WhatsApp Marketing: How to Apply it and 5 Success Stories
You already know that almost everyone is on WhatsApp.
A forecast from Statista shows that by 2028, in Brazil alone, there will be around 149 million active users on the network .
But, do you know what WhatsApp Marketing is all about?
Do you have any idea how this strategy can be used by your company and the results it can generate?
If you’re not yet up to date on the subject, know that this Leadster content will serve as a type of complete guide for you to study and be inspired by successful examples!
What is WhatsApp Marketing?
WhatsApp Marketing is nothing more than using the messaging application to incorporate some of your marketing and sales strategies.
With WhatsApp marketing you will be able to reach a huge number of people , as this social network has more than 2 billion active users around the world (yes, it’s not just in Brazil that it’s booming, no).
In addition to getting even closer to the public , using a platform they are already accustomed to to strengthen your relationship and generate sales.
Ok, now that you know the magnitude of WhatsApp and what this base term means, let’s understand some possibilities you have in this strategy!
Marketing possibilities on WhatsApp
Through personalized, dynamic and direct conversations, marketing on WhatsApp opens up a range of possibilities that were previously only thought of via website, email and even offline media.
Here I have separated 6 ways to do WhatsApp Marketing, check it out!
Lead generation and qualification
By talking directly to users, you will be able to capture their attention and collect contact data, generating a lead .
By not stopping there, you will deepen the conversation and gather more details to qualify this potential client.
All of this happens quickly and personalized , as you will have to create unique flows for each situation that arrives in your inbox.
Agile and real-time service
Through WhatsApp, your company will provide consumers with fast, real-time customer service .
This tactic can even be done with the help of chatbots , or even manually, depending on the company’s needs.
With this type of service you improve the customer experience and also impact loyalty.
Sending discounts, offers and promotions
Take advantage of the fact that people are always opening WhatsApp to send personalized discounts, offers and promotions.
This way, you catch the user’s attention and the chances of them opening your message are much higher than an email, for example.
Remember that this strategy can help you increase sales and build customer loyalty , as they will feel valued for receiving special offers.
Promotion of events and content
Following the same logic as the previous topic, WhatsApp can also be used to promote events, content and send reminders to your customers.
In addition to the greater chances of opening, you will be following closer communication with your client , as the social network deviates a little from the formal style of an email, for example.
With this tactic, you keep your customers informed and engaged.
Sales boost
Well, if with WhatsApp you can send discounts, offers and promotions and also publicize your content and events, know that the consequence of this will be a boost in sales.
After all, in addition to having a presence on yet another channel – of great magnitude –, you will be increasingly closer to your consumer, opting for a more personalized and less formal language.
Satisfaction surveys
Finally, you can also apply WhatsApp Marketing through satisfaction surveys with your leads and customers.
This way, you will know what your audience thinks and whether the strategies are being well received or not . In addition to also gaining “points” in terms of engagement.
How to take leads to WhatsApp?
Show, now you know some of WhatsApp’s marketing possibilities, but these users didn’t fall into your network out of nowhere, right?
With that in mind, here I will explain 3 ways to take leads to your company’s WhatsApp. Check out:
Using Click Ads for WhatsApp
Yes, paid media can be your great ally when it comes to sending leads to WhatsApp – in fact, it is one of the most effective!
Through this alternative, users will be able to click on the button in the personalized ad that takes them directly to a conversation with your company .
This format is extremely useful for marketing campaigns that seek to generate leads more quickly and to offer personalized, real-time service to customers.
What is the best campaign objective for WhatsApp?
To answer this question, we will count on the help of Karinne Garcia Lo Gullo, Paid Media specialist at Leadster:
“In my opinion, the best campaign objective in each medium is:
- Facebook Ads: campaign with a traffic (cheaper) or conversion (more expensive) objective, integrating WhatsApp into the ad account and having an objective campaign in the message, with a value proposition about what the user will have after clicking on the CTA.
- Google Ads: if the objective is to increase leads through WhatsApp, create a campaign with the objective of maximizing conversion, taking the user to a short LP, direct message and the shortest possible loading time, with a WhatsApp button to generate the lead.”
From a converting landing page
Another way to drive leads to WhatsApp is through a high-converting landing page .
The page can be created to capture visitors’ contact information, such as name, email and telephone number, and then call them to contact your company via WhatsApp .
To make this happen, you just need to include a link to WhatsApp on the page and create a strong CTA that encourages visitors to use it to communicate with your company.
With the help of a marketing chatbot
To conclude, another way to bring leads to WhatsApp is through marketing chatbots.
Chatbots are programmed to perform various actions , such as answering customer questions, sending promotions and scheduling appointments, but they can also be used to direct customers to a conversation with your company on WhatsApp.
Since you will have already collected contact data, it will be easier to communicate with customers and the chances of conversion increase .
5 Success Stories of Marketing via WhatsApp
What do you think about exploring some success stories here, so you can see in practice how marketing via WhatsApp is done?
Well, I’ve separated 5 examples below, let’s get started!
Spacelaser
With the right to a single page on the Meta website for this case, Espaçolaser , one of the largest laser hair removal chains in the country, did very well with WhatsApp marketing.
The brand’s objective was to drive more people to this contact channel , showing everyone how easy it was to ask questions and hire the company’s services there.
Well, the result was surprising, as Espaçolaser’s Head of Digital, Renato Roschel, says:
“Click campaigns for WhatsApp had a strong impact on sales in a pandemic scenario and closed stores. In 2 weeks we uploaded the campaigns and set up the customer service team via WhatsApp Business to provide assistance. Sales from the digital channel were multiplied by 10X and the level of customer relationships went to another level. Today this campaign has become always-on and the service team increases every month.”
And for all this to happen, the company relied on a strong Facebook advertising strategy until the leads reached the conversation .
Other than that, we can also mention the organic strategy of promoting the new service channel in organic publications on Facebook and having a WhatsApp button on its own website .
Chevrolet
Another brand that has a unique page for its success story is Chevrolet Brasil , a brand owned by the car manufacturer General Motors.
The company’s objective was to increase its lead and sales generation and once again, we can mention advertisements as a strong point of this strategy .
“Click to WhatsApp campaigns allow General Motors to put its consumer in contact with a seller in just two clicks.
Agile, highly customizable communication that meets what every consumer is looking for today: convenience.
In addition to a measurable end-to-end journey, the Click to WhatsApp format brings the brand closer to the consumer, strengthens this relationship and, as a consequence, delivers conversion”, explained Renan Tavares – Marketing Director, General Motors South America.
To make this happen, Chevrolet Brasil, in partnership with Meta, created a click campaign strategy for WhatsApp Business .
Sets of creatives were created on Facebook, such as attractive text calls, product image, prominent brand logo, as well as the WhatsApp icon, followed by a button with a direct CTA creating a clear message association.
Hellmann’s
Hellmann’s mayonnaise brand here in Brazil wanted to inspire people to think of mayonnaise as a culinary ingredient, not just a condiment .
To do this, they invited users of their website to submit their phone numbers along with a photo of the contents of their refrigerators.
People were connected via WhatsApp with real chefs, who created a recipe using Hellmann’s and the other ingredients in the participant’s fridge.
The chefs even taught users how to cook the meal through photos, videos and other WhatsApp resources.
Well, you can now expect the results to be great!
A total of 1,3,000 participants spent an average of 65 minutes interacting with the brand, and 99.5% of them approved the service.
With the excellent response, the brand launched the same campaign in other countries such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Prime Meridian Direct
American car insurance company, Prime Meridian Direct, reduced its response time with interactive media (rich media) through WhatsApp Business .
With the aim of simplifying the sending of inspection photos per vehicle, the company came across WhatsApp. The solution found added immense value, as it allowed more customers to submit their photos for inspection.
The strategy, in addition to saving time, offered a better customer experience . Here’s what David Holliday, shared services manager at Prime Meridian Direct, had to say on the subject:
“The big advantage of WhatsApp as a channel for Prime Meridian Direct is that it is scalable and will be able to support our customers as their business grows in the future . ”
PUCPR
We are talking here about the situation at Post PUCPR Digital, which as soon as it launched a new course was faced with a pandemic, economic crisis and social distancing.
Instead of attracting more customers, the company saw its students leaving the classrooms . It was then that the institution thought of an innovative, distance learning course.
However, another challenge was soon noticed: there were many visitors arriving to answer questions, and few salespeople to provide assistance and qualification – in other words, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.
It was then that Pós PUC PR Digital met Leadster and replaced its old WhatsApp button with the brand’s conversational marketing tool .
Right away, the main problem was resolved, through the proactive and instantaneous approach of Leadster’s chatbots.
To further improve the scenario, all leads qualified by the chatbot were directed to WhatsApp and could now be added to a relationship ruler .
The Head of Marketing, Jhieizer Santos found that:
“Leadster fit our strategy like a glove, bringing us the virtual assistant and activations via WhatsApp, where we managed to double our conversion rate from users to leads” .
How to do marketing on WhatsApp, step by step?
Now that you know some success stories of WhatsApp marketing, let’s understand how to put this strategy into practice.
Let’s go step by step!
1. Generate leads to build your contact base
To start your marketing strategy through WhatsApp, it is essential to generate leads to build your contact base .
You can boost this strategy by offering some type of incentive , such as an e-book or discount coupon, in exchange for users’ phone number.
Other than that, create marketing campaigns, chatbot flows and specific LPs for this action .
2. Define your relationship strategy
Next, it’s time to define your relationship strategy. In other words, it’s time to plan the objective of customer relationships on WhatsApp .
Some of them are:
- More sales;
- Loyalty;
- Building authority.
Also think about the type of message that will be sent, always aligning the tone of voice according to the personas and target audience.
3. Do your content planning
After you have defined the strategy, the ideal is to create a content plan taking into account the defined objectives .
Think about how you can provide value to your contacts, such as tips and advice related to your product or service . But, remember that it is important not to be too invasive, and always respect users’ privacy.
It is also possible to create sales scripts and message templates to make everyday life easier.
How to write sales text on WhatsApp?
If you have no idea how to start your sales text on WhatsApp, today is your lucky day, because Leadster has complete content about it!
Here I have separated 5 examples of messages in different situations that you can use in your sales strategy.
Check out:
- Qualified leads – “I received information here that you are interested in [product or service]. Can you tell me more about your needs? This way I can send you the best proposal.”
- Follow-up after an initial message – “Hello [name]. This is [your name], from [your company]. I’m in touch again to check your interest in our solution.”
- Schedule a meeting – “I would love to schedule a meeting with you to discuss our proposal further. Do you have availability this week?”
- Publicize a promotional action – “This week we have incredible promotions! [Insert products, discounts and special conditions], only [this month, this weekend, etc.]. Are you interested? Signal me here and I can send you some options.”
- Reactivate an old lead – “Hi [name]. This is [your name], from [your company]. The last time we spoke you were looking for [include the solution offered by your company here]. I have a new [offer, benefit, product version, negotiation, etc] and I wanted to share it with you. Are you free to talk this week?”
4. Automate message sending
If your demand on WhatsApp is very high, automating service may be the best way.
WhatsApp Business has restricted automation options , such as welcome message and after-hours message. If you want to create more elaborate automations, you need to develop an API or hire a platform that offers this service.
Another – more manual – way of sending mass messages is by creating broadcast lists , but be aware that the user will need to have their number added to the phonebook to receive the messages.
How to create a professional account on WhatsApp Business?
If you have a company, WhatsApp Business is essential for your WhatsApp marketing strategy.
In this version, you can place commercial information, connect users with the fan page, create Facebook ads for WhatsApp, create a product or service catalog, define automatic messages , etc.
To create an account, you need to follow a few steps:
- Download WhatsApp Business and open the application on your cell phone;
- Read the Terms of Service , then click “AGREE AND CONTINUE” to accept them;
- Confirm your number – add the corresponding country code and enter your phone number in international format. Click “NEXT” or “OK” and then tap OK to receive the six-digit confirmation code via SMS or call. To complete, enter the six-digit code;
- Allow the app to access your contacts and photos ;
- Create an account, to do so, enter your business name, select a business category and add a profile photo ;
- Create your business profile – tap “GET TO KNOW”, followed by “Business profile”. Add important information like your business address and opening hours.
What is the best WhatsApp Marketing platform?
This answer varies greatly from business to business, as it depends on your company’s specific needs.
There are many platforms on the market that offer features to help you manage your WhatsApp marketing campaigns, some of them are:
- Wati – automation platform for WhatsApp;
- Letalk – real-time conversation management platform;
- Botsify – platform for creating chatbots for different communication channels;
- Tak and Blip – customer experience platform, which includes chatbot service on WhatsApp;
- Aivo – customer service platform using AI chatbots.
5. Track metrics relevant to your business
Finally, it is essential that you analyze and closely monitor the metrics relevant to your business.
This can include sales and marketing KPIs such as the open rate of your messages , the number of conversations started by users, and the conversion rate to sales .
Take advantage of these metrics to adjust your WhatsApp marketing strategy and improve your results over time.
Good practices in WhatsApp Marketing
To conclude our complete content on marketing via WhatsApp, I have listed 16 good practices that can further clarify your planning.
Check out:
- Prefer WhatsApp Business;
- Ask for authorization from your contacts;
- Dedicate time to the service;
- Automate processes;
- Understand the customer’s stage;
- Invest in Content Marketing;
- Be objective;
- Use your audience’s language;
- Listen to the customer;
- Train your team;
- Be careful with automated messages;
- Avoid very long texts;
- Be careful with simultaneous uploads;
- Use emojis sparingly;
- Avoid images in the initial pitch;
- Don’t bet all your chips on WhatsApp.
Ready to implement your WhatsApp Marketing strategy?
If you already use WhatsApp and follow all these tips, but still lost leads arrive for your contact, what’s missing from your strategy is Leadster’s conversational marketing platform.
Do like Post PUC PR Digital, and integrate your WhatsApp with our chatbot for marketing and sales.
This way, you already deliver a highly qualified lead to your team, I guarantee that the process will become more productive!
