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How to use WhatsApp Business

While WhatsApp might be better known as a mobile app to communicate with friends and family – it can actually be a valuable business tool.

Here, we look at WhatsApp Business and the ways you can use it to boost your marketing and improve connections with your customers.

What is WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business is a version of the popular encrypted app designed to meet the needs of small and medium business owners.

It’s free to download and use – although if you want to use both the business and personal version on your same device, you’ll need to use a separate number for both.

For larger businesses (50+ users) WhatsApp offers a premium, paid-for enterprise version – WhatsApp Cloud.

The key benefits of using WhatsApp Business

There are numerous benefits of using WhatsApp Business for your business communications.

With a dedicated profile, your business is easily approachable and provides customers with essential details such as business hours, location and website.

It enables you to have direct conversations with customers around the world in a way that can be easily categorised and filtered.

What’s more, it enables automated greetings, away message and quick replies. That means you can respond to messages promptly, even if you’re not actively managing the account.

But most importantly, WhatsApp Business is cost-effective. It is free for small business and reduces the costs associated with customer service calls and traditional SMS.

Other key benefits include:

• End-to-end encryption – meaning it’s private and secure between the business and customer.
• It can be integrated with CRM tools and other business systems to streamline operations.
• Businesses can also receive a verified badge to assure customers they are communicating with a genuine business.
• The ability to share rich media including images, videos and documents.

How does it differ from regular WhatsApp?

WhatsApp Business is designed with the unique needs of companies in mind. Key differences include:

• Chatbot integration
• Automated messaging
• Unique business profile
• QR codes and short links
• Broadcast feature for mass messaging
• Label conversations ability
• Streamlined purchase process

Example ways to use WhatsApp Business

Using WhatsApp Business should streamline processes and improve your relationship with customers. Here are a few tips to do this with a view of boosting profits too:

• Use the Group Chat feature to facilitate team discussions
• Create One-to-One conversations to build and maintain strong relationships with individual customers
• Use the Broadcast feature to efficiently send news and announcements to wide audiences
• Utilise the cost-effective video call option
• Use QR codes and short links on your website to direct customers to WhatsApp
• Engage with customers after a sale to provide a more personalised service
• Collect feedback and valuable insights
• Use notifications to keep customers up to date on the latest offers
• Use auto reply to respond to customers while you are offline

The importance of personalised service

WhatsApp Business enables a more personalised service – something numerous studies have shown to have a real benefit.

These include Epsilons 2018 “The Power of Me” study which revealed 80% of customers said they are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalised experiences.

Likewise, Smarther HQ’s “Privacy & Personalisation Report” in 2019 found 72% of consumers said they would only engage with marketing messages tailored to their interests.

Finally, Salesforce’s “State of the Connected Customer” report in 2021 revealed 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, with 52% adding they always expect offers to be personalised.

What does this mean for your business?

WhatsApp Business offers various tools that businesses can leverage to enhance their communication, foster relationships and personalise customer interactions. Together, these can all lead to improved customer satisfaction and business growth.

WhatsApp Business is more than just another communication tool, it is a paradigm shift for small businesses. Customers today want to feel valued as part of a shared “journey”. And this is where WhatsApp Business can help foster real-time interactions and experiences that are more genuine and resonant.

One of the platform’s most important implications is in its democratisation of marketing. For example, traditional advertising avenues can be costly and often out of reach for smaller businesses. WhatsApp Business provides an avenue for these businesses to connect directly with their customer base.

In a world where trust is a pivotal currency among a sea of risks and scams, promoting yourself as a genuine business is key. WhatsApp Business, with its direct communication and verification features, can bridge this gap and signal to customers that behind the digital storefront is a genuine business, and one that listens, cares, and values the relationship.

Need support in introducing WhatsApp Business at your organisation? Contact the SMY team today to learn more about how we can help.