27 Mar 2024
49% of email marketing messages and 10% of SMS marketing campaigns are flagged as spam. There’s a better way to reach your audience directly, engage them in real-time, and convert them into loyal customers. WhatsApp marketing makes it easy to get your customers to take action quickly. In this blog, we cover WhatsApp marketing and automation and how your business can use the platform to reach more people, make more sales and keep your customers coming back.
Why WhatsApp marketing?
Cutting through the noise and grabbing your customer’s attention isn’t easy. Traditional marketing methods like SMS and email are often met with resistance (and annoyance).
But WhatsApp is different. With a 98% open rate, it offers a direct line to your customers, cutting through the clutter and guaranteeing your message gets seen. 65% of customers are more likely to engage with a business via chat than by phone call.
10 Ways to use WhatsApp for effective marketing
1. WhatsApp broadcast messages
Think personalised mass communication. Send targeted messages to your opted-in audience, letting them know about promotions, new products, or event announcements.
Insure customers faster
An insurance company could use WhatsApp broadcasts to remind customers about policy renewals, share educational resources on common claims processes, or inform customers about upcoming changes.
2. WhatsApp live chat
Live chat has the highest customer satisfaction rate at 92%. Businesses can offer real-time support through WhatsApp live chat. Aside from being convenient and efficient, WhatsApp live chat allows customers to connect with your team instantly, resolve issues quickly, and boost overall satisfaction. Get customers to message you on WhatsApp by creating social media campaigns that encourage engagement.
Drive better customer experiences
An automotive business can use WhatsApp live chat to answer customer inquiries about car maintenance, schedule service appointments, or provide personalised recommendations for car parts. Agents can close deals via WhatsApp.
3. Automate your marketing with WhatsApp chatbots
Incorporating WhatsApp chatbots into your marketing strategy is like having a tireless sales team member who works 24/7, provides expert assistance in a flash, and creates buying interest!
WhatsApp chatbots are AI-powered assistants that easily integrate into your marketing funnel, acting as the first line of engagement for potential customers. They can:
Answer frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Offer on-the-spot support
Collect valuable customer data and feedback
Nurture leads & drive sales
Promote current deals and upsell relevant products.
Sell more products with chatbots
A retail business can leverage a WhatsApp chatbot to answer common queries about product availability, order tracking, or return policies. These chatbots can also upsell products to users and offer them current promotions.
4. Interactive campaigns
Spark engagement with interactive content like polls, quizzes, or even contests. This not only increases audience participation but also gathers valuable data about customer preferences and interests.
Get your customers connected
A telecom provider could run a WhatsApp quiz about popular data plans, offering winners exclusive discounts or free minutes. This not only promotes their services but also gathers insights into customer knowledge and usage patterns.
5. Personalised recommendations
Use WhatsApp to leverage the power of customer data and send personalised product recommendations.
WhatsApp allows you to create custom broadcast lists based on criteria like purchase history, age, location, etc. Use these lists to create targeted WhatsApp newsletters that drive sales.
Keep customers coming back
A hospitality business can use segmented WhatsApp broadcast lists to send personalised recommendations to guests based on their preferences and previous visits. This could include suggesting activities based on their interests, recommending restaurants near their location, or offering spa packages tailored to their needs.
6. Build your customer community
Reward your loyal customers with exclusive content and early access to new products or promotions via WhatsApp newsletters. This creates a sense of exclusivity, community and appreciation, strengthening customer relationships.
Out with the old, in with the new
Car dealerships can offer loyal customers upgrades for their current models. These can include newer car models, car parts or discounts for the next car service.
8. Launch click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook & Instagram
When your customers are scrolling through your social media feed and get met with an eye-catching ad that directs them to WhatsApp instead of a website, that’s click-to-WhatsApp ads in action.
They’re targeted social media ads that instantly connect your customers with you on WhatsApp. Unlike traditional website ads, these ads eliminate the need for multiple clicks and long forms to fill in.
Attract the right customers
E-commerce businesses can promote limited-time products or showcase new arrivals. When customers click the ads, it directs them to WhatsApp, where live chat agents can then answer product inquiries and close the deal.
9. WhatsApp retargeting campaigns
How many of your customers browsed your website but then left without making a purchase? But what if there was a way to gently nudge those interested customers and get them to take action? Here's where WhatsApp retargeting comes in.
You can create targeted campaigns that reconnect with potential buyers. Retargeting is a way to engage with people who have interacted with your brand before but haven’t taken action. Customers can opt-in to receive messages from you by filling out a form on your website, or by sending you a message first on WhatsApp
When a customer interacts with your brand (visits your website, adds items to their cart, etc.), with their permission, you can collect their phone number and add them to a retargeting list.
You can also retarget customers who’ve opened your previous WhatsApp messages, ignored previous campaigns, interacted with past messages but didn’t take action, or even those who clicked a button in your older broadcasts.
Seal the deal
Education providers can re-engage potential students who explored specific courses or filled in a form once but never registered. Offer free guidance consultations or highlight upcoming enrollment deadlines.
10. Website integration
Make the customer journey easy and more engaging by integrating your WhatsApp marketing efforts with other channels. Use web widgets to allow website visitors to start WhatsApp chats directly from your website.
Convert visitors into customers
An insurance company could add a WhatsApp web widget to their website, allowing visitors to connect with a customer
service representative for immediate assistance.
WhatsApp vs. SMS and email marketing
The verdict is clear: WhatsApp emerges as the better marketing channel over SMS and email, offering a powerful combination of reach, engagement, and personalisation that traditional methods simply can't compete with.
Get started with WhatsApp marketing
With an effective WhatsApp marketing strategy, WhatsApp can be your golden ticket to building stronger customer relationships, making more sales and achieving your marketing goals. Get started with a Cue demo today!
