WhatsApp Business Newsletter: Tips and Tools for Success

1. High Open Rates

The idea behind sending out newsletters is to put the latest information and updates at your audience’s fingertips. But what if they don't even open it at all?

According to a recent Mailchimp study, the average email open rate is merely 21.33% across all industries. Whereas, WhatsApp messages have an average open rate of 98%.

Unlike emails, which can easily be ignored or go into the spam folder, WhatsApp newsletters consistently outperform other channels in terms of visibility.

They appear directly in the customer's chats, so they are more personal and urgent. Thus, making them perfect for sharing time-sensitive content like product launches or discount offers.

2. Personalized Customer Communication

Since WhatsApp is a messaging app meant for casual communication, it feels more personal than emails, allowing businesses to establish stronger customer relations. You don’t need to optimize a subject line or design a layout from scratch.

You can address the users with their names, remember their past interactions, and customize offers based on their purchase or browsing history. This will act as a direct, conversational touchpoint that feels like it came from a real person and not a faceless brand.

Here's a real-life example to consider. For Sudhir Khatwani, the mastermind behind The Money Mongers, the WhatsApp newsletter has been a game-changer in reaching customers where they are most active.

With it, Sudhir can group his customers based on their interests and tailor his content accordingly Or send targeted broadcasting information to those who've shown interest to generate higher engagement and customer loyalty.

The result? A skyrocketing interaction rate of WhatsApp messages seen within 5 minutes of delivery leaves traditional email newsletters in the dust.

"Respect your audience's personal space. Newsletters should be like a friendly visitor - frequent but not annoying. Each newsletter should provide value to your customers. It's a delicate balance between keeping customers informed and not overwhelming them with broadcast messaging."

- Sudhir Khatwani, Co-Founder @ The Money Mongers

3. Media Rich

In contrast to traditional broadcast communication channels like SMS or email, WhatsApp business newsletters don't restrict you to text-only content. It has support for various multimedia formats, including images, videos, gifs, stickers, files, and more. So, you can share interactive content to boost customer engagement.

4. Cost-Effective at Scale

If you compare the costs of running paid ads or sending SMS, WhatsApp newsletters are a much more cost-effective channel, especially for small to medium businesses. You're connecting with an engaged audience on a familiar platform, so you don't have to pay extra to boost visibility.

Not to mention, WhatsApp already boasts of high open rates and engagement, which gives a much higher ROI for your business.

5. Automation

While WhatsApp newsletters let you reach a wider audience at once, they are limited to your broadcast list. However, WhatsApp Business API lets you scale your campaigns with automation, advanced customer segmentation, and scheduling capabilities.

With a WhatsApp Business API automation tool like Gallabox, you can schedule targeted WhatsApp newsletter marketing campaigns, set up reply configuration to broadcast messages, and divide your customers into smaller groups based on their responses and behavior.

As a result, you can share the latest and consistent updates via WhatsApp newsletters without any of the manual headaches.

1. Plan Your Newsletter

The first step of establishing any new communication or marketing channel is to plan. What are you planning to achieve with this newsletter? Do you want to direct traffic to your website, boost customer engagement, or enhance customer retention?

Defining these goals will set the tone for the type, language, and purpose of the content you will share. Do you want your newsletter to be more promotional or educational? How frequently are you going to share it? What are the key metrics that you will track to measure performance?

As you answer these questions, you’ll create a robust roadmap for your WhatsApp newsletter marketing efforts and run successful campaigns that maximize your ROI.

2. Collect Opt-Ins

You can't, and shouldn't, add users to your WhatsApp list without their permission. As it is more to likely discourage interaction and also reflect poorly on your business.

So, to get started with your newsletter, you need WhatsApp opt-ins. There are multiple ways to generate opt-ins for your WhatsApp newsletter, with your homepage being the best place to start. Additionally, the most effective opt-in channels include-

·        Embedded signup forms on dedicated landing pages

·        Checkout opt-ins during online purchases

·        Pop-ups or banners on high-traffic pages

·        QR codes on product packaging or receipts

·        Click on WhatsApp Ads on social media

For instance, Gallabox offers a WhatsApp chat widget that lets you integrate a WhatsApp chat box into your website and landing pages to boost lead interactions.

Users who opt-in through contextual, value-driven prompts tend to be far more engaged. And since WhatsApp conversations often feel more intimate than email, people need to understand why you're showing up in their inbox.

3. Segment Your WhatsApp List

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to treat WhatsApp as a one-size-fits-all channel. Relevance is important to capture attention, and segmentation helps you share what each user is interested in.

Most WhatsApp automation platforms let you to tag and segment users based on behavior, purchase history, engagement level, or signup source. At the very least, you can start by splitting your audience into-

·        New subscribers

·        Repeat customers

·        Interested leads vs. converted users

·        Product-specific segments (e.g., users interested in skincare vs. supplements)

For example, sending a restock alert to users who purchased a specific item in the past 60 days is way better than sharing it with the entire list. Your open rates, click-throughs, and opt-in retention will improve when users feel like the message is meant for them.

4. Sign Up on a WhatsApp Business API Platform

If you want to scale, avoid sending WhatsApp business newsletter with your standard WhatsApp Business app. To send newsletters to a large audience, you need access to the WhatsApp Business API.

The easiest and most practical way to get started is through WhatsApp automation platforms like Gallabox, which offers a user-friendly interface, integrations, and advanced automation features to communicate via WhatsApp.

When you sign up through a WhatsApp Business API platform, your account goes through Meta's verification process. This is to ensure that your brand profile is legitimate and users can trust incoming messages from your number.

A verified WhatsApp Business profile shows your brand name instead of just a phone number, making you more recognizable from the first touchpoint.

5. Design Templates and Get Approval

WhatsApp doesn't allow businesses to send messages to opted-in users without pre-approved templates. These are standardized messages submitted to Meta for review to prevent spam and ensure high-quality content is shared with the audiences.

You can easily apply for approval via your WhatsApp API provider and get approval typically within 48 hours.

While creating templates, you can also use media (images, videos, PDFs) to add more value to your messages. Further, access pre-built templates with quick reply buttons or CTAs and more with Gallabox to increase engagement without requiring users to type a response.

6. Send Thoughtful and Timed Newsletters

With all the setup complete, now is the time for execution. Once your message template is approved and the newsletter campaign is ready, schedule a message via your WhatsApp automation platform like Gallabox.

For this, create a consistent schedule and pick the right time to share the newsletter for maximum engagement. For instance, sending newsletters during lunchtime can fetch higher engagement as people tend to check their phones during this time.

Also, it is a good idea to use A/B testing to see what day, time, or even type of content works. This way, you'll develop a messaging strategy that matches your audience's preferences.

7. Monitor Performance

WhatsApp doesn't offer access to engagement metrics like email, but your WhatsApp automation platform does. With tools like Gallabox, you can access dashboards to see read rates, replies, clicks, opt-outs, and so on.

In addition to engagement metrics, check the unsubscribe rates. An increase in drop-off rates after sending a newsletter might indicate that you're either sending it too often or your content isn't valuable enough.

Using this data, you can measure and improve-

·        Which types of content perform best?

·        What day and time gets the most engagement?

·        How do users respond to interactive elements?

Optimizing your WhatsApp newsletter campaigns is the only way to stay ahead of the curve.

1. Get Opt-in Consent

WhatsApp newsletter works just like email when it comes to consent. You need explicit user opt-ins to send messages, which can be collected with signup forms on the website, social media ads, CTA buttons, email CTAs, and more.

Opt-ins are important because they are your first signal of intent. The more intentional the signup process is from the customer, the more engaged your list will be.

So, it's a good idea to have separate checkboxes or CTA to collect WhatsApp newsletter opt-ins so that the users know what they are opting for.

2. Have a Clear Value Proposition

When collecting newsletter opt-ins, make it clear to the audience what they can expect within the newsletter. Vague prompts like "subscribe for updates" won't offer much value.

If someone doesn't know what they're signing up for, they're more likely to ignore your messages or  block you. And every block hurts your delivery rates in the long run.

Instead, be transparent about the type of content they'll receive and how often. For instance, "Get weekly tips, deals, and exclusive previews on WhatsApp" or "Receive the latest product updates and deals every week.”

When users know exactly what to expect, they're more likely to engage and stay subscribed.

3. Be Concise

With the audience's attention span consistently decreasing, conciseness is equally important. Also, WhatsApp is a personal messaging platform, which means you can't have lengthy newsletters with complex language.

The only rule of thumb? Keep it short and simple. From text length to language and media, your newsletters should feel conversational and natural, yet engaging enough for the users to take the next step.

4. Schedule Your Newsletters

Your newsletter can be a goldmine of updates and offers. But if your audience isn't receiving it regularly or at the wrong time, they might forget about you quickly.

The key is to establish a consistent newsletter publishing schedule. Perhaps weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on your business and use cases. A consistent schedule, combined with engaging content, will help keep the audience hooked and always eager to get the next update.

5. Encourage Interaction

When using a messaging platform like WhatsApp, it is important to treat it like one and not like a one-way chat box. If you're only broadcasting updates, you're not tapping into its full potential.

Another WhatsApp newsletter tip is to create a newsletter that encourages real response. Ask questions, run quick polls, encourage feedback, and offer "Reply with a number to choose" menus.

Once users start replying and find it easy to interact with your business via WhatsApp, they will keep coming for more, boosting engagement.

6. Reuse Templates That Work

Creating a fresh message template every time you have to share a newsletter is time-consuming and inefficient, to say the least. A good practice would be to save and reuse every message format, copy style, and time slot that consistently performs well.

This will not only save you time but also eliminate the risk of non-approval from Meta. To see which templates are getting the best results, monitor the engagement metrics.

Luckily, you can use automation tools like Gallabox to automate your bulk messages, use pre-defined templates, and even stay on top of the metrics to see what's working with your audience and what's not.

7. Offer the Option to Unsubscribe

Finally, give your users the option to unsubscribe from the newsletter. While you might be tempted to ignore the unsubscribe button, it can be short-sighted.

For starters, offering opt-outs shows your audience that you value their personal space and time and don't want to bombard them with content without permission. At the same time, an unsubscribe option will likely prevent the users from blocking the account or reporting the business as spam, which can be worse.

Lastly, it also helps filter out disengaged users early, so you're left with people that want to hear from you.

1. Gallabox

When it comes to WhatsApp automation, Gallabox emerges as a robust platform designed to cater to businesses aiming to streamline their communication strategies. As a WhatsApp Business API and automation platform, Gallabox offers a suite of features that allow businesses to automate bulk messages, use click-to-WhatsApp ads for lead generation, integrate WhatsApp chatbots into their website, track engagement, and much more.

Key Features

·        User-friendly interface: Gallabox provides an intuitive dashboard that simplifies the process of creating and scheduling newsletters, making it ideal even for those with minimal technical expertise.​

·        Automation capabilities: The platform supports the automation of repetitive tasks, such as scheduling messages and setting up drip campaigns, ensuring consistent and timely communication with your audience.​

·        Personalization: Gallabox allows for personalized messaging, enabling businesses to tailor content according to customer preferences and behaviors, thereby improving engagement rates.​

·        Analytics and reporting: With built-in analytics tools, users can monitor the performance of their newsletters, track open rates, click-through rates, and other vital metrics to refine their strategies.​

Ideal For: Gallabox is particularly beneficial for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a reliable and efficient solution for managing WhatsApp newsletters. Its comprehensive feature set supports various industries, including e-commerce, education, and service-based sectors.​

2. WATI

WATI is a WhatsApp business API platform that helps businesses automate and manage their WhatsApp communication. It offers a suite of features, including a shared team inbox, automation, and customer segmentation.

It integrates seamlessly with CRMs for a unified view of customer interactions to help sales and marketing teams offer better customer support.

3. Twilio

Twilio is a customer engagement platform that supports WhatsApp messaging, offering APIs for businesses to build custom messaging solutions tailored to their needs. With

4. Interakt

Interakt offers a suite of WhatsApp Business API and automation tools for marketing, support, and sales teams. With an omnichannel inbox, WhatsApp broadcast automation, CRM integration, and more, Interakt simplifies how you connect with customers via WhatsApp.

5. WANotifier

WANotifier is an all-in-one WhatsApp marketing tool offering features like bulk messaging, automation, and detailed analytics, with a free forever plan for small-scale use.​ The platform offers powerful automation, full API integration, and chatbot support to reach a wider audience through WhatsApp.

How can my business start sending WhatsApp Newsletters?

To get started, you'll need access to the WhatsApp Business API via a provider like Gallabox. Set up a verified business profile, build an opt-in list, and use a tool that supports newsletter broadcasting. From there, you can schedule campaigns, segment your audience, and monitor performance using built-in analytics.

Are there any costs associated with sending WhatsApp Newsletters?

Yes, sending newsletters via WhatsApp Business API carries a cost. While the Business App is free, using the API for large-scale marketing, such as sending newsletters, carries per-message and subscription charges. In addition, WhatsApp automation platforms like Gallabox offer subscription plans that include API access, automation, and analytics features. It's best to compare costs based on your expected monthly usage.

How do I ensure my WhatsApp Newsletters comply with legal regulations?

Compliance starts with clear opt-ins, which require users to give explicit consent to receive messages. Further, avoid spamming, and always include a clear unsubscribe option. If you're operating in regions governed by GDPR or similar laws, ensure your provider follows strict data handling protocols. Also, avoid sending sensitive personal data via WhatsApp.