With a massive active user base of over 3.1 billion people (Meetanshi), presence in over 180 countries, and an average usage time of 19 hours/month, WhatsApp is the go-to social messaging app for most personal and business interactions.
But is it your go-to place to communicate with your customers?
Customers today expect brands to meet them where they are, and today, that place is WhatsApp. They actively engage with brands, make purchases, and get real-time support through WhatsApp.
This is a big shift in consumer behavior. It has now paved the way for WhatsApp Business channels, which allow brands to broadcast updates, share valuable content, and build stronger relationships with their audience. These channels create a space for businesses to engage with customers without being too pushy.
But what are WhatsApp Business channels, and how can they change the way businesses communicate? Let's get into it.
What are WhatsApp business channels?
A WhatsApp Business channel is a feature for businesses, organizations, and content creators to connect with their audience through the messaging app. As opposed to regular WhatsApp chats, these channels are private broadcast tools where you can send relevant and personalized messages to a larger audience without cluttering their personal inboxes.
Think of these channels as private newsfeeds for your business within WhatsApp. Your customers can subscribe to get updates, product launches, promotional offers, or even educational material, without having to respond to the chat.
At the same time, they can interact with your content by responding with emojis to message updates or voting on channel polls.
For businesses, WhatsApp channels will open up new possibilities to build highly targeted, long-term customer relationships to boost customer loyalty and brand awareness.
Features of WhatsApp business channels
WhatsApp channels for businesses are an excellent way to connect and share updates with your audiences more privately. Among the best WhatsApp channel features are
1. One-way messaging
WhatsApp channels allow for one-way communication between the sender and the receiver, giving the sender more control over the content shared.
Unlike WhatsApp Business API, which lets you have two-way customer conversations, channels allow you to post updates to an unlimited number of followers. So, there’s no need for groups or broadcasts, and the sole focus will be on your business updates and content.
2. Rich media support
Forget about plain-text updates; people are visual learners. And with WhatsApp Channels, you can ensure visually engaging and appealing communications. Channels support images, videos, links, PDFs, and stickers, so you can add interactive elements to create a better communication experience.
3. Privacy and security
The biggest benefit of WhatsApp's privacy oriented model, though, is that once you set up a WhatsApp channel for a business, the phone numbers and private information of the channel admin (and followers) will be kept secret. That makes it easy for users to engage with brands without worrying about spam or unwanted messages.
4. Subscriber reactions
WhatsApp Channels let users react to updates in the form of emojis or participate in polls. This gives your business real-time data on which type of content resonates most with your audience.
5. Analytics dashboard
Want to track how well your channel is attracting an in-app audience? WhatsApp Channels offer an analytics dashboard where you can see things like reach and follower growth. This way, you can gauge your audience’s sentiments and optimize your marketing efforts on WhatsApp.
Benefits of using WhatsApp channels for business
So, the WhatsApp channel has some cool features, but why should you care? And what good is it for you?
Well, with traditional forms of marketing, such as email, with low open rates of 20%, businesses need a more direct medium to connect with their audience. With an impressive 98% message open rate, WhatsApp is the perfect channel for customer engagement and brand communication.
Read on to discover the many benefits of WhatsApp Channels that make them a game-changer for business communication
Higher engagement and visibility
With more than 500 million users already following WhatsApp Channels, you have a direct line to a highly engaged audience. While emails or social media posts can end up lost in feeds, messages on WhatsApp come at the top of the app, where they get more exposure.
Target specific customers
WhatsApp is globally available, but your business might not be. And if your business is targeting a particular area or group of people, you can share content customized to that group on your channel.
This allows you to reach those people whose interests are more aligned with your offers, helping you make the most of your marketing efforts.
Real-time customer updates
The best thing about using WhatsApp channels is that you can keep your subscribers in the loop all the time. You can send instant updates and relevant information to your customers.
Whether you're planning a flash sale, offering limited-time discounts, or have urgent announcements, your messages are delivered in real time, leading to faster customer actions.
Improved customer trust
Nobody likes having hundreds of promotional or spammy emails shoved in their inbox without permission. With WhatsApp's privacy-first approach, you can share updates with your customers without asking for their personal information, which they'll appreciate.
This will increase the likelihood of them staying engaged and trusting your business. For instance, look at how Pickyourtrail trusts Gallabox for engaging with their customers.
How do WhatsApp business channels work?
So, how do WhatsApp channels operate? And how to follow a WhatsApp channel? Let’s understand-
- Users can subscribe: As with Instagram’s broadcast channel, users can subscribe to the WhatsApp channels of their favorite creators, influencers, or businesses to stay updated with their content.
Also, follower information is private on WhatsApp channels. You don't need to have the contacts saved for someone to follow you, so anyone can follow your channel to get updates. - Receive updates: When you send a message on the channel, it will appear within the "Updates" tab on your user's WhatsApp.. From the users’ point of view, this means a clean and organized inbox where they can see business updates whenever they want.
- Searchable directory: Another innovative feature of WhatsApp channels is the searchable directory, where users can find the channels they are interested in. This will allow your channel to be reachable directly by search or invitation links, which in turn will help you get more organic followers.
- Full control over the content: The best part is that channel admins have full control over the channel content. You can prevent message forwarding or screenshots on the channel to keep the content exclusive.
How can I create a WhatsApp Business channel?
Creating a WhatsApp business channel is super easy; all you have to do is create a WhatsApp business account and download the WhatsApp business app. Here's how to access your WhatsApp channel in just a few minutes.
1. Open WhatsApp web and click on the "Channels" icon
2. Click on the ‘+’ icon to create a new channel
3. Click on ‘Continue’ and follow the on-screen prompts
4. Choose a name and icon for your business channel (you can also change these later)
5. Start with a short description of your channel to help people understand the business
6. Click on "Create Channel" to finish the setup!
Once your channel is live, get people to follow it by sharing the link on your website or social media. Also, make it discoverable so people can find it via WhatsApp's search function.
Now, start posting valuable business updates and be consistent with them to keep your followers engaged.
Verified badge for WhatsApp business channel
Ever noticed how some brands have a blue tick on WhatsApp? That's the WhatsApp Verified Badge that appears next to your business's official name, giving you the verified status.
Introduced in 2024, the WhatsApp verified badge (or blue tick) makes your brand look more credible and trustworthy. It makes customers know that they are interacting with a legitimate brand. It also helps you create a consistent brand presence across Facebook and Instagram and helps users find you faster.
However, not every business can automatically get the blue tick. Meta has set some eligibility criteria that you need to meet to earn the verified badge-
- Your business should be active on the WhatsApp Business app for a certain number of days.
- You need to have a profile name and picture for your account.
- You must have sent messages from the account recently.
- You shouldn’t have a Meta Verified subscription through Meta Business Suite.
- Your account must not currently hold a WhatsApp Business Premium subscription.
What are the guidelines for WhatsApp business channels?
To keep WhatsApp Channels free from spam and ensure they are safe and valuable, WhatsApp has established some communication guidelines that dictate what type of content you can share.
- Avoid sharing anything that can cause serious harm. This includes any content that poses a credible threat to public or personal safety, promotes violence, coordinates violent or criminal activities, or encourages suicide or self-injury.
- Don't engage in illegal activity or share illegal content. This means no content supporting violent or criminal organizations or individuals, sexually exploiting or endangering children, or facilitating the exploitation of people. WhatsApp also doesn’t allow sharing intellectual property without permission.
- Don't engage in any fraudulent activities. Any activity or content that intentionally deceives, impersonates, or scams, exploits, or defrauds WhatsApp or its users.
- Share age-appropriate content as per WhatsApp's user base. Content shared on WhatsApp business channels should not include excessively violent or graphic imagery, sexually explicit content, or any content restricted by app stores.
Best practices for implementing WhatsApp business channels
So, you've set up your WhatsApp Business Channel, now what? The difference between an engaging business channel vs a channel that goes invisible comes down to how you use it. Follow these best practices to make WhatsApp work for your business-
1. Segment your customers
As mentioned above, WhatsApp channels are great for sending tailored messages. Depending on the customer's online behavior, their preferences, or past purchases, you may want to create different channels to share targeted content.
This is great for your communication strategy because you can personalize your content to fit different audiences.
2. Offer engagement and value
A WhatsApp business channel is perfect for sharing business updates at scale, but that doesn't mean your content should feel like a corporate memo. Your audience subscribed for a reason, so they should get something valuable in return.
Deliver on that. Make sure your content is valuable enough that followers don't just mute or unfollow the channel. For instance, if you’re only sending promotional texts without convincing the customers to act on them (through exclusive offers, product information, or company updates), it’ll have a direct impact on the engagement with your business.
3. Be consistent
One of the most common mistakes businesses make with WhatsApp Channels is either posting too frequently or not enough.
If you flood your audience with updates, they'll mute your channel. If you post too irregularly, they'll forget why they followed you in the first place.
The best way out is to have a posting schedule that keeps the flow of updates consistent for the users. As a rule of thumb, send messages 3-5 times weekly. Plus, experiment with post timings to analyze when the engagement is highest within your audience.
4. Promote your WhatsApp channel
WhatsApp Business Channels don't rely on a built-in algorithm that guarantees exposure. This means that to grow your channel, you need to promote actively across different touchpoints.
As such, growth strategies must be an important part of your WhatsApp marketing plan. You can add the WhatsApp Channel link to your website and social media, share invite links in newsletters to encourage sign-ups, or even provide early access to relevant content on WhatsApp to create exclusivity.
Limitations and challenges of WhatsApp business channels
Sure, WhatsApp channels for businesses offer an exciting way for brands to communicate at scale. But they also come with certain challenges that impact business performance. These include
Lack of two-way interaction
WhatsApp channels don't have support for direct conversations. Yes, followers can react, which is a unique way to understand their engagement level and feedback. But they cannot reply to messages. Hence, it becomes harder to have meaningful interactions.
As a result of this, businesses cannot provide direct customer support through their WhatsApp channel. This is especially a big deal for brands that rely on WhatsApp for customer service and sales inquiries. That said, there is one way around this: direct users to your business profile and initiate direct messaging.
Lower visibility
To view messages within the channel, users have to go to the "Updates" tab on WhatsApp or enable push notifications to get alerts. Even then, the channels are arranged in chronological order within Updates.
So, if you're not among the last few updates they have received, it can mean limited visibility.
No automation
WhatsApp channels don't offer built-in automation features like chatbots, message templates, or message scheduling to help streamline communication.
No monetization options
For businesses looking to monetize their audience directly, WhatsApp business channels are pretty limited. They don't offer paid ads or sponsored content within channels or subscription-based access for premium content.
Limited organic reach
In contrast with other social media platforms, WhatsApp channels don't have a public discovery algorithm that automatically promotes content. Only direct invites, shared links, or the WhatsApp channel directory (which is still limited in reach), allow a user to find and follow a channel.
Because of this, businesses have to actively promote their channel to get an audience.
Conclusion
WhatsApp Business Channels can change the way your business talks to its audience. It is an easy-to-understand, clutter-free way to get your business out there.
But what happens when a customer wants to respond? Channels don't support two-way communication like WhatsApp chats. That means if a customer wants to ask a question about a product you just announced or needs product support, you need a way to seamlessly transition them from your channel to an interactive conversation.
So, what you need is a WhatsApp automation tool like Gallabox. Gallabox helps your business turn WhatsApp into an advanced sales, support, and engagement platform. It lets you automate conversations via AI chatbots, extend your reach on broadcast through segmentation, and auto-assign conversations to specific teams.
It also has a no-code visual builder, with which you can create automated customer engagement workflows that engage your prospects with the right messaging at the right time.
Make your WhatsApp work smarter for you. Try Gallabox today!
FAQs on WhatsApp channel for business
1. Are messages on WhatsApp Channels free?
Yes, sending messages on WhatsApp Channels is free, but businesses can't directly message followers like in regular chats. Instead, followers receive updates passively. If you need interactive messaging, you'll need to use WhatsApp Business API or chat automation tools.
2. Can businesses use WhatsApp Channels for marketing and customer support?
WhatsApp Channels are useful for marketing and announcements. But they're not built for customer support, as followers cannot reply. So, businesses should use WhatsApp Business API with their channels to enable two-way communication, automate replies, and engage with customers in real time.
3. Can multiple admins manage a single WhatsApp Channel?
Yes, multiple admins can access and manage a WhatsApp Channel. That way, teams can collaborate on updates, schedule messages, and engage with followers more efficiently.
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Social media algorithm limits
For the most part, the issue with social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is that algorithms constantly change, which affects organic reach for brands and individuals.
WhatsApp Channels lets users subscribe to the business channels they want. This means there are no algorithm restrictions, and messages land directly in followers' updates.