9 tips for a successful WhatsApp marketing strategy

With over 400 million active users, the potential for WhatsApp marketing services in India is immense. But what's the best way to promote your business on WhatsApp? In this overview, we've put together nine tips for a successful WhatsApp marketing strategy. 

All your friends chat on WhatsApp, your grandmother orders milk through WhatsApp, and your boss probably also texts you on WhatsApp: Meta's green messaging app is, without a doubt, India's most-used social media platform. 

That's why in the past years, most businesses have started promoting their products and services on WhatsApp as well. However, with growing user expectations and more competition on WhatsApp in India, it's not enough anymore to just blast out mass messages on WhatsApp to grow brand awareness or get people to buy from you. 

Being successful with WhatsApp marketing requires a well thought out plan. We've put together nine tips to help you come up with a successful WhatsApp marketing strategy. 

---

---

1. Understand the different WhatsApp marketing tools

Back in the early days of WhatsApp, marketing on the messaging app was all about sending out mass messages through WhatsApp broadcasts. Since then, WhatsApp has developed several new (and more efficient) marketing tools for businesses. Understanding the differences will help you figure out which feature to use to reach our marketing goals. 

WhatsApp broadcasts are a free feature on the WhatsApp Business app. They let you create broadcast lists for a maximum of 256 recipients. By sending out one message to a list, your message ends up in each of the recipients' personal inboxes, where you'll be able to continue a one-on-one conversation with them. There are no automation or scheduling options, and keep in mind that WhatsApp will block your number or business account if you send more than the allowed number of messages! 

WhatsApp marketing messages are the latest upgrade to the broadcast feature. Currently (December 2023), it's only available in a few countries. Businesses have to pay for this upgrade, and it allows them to automatically create target lists, schedule messages, and personalize messages with the recipient's first name. While it's easy to set this up on your app, the downside is that you pay as much as you would for the WhatsApp Business API, but have fewer possibilities. 

WhatsApp Channels launched globally in September of 2023. This is a pure broadcast feature for reaching followers. For businesses, it's available on the WhatsApp Business app. Channel updates don't end up in the users' personal inbox, but in the "Updates" tab, and outside of polls and emoji reactions there are no ways for users to respond to or interact with your messages. 

WhatsApp notifications is the professional business messaging tool WhatsApp offers for medium-sized and large companies. It's only available through the WhatsApp Business API. You have to pay for the messages you send, but there are potentially no limits to how many users you can reach. And: you can even contact users that don't have your number saved in your contacts. The WhatsApp marketing notifications are also the only way to use templates, chatbots, and analytics for your campaigns. 

If you're looking to scale, personalize, optimize, and fully utilize WhatsApp marketing to grow your business, the WhatsApp notifications are the best tool for you. 

2. Use automations in your WhatsApp marketing strategy

From quick replies to templates to WhatsApp bots: there are several automation possibilities you can take advantage of. As they help you save time, work more efficiently, reduce the workload for your team, keep the conversation going, and scale your campaigns faster, you should definitely incorporate automation tools in your WhatsApp marketing strategy. 

Quick replies are basically pre-written answers. Typically, teams use them to answer FAQs so they don't have to type in the same answers over and over again. 

While this might seem more like a customer service feature, you can also use quick replies for marketing. For instance, when you launch a new product, you can already anticipate upcoming questions and set up quick replies. That can be a very useful tool in answering user questions around a campaign faster, and guide users more effectively towards a purchase. 

WhatsApp templates specific templates for (marketing) messages that you set up once, and can then re-use. This could be a template for a regular newsletter or a template for promotions that you send out on various occasions. Templates are a requirement for sending out WhatsApp notifications on the API, but they also save you a lot of time because you don't have to set up a new campaign each time.

There are even ChatGPT integrations for this feature that can save you even more time when creating new marketing content. 

WhatsApp bots are also extremely handy for marketing campaigns. From generating leads to collecting valuable user data (for personalizing offers, for instance) to automatically engage with users to drive them further into your sales funnel: WhatsApp bots can make your marketing campaigns a lot more efficient and drive more conversions. 

---

---

3. Tailor content for diverse audiences

India's diversity is reflected not only in its cultures and languages but also in the digital behavior of its people. WhatsApp marketing strategies, therefore, need to be tailored to resonate with the diversity of its users.

Understanding regional preferences, languages, and cultural nuances is crucial. Utilizing these innovative services, businesses can create customized message templates and localized content, ensuring that marketing campaigns are relatable and engaging across different regions.

If you're using the WhatsApp Business API, you can easily set up target audiences (for instance: engaged users, Hindi content, loyal customers, etc.) that you can use and re-use for campaigns and re-engagement. 

4. Personalize promotional messages

An analysis across Sinch Engage customers has shown that personalized WhatsApp marketing messages can double your click-through rate. 

Aside from adding somebody's name, also consider personalizing the content. For instance, send somebody a reminder to stock up on an item they've bought before. Or, send personalized shopping suggestions or special discounts based on a previous purchase or inquiry.

As the WhatsApp Business API allows you to integrate your CRM systems, it's definitely a WhatsApp marketing strategy you should incorporate to improve your conversions. 

5. Take advantage of WhatsApp's multimedia capabilities 

Unlike SMS, WhatsApp allows you to incorporate various types of multimedia content with your promotional messages. This can be anything from images to videos to voice messages to emojis. As multimedia content is highly engaging, it'll improve the performance of your campaigns. 

Also keep in mind that WhatsApp marketing happens on mobile devices. So, aside from multimedia content, we also recommend short and snackable content. 

Of course, the definition of "short" also depends on your target audience. A B2B audience is probably more interested in longer content, while a deal-focused B2B audience will prefer short messages. 

6. Optimize time and frequency

Track and optimize the best time and frequency for your WhatsApp campaigns. There is no general rule as to what converts better. 

Typically, if you have a B2C audience that's interested in regular updates, one to two messages per week is a good cadency. For busy B2B readers, one message per week or every other week, might be more appropriate. Of course, this also greatly depends on your business. 

The same goes for the best time to send out WhatsApp marketing messages. If your readers are in a business context, an early morning message or a message during the lunch break could be optimal times. If your customers need a lot of time to research and read your offers, after-work messages probably work better. 

Our tip: Run A/B tests to see what gets you the best results. 

7. Implement a data-driven approach into your WhatsApp marketing strategy

Data is a gold mine for refining marketing strategies. Utilizing analytical tools, businesses can gain insights into user behavior, engagement rates, and preferences. Analyzing this data can guide businesses in making informed decisions to optimize their WhatsApp marketing campaigns.

It might take some trial and error to figure out the best strategy for your WhatsApp marketing. We recommend using a WhatsApp marketing tool that gives you access to detailed analytics, so you can track and optimize your campaigns. 

8. Integrate WhatsApp marketing with your overall strategy

WhatsApp marketing should complement an organization's overall marketing strategy. Integrating these innovative services seamlessly into the broader marketing plan ensures consistency in messaging and brand image across various platforms.

Aligning WhatsApp marketing with other digital and traditional marketing efforts amplifies its impact.

9. Use an official and verified WhatsApp marketing software

Most mentioned WhatsApp marketing features are only available if you pay for access to the WhatsApp Business API. However, there are many companies that promise businesses free access to these capabilities. Be careful, as these might be pirated versions that carry the risk of losing data, giving hackers access to sensitive information, or have technical shortcomings. 

Always check Meta's partner directory to make sure you're working with an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider. 

Working with a professional WhatsApp marketing software such as Sinch Engage also has several other advantages. 

• You get a ready-to-roll WhatsApp marketing solution (no coding skills required, easy-to-use tool, many features... even beyond marketing). 
• Intuitive chatbot tool included
• Easy integrations with existing CRM systems
• Local team of experts that can help you 24/7

---