WhatsApp Marketing Strategy: Boost Your Brand Awareness

1. Choose the right platform

Your business can start using WhatsApp marketing using one of the two options:

• WhatsApp business app: This app is a user-friendly, basic business account that is ideal for small businesses to enter into this channel and start marketing. You get features like quick replies, automated greetings, and chat labels for organization.
• WhatsApp business APIs and platforms: Software like Gallabox are designed for businesses that require scalability and high functionality with your WhatsApp Business marketing strategy. You can share bulk messages, integrate with CRMs, leverage chatbots to automate customer conversations and more.

2. Set up your WhatsApp business account

To get started, your business needs an account on WhatsApp. Download the app and verify your phone number— ideally an exclusive business number to maintain professionalism. Create a compelling business profile and add details about your timings, tagline, and your USP.

3. Build a target audience

Once your business has a WhatsApp profile, you need to start collecting opt-ins from other marketing channels, like SMS or social media. Share links across your marketing channels so that customers can land on your WhatsApp profile and start a conversation.

4. Craft a content strategy

Your WhatsApp Business marketing strategy relies heavily on your content strategy. Utilize rich media, PDFs, etc., to engage your target audience. Instead of creating generic promotional messages, share personalized content that your audience relates to. It also helps you schedule your messages perfectly to avoid seeming spammy to your audience.

5. Understand and leverage WhatsApp features

WhatsApp has countless features that facilitate seamless conversations with your customers. For example, broadcast lists help you send messages to multiple contacts without grouping them. Another great feature is WhatsApp Catalog, interactive content that displays your products and allows customers to browse in-app.

6. Integrate and implement

To achieve higher levels of personalization and analyze the customer data you collect over WhatsApp, you need to integrate more tools into this app, like CRM, data analytics tools, chatbots, etc. These tools enhance the functionality of your WhatsApp channel and give you more flexibility with your conversations.

7. Measure your success

To understand how well your WhatsApp campaigns are performing, you need to keep measuring performance metrics such as engagement rates, open rates, click-through rates, etc.

It helps you understand which type of content your audience interacts with more, allowing you to adjust your content strategy and achieve maximum engagement. You can also encourage customer feedback in a multiple-choice format to understand what your customers prefer.

8. Scale your marketing efforts

Once your business is settled in using WhatsApp as a marketing channel, you can start to look for scaling opportunities. For example, a fitness brand may partner with an influencer to achieve a wider reach and invite more memberships to its fitness centers.

1. Use rich media for product demos

WhatsApp supports countless types of media, like images, PDFs, videos, GIFs, voice notes, etc. Use these media to create rich content to showcase your flagship products. The media will help you showcase your product more animatedly, creating more interest and buzz around it.

For example, a makeup and beauty brand launching a new eye shadow palette can create a short tutorial video on how to pair the colours with other products. This would create hype about the new launch and help you get more sales by proactively showing your audience ideas on how to use the eye shadow palette best.

2. Qualify leads through AI chatbots

AI-powered WhatsApp chatbots have the potential to keep your leads engaged, creating opportunities to drive them further in your pipelines. This tactic involves designing automated conversations based on qualifying questions, such as "What is your budget range?" or more specific questions, like "What services are you interested in?"

Based on customer responses, you can program the AI chatbot to score the lead based on criteria like the tier of services requested (premium or basic).

The data your chatbot collects from this process can be sent to data analysis systems integrated with your WhatsApp using APIs.

For example, when a customer asks the chatbot, "I am interested in SEO services," the chatbot can reply, "Excellent! Please tell me more about your business and goals so I can list relevant services."

Customer: "I run an eCommerce store and want to increase organic traffic."

Chatbot: "Great! One last question: what does your budget look like?"

Customer: "Around $2,000 per month"

Chatbot: "Fantastic. I will schedule a call for you with one of our SEO experts in the eCommerce niche. Please give us 2 hours to respond. Thanks!"

Based on the customer's information, the chatbot will qualify this lead as "hot," helping you capture more from each interaction.

3. Personalize conversations with labels and profiles

WhatsApp provides an interesting feature called “Labels.” Labels allow you to segment your customers into customizable cohorts for which you can design exclusive content based on their preferences. This helps you deliver targeted communication that your audience can find relatable, no matter who they are.

For example, a bookstore can use labels on its WhatsApp channels to segregate “Fiction readers” and “Biography lovers”.

This way, the store can then send them updates about new releases or offers on the genres they love to read. This is the pinnacle of targeted advertising that resonates with your customers.

4. Create exclusivity with WhatsApp groups

Exclusive events or groups have an air of mystery, and the audience is attracted by the idea of being part of such a group. Use WhatsApp to create exclusive groups to share access to premium or limited-edition content and services. This will help your audience feel more connected to your brand and its activities.

For example, a gym can start exclusive WhatsApp groups for each of its trainers. These trainers can share their ideas, motivational tips, and fitness routines with the members, who can receive them over WhatsApp. This will help the gym stay interactive and present with the members even while they are not at the gym.

5. Create broadcast lists for direct and bulk messaging

Broadcasts are a form of WhatsApp bulk messaging that allows you to send messages to multiple contacts without having to create groups. This feature allows your business to scale personalized messaging easily by creating one-on-one connections, a feature that other marketing channels do not provide.

For example, a luxury bag retailer can create personalized content for a limited-edition line to share with its VIP customers. The private message enhances customers’ perception of being treated with exclusivity, which improves their satisfaction.

6. Leverage click-to-WhatsApp to enhance traffic

The beauty of WhatsApp is that it allows you to siphon traffic from other offline and online marketing channels to your WhatsApp using links and buttons. It allows you to popularize your WhatsApp channel and establish one-on-one conversations with more of your audience. It also helps you reach new audiences and market your content to them directly.

For example, a restaurant can use QR-embedded links to redirect visitors to its WhatsApp channel. Then, it can use this chat to share messages directly about upcoming events, special offers, new menus, live music nights, etc.

A website can also embed a “Chat on WhatsApp” button on its webpages to allow customers to reach it without storing any numbers.

7. Deploy chatbots for real-time support

You can deploy chatbots on WhatsApp chat using WhatsApp Business API to establish a 24x7 conversation line with your customers. This enables your audience to reach you with their queries any time of the day and receive responses even when your business has clocked out for the day.

For example, an online retail store can use WhatsApp chatbots to answer basic customer questions like “What is my order status?” or “Do you ship to this location?” This helps your brand enhance customer trust and satisfaction.

8. Use status messages for time-sensitive promos

WhatsApp has a status feature that allows you to share images, links, videos, or text for a 24-hour duration. The status automatically disappears after the time has elapsed. This is a key marketing tool for communicating time-sensitive offers to your customers, as the status is displayed in the top ribbon of the app—a very eye-catching position.

For example, a bakery can market its weekend bake-off on WhatsApp status, inviting customers to register on the business's WhatsApp chat. After the bake-off is finished, this status will disappear after 24 hours when it is no longer relevant.

9. Automate bookings and appointments

WhatsApp Business API also allows you to integrate your CRM to the chat, enabling you to book appointments or take other bookings through this channel. It is an excellent way to market your new launches that are up for pre-order. It helps you create a buzz around the products and measure response, helping you adjust strategy for the remaining pipeline.

For example, a spa can facilitate appointment bookings with customers on WhatsApp and share appointment reminders the day before.

10. Use catalogs for seamless shopping

WhatsApp has a catalog feature, using which you can showcase your products on customers’ chat windows. These catalogs are an excellent marketing tool because they don’t link to an external website but allow customers to browse and shop from WhatsApp, which helps reduce friction and enhance sales.

For example, a boutique can share the season’s new styles in the catalog format on WhatsApp with customers, allowing them to pre-book or shop from the chat window.

11. Onboard customers from WhatsApp

You can use WhatsApp effectively to onboard your customers for your events. Two-way messaging helps you gauge an audience's response to an event, assess the most suitable time to host it and invite registrations to make further arrangements. It proves to be an excellent strategy for resource allocation as well.

For example, a language learning institute can communicate about its plans of having exchange students through WhatsApp and invite participation or registration over chat.

1. Conversational commerce with WhatsApp Flows

Using the WhatsApp Flows feature, your business can create guided, interactive shopping experiences within customer chats. It significantly reduces friction in the buying process, encouraging readers to shop on WhatsApp.

This tactic capitalizes on WhatsApp's conversational nature, making it seamless and engaging to shop from this channel.

For example, a fashion retailer can use WhatsApp Flows to guide a customer through a product, select a size and color, and complete the payment.

2. Hyper-personalized campaigns with dynamic templates

If you work with a robust WhatsApp Business API, you get access to dynamic messaging templates that include placeholders for personalized content (like the customer's name, order details, etc.). These templates ensure every message feels tailored and special to each customer, making them feel valued and part of your brand.

For example, a travel agency can use dynamic templates to create personalized messages, updating each customer individually with their booking times and itinerary details.

3. Drip campaigns for lead nurturing

Drip campaigns are scheduled messages you send that help nudge your potential customers deeper into your marketing and sales pipelines. Email is not the only channel that supports drip campaigns – now you can use WhatsApp for the same purpose. These campaigns generate better responses on WhatsApp because of the high open rates of this platform (98%).

Drip campaigns are designed to keep your brand at the top of your customers’ minds.

For example, a SaaS company can plan the following drip campaign on WhatsApp:

• Day 1: Schedule a welcome message on WhatsApp.
• Day 3: Follow-up to know whether the customer tried the features.
• Day 5: Reminder message about the product's trial period or other time-critical aspects.

4. Real-time event engagement

You can take your marketing one step further by engaging your attendees during events over WhatsApp. This is an excellent way to enhance real-time engagement using a messaging platform that almost every attendee has access to.

For example, during the recess time of a webinar you can share a survey or feedback form on WhatsApp to measure audience response for the event. It helps you streamline the next stage of the event while setting benchmarks for the next one.

5. Abandoned cart recovery

WhatsApp can be a channel for recovering abandoned carts by engaging your users in a meaningful, personalized way. You can share personalized offers as nudges to help customers complete their purchases. When you share incentives with customers to checkout, you get higher conversion rates for abandoned carts.

For example, an eCommerce store can share one-time offers or exciting last-minute deals on a user’s WhatsApp to help them check out of their abandoned carts.

6. Interactive storytelling

Leverage WhatsApp as a channel to share brand stories showcasing clients or customers who realized their dreams and achieved their goals using your products. Storytelling is a powerful tool that engages your readers and establishes a connection of relatability.

For example, a fitness brand marketing a 21-day lifestyle challenge can share stories of customers who completed it to motivate others in the group to keep going. This boosts engagement and response.

7. Gamification with rewards

Leverage WhatsApp to generate high engagement by introducing reward-based activities like quizzes and leaderboards. It encourages your customers to be a part of these activities and remain engaged with your brand. Gamification makes the whole experience memorable, and when rewards are involved, your customers are motivated too.

For example, a coffee shop can host “Trivia Tuesdays,” where each Tuesday, they offer a discount coupon and freebies to those who answer their WhatsApp quizzes correctly.

8. Collaborative campaigns with influencers

You can experiment by partnering with influencers relevant to your industry for WhatsApp campaigns. These influencers can share your channel's WhatsApp link on their own social media networks to help you boost your incoming traffic.

Influencers have social reach and pull that can help you enhance your brand’s visibility. For example, a fitness influencer can promote a “WhatsApp only” discount code that takes the viewers to your channel.

9. Contextual cross-selling and upselling

WhatsApp’s conversational nature allows you to upsell and cross-sell your products based on customer interactions and history. This provides you with enough contextual information to tailor the recommendations according to the customer’s tastes.

For example, an electronics retailer can upsell their soundbar or extend warranties to customers who just purchased their LED TVs on WhatsApp.

10. Multiagent management with WhatsApp API

If you are a business handling a large volume of messages, WhatsApp can help you manage that load and turn it into marketing opportunities. Leverage WhatsApp API to implement multi-agent management and distribute incoming queries to multiple team members.

This tactic streamlines your operations and ensures personalized attention for each interaction. For example, a financial service provider can distribute queries based on categories to the specialized agent. Loan inquiries go to the Loan team, whereas Investment Advice queries go to the corresponding team.

What are the top WhatsApp marketing strategies for improving customer communication?

The top strategies include personalizing your messages, leveraging chatbots for continuous and round-the-clock conversations, and using the power of broadcasts to reach a wide audience base in a few clicks. These strategies form the foundation for other marketing techniques on WhatsApp.

How can I scale my WhatsApp marketing strategy as my business grows?

Consider leveraging a robust WhatsApp Business API that allows you to integrate tools like CRM and chatbots with WhatsApp to manage your campaigns more comprehensively as you scale up. These integrations help you manage the increasing volume of messages while allocating your resources smartly.