It will interest you to know that a lot of social networks started off focusing on personal relationships and connections centering around lifestyles. But, companies like Snapchat Facebook, Instagram and Twitter discovered the value of inviting businesses and brands to participate in their social networks to connect them with clients.
WhatsApp has recently joined in by offering WhatsApp Business —a free application for small business owners and startup founders that can be used on Android and iOS mobile devices. The app provides a means to communicate and engage with customers in a direct, personal and targeted way.
In addition, WhatsApp Business offers two kinds of accounts for companies that suit different needs. The regular business account assists in separating personal and work messages while offering a convenient way to be responsive to customers. Features also include automated greeting and away messages. This application does require a separate SIM or phone number if you want to have both a personal and WhatsApp Business account.
Developing companies may want to consider the WhatsApp Business API account developed for larger businesses. This pay-to-use platform allows for multiple users, offering opportunities for both sales and customer service teams to engage with clients.
The following are few reasons why you should use WhatsApp Business for your enterprise:
Analytics To Help Understand Your Customers
There are few options that offer a means to monitor key metrics about customers. The WhatsApp Business API product delivers analytics on the number of messages sent and delivered from certain phone numbers. Other metrics include the number of messages that selected phone numbers received from recipients. You will also be able to remain on top of the total estimated amount spent on messages. The metrics are saved in the Insights tab, but the data can further be exported and grouped by phone number, message type and country.
Messaging Tools For Engagement
One of the most crucial part of WhatsApp Business is its messaging capacity, which connects a brand to its audience and client base. With open messaging options, a brand can send unlimited free messages in different formats. Automation features also offer a means to deliver timely responses.
The messaging system foster proactive contact with your audience. If you have a client or lead’s phone number, you can use WhatsApp Business to send an initial welcome message to each contact. While you won’t want to abuse it by sending too many messages, this channel becomes an alternative or extra channel to connect with your target audience or existing clients.
Furthermore, there’s also a broadcast tool, which enables you to send any type of content to up to 256 people on each broadcast list you have created. Inasmuch as contacts will only receive the broadcast if they have saved your number, this is an effective strategy of sending out a campaign very fast. You can also group your contacts and then create broadcast campaigns related to appointments, shipping information and booking requests that match those groups or personas.
Group messaging is quite another engagement and collaboration tool. Similar to broadcasting, this tool provides group chat capacity so that everyone can communicate and view contact details. Available for up to 256 contacts in one group, the tool is effective for networking, beta testing, focus groups and service meetings.
Business Presence And Awareness
Different statistics point to the importance of using WhatsApp Business. According to WhatsApp, there are 2 billion WhatsApp users around the world as of 2020. The number of users has been increasing at the extraordinary rate of half a billion every two years. Of this audience, Statista proved that 1.6 billion users access the messaging app each month (Statista, 2019), which is 23 percent more than its closest competitor, Facebook Messenger.
As part of the Facebook family of companies, you can make use of WhatsApp Business to further build your online presence and reach an even wider audience. One appealing option is to link the app to a Facebook Page. Doing so can enable you get traffic via different tools like a WhatsApp Send Message Button, Facebook Ads, or a WhatsApp number listed on your Facebook page.
A Display For Your Products And Services
WhatsApp Business offers means to buy and sell your products/services via features like the WhatsApp Business Catalog and WhatsApp Cart. The catalog feature offers a way to share product and service listings with customers. You can spotlight what you offer with photos, descriptions and pricing information. Links from your catalog or even each item within it can be shared across all your other channels.
Customers can also add products to their cart after seeing them in the catalog as well as use the messaging tools to confirm a transaction with your business. The application also works effectively for those brands that have physical storefronts. For instance, you can physically showcase your WhatsApp Business QR code so customers can scan it in the store, easily adding you so they may engage with your business online.
Apart from the mentioned benefits of using WhatsApp Business, there are still more results-oriented reasons you should incorporate the use of WhatsApp business as a growing brand.