The year is 2023 and smartphones are everywhere. While some may be concerned about their social impact on our lives, there are also some clear benefits such as marketing the right product to the right audience through one of the most popular social media apps – WhatsApp.

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular mobile social apps with almost twice as many users as Facebook’s Messenger. In 2020, the number of users on WhatsApp surpassed the 2 billion mark. What’s even more interesting is the fact that the app is not only used in the United States but also in many other countries across the globe. That’s a rare case. 

Not many mobile apps can say the same and WhatsApp’s comprehensive coverage makes it perfect for marketing purposes. It’s safe to say that any business that wants to extend its reach to developing countries can make good use of WhatsApp as a marketing tool

WhatsApp marketing allows businesses to form a closer connection with their clients. This can be done via chatbots and automated messages that deliver personalised offers to the users. Over 100 billion messages are sent through WhatsApp every single day and half the users in the U.S. open the app on a daily basis. According to a survey done by Facebook, 53% of users are more likely to shop with a business they can message directly via chat. All of these factors combined rank WhatsApp as one of the best marketing channels available in 2022.

How can your business benefit from it?

We’ve already listed the clear benefits of WhatsApp that turn it into the perfect channel from a marketing perspective. But what makes WhatsApp the right choice for your business?

A deeper relationship with your clients

Selling a product is about winning over your customers and there’s no better way to do it in the current year than through direct messages. Since most WhatsApp users are already checking the app multiple times a day, it’s guaranteed that they’ll see your company’s message and most would even open it. WhatsApp also allows businesses to create personalised messages for their clients that allow them to connect with them on an entirely new level – special offers, birthday congratulations and others.

Cheaper marketing

The costs of marketing can be quite high. Thanks to WhatsApp, businesses need little to no capital to start reaching new clients, just an internet connection. Small business owners can kickstart their marketing campaign by simply installing the app and creating a WhatsApp Business profile. This costs next to nothing and allows businesses to drastically reduce their marketing expenses. It increases conversions and sales and allows businesses to create deeper relationships with customers.

Higher conversion rate

Businesses can have a hard time getting a response from potential future clients. Phone calls can often feel like a breach of privacy while emails remain unanswered. The key lies with messaging through social mobile apps such as WhatsApp. By using WhatsApp, businesses can increase their trust score with clients and build meaningful connections that lead to higher conversion and higher sales. There’s a growing trend of users purchasing products directly through messaging apps and you can consider WhatsApp a separate sales channel.

Whether your business is just starting out or you’re looking for an alternative channel to reach a wider audience, marketing through WhatsApp is the logical choice. Thanks to WhatsApp you can reach your future customers in an organic manner with minimal capital.

How to get started

What is the difference between a business & regular account

There are two types of WhatsApp accounts – regular and business. Regular accounts are for everyday users that want to communicate with their friends. They offer no business features and are primarily used for personal communication.

A WhatsApp business account is aimed specifically at small businesses that want to launch a marketing campaign. Much like the regular account, WhatsApp business is free. What makes it different is that it allows you to create your own business profile.

How to create a WhatsApp Business account

The process to create your own Whatsapp business account is not that different from a regular one. You can use a landline phone or a mobile (different from your personal one) to register your profile. We advise you to utilise all the contacts on your phone and choose to do so from a mobile phone.

Once you’ve created an account, you can customise your profile with working hours, address, website and an image. You can also create a product catalog, so users can directly browse your products on the app. This catalog can feature prices, images and even direct links to your business page.

Note that users will always know if they’re receiving or sending messages to a business account.

How a small business can use WhatsApp Business

Your account is all set up and you’re ready. What exactly can you do with Whatsapp Business? The business version of the app offers you a few tools that facilitate your communication with customers.

• Labels – With labels you can distinguish between different types of clients, allowing you to keep track of customers and to create broadcasts with ease.
• Broadcasts – By using broadcasts, you can deliver a text message to up to 256 contacts at once. You can select the contacts manually or utilise the labels and send to contacts under one label.
• Automated Messages – With Whatsapp Business, you can send three different types of messages to improve your communication – greeting messages (to welcome new clients), away messages (to notify users you’re outside of working hours) and quick replies that can be a customised message of your choice.
• QR codes and links – By generating a short link or a QR code you can lead customers directly to your Whatsapp Business account.

Whatsapp Business is best suited for small businesses, allowing owners to optimise their communication with clients and run small marketing campaigns, using the automation tools at their disposal. All of that for free.

Frequently Asked Questions about WhatsApp Marketing

Can you do marketing on WhatsApp?

Yes, you can! WhatsApp is more than just a social app, it has successfully grown into an effective marketing tool. Businesses can utilise WhatsApp marketing to increase user engagement, add a personal touch to their communication with customers and build better relationships with their clients.

What is the WhatsApp marketing?

Over the last few years, marketing has made the jump from standard channels such as email to social media platforms like WhatsApp. This not only delivers users more relevant and personalised content but also makes it easier for businesses to run their customised campaigns.

How do I create a marketing strategy on WhatsApp?

Some of the key elements that you need to consider in order to create your first marketing strategy on WhatsApp include your goals, your target audience, and your brand personality. Once you’ve got the right message for the right customers, you can use WhatsApp to send it to your contact list.

How do I send marketing on WhatsApp?

To make sure you’re marketing effectively on WhatsApp, make sure you’re not sending too many promotional messages. Focus on quality and relevance over quantity. Make your marketing campaign easy to understand and read and try to maintain a good ratio of promotional messages.

Is WhatsApp Business free?

WhatsApp Business was built with small business owners in mind. It’s free to download and available for both Android and iPhone devices.

Key Takeaway

WhatsApp Business is best suited for small businesses, allowing owners to optimise their communication with clients and run small marketing campaigns, using the automation tools at their disposal. All of that for free.

About Magic

Magic helps local businesses grow. Thousands of local businesses use Magic to get more online reviews, win new customers, easily manage customer conversations and grow sales. Magic offers these features:

• Reviews: Get more reviews with automatic review requests for popular review sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, TrustPilot, and more. Rank high on local search and enhance your visibility on Google. 
• Inbox: Keep track of customer conversations across channels in one inbox, including SMS, Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail. Manage conversations better as a team and do more with industry specific templates. 
• Text Marketing: Drive more sales with instant text campaigns and reach your customers at the right moment with automation. Use prebuilt templates to send out text campaigns in minutes. 
• Webchat: Turn website visitors into customers with SMS powered Webchat. Chat to website visitors directly through SMS so you won’t miss a lead, even when they leave your website. 

Looking to grow your local business? Book in a demo call now. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook