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As you may (or may not) know, WhatsApp Business API allows you to communicate directly with your customers, either through session messages initiated by your customers or templated messages initiated by you.
Now, businesses can use the WhatsApp Business API to share additional information. This means that you’ll be able to employ these new perks:
Send products recommendations to your customers, related to their previous purchases
Send helpful informational alerts
Send relevant offers to your customers
Send reminders to book appointments to your customers
Sounds great, right? So what do you need to do to get started?
Well, if you’re already using WhatsApp Business API then you need to do almost nothing. Just use the CM.com platform to also request templated messages that contain additional types of information. Keep in mind that the following three attributes are still applicable to ensure a high-quality customer experience:
Expected: Your customers have already opted in to receive communication from you so they are not surprised when you message them
Relevant: The messages are personalized to the specific customer (Ex: based on recent purchases or recent engagement with your business, personalized content in the message itself), concise, contain necessary information, and clearly outline any next steps for your customer
Timely: Your customers receive these messages when they are relevant
Opt-ins (in advance) are still required before sending these notifications and of course you should also adhere to the WhatsApp Business API Commerce and Business Policies. The Business Policy outlines the following requirements:
Businesses must clearly state that a person is opting in to receive messages from the business over WhatsApp or other third-party channels
Businesses must clearly state the business’ name that a person is opting in to receive messages from
Businesses must comply with applicable law
And remember: your customers will always be in control. Make sure that the opt-in and opt-out flows are clear and intuitive for your customers and avoid messaging your customers too frequently. Don’t be that business that gets blocked by their customer for sending unsolicited spam-messages with no clear unsubscribe-option; it’s 2021 and that’s not how we do business anymore.
Now let’s get into the benefits of these new types of messages. What can they do for your business?
Telecommunications
Proactive outreach for top-ups before minutes, message or Internet bundles run out
Reminders about plan renewals before expiration
Financial Services
Product recommendations based on recent activity or purchases
Signing up for a line of credit or installment plan
Pre-approval for a new kind of loan or credit card
Credit card discounts
New partnerships offers
Retail/Ecommerce
Product back-in-stock reminders
Product recommendations based on recent purchases
Cart abandonment reminders for products not yet purchased
Relevant offers and deals
Relevant new products introductions
Travel
Price alerts for flights the customer is tracking
Custom deals based on travel preferences
Cart abandonment reminders for flights not yet purchased
Product upsell offers in context (e.g., car booking)
Interested in these new WhatsApp Business API features or WhatsApp Business API in general? Check out our WhatsApp Business guide for more info
