
5. Make It Easy For Customers To Opt-Out
However effective your marketing strategy might be, if you do not give your customers an option to opt out of WhatsApp marketing messages, it will frustrate them. To simplify it, provide simple instructions for opting out of your WhatsApp marketing messages. These include a statement like “Reply ‘STOP’ to unsubscribe” as the footer of each marketing message.
As part of good practice, alter the privacy policy and terms of service to include these instructions. This makes customers aware of their right to opt-out and can easily find the necessary information.
The Don’ts of WhatsApp Marketing
1. Don’t Spam Customers
Sending unsolicited, repetitive, or irrelevant messages is considered spamming. Unnecessary notifications leave customers annoyed and unwilling to interact with your business. There are a few don’t you must keep in mind to avoid spamming.
Avoid excessively sending promotional messages which do not carry value or relevance for the customers. This includes constantly sending customers sales pitches and same promotional ads.
Keeping your customers engaged with your products is more than reaching out to them through messages. Spamming creates negative perceptions of your brand, making it harder to build trust and credibility. It can also lead to customers blocking your business, leading to a permanent loss of customers.
2. Don’t Send Unsolicited Messages
While businesses want to increase their customer database, many individuals haven’t consented to WhatsApp marketing. This means you should respect an individual’s privacy and not send messages until you receive permission for communications.
Instead, establish connections through networking events or professional platforms and request permission to connect on WhatsApp. Sending unsolicited messages in WhatsApp marketing can harm your business and lead to negative ratings.
In some jurisdictions, electronic media and communication are regulated by privacy and data protection laws regulate electronic media and communication. Therefore, unsolicited messaging violates privacy and results in penalties.
3. Don’t Use WhatsApp For Customer Support
Customer support is a complicated task that requires a systematic approach to fulfill all customers’ needs simultaneously. Although WhatsApp offers real-time conversations, there is a risk of missing out on client messages in high volume periods. Additionally, keeping track of unattended customers and measuring satisfaction metrics via WhatsApp can be challenging.
With Wavetec’s WhatsApp Solutions, you can contact your customers in real time. Map out your customer’s journey and give your customers the solution of automated queuing on WhatsApp and scheduling online appointments on WhatsApp.
Alternatively, use a customer relationship management system for customer data categorization and integration with WhatsApp. Create user guides and use automated replies and FAQs for customers to refer back to quickly.
4. Don’t Ignore Customers’ Privacy Concerns
While using WhatsApp marketing, it is vital to understand customers’ privacy concerns. Customers worry about their personal information being misused or shared with third parties without consent. This leads to the invasion of privacy and over-spamming with excessive advertisements and calls.
Build customer trust by explaining your company’s data collection and sharing policies. Give them the option to opt-out and assure them that privacy is of utmost value to your company.
5. Don’t Violate WhatsApp’s Terms Of Service
WhatsApp requires companies to follow the agreed terms of service while operating. Violations of WhatsApp’s terms of service include sending unsolicited messages, spamming customers, or using unauthorized automated bots. Avoid spreading misinformation, engaging in illegal activities, or infringing intellectual property rights.
Violating WhatsApp’s terms of service results in penalties such as temporary or permanent account suspension, restrictions on messaging capabilities, or legal consequences. Losing access to your customer base can damage your brand’s reputation and decrease sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Send Unsolicited Messages on Whatsapp for Marketing Purposes?
WhatsApp marketing guidelines require businesses to obtain consent from individuals prior to communication. Thus, unsolicited messages violate Anti-Spam Laws and infringe upon Privacy and Data Protection Laws, leading to fines. Recipients can file Civil Lawsuits seeking damages for invasion of privacy or harassment.
Are There Any Restrictions on the Types of Content I Can Send on Whatsapp for Marketing Purposes?
WhatsApp Marketing is a limitless tool for businesses to engage customers creatively via messages, multimedia and audio files. However, you cannot send personal and sensitive information, bulk messages, or misleading messages of harassment and discrimination.
How Can I Protect My Customers’ Privacy on Whatsapp?
Implement secure data handling and avoid collecting personal information from customers. Other than educating your employees on customer privacy, use end-to-end encryption message features on WhatsApp.
Can I Use Whatsapp for Sales and Transactions?
WhatsApp is a powerful tool for generating sales and driving transactions. WhatsApp Commerce policy allows you to showcase your products in a catalog, offer up-selling after purchase, and sell products via WhatsApp marketing and WhatsApp Business.
Final Words
If you have been looking for a crack to maximum customer engagement, we have it for you!
Learn the best marketing practices, such as defining your target audience and adhering to WhatsApp’s terms of service. Effectively engage customers and avoid common pitfalls, such as spamming or violating WhatsApp’s guidelines, to prevent negative consequences.
Contact us if you want to implement the do’s and avoid the don’ts of WhatsApp marketing for your business!
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