WhatsApp is one of the most convenient platforms for users to send personalized messages. With new-age marketing and the evolving world of digital marketing, businesses, and brands are continuously looking for innovative strategies to connect with their audience on a personal level.
With the reach and features of WhatsApp + Marketing both together can be a lethal combo.
As the word explains itself, marketing done via WhatsApp is WhatsApp marketing.
Whatsapp has a vast audience base of 2.7 billion active users worldwide in over 180 countries, which is expected to grow to 3.14 billion active users by 2025. India, Brazil, and the US are the highest among them.
Top 10 countries to use whatsapp worldwide
In this article, we will see the extreme potential of WhatsApp marketing.
Benefits of WhatsApp Marketing.
1. Global user base – As mentioned above, Whatsapp has a huge user base worldwide, which allows businesses to connect with diversified global audiences on a personal level, especially in markets like India, where the user base is high.
2. Convenient platform – Whatsapp being a very user-friendly and handy platform, it becomes very convenient for the audience and customers to seek support and ask queries. This results in an increase in trust and conversions of the business.
3. High open rate and engagement – WhatsApp has very high open rates compared to other traditional marketing methods like email marketing.
According to the latest statistics:
- Average open rate = 70%
- Average Click through rate = 15%
- Average Conversion rate = 5%
Here’s the detailed statistical data of the same – click here
4. Personal connection – WhatsApp’s real-time messaging capabilities allow businesses to engage in immediate and meaningful conversations with their customers, fostering customer satisfaction and building a stronger brand image.
5. Targeted market – WhatsApp marketing makes it possible to craft highly targeted WhatsApp campaigns using these insights, ensuring messages resonate with the intended audience.
6. Measurable results – Whatsapp marketing also enables to track campaign metrics such as open rates, engagement rates, CTR, conversions, etc., which helps businesses to make informed decisions.
How to start with WhatsApp marketing?
Step 1: Create an account or switch your account to WhatsApp business. WhatsApp business is making the life of a business owner easy with multiple features like – Broadcast and community building
– Labeling
– Away messages
– Quick replies
– Catalog
– Catalog links
– Cart, etc.
Step 2: Build a list of subscribers or leads. (read more)
Step 3: Start with your marketing messages. Remember to keep your messages relevant and
informative. Avoid spamming at all costs.
Best practices of WhatsApp marketing
1. Get permission before sending messages and also allow the audience to unsubscribe if they want. This will prevent unnecessary expenses and unnecessary spam reports.
2. Utilize data analytics to understand customer preferences and behaviors, enabling the creation of personalized WhatsApp campaigns that resonate with the audience’s unique needs.
3. Implement automated workflows to streamline and optimize WhatsApp marketing efforts, ensuring timely and relevant interactions without manual intervention.
4. Leverage data insights to make informed decisions about WhatsApp campaigns’ timing, content, and targeting, continually refining and optimizing strategies.
5. Messages should be concise and to the point, and a business should not spam its audience with unnecessary messages.
Case Studies –
Below are the case studies of 2 brands of how they used WhatsApp marketing to their advantage and how they executed their campaign. This is what they gained from the following.
Source – https://www.notifyvisitors.com/blog/whatsapp-marketing-campaign-examples/
1. Saffola
The Saffola brand has been India’s market leader in edible oils for over 30 years; it stands for purity and trust among consumers with its advanced antioxidant system that helps improve immunity.
Goal: To increase the engagement of individuals with its healthcare brand, Saffola developed a campaign, centred around fighting the urge for unhealthy food, and eventually opting for a nutritious snack. This initiative was part of a broader marketing campaign to launch a new active slimming product.
Campaign: Saffola developed a WhatsApp chatbot to promote healthier eating habits. When users felt the urge for comfort food, they could message the bot. In response, the chatbot aimed to divert attention with positive messages, puzzles, and even a rap song promoting Saffola’s new active slimming drink.
The campaign, titled “Beat the Crave,” enticed users to sign up by providing their WhatsApp number on Saffola’s website, granting access to the brand’s “digital audio buddy.”
Functioning as a supportive friend or professional trainer, this buddy deterred users from consuming unhealthy snacks.
Each time users messaged the bot with cravings, they would receive a motivational text or an audio message encouraging them to overcome the urge.
2. Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a renowned premium vodka brand crafted by a distinguished company based in Southern Sweden.
Goal: Absolut Vodka aimed to introduce their limited edition vodka in Argentina and generate brand awareness. They sought to explore conversational marketing, actively engaging with the audience. Despite not being traditionally conversational, they embraced creativity to achieve their goals.
Campaign: Absolut Vodka initiated a campaign called “Unique Access” on WhatsApp, unveiling an extravagant celebrity party and offering two tickets to the winners of the campaign. To gain entry, individuals needed to contact Sven, the doorman, through WhatsApp and persuade him to extend an invitation to attend.
However, participants soon realized that convincing Sven was no easy task, prompting them to employ innovative approaches such as sending photos, videos, songs, and even voice notes to request the coveted tickets.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, WhatsApp Marketing, with its global reach, high engagement rates, and personal connection, emerges as a formidable tool for businesses aiming to connect with their audience on a deeper level. As technology and marketing strategies evolve, embracing WhatsApp as a marketing channel opens up new avenues for personalized, real-time engagement. With the right approach, businesses can harness the potential of WhatsApp Marketing to not only reach a vast audience but also build lasting relationships that drive sustainable growth in the digital era.
In this dynamic landscape, where digital interactions shape brand-consumer relationships, WhatsApp Marketing transcends traditional boundaries, providing businesses with a platform not only to communicate but also to resonate and connect with their audience authentically. The journey of WhatsApp Marketing is an exploration into the evolving frontier of digital engagement, offering businesses the opportunity to navigate the future of personalized communication and foster enduring connections in the ever-expanding digital space.
In my personal opinion, in countries like India, where WhatsApp is one of the primary modes of communication, using it wisely can take your business to the next level. It not only enables businesses to connect with their audience through a direct channel but also gives a sense of security and trust in the minds of consumers. We are seeing constant updates via Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) in favor of businesses; now, you can directly promote your product via WhatsApp business on Facebook and many such features, making it easy for a brand to grow, and one must make complete use of it.