Did you know there were over 2 billion monthly active users on WhatsApp in 2020? This marketing channel is increasingly essential for companies that want to connect with the public. Using messaging is indeed a golden opportunity to improve your strategy. So maybe it’s time to consider integrating WhatsApp into your marketing strategy!
But first, what is WhatsApp?
As marketers, we like to engage in platforms where our customers are active and where we can stand out, such as on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest. WhatsApp allows more than 160 characters, which is the usual threshold for normal text messages. It also allows users to send other content such as video and voice messages.
According to the statistics :
- More than half of WhatsApp users check the app every day;
- Even better, you can be sure that they will receive your offers, as SMS has a 98% open rate;
- As for the target audience, WhatsApp has an average age of 36 and 71% of users are in the 18-44 age bracket.
With such numbers, it is clear that WhatsApp has enormous marketing potential. It’s true: WhatsApp isn’t just for texting co-workers or video chatting with family in another city. It can also be used for business as an affordable alternative to international calls or texts.
Features tailored to different marketing needs
WhatsApp offers features tailored to different marketing needs to exploit:
- The call : You can connect with your international customers via voice calls. If you are a B2B company, take advantage of video calls for free demonstrations and direct consultations;
- The sharing of connections : you can share links to your products or services, PDF files or documents in the form of case studies, video product demonstrations, audio files informing customers or procedures…. ;
- The statute can be used in different ways : WhatsApp lets you create short videos for product demos and to share customer experiences. You can display images on product information or use your status to please your customers or share real-time updates;
- Diffusion : This feature can send a message to the recipients of your mailing list. It’s a great way to spread awareness of your brand and products and share announcements;
- The groups : they bring like-minded people together to share views and opinions. With a maximum size of 256, you can gather your most important customers to share product previews, early offers, and more.
For example, small businesses can use WhatsApp messaging to:
- Inform customers of the status of their order;
- Personalize messages: personalized welcome messages, special offers, birthday congratulations…;
- Inform customers of discounts;
- Send reminders to customers about paying bills;
- Recommend to customers possible actions such as new products and services;
- Remind customers of abandoned carts;
- Etc.
Why use WhatsApp in your marketing strategy?
On the side of marketers, the advantages of using WhatsApp are also numerous:
Deep relationships with customers
53% of prospects say they would buy a product or service from companies they can reach via chat. Moreover, they feel safe because this application works on end-to-end encryption. That means it’s secure even when you send messages over a public network or free Wi-Fi.
This makes WhatsApp marketing a foolproof strategy for building long, deep relationships with customers. Maintaining such a connection helps brands reduce their expenses, as customer retention is 5 to 25 times cheaper than acquisition. Out of the box, WhatsApp offers businesses a robust set of customization opportunities.
Better customer engagement
We can’t say it enough: customer engagement is extremely vital for any type of business. WhatsApp offers direct communication between customers and sales representatives through short, but useful messages. By integrating WhatsApp into your marketing strategy, you can quickly answer all the important queries of your loyal customers in no time. As the number of smartphone users increases dramatically, you have the opportunity to partner with your customers and target customers and generate the best leads for your business. WhatsApp also allows you to send interesting images and videos creating a complete marketing campaign that is as exciting and engaging.
Better organization of your contacts
You can use the app to organize your contacts using its label system. It’s also possible to import all your business contacts to WhatsApp if you use a CRM that integrates seamlessly with the app. When you integrate WhatsApp with CRM, you don’t need to keep adding new customer contacts to the app, as it automates the process.
Market research
By personally communicating with your customers via WhatsApp, you give them the opportunity to learn more about the product so that it is suitable for a wide range of users. By accepting their feedback and gaining insight into current market trends, customers also help companies explain to them how other companies in the same industry provide different products and services.
Low marketing cost
WhatsApp is still a very affordable marketing channel. All you need to get started is to install the app and connect to the internet. Meanwhile, the chances of your message reaching the customer are very high. On average, a user consults WhatsApp more than 23 times a day. Additionally, WhatsApp marketing:
- Generates more conversions;
- Improves sales;
- Allows you to build quality relationships with customers;
- Costs next to nothing in terms of marketing spend.
If you use WhatsApp for business purposes, it doesn’t make much sense to do so through a private account. You may lose access to your account and miss several great features. However, for many businesses, WhatsApp has a simple solution: WhatsApp Business. It is available on Android and iOS, and it can be accessed as an online platform known as WhatsApp Web. Plus, you can use it in the browser if you already have a business account. WhatsApp Business is primarily designed for small businesses that want to organize their presence on the app. It’s free, but slightly limited in its capabilities compared to the WhatsApp Business API.
Ready to use WhatApp?
Marketing on WhatsApp is about maintaining customer relationships and creating value. So to get started, the first thing you need to think about is how you and your business can fit into conversations with your audience. Then you need to design an appealing brand identity that they can engage with. WhatsApp is a powerful tool, and it has become popular due to its simplicity.
Finally, a WhatsApp marketing strategy should be a crucial part of your marketing arsenal, earning your quality CX goals and adding value at critical moments in the customer journey.