As an overview, the benefits of WhatsApp for Business can be grouped in three main categories: 

1. WhatsApp is already the most used messaging app and opens up markets for you; 
2. WhatsApp offers customer support and marketing opportunities that improve the customer experience; 
3. WhatsApp is a flexible and effective marketing channel to get up close and personal with your contacts. 

Before we go into details, here’s a quick refresher about what the WhatsApp Business API is and the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. 

15 Benefits of WhatsApp Business Account

1. Already the most popular messaging app

Over two billion people already use WhatsApp, which makes it a market leader in instant messaging apps.

Available in most countries (180), almost everyone in India, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, Colombia, Turkey, Spain, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Kenya is a WhatsApp user. It’s also gaining traction in France, Germany, the United States, and Italy. 

WhatsApp’s popularity is in part due to it being completely free for consumers and substituting SMS and phone calls, both paid. That makes it great for keeping in touch with family and friends abroad. They only need a phone number to get started and the app is intuitive to use. 

In short, there are no barriers for end users and if you decide to use WhatsApp Business, your audience is already there.

Number of WhatsApp users as of June 2021 (source: Statista)

2. Reach people anytime, anywhere

WhatsApp for business is a real-time communication channel. While people often put off reading emails, they usually check incoming messages right away, even on the go. 80% of WhatsApp messages are read in the first five minutes. This gives you a much larger time window to send marketing messages. In fact, WhatsApp messages get an unbeatable 98% open rate and 45-60% click rate. 

3. Private and personalized

Direct messaging is great for tailored offers and individual customer service. You can send personal account credentials, order updates, and provide assistance in a safe, one-on-one chat.

You can ask questions to make precise product recommendations, unlike on-site upsell widgets. The WhatsApp Business API also connects to your CRM, enabling you to use customer insights to customize your communication. 

For more ideas, check out our guide to WhatsApp marketing.

4. Secure and trustworthy 

Users enjoy the fact that all WhatsApp chats are encrypted. From a business point of view, it’s secure enough to exchange sensitive information like password resets. 

Also, all WhatsApp business accounts go through obligatory authentication to give customers peace of mind. This applies to both companies using the WhatsApp Business app and the API.  Through the API, you can apply for a green tick as well, an official account symbol for extra reassurance. 

5. GRPR-compliant

WhatsApp is adamant that only opt-in contacts are messaged through the API, making it fully GDPR-compliant. The same list building best practices as with email marketing apply.

The customer also has the power to directly impact your quality score and sending quotas by blocking or reporting you. While it sounds harsh, it ensures the platform stays free of spammers and end users continue to enjoy the experience. If you send legitimate, relevant campaigns, it’s a win-win for both sides. 

6. Diverse and interactive content formats

One of the biggest benefits of the WhatsApp Business app is that it offers a wide range of formats and interactive content options for business messaging. There are lists, CTAs, links, images, video, attachments, and products so recipients can interact with the campaign, not just read it. 

In addition, messages can be far longer than SMS (1,000 characters). All this makes WhatsApp for business almost equal to traditional email marketing where you can show and tell as much as you want to. 

The WhatsApp business features also include autoresponders, shareable product catalogs, chatbots, and contact management.

source

7. Supports two-way communication

Another advantage of WhatsApp for business is the ability to receive incoming messages from customers. They can proactively reach out if they need customer service without going to your website. This accessibility raises your chances of getting and keeping their business. One study found that 53% of consumers would rather shop from a company if they can message it directly.

8. A way to scale your multichannel strategy

WhatsApp offers a practical and easy way to expand your multichannel strategy and increase customer engagement in new markets. 

WhatsApp doubles as both a support channel and a marketing one. You can answer inquiries, take orders, resolve issues, and send updates while running marketing campaigns via direct messages. 

The WhatsApp Business API allows you to use one business account with many phone numbers (including virtual), users, and devices. This way, you can grow your customer support and marketing teams as needed. That’s an advantage of WhatsApp Business over live chat where you usually pay per team member using the tool.

9. Automate responses to customer queries

WhatsApp offers automations and canned responses to speed up your customer support process and lessen your workload. You can set away messages or quick replies to FAQs. 

Taking a step further, you can automate an onboarding sequence to introduce your service to new customers or gather feedback.

10. Reach an international audience

Any app relying on phone numbers can be tricky, but WhatsApp makes it easy to reach people regardless of their country code. It’s true prices vary by country of recipient, but otherwise you’re free to message people across the globe from one and the same account. 

11. Send more relevant marketing messages

WhatsApp for business offers almost limitless possibilities for engagement. Outbound announcements (notifications), two-step authentication, reminders, status updates are just some of the messages you can send. Instead of sending too many emails, you can add WhatsApp to your mix so customers don’t feel flooded. And sometimes an instant message update is more timely and convenient.

12. Another opportunity to showcase your brand

One of the major benefits of a business account on WhatsApp is the additional brand exposure. 

Every WhatsApp business account has a branded business profile complete with logo or image, website URL, address, etc. 

You can also list some or all your products to give people an overview of what you offer right there in the app. This adds legitimacy to the communication and enhances your brand image.

An example of a WhatsApp business profile

13. Collect subscribers using QR codes

QR codes gained popularity during the pandemic and more people are familiar with how to use them now. They’re an easy way to take potential customers from offline to your digital assets. 

For example, at a trade show, you can print a QR code on a poster and encourage them to scan it and sign up for your WhatsApp messages to keep in touch. That’s a GDPR-proof list building tactic. Or you can have the QR code in shipping boxes so customers can start a direct chat with you if they need help after receiving the order.

Source

14. Improve your marketing campaigns

WhatsApp Business doesn’t just give you another medium, but also adds value to your marketing campaigns. 

• There are easy to use labels for managing your contacts in groups like Loyal customers, WhatsApp newsletter subscribers, Leads from trade shows, etc.
• Engagement metrics show if your messages are read, clicked, or reported.
• The WhatsApp Business API can be connected to a CRM and use the customer data from there for even more targeted campaigns. 

15. Fair pricing

Even small and local businesses will find value in the WhatsApp Business API because you’re only charged for the messages you send or receive, no other fees. The best part is all business features are accessible at any sending volume.

On top of that, sending quotas go up automatically if you send quality content and get good engagement. So your marketing efforts will be rewarded with even more opportunities. 

How to Get Started with the WhatsApp Business API?

First, you need to choose a business solution provider. Look for providers officially approved by Meta to access the full range of services. Through the provider, you connect your marketing platform with the WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp business account (or create one, if you don’t have it yet). Then, you’ll go through a quick and streamlined verification and setup process, and be ready to start sending messages. 

As you can see, the benefits of WhatsApp Business Account are completely worth the integration. Check back soon for more news about WhatsApp from Sendinblue!

The post 15 Benefits of Using WhatsApp for Business appeared first on Sendinblue.

of up to 98%.

With stats like that, your business should without a doubt consider using WhatsApp for marketing purposes. Using the messaging app can help you reach a larger audience, improve customer experiences, and ultimately drive sales.

But how does it work?

Using WhatsApp as a marketing tool may be unfamiliar to many. After all, it’s fairly new to the digital marketing scene and is primarily known as a messenger service for individuals.

Lucky for you, this article breaks down all the moving parts of WhatsApp marketing for businesses, gives you some handy tips and tricks, and even showcases some example WhatsApp campaigns.

• What is WhatsApp?
• What is WhatsApp Marketing?
• Why Your Business Should Use WhatsApp
• How to Create a WhatsApp Business Profile
• WhatsApp Marketing Campaign Best Practices
• WhatsApp Marketing Examples

What is WhatsApp?

For starters, WhatsApp is a free mobile messaging service connecting people around the world. The application is available on both Android and iOS and allows users to message and call with friends and family, no matter the type of device they have.

WhatsApp has become extremely popular, with over 2 billion active users worldwide. Part of what makes it so attractive for individuals is that it sidesteps hefty SMS fees when communicating internationally, making it ideal for those with contacts overseas. As well, it keeps all your messages, group chats, voice calls, and video calls in one place.

To set up a personal account on WhatsApp, all you need to do is download the app in the App Store or from Google Play. 

In app prompts will ask you to enter a phone number (not already associated with an existing WhatsApp account) and choose a name. 

From there, you’re pretty much good to go! WhatsApp Messenger is extremely intuitive and can be set up in a matter of seconds.

To use WhatsApp on your computer, simply download the desktop application then use your mobile phone to scan the QR code it displays to link your account.

Source

Now that we’ve covered the original WhatsApp, let’s see how it can be used in a marketing context!

What is WhatsApp Marketing?

Broadly, the term “WhatsApp marketing” refers to any marketing or promotional activities that take place on WhatsApp. Typically, marketers use WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API — two interfaces separate from Whatsapp that allow you to manage conversations with your audience.

While you could technically send marketing campaigns using the traditional WhatsApp, it’s not recommended. You’ll likely run into issues with sending to large numbers of contacts.

Let’s take a look at what makes WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API better suited to marketing professionals:

WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business is a separate mobile app from the traditional WhatsApp. It’s designed for small businesses to be able to connect with their customers in real-time. Even better, it’s free!

Source

Small business owners can create an in-app store, complete with products, pricing, and practical information like opening hours, physical location, and links to your website and social media.

In addition to your business profile and product catalog, you can set up quick replies and broadcast messages (up to 256 at a time). These features make communicating with potential customers a breeze, as your most useful responses are just one click away.

For your audience, there’s very little difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. They’ll receive your business messages in their regular WhatsApp just like any other message.

WhatsApp Business API

The second WhatsApp marketing tool we’ll be discussing offers many more features and is targeted toward larger businesses.

The WhatsApp Business API gives businesses access to the product’s full-suite of marketing tools. It connects your WhatsApp Business account to your CRM or email service provider so you can manage large numbers of conversations at the same time from the same place.

Something to be aware of is that WhatsApp Business API doesn’t have a front-end interface of its own. (An API connects two software programs so they can talk to each other and share data). In this way, WhatsApp Business API brings your WhatsApp Business account from your mobile device to a marketing software.

The WhatsApp Business API has more advanced features than the mobile app alone. It gives you an unlimited number of users, allows you to send mass marketing campaigns, and supports strategic customer service.

In terms of messenger capabilities, the API allows you to send as many automated and session messages as you like. This means you can send WhatsApp marketing campaigns, accept orders, answer customer questions, and more!

One thing to be aware of is that unlike the WhatsApp Business App, the API is not free and charges per message after the first 1,000 you send in a month. 

Another important difference between WhatsApp Business and the API is that you can’t just download or sign up to use the API. Instead, you need to go through an official WhatsApp partner to verify your business.

Stay tuned for exciting news about Sendinblue and WhatsApp Business API in the near future

In summary, the best way to explain the difference the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API is this:

• The mobile app WhatsApp Business is like messaging your target audience on WhatsApp.
• The WhatsApp Business API is very similar to email marketing, but your target audience will get your content in their WhatsApp inboxes instead of by email. 

Check out this article for a full breakdown of the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API.

Why Your Business Should Use WhatsApp

Now that we know what WhatsApp marketing is, let’s take a look at why your business should use it! The benefits of WhatsApp Business are very tempting.

As we said, there are over 2 billion active WhatsApp users worldwide. This alone means the channel gives you access to an enormous audience. Compared to other messaging apps, WhatsApp wins the popularity contest, surpassing Facebook Messenger, Wechat, Snapchat, and Telegram.

Source

In particular, if you have large portions or your target audience in Brazil or India, WhatsApp can really pay off, as these two countries have the highest number of active users in the world.

Aside from the sheer number of people using WhatsApp, the platform has other benefits as a marketing channel too. 

More and more, consumers are looking for one-to-one interactions and personalized marketing content. WhatsApp marketing does just this. Talking on a platform like WhatsApp makes the customer experience feel like chatting with a friend.

While other marketing channels/tools like email and website chat also provide a one-on-one experience, they lack the intimacy and convenience of a WhatsApp interaction.

How does the intimacy and convenience of a marketing channel translate into hard numbers? 

The open rate: It’s not uncommon for WhatsApp marketing campaigns to have open rates surpassing 97%. 

More than any other digital marketing channel, WhatsApp campaigns bring as close as you can get to a guarantee that your target audience will at least see your content.

From there, click-through rates aren’t bad either, with an average of 60% of WhatsApp campaigns being clicked through.

Starting to see how WhatsApp marketing could be huge for your business? Let’s take a look at how to create your profile.

How to Create a WhatsApp Business Profile

Creating a WhatsApp Business Profile is easy and can be done in three steps:

Step 1: 

Download the WhatsApp Business App from Google Play or the App Store.

Step 2: 

Enter your professional phone number to set up your account. Note: this cannot be the same as your personal number. For this reason, many small business owners like to use a phone that can support two SIM cards at once.

At the same time, you’ll be prompted to enter your business name.

Step 3: 

Now you can start setting up your WhatsApp business account!  Tap on the “More options” button (the three vertical dots), then “Settings.” Then enter your business name.

 Next, you’ll find six elements of your business profile to complete:

• Profile: This is the information your audience will see about your business. Include things like a brief description, address, working hours, website, social media, etc.
• Short link: This feature generates a QR code to include on your website, social media, or emails, allowing people to immediately launch a conversion with you on Whatsapp.

• Greeting message: This is a welcome message automatically sent to people who contact your business.
• Away message: This is a message automatically sent to people who contact you outside of business hours.
• Quick replies: This feature allows you to create and save responses to send in just one click, helping to improve your response time and making conversations more efficient.
• Statistics: This section houses data on sent, delivered, read, and received messages.

As a reminder, with the WhatsApp Business App, your broadcast list is limited to 256 contacts. To send campaigns to a larger number of people, you’ll need to sign up to a WhatsApp API provider. (Sendinblue users, watch this space).

WhatsApp Marketing Campaign Best Practices

To set you up for success, we’ve put together some WhatsApp marketing campaign best practices. Let’s take a look:

1. Respect the user experience

You know what they say: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

The same goes for WhatsApp marketing. While it may be tempting to go full-speed ahead with promotional content given the enormous potential of WhatsApp, we’d advise you to tread with caution.

As we said before, WhatsApp offers a hyper personalized and direct marketing channel, but at its core, it’s a personal messaging app. 

This means your marketing content shouldn’t be overly promotional or too frequent. This won’t do any favors for building quality customer relations.

2. Obey the WhatsApp template guidelines

To guarantee that your WhatsApp campaigns are properly sent and delivered, you need to obey the template guidelines set out by Meta. They include specific parameters on formatting, how to link to websites, displaying featured products, and language. 

Again, these guidelines are intended to preserve the user experience. WhatsApp is primarily a messaging service for individuals. The opportunity to use it as a marketing channel means marketers need to respect this. 

3. Offer value and convenience

Instead of sending your contact list campaign after campaign, your goal should be to offer them value and convenience in your WhatsApp marketing.

As great as it may be, WhatsApp marketing isn’t meant to replace other marketing channels. It should be a compliment to your existing email marketing strategy and any other channels you use.

The advantages of marketing on WhatsApp include its accessibility and its convenience for users. This means it’s particularly well–suited for things like delivery updates, sending order confirmations, tickets, event reminders, and billing notifications.

Have you ever been at a front desk, ticket counter, or the entrance to an event frantically digging through your inbox looking for a confirmation number or e-ticket?

Wouldn’t it be nice to find what you’re looking for in a WhatsApp message sent to you just ahead of time? Instead of rummaging through a cluttered email inbox, find what you’re looking for in a timely WhatsApp message!

4. Create content specifically for WhatsApp marketing 

WhatsApp marketing is by no means overly challenging or difficult to learn. In fact, many email marketing best practices can be applied to WhatsApp marketing.

That said, you should treat WhatsApp as an independent marketing channel, working in conjunction with but not duplicating content from your other channels.

In practice, this means taking the time to format images, write copy, and adjust CTAs specifically for WhatsApp campaigns. Copy and pasting content directly from an email newsletter won’t lead to good results. It might even get rejected by WhatsApp! 

In the end, creating content specifically for WhatsApp helps ensure you bring together the first three best practices we discussed above. That’s why repurposed content is likely to fall short.

WhatsApp Marketing Examples

Now we’ll share some top-notch WhatsApp marketing examples to get your creative juices flowing:

KLM 

KLM – Royal Dutch Airlines is the Netherlands national airline. They use WhatsApp marketing in a few different ways:

In this example, the airline sends travelers a shortened version of their booking confirmation. Keeping in mind that most travelers no longer print their confirmation information, KLM makes it easy for them to access their booking details at the airport thanks to this WhatsApp message.

Source

In this example, KLM again hits the mark with convenient and helpful content. Sending travelers their gate number around the time they arrive at the airport saves them the hassle of waiting for it to be displayed on the monitors. Though it may seem like just a small gesture, this type of content can go a long way in the minds of stressed travelers.

Here, KLM is letting a traveler know their flight has been delayed — something no airline likes to do. But unlike your conventional public announcement at the airport, this notification gives customers the chance to speak with a customer support representative. 

Instead of waiting in line at the airport, travelers can manage changes to their itinerary with the help of customer support all from their fingertips.

Overall, these examples show how WhatsApp marketing can be convenient and practical for your audience. Nicely done, KLM!

Adidas

Our next example comes from Adidas and does a good job demonstrating the endless creative possibilities of WhatsApp marketing! The brand posted this to Twitter to kick off the campaign:

Basically, Adidas offered to send out substitute players for local soccer teams in London whose teammates canceled last-minute. All you had to do was ask them on WhatsApp.

This was part of their “Predator” campaign, which claimed Adidas soccer cleats were so well-designed they were “100% unfair” to the other team. That’s why the substitutes they sent were “100% unfair” too, including pros like retired pro Ricardo Kaká. Talk about brand persona!

Now, your average small business or ecommerce shop may not be able to hire professional soccer players to embody your brand. That’s not our point. Instead, take this as an example of how thinking outside the box can lead to high-impact WhatsApp marketing.

Obviously, Adidas has a high level of brand awareness. But for businesses that don’t, running interactive local campaigns like this one can do wonders for your own brand awareness and customer retention in the long-run.

This type of campaign can also help when launching a new product or service, partnering with influencers or industry to send personalized messages featuring the new item.

Nivea

Our final WhatsApp marketing example comes from personal care brand Nivea’s Mother’s Day campaign.

Nivea Switzerland created a WhatsApp chatbot to dish out Mother’s Day content to their audience. The brand created a heartfelt video, a loving quote, and a Mother’s Day saying for customers to send to their mothers.

All users had to do was to write to Nivea on WhatsApp, then follow the prompts. This type of campaign is an interesting take on gated content. 

Rather than requesting an email address to get access to professional content like ebooks, whitepages, or seminars, they’re offering a very personal form of gated content.

This type of WhatsApp content is particularly well suited for holiday marketing campaigns or event-based marketing. Your business could do the same for things like New Years, Valentine’s Day, or even March Madness and the Super Bowl.

Time to Build Your Own WhatsApp Marketing Strategy

Now that you’ve got an idea of the possibilities of WhatsApp marketing, it’s time to get creative with your own strategy!

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from using WhatsApp for marketing purposes. The channel can help build lasting customer relationships, improve retention, and ultimately drive sales.

Interested in trying out WhatsApp for business? Keep an eye out for updates from Sendinblue about new features coming soon!

The post WhatsApp Marketing: Definition, Tips, and Examples appeared first on Sendinblue.

If you’re looking into WhatsApp Business API, congrats on a sound business decision! WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app with a 98% open rate.

This makes it a must-have channel for customer engagement and support. There are numerous benefits of using WhatsApp Business. But which of the three WhatsApp solutions should you choose? There’s a big difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. The WhatsApp Business API adds even more layers of functionality for marketing.

So,

What Exactly is the WhatsApp Business API?

An API connects two software tools together so they can talk to each other and share data.

The WhatsApp Business API connects a marketing platform or CRM with the WhatsApp business solution. Access is granted through official WhatsApp business partners, mainly marketing SaaS providers. 

In short, your software needs a WhatsApp integration to be able to use WhatsApp API to send messages (Sendinblue users, watch this space! ). 

This is because the WhatsApp Business API isn’t a stand-alone software program, but uses the interface of the partner for campaign creation, performance tracking, and list management.

Thus, the WhatsApp Business API adds a wide range of marketing capabilities to your marketing toolbox and opens up a lot of opportunities, including:

• Sending transactional messages (order confirmations) and alerts (e.g. appointment reminders, shipping updates)
• Providing real-time customer support 
• Answering FAQs via autoresponders 
• Sending WhatsApp marketing messages 
• Creating multi-channel automation workflows (in addition to email, SMS, and Facebook Messenger, for example)

The WhatsApp Business API is a robust integration, built for mid-sized and large businesses with bigger customer care teams and more complex customer engagement tactics. You’d be able to communicate directly with each customer as needed, providing better customer experience and saving time thanks to the automation capabilities. 

How can you start using the WhatsApp Business API?

The easiest way to get access to the WhatsApp Business API is through a business solution provider. This way, you get to use the more user-friendly interface of the platform and don’t have to integrate the API directly to your backend. No developer skills needed!

Without an Official Business Account, the display name is subtly shown next to the phone number, not instead of it.

Here’s a quick overview of the steps needed to get started with WhatsApp for business:

1. Find a WhatsApp business partner to provide you with API access. (Sendinblue users stay tuned for updates! ) 
2. Use the provided embedded signup to connect your WhatsApp business account (WABA) and phone number(s) to it. If you’ve been using the WhatsApp Business app before and want to switch to the API, you can migrate the phone number and associate it with the API instead.
3. If you don’t have a WhatsApp Business account, you can also create it in this step directly from the partner’s platform.
4. Go through business verification. This is a compulsory step for consumer protection. WhatsApp requires proof that you truly are authorized to represent the brand you’re claiming. All business accounts undergo this authenticity check to protect users from illegitimate business outreach. More info here.
5. Optional: Apply for an Official Business Account. It’s the next level of authentication, additional proof of credibility. It’s indicated with a green check mark next to your brand name in your WhatsApp account. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get and granted only to very well-known brands. 
6. Submit display name for review (to be shown instead of phone number in chats, see image above) following these guidelines. This option is available only for Official Business Accounts. Otherwise, the name will appear in smaller font next to the phone number in contact view. 
7. Create message templates and submit them for approval through the API. The approval is mostly handled by AI so it only takes minutes.
8. Build an opt-in WhatsApp contacts list. This can happen on your website, via a CTA button on Facebook, a QR code or through an ad. Here are WhatsApp’s opt-in requirements.

WhatsApp button on Facebook 

WhatsApp Business API Features

So what can you do with the WhatsApp Business API? 

Business profile

The business profile in WhatsApp is like a business card. You can add your logo, address, business hours and even products directly. So when people look you up on the app, they can see all this info without going to your website.

Types of WhatsApp messages you can send

Understanding the types of messages WhatsApp supports is important both for using it to its full potential and to budgeting the costs.

First, there are outbound and inbound messages. 

• Outbound (also called notifications or templated messages) means from business to consumer. These can only be sent to opt-in contacts and need to fit pre-approved templates.

• Inbound are messages from people contacting the business. No opt-in is needed for them, it’s assumed that they agree to receive your answer over WhatsApp if they contact you there. Inbound messages can be free form.  

One big advantage of WhatsApp messages over SMS is that it supports interactive messages, including images, video, attachments, reply buttons, products, and lists.

An inbound message and an answer with file attached

Another important aspect of WhatsApp Business API is the 24-hour sessions. They’re key to pricing and what’s allowed.

So if a user contacts you on WhatsApp, you have 24 hours to answer in a free form message or exchange as many messages as needed. If more than 24 hours have passed since the customer’s last message, you can reopen the conversation with a template message. This is to ensure end users only get high-quality messages as per WhatsApp guidelines. 

If you want to start a conversation, this is outbound messaging and needs to be done with a template. Templates can be created in the Facebook Business Manager or using the WhatsApp Business API partner’s interface. Below, you can see some of the templates available. For now, templates cannot be edited, only deleted. It’s best to use a test account to avoid the need for editing.

WhatsApp campaigns

Since the WhatsApp Business API taps directly into your CRM, you can use customer behavioral data to send timely and relevant WhatsApp messages. 

Just some use cases ideas for you: 

• Speed up login resets and two-step validations
• Promote your product catalog
• Set up quick replies to FAQs 
• Set up automated messages outside customer care team working hours
• Create onboarding flows
• Send appointment or reorder reminders
• Communicate shipping and status updates
• Push new products to loyal customers
• Proactively reach customers for feedback

WhatsApp Business API Pricing

You’ll be charged for the messages delivered and a markup for the WhatsApp Business API service provider. 

Meta calls it “conversation-based pricing”. This means one charge per 24-hour conversation, no matter how many messages are exchanged during this window. Rates depend on the country of the customer, and whether it was a business-initiated or user-initiated conversation. 

The first 1,000 conversations per month are free. You also won’t be charged for conversations that start when a user clicks on an ad or a Facebook CTA button (ads are paid separately however). There is progressive discount on volume. Find out more here. 

User contacts a business via a WhatsApp CTA on Facebook, source: techcrunch

WhatsApp Business API Limitations

WhatsApp has strict policies in place to keep the customer experience positive and to avoid becoming a spam channel. Here are what you should keep in mind.

Messages can be up to 1k characters. You can have up to 250 templates and up to 25 phone numbers per WABA, but unlimited WABAs in one Business Manager.

Quality rating is WhatsApp’s way of measuring the customer experience you provide. Similarly to sender reputation in email marketing, it’s measured by the recipients’ reaction to your messages — if they read and respond, or block and report them. Lower quality rating will impact your ability to send notifications when you need to. To avoid that, follow WhatsApp’s best practices. 

Messaging limits are imposed. They depend on the quality of your outbound messages and the volume you send. If your rating isn’t low and you increasingly reach more customers, you’ll get bumped up to a higher tier. Here’s a detailed explanation of the process. 

Sendinblue WhatsApp Campaigns Coming Soon!

If you already have a business account and use Sendinblue, contact us to join the waiting list for WhatsApp Campaigns Beta. Or keep an eye here and on social media when we announce the official launch. 

Want to learn more in the meantime? Check out our WhatsApp Marketing article for best practices, campaign examples, and more!

The post What is the WhatsApp Business API and How to Use It appeared first on Sendinblue.

With 2 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is the most popular messenger app in the world, according to 2021 data from Statista. So can businesses use WhatsApp? Yes — and not only can they use it, they should use it.

Why? Because WhatsApp is a great channel for customer service, transactional messages, and marketing campaigns. It lets you reach your audience directly on their mobile devices. People are much more likely to open a chat message as soon as it chimes in than an email. 

Plus, WhatsApp offers a wide range of messaging options to add to your marketing strategy: interactive messages with quick buttons, multimedia messages, product catalog, and QR codes for your multi-channel reach. 

However, it’s important to choose the right type of WhatsApp account for your business size and needs. Let’s go over the three options so you see for yourself which one is best for you.

1. WhatsApp Messenger
2. WhatsApp Business
3. WhatsApp Business API

At a Glance: The Main Differences

1. WhatsApp Messenger

The regular WhatsApp app is made for personal communication. It’s freely available for both Android and iOS, and like other messaging apps, offers one-to-one chats and groups. 

Give it access to your phone contacts and you can chat with the ones that also have a WhatsApp account. You can make voice and video calls via the app (not via the browser though). 

source

There’s not much business owners can do with regular WhatsApp messenger, however. There are no automation options and you can only contact the people whose phone numbers you have in your phone. 

Only very small businesses can get away with using personal WhatsApp to contact customers. But as the business starts to grow, they’ll need a more scalable option. 

2. WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business is a separate app aimed specifically at businesses. Even the logo is different: 

WhatsApp Business provides basic tools for communication for micro and small businesses.

It’s still free to use and there’s a browser version. It offers the same basic features as the one for personal use — both sides can start chats, and you can participate in group chats.

What’s the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?

A WhatsApp Business account is not the same as a standard one. While they can be on the same phone, they have to be tied to separate phone numbers. 

For the business account, you can use a landline number as well as a mobile one. It’s a good idea to use a dual SIM phone to manage both from one device while keeping contacts lists separate for compliance purposes.

Then, you can add an image, working hours, website, and physical address to your profile to present your business. Another great feature is the ability to create a product catalog within the WhatsApp Business app to showcase your products. It can include images, prices, and even links back to your site. The catalog can also be shared as one dedicated link. 

Source: newsfeed.org

Chats originating from a business account are indicated as such. 

Business tools offered by WhatsApp for Business

Label conversations. WhatsApp Business lets you manage contacts with labels (e.g. new customer, complaint, loyal customer, urgent). This is useful when trying to keep track of conversations and when creating lists for broadcasts (see below).

Short links and QR codes. These open a direct chat with your business account. They can be shared across your channels as a quick way of contacting you.

Source: ShopPop

Broadcasts. These are mass text message campaigns sent to a large number of contacts. It’s the WhatsApp equivalent of a newsletter or a promotional SMS notification. But with the Business app, you can only send a broadcast to 256 contacts at a time. 

Choosing the contacts is not easy either. You can select them manually from your phone contacts list or use labels within the app. The last catch is that recipients must have your phone number saved to receive the broadcast. Otherwise, you can send as many such messages as you want in chunks of 256 contacts. 

Automated messages. There are three kinds of automated WhatsApp messages available to speed up your communication on WhatsApp Business.

• Greeting messages can be set up to automatically respond to new chats. So when a user reaches out to you, they’re invited to keep chatting even if you personally cannot answer at the moment.
• Away messages serve as automated responses to inquiries outside of working hours or when your business is closed for vacation.
• Quick replies are saved answers like “Orders take 2 business days to prepare” or “Thank you for shopping with us!” so you can quickly input them from a menu in individual chats when you get a frequently asked question.

Source: WhatsApp

Key things to know about WhatsApp Business

• It’s free to use
• You need a phone number, separate from your personal one
• One device (max two if you use the web app too), one user only, chats are tied to this account
• It’s a business solution but the offered automation tools are limited
• It’s not scalable, you can only reach a limited number of contacts
• Best for micro and small business owners 

In short, the main difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business is that the former is strictly for personal communication while the latter gives you some marketing tools. WhatsApp Business is a free option for small local businesses looking just for a way to answer questions and take orders via chat.

Source: Meta

3. WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API is a different service to the WhatsApp Business app. If you’re wondering, an API connects two different software programs so they can work together. 

The WhatsApp Business API gives access to the full range of WhatsApp marketing tools and is aimed at mid-sized and large businesses.  

The WhatsApp Business API doesn’t have its own interface, it uses the front-end of the platform it’s connected to. This can be your CRM or email marketing platform. Essentially, it makes WhatsApp usable in conjunction with other marketing tools. For example, using a live chat platform to manage communication from Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp in one place.

You also get many additional features on top of WhatsApp Business that open up huge opportunities for marketing communication.

WhatsApp Business API features

User access

Unlike WhatsApp Business, the API offers unlimited users and devices under one account. This makes customer support and messenger marketing a lot more effective.

Account creation

You can’t just sign up for WhatsApp and start using its API features. You need to apply for an account through a WhatsApp partner and provide information about your business to get verified. 

On top of that, you can submit another application for a green tick mark to appear next to your business name in chats. It adds legitimacy in the eyes of your recipients. 

Contact management 

A major difference between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API is the way contacts are handled. With the API, they’re imported from the CRM or another marketing platform where your opt-in lists are stored. 

Consent to WhatsApp marketing is gathered in two ways: WhatsApp users message the business account first, or they tick an opt-in box for WhatsApp specifically in a signup form. Contacts that didn’t consent to be contacted via WhatsApp cannot be messaged through the API. This protects the customer experience on the app.

Types of messages you can send via WhatsApp API

First, it’s important to note that no voice or video calls are possible through the API. Also, you can present your brand in a business profile just like with the WhatsApp Business app. Overall, the API is a messaging alternative (or additional channel) to email marketing.

So what are the differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API?

• Session messages

Someone (customer, lead, contact) starts a chat with your business account. You have 24 hours to answer or the chat expires. If the person messages you back, the 24 hours reset and so on. These are session messages in WhatsApp. The idea is to give the customer control over the communication — if they don’t want to chat with you any more, that’s that.

• Broadcast messages

Broadcast messages must follow the template guidelines and need to be approved by WhatsApp before sending to protect recipients from spam. The good news is, unlike WhatsApp Business, via the API you can broadcast to as many contacts as you want and they don’t have to have your number saved to receive the message. 

• WhatsApp groups

Via the WhatsApp Business API, you can create and manage group chats, but can’t participate in them. Also, contacts must be invited via a special message to join, you can’t just add them to a group. It’s all to protect people from spam and unsolicited messages.

For more details, check out the benefits of using WhatsApp Business.

WhatsApp Business API pricing

First 1,000 WhatsApp chats monthly are free. Then, each 24-hour-long session is charged as one unit. The rate depends on the recipient’s country code. Charges go through the WhatsApp partners, similar to SMS marketing plans. So expect a little markup on top of these rates for providing the service. 

All these differences position WhatsApp Business API as a tool for larger companies with bigger teams and more complex marketing needs. 

To use WhatsApp for customer support, order updates, and marketing campaigns, consider working with an official WhatsApp partner that will provide you with WhatsApp Business API. Stay tuned to Sendinblue for WhatsApp marketing opportunities in the near future!

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