Do you want a WhatsApp marketing strategy that can help you grow your business and make more sales?
Did you know that WhatsApp is the fastest growing social media networking app in the world?
As the largest messaging application, WhatsApp has more than 1.3 billion active users globally, up from over 1 billion MAU in February 2016. And businesses have been using it as part of their communications solutions.
WhatsApp has modernised itself with the huge variations related to business communication.
Customer engagement is important for any sort of business as they have started utilising WhatsApp, a social networking app.
WhatsApp offers direct communication between you and your customers via concise but helpful messages.
By including WhatsApp into your business marketing plan, you can respond quickly to all the necessary inquiries from all your loyal customers in no course.
We have mobile marketing covered in our digital marketing course. Click the link to check out course guide and details.
Or use the link => https://digitalmarketingskill.com/digital-marketing-training-course/
As the number of smartphone users are rising greatly, you have a chance to connect with your target customers and produce substantial leads for your business.
There are a few unique facts to understand easily how WhatsApp can be a magnificent vehicle for your business development.
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With the help of WhatsApp marketing strategies you are about to see below, you are permitted to:
- Use WhatsApp to send interesting images and videos by creating your full marketing campaign exciting and engaging too.
- Use WhatsApp for better customer engagement.
- Use WhatsApp as a tool for endorsing new varieties of your products or offers that are available at discounted rates.
- Use WhatsApp as a marketing survey tool to acquire innovative short details that can be sent to you along with digital images or videos of your products comprising directions concerning the product use.
- Use WhatsApp for building an effective team through the creation of WhatsApp groups for discussing new works, task updates, work deadlines, and meeting timings.
- Use WhatsApp for brand positioning.
This free messaging platform can provide effectual business as well as marketing for every small and medium-sized company while it is used intelligently.
Sadly…
For online marketers, WhatsApp has been a hard nut to crack.
No adverts, no media to buy and users not liking nosy spam-like messages means you must to work harder to generate consumer engagement.
The most cynical point about WhatsApp is that you CANNOT push messages to consumers you do not have a mutual affiliation with. You need to get invited by customers to become their contact before you can send them messages.
With 70% engagement daily, every marketer needs to master the 8 proven WhatsApp marketing strategies that can increase your user base, customer engagement, and sales.
Benefits of WhatsApp Marketing for Your Business
WhatsApp marketing offers several benefits for businesses, including:
1. Better Customer Engagement:
WhatsApp enables businesses to engage with customers directly and personally, providing a fast and convenient way for them to get the help they need. WhatsApp offers a more intimate and conversational platform for customer engagement.
2. Personalization:
WhatsApp allows businesses to send customized messages to customers, improving the overall customer experience and building relationships. When tailoring messages to individual preferences, businesses can foster stronger customer relationships and drive higher engagement, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Position of the Brand:
WhatsApp can help businesses position their brand and showcase their products and services to customers. This platform allows for transparent relationships with opted-in users, enabling businesses to build a community and collect valuable user contacts that can be used to achieve their marketing goals.
4. Cost-Effective:
WhatsApp is a cost-effective marketing tool that allows businesses to communicate with customers at low costs, eliminating the need for expensive marketing and advertising campaigns.
5. Improves Customer Experience and Engagement:
With two-way communication and the ability to send rich media, businesses can keep customers engaged and interested consistently.
8 WhatsApp Marketing Strategies For Business Promotion
1. Use WhatsApp for Business App Instead of the Normal WhatsApp
Whatsapp just released a new application called WA Business (WhatsApp for Business).
WhatsApp Business is an Android app that is free to download and was built with the small business owner in mind. With the app, businesses can interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to messages
This application arrived with a lot of amazing benefits and features for small and large-scale businesses.
Here are some of the benefits of WA Business app:
- Business Profile: Create a business profile with helpful information for your customers like your address, business description, email address, and website.
- Quick Replies: Quick replies let you save and reuse messages you frequently send so you can easily answer common questions in no time.
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Automated Messages: Set an away message when you are unable to answer so your customers know when to expect a response. You can also create a greeting message to introduce your customers to your business.
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Messaging Statistics: Access important metrics such as how many of your messages were successfully sent, delivered, and read.
Although still in its first release, don’t expect to give your customer a perfect experience with this maiden release. This app is open to flaws and future updates but it’s sure better to use the WA Business than use the normal Whatsapp.
READ: Twitter Marketing Guide | Getting Started With Twitter, Strategies & Tips For Business
2. Create an Appealing Brand Persona for WhatsApp
Whatsapp is a messaging application where people reach out to families and friends. It’s an avenue to discuss really personal things, even flirt as well.
The first strategy to using Whatsapp to promote your business is to customise and create an appealing brand persona.
Since you intend to use WhatsApp as is a tool to reach out to customers, your customers must be able to identify your brand quickly.
You should create an engaging brand persona or character that represents your brand with its WhatsApp number. People don’t like to chat with impersonal company names.
Let’s assume your brand has a customer section that attends to customer complaints and queries, you can create a specialized number dedicated for this purpose. This number can be managed by a real person so there is a human feeling.
Often busy business people find it easy to engage with this person on WhatsApp, exchanging pictures of products they are interested in, asking questions and even agreeing on payments, delivery terms, and more.
The persona is the first thing you need to sort out if you want to get your strategy right.
READ: Practical insights on how to build an effective brand in Nigeria
3. Build a Contact Database
Now that we all have our brand persona sorted out.
Next up…
You be needing as many customer numbers as possible to build a list of people to reach out to.
Like I mentioned earlier, you CANNOT push messages to consumers you do not have a mutual affiliation with. You need to get invited by customers to become their contact before you can send them messages.
It’s so unfortunate that you need a number before you can communicate with your customers on WhatsApp but there is actually a way out!
In order to build a contact base of users, you need to offer them something of value in exchange for their phone number.
This can be a promotion, a freebie, a free service, or valuable information.
You can create an attractive promotion to get users to share their numbers with you. Once you add them on WhatsApp, send them the promo/offer which they can then redeem and they begin their relationship with you.
READ: Effective ways of strengthening your relationship with customers
4. Offer Relevant Content to Customers
What do you do once you have started building a phone list?
WhatsApp is the only widely used app we’ve ever seen that has more engagement and a higher percentage of people using it daily than Facebook itself,” Zuckerberg said. (According to CNET, the engagement rate of WhatsApp’s monthly users on a daily basis is 70%, whereas Facebook’s is around 61%.)
Whatsapp has a higher engagement rate than Facebook. That means you need to offer users, great content on relevant topics to ensure that they are engaged with you.
An example is a community that we have created for students who attended our digital marketing training course. In this group, we give out useful content such as industry trends, links to tools, digital marketing strategies etc.
Here is a strategy for creating an effective WhatsApp group
- Create a Whatsapp group (you can add up to 256 users).
- Give the group a name. Ensure the group title reflect the name of your business. E.g Digital Marketing Community
- Add your brand logo as the group icon if you have one.
- Create group guiding policies. This will ensure people aren’t posting things not inline with the sole aim and purpose of the group. Once you notice folks posting inappropriate content in the group, you can remove such person immediately.
- Engage users with useful content, giveaways, freebies etc.
The world is going mobile really fast, why not attend our digital marketing course to learn how to leverage the evolving mobile marketing strategies. Click the link to check out course guide and details.
Or use the link => https://digitalmarketingskill.com/digital-marketing-training-course/
5. Deliver Swift Customer Support
Providing real-time customer service is a luxury small businesses cannot afford, but with WhatsApp, you and your small staff can answer any questions your customers might have quickly.
And because the app supports rich media, you can use text, audio, or video to provide a personal customer service experience.
Whatsapp has a 70% opening rate, which means you are almost guaranteed exposure of your message if your customer is on WhatsApp with you.
An example of this is MTN Nigeria. They spotted that most of their users wanted a faster way to get their requests answered, so they had to launch of 5 dedicated Customer Care WhatsApp lines for their subscribers to reach out and get their issues solved.
They leverage this means by delivering swift and quality customer support to users. Ths is because they know how popular Whatsapp numbers has grown in Nigeria. Nigeria has about 45% of its mobile users using WhatsApp.
Another example is our own specialized digital marketing training WhatsApp group. These groups were created to handle questions and support.
Ensure you are adequately resourced to handle customer queries.
The worst thing you can do is to get a WhatsApp but not respond for hours. Ensure a dedicated person(s) depending on the traffic and ensure his/her performance is measured.
READ: How to generate more enquiries from your website?
6. Consumer Research & Feedback
WhatsApp has so far not been used extensively for research but offers an easy to use, inexpensive and quick platform to run some quick research and also generate customer feedback.
You can ask consumers about flavours they like, ask them to choose between options the brand is proposing to launch among other things. Also, WhatsApp is highly relevant for conducting some quick discussion internally within your company.
Furthermore, instead of calling customers for feedback, you can create questions for your group that will bring to birth answers that are relevant to your business. This is marketing research at its best, and it is free.
With the feedback you collect from your customers, you can respond to their demands and promote the products and services you render. By developing creative and entertaining questionnaires, you can interact with your customers in a way that is not intrusive.
And their input can be of great value, which can be rewarded with special offers and coupons to encourage future engagement, brand loyalty and long-term customer retention.
READ: 9 Customer Retention Strategies To Keep Customers Coming Back
7. Leverage WhatsApp Status Feature
In WhatsApp status, you get to see the happenings of people in your life more than Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat since this is one of the most used social media apps in the world.
I examined a few replies to understand how people used the Whasatpp status feature, here is what I gathered:
Status update in WhatsApp:
One can share his feelings, state of mind or whatever he is up to.
Another said it’s also a medium to tell your friends where you are if you are on a trip, vacation or an adventure.
Some people also use it to pass a silent message to someone, it’s like making a statement.
You can also use it to tell everyone that you are busy or available or in office, etc.
You can also put funny one-liners, jokes, poems etc. It shows your area of interest and tells about your personality.
But how can this status feature benefit your business?
In ‘status update’, apart from sharing photos and happenings around you, it can be used as a ‘flash advertisement’ for your business. Since this status is available for 24 hours to its viewers, it is a useful tool for highlighting your work or the topics you follow.
Coupled with the ability to share links, you can leverage this feature to grow your business and increase the number of returning customers.
With the new Status feature, you can create special promotional codes your customers can share to redeem at your business. Using the instant photo and location feature, Status can let everyone in your group know about the promotions you are running.
This could include a two-hour flash sale or a one day special to drive in traffic and create buzz.
Based on interaction levels, you can expand the promotion with WhatsApp-Status exclusive coupons or promotions.
9. Giveaways
In this part of the world, giveaways are one of the most effective lead generation tactics businesses use to capture leads.
You can have weekly, monthly or even daily giveaways to bring foot traffic to your store, or visitors to your website.
Since WhatsApp and Status are free, the only cost of such promotions are the promotional products or services you give away. This considerably lowers the overhead of any marketing venture.
This WhatsApp marketing strategy works best if you are looking to drive new customers and returning customers to your website.
The world is going mobile really fast, so why not attend our digital marketing course to learn how to leverage the evolving mobile marketing strategies? Click the link to check out course guide and details.
Or use the link => https://digitalmarketingskill.com/digital-marketing-training-course/
How to Develop Your WhatsApp Marketing Strategy
To develop a WhatsApp marketing strategy, consider the following steps and best practices:
1. Learn the Opt-in Rules
To develop an effective WhatsApp marketing strategy, it’s crucial to learn and adhere to the platform’s strict opt-in rules for businesses. This includes obtaining permission from users to send them messages, stating the business name, and complying with all applicable laws.
2. Promote Your WhatsApp Profile
Encourage users to opt-in to your WhatsApp communications through various channels. This approach can help expand your customer base and enhance engagement, ultimately boosting your business’s sales and customer satisfaction
3. Use Automated Messages
Leverage chatbots to provide round-the-clock customer support and reduce support costs. These tools enable the streamlining of communication processes, providing round-the-clock customer support, and reducing support costs.
4. Create a Brand Persona
Develop a unique and relatable brand persona for your WhatsApp communications. This persona should reflect your brand’s traits, attitudes, and values, enabling you to establish a distinct tone of voice and meaningful connections with your audience.
5. Define Your Goals and KPIs
Clearly define your marketing objectives and key performance indicators. These KPIs not only measure campaign performance but also reveal the cost-effectiveness and value of your WhatsApp marketing strategies.
6. Identify Key Use Cases
it’s essential to identify key use cases and message types that will be most effective for your audience. This involves examining your current marketing strategy and funnel to determine where WhatsApp can be best utilized.
7. Build a Contact List
Businesses should develop and maintain a contact list of users who have opted in to receive their messages. This involves obtaining permission from users to send them messages, and providing clear instructions for opting out.
8. Deliver Great Customer Service
Using WhatsApp as a platform for exceptional customer service and support can significantly benefit businesses. With a massive user base and features tailored for customer service, WhatsApp offers a unique opportunity for brands to provide immediate, personalized, and global customer support.
By following these steps and best practices, businesses can create an effective WhatsApp marketing strategy to reach and engage with their audience.
WhatsApp Marketing Tips
1. Define Your Goals and KPIs
Clearly define your marketing objectives and key performance indicators to measure the success of your WhatsApp marketing strategy.
2. Use Automated Messages
Leverage chatbots to provide round-the-clock customer support and reduce support costs.
3. Promote Your WhatsApp Profile
Encourage users to opt-in to your WhatsApp communications through various channels.
4. Create a Catalog of Your Products
Use the WhatsApp Business app feature to add up to 500 products with photos and detailed descriptions.
5. Regularly Update Your Status
Keep your status updated to keep your audience engaged and informed about your brand.
By following these tips, businesses can create an effective WhatsApp marketing strategy to reach and engage with their audience, ultimately driving sales and growing their brand.
Conclusion
WhatsApp as a communication tool continues to develop and add more features — like Status — with more likely in the future. It is a versatile platform that lets you send files, images, and short video clips about your products and services.
But the code for using WhatsApp efficiently is to avoid abusing the relationships you build with your audience.
Here is a quick piece of advice for you;
Measure your interactions so each message you send has value. Don’t make every conversation about making a sale. Remember other users have the power to delete your message with a single click.
With the new Status feature, WhatsApp is now more valuable than ever for businesses. Use the existing features to provide valuable engagement with your audience as a way of spreading the word about your brand and learning more about your customers’ needs.
FAQs
Can you advertise on WhatsApp?
Yes, businesses can advertise on WhatsApp through personalized, two-way communication with customers via messaging, creating end-to-end buying experiences, and promoting products and services without leaving the platform.
Is WhatsApp a direct marketing?
WhatsApp facilitates direct marketing by allowing businesses to engage in personalized, two-way communication with customers via messaging, making it an ideal platform for direct, immediate communication with clients.
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