WhatsApp is the most-used chat app, delivering approximately 100 billion messages per day to two billion users worldwide. Users are attracted by its accessibility and ease of use. Messenger is completely free. Not many people know that you can make money with WhatsApp. Many major companies interact with their customers using this service. The most common way is to send informational messages. That's what we're going to talk about.
How to sell on WhatsApp: that's what WhatsApp Business is for
WhatsApp Business is suitable for small businesses. In the beginning, you will need to create a business account for the company and fill in information about it (name, phone, mail, website address, and a short description) in the application itself.
Advantages of WhatsApp Business
The service has lots of advantages, let's talk about some of them:
- it is completely free;
- you can contact technical support if you have any questions;
- the application shows message statistics (how many messages have been sent, delivered, and read);
- it has the protection of users’ data;
- automatic interaction with customers (quick replies, greeting messages, messages showing that the employee is offline, etc.).
Disadvantages of WhatsApp Business
There are also some disadvantages:
- you can't send more than 15,000 messages a month;
- the company account can only be installed on one device;
- cannot be integrated with CRM (customer relationship management);
- only a mobile number can be used for registration.
WhatsApp Business "supercharged": use its API and integrate it anywhere
It is worth paying attention to WhatsApp Business API - the paid application for medium and large-sized businesses if the disadvantages of the free version of the service are essential for you. In addition to all the advantages of WhatsApp Business, its "big brother" has no limits on the number of messages sent, the account can be linked to both mobile and landline numbers and communication can be integrated with CRM systems.
However, there will be a fee for sending messages through this service. A message is free if the customer contacted you first and you responded within 24 hours. You need to go through the company confirmation procedure to connect your account. The selection criteria are unknown, so there is no guarantee that confirmation will be received and you will be able to use the service.
How to use WhatsApp Business effectively
None of the official classic WhatsApp apps are allowed to do promotional newsletters. Your account could be blocked if this rule is violated, the same way Instagram can ban your account.
Businesses should opt for WhatsApp Business and use these services to send:
- reminders about a client's appointment or an event;
- information about shipping or orders;
- response to a customer's request for technical support,
- payment information.
You can send messages to customers if they:
- text first;
- your company's phone number is in the client's contact list;
- have given their consent to the sending of informational messages.
You can send a newsletter manually or through a paid version of the Business API service.
The manual option is suitable for small businesses with a free account that does not need to send a huge number of messages every day.
Create a newsletter on WhatsApp Business
Steps to create a newsletter:
- Go to the menu;
- Select “New Newsletter”;
- Select the target recipients from the list.
Mailout via WhatsApp Business API is suitable for large companies that have undergone the confirmation procedure. You can contact Texback if you're not sure if an organization will pass a background check. You can use them to connect to the service. Texback provides a free test period of 14 days. This is just enough time to see if the application is suitable for your tasks.
There are also many unauthorized services for sending messages that are not approved by WhatsApp. You risk having your account blocked without the possibility of recovery by using them.
You can also get blocked if you send out advertising messages and promotions. Nevertheless, you can use the app to promote your products and services. How? Run targeted ads on social networks and bring users into the chat room of the company. This is the only way of promotion for which you do not face blocking.
Is it worth trying to make money by sending ads and offers through WhatsApp?
You should understand earning money through blasting your users with messages via WhatsApp cannot be called other than spamming. It is not a good idea to send spam and receive monetary rewards for it. There are two reasons for this:
- Low results
- Ad saturation
The low result rate is explained by the fact that you are pushing your product to an audience that probably is not interested in it and did not show interest initially. Most likely, your message will simply be ignored or it will be marked as spam. Users may also have bad associations with your product.
Spam has long been recognized as an ineffective method of promotion. Excessive advertising on the Internet is also not conductive.
Use WhatsApp Business to interact with your customers, that is not selling directly anything, but a good customer services will boost your sales too!
Conclusions
WhatsApp is the most popular messenger in the world. Unfortunately, you can't use it to send promotional messages to customers without the risk of being blocked. However, it will greatly facilitate the conduct of your business if you use official services and organize the interaction with existing and potential customers.