While thinking about social media, the first thing which comes to our mind is Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. However, in recent times messenger apps are increasingly becoming popular among all types of users. As a result, many business houses have started using the messenger app for the marketing of their products or services.

Among the messenger apps, the most popular one is WhatsApp. It is one of the fastest-growing messenger platforms with more than 1.5 billion active monthly users

As a business owner, you might not want to ignore such market penetration. But the bigger question is how to use WhatsApp effectively for the marketing of your business. Read on to find out how to use WhatsApp effectively for the benefit of your business. 

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a free to use mobile app which enables you to chat with other WhatsApp users. It uses internet connectivity to share text, images, or videos. It also helps you to create audio snippets and make video calls.

The biggest advantage of WhatsApp is that it supports a wide range of phones which makes it extremely popular in countries where SMS charges are very high.   

Basic usage of  WhatsApp

WhatsApp is available for Android phones, iPhones as well as Windows phones. You can also access WhatsApp from your desktop, Mac Book, or Windows computer using the web version. However, you need to install it on your phone first as the unique identifier in the case of WhatsApp is a phone number.

WhatsApp app is available on all leading app stores like Play Store on Android or App Store on the iPhone. You must enter your country and phone number after the installation of the app. While setting up the profile you can import information from your Facebook using a single click or you can upload images and enter your profile name manually.  You can always change your profile picture and profile description at a later stage.

There are 3 basic ways using which you can exchange information on WhatsApp.

1-2-1 Chat

On WhatsApp, you can chat directly with another WhatsApp user like any other messenger platform. You can check the list of all persons from your phone book who are on WhatsApp and able to chat with them and send them images, videos, or audio snippets.

Broadcast Messaging

WhatsApp also allows you to send broadcast messages where you can send a message to 256 people at once. When you send a broadcast message, it will be sent to anyone whose number is stored in your phone book. None of the recipients can see other messages and the message will appear as one normal message to them.

Group Messaging

You can also form a group on WhatsApp with up to 256 people. WhatsApp group enables you to share text, image, video, or audio snippets with other members of the group. Unlike broadcast messaging, here each person can see each other’s responses and also participate in the group conversation. 

Why use WhatsApp for the promotion of your business

There are more than 60 billion messages which are transacted using WhatsApp every day. In all probability, your customer is already available on WhatsApp and this should be the biggest reason for using WhatsApp for your business promotion.

Surprisingly most of the users of the messenger services like WhatsApp would like to interact with the sellers. According to Nielsen’s Facebook messaging survey, 53 percent of the messaging app users suggested that they want to purchase a product from a seller with whom they can interact directly.

WhatsApp is a very cost-effective platform as well for maintaining sustainable relationships with customers. Most importantly, WhatsApp has got very high engagement rates. 98 percent of WhatsApp messages are getting opened and read whereas more than 90% of the people read them within 3 seconds of receiving them.

Marketing strategies for WhatsApp

WhatsApp has got its own set of unique features that are very different from all other messenger platforms. Unlike other social media channels, WhatsApp doesn’t sell ad space. So you have to be very innovative in using WhatsApp for the promotion of your business.  It is very critical to have a separate WhatsApp marketing strategy along with your normal messaging app marketing strategy to be successful on this platform.

Remember, WhatsApp marketing is not a good choice for large-scale marketing since as a WhatsApp user you can send messages to only 256 people. So in case you are looking for a limited number of potential customers with whom you want to communicate directly WhatsApp is the ideal solution. 

Now let’s look at different WhatsApp strategies for marketing your business. 

1. Use WhatsApp business in place of the normal app

WhatsApp has recently launched a new version for the business which is known as WhatsApp for business. WhatsApp Business is free to use app that is developed for providing business solutions for SMEs. Using this app, businesses can automate their replies, quickly sort the messages, and respond to them.

Find out some of the amazing benefits associated with the WhatsApp business application: 

1. Creation of business profile– On WhatsApp business, you can create a profile with important information about your business like address, email id, and website of your business. You can add a small introduction about your business.
2. Automated messaging- You can create an introductory greetings message on WhatsApp business for all new visitors. Also, you can set up an away message while you are out of the office and unable to reply to the messages.
3. Quick replies-Quick reply feature allows you to save and reuse messages that are frequently asked. This enables you to promptly reply to all customer queries
4. Analytics-WhatsApp business also provides you with important statistics about your messages like the total number of sent messages, and how many of them are delivered and read by the recipients. By using this feature you can understand the effectiveness of your communications.

2. Create a brand personality for WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a social media platform that is built for personal and intimate messaging. People use WhatsApp to interact with their friends, family, or colleagues. If you want to permanently feature in any customers’ WhatsApp list, you need to approach them as a friend. To make it successful, you need to feature a brand personality or character that can represent your products or services. 

On WhatsApp, users will be more interested to chat with an actual person who can provide product information, arrange for a demo, or help with payment information. Even if you are employing an imaginary character, it can give a magical result for you.

Case study

In the year 2013, Absolut Vodka introduced a new brand called Absolut Unique. It was a limited edition product and launched through an exclusive party. The company made only 2 tickets available for ordinary people for this party.

The company also introduced a character called Sven and asked the customers and interested persons to convince him through WhatsApp to get the tickets. As a response, the company has received more than 1000+ responses which include creative, videos, and voice recordings. This campaign helped the company to get in touch with more than 600 users who all approached Sven for the ticket.

This marketing campaign is considered one of the most successful uses of the WhatsApp marketing strategy.

3. Build a database of numbers

Unlike all other social media platforms, WhatsApp does not support advertisements. So in order to collect a database and form a user base, you need to offer something valuable in exchange for the WhatsApp number. You can offer the users some freebie, complimentary service, or some sort of promo code in exchange for the information. 

Alternatively, you can launch an active promotion through social media and other digital channels asking them to share their personal details. Once they share their information, you can send them a promo code or offer code through WhatsApp. Once they redeem the promo code, they will become your customer and you can use the corresponding phone number to maintain customer relationships.

4. Offer relevant content

In today’s date, customers are more than interested in interacting with brands. This is the precise reason behind the rising use of WhatsApp. But in order to make sure that the clients engage with your business you need to offer the users useful content on trending topics.  

Using relevant content on WhatsApp, you can reach out to your potential customers, promote your products or services, and can stay in touch with the customers. 

5. Provide prompt customer service

Customer service is critically important for any business. You can always plan for customer service using WhatsApp as it supports instant response.

WhatsApp not only enables you to quickly respond to all your customer queries but you can also interact with customers using the video and image features. The prompt reply using WhatsApp not only improves your customer services but also helps you to provide personalized services to your customers. Expect multiple responses in case you go for this model of customer service.  

6. Use various innovative features of WhatsApp

A status feature is also available on WhatsApp which disappeared after 24 hours. You can upload pictures or videos about your business on status. Use this feature to promote any upcoming sale or short term promotion.

It also provides a click to chat feature which you can add to your social media handles and website. 

7. Location

Sometimes your customer faces difficulty in finding your local store. For all such cases, you should use the location feature of WhatsApp. Using this feature, you can share the location of your store with your customer. Even you can share your live location in case you are travelling or available on a project site. The customer can open the location on their Google map and use the information to reach out to you. 

Conclusion

WhatsApp is continuously improving as a messenger app and is all set to become as feature-rich as Facebook messenger. There are certain third party marketing tools or extensions, that offer setting up multiple WhatsApp accounts for the marketing of your business. Also, WhatsApp is a very personal messaging tool so mass messaging is not a good idea.

WhatsApp is growing at a rapid pace so it is the appropriate time to take advantage of this platform to promote your business in association with an experienced marketing partner like SMON. SMON is a leading digital marketing agency based in Mumbai which provides you with comprehensive WhatsApp marketing solutions. Check out with them for a unique WhatsApp marketing plan for your business.

Since WhatsApp does not support advertisements and large corporations are not participating in this platform, you can get an early movers advantage.