previous icon Back to blog
Jul 14, 2021
3 minutes read

WhatsApp Business: More Types of Proactive Messages Now Available

WhatsApp allows more types of proactive messages to its services and that’s awesome news for your business! It means that you will be able to serve your customers more information they choose to receive.

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 after an opt-in.

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 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 this information from you over WhatsApp so they are not surprised when you message them
  • Relevant: The messages are personalised to the specific customer (Ex: based on recent purchases or recent engagement with your business, personalised content in the message itself), concise, contain the 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
  • 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 on WhatsApp. Make sure that the opt-in clearly states what messages you will be sending to your customers (ex: order updates, back-in-stock alerts, product recommendations, etc.) and what value these messages have for them.

For practical examples on how to collect op-ins, read our blog All You Need to Know About WhatsApp Business Opt-Ins

Another thing to keep in mind is ensuring that your opt-in and opt-out flows are clear and intuitive for your customers. You don't want to be that business that gets blocked by their customers 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 to the exciting part - 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 instalment 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.

Schedule a demo for WhatsApp

Was this article interesting?
Share it!
Brian Fieret
Digital Marketer at CM.com. Responsible for developing and executing the digital marketing strategy of CPaaS and Payments.

Latest articles

WhatsApp Pay
Jul 15, 2024 • WhatsApp

How to get the WhatsApp Business green tick ✅

The WhatsApp Business green tick is the official badge for Meta verified business accounts. It helps users to distinguish between authentic businesses and fake accounts. Many users place high value on the green tick, and brands sporting this badge will see a positive impact on their business. But how can you business apply for the green tick badge? Read all about it below.

sms-vs-mms-vs-rcs
Jun 03, 2024 • SMS

SMS vs MMS - What is the difference?

There are many different ways to send text messages, and the various names and acronyms may start to feel daunting. In this blog, we'll tell you everything about SMS and MMS.

engage-platform-effect-customer-service
May 10, 2024 • CM.com

Happy clients, happy agents: The "platform effect" in customer service

As a member of the customer service team, you stand on the front lines of customer interaction every day. In a world where customers demand quick and personalised service - long wait times, impersonal responses, or worse, incorrect answers, can quickly drive a customer away. Your goal, however, is to connect customers with your organisation and deliver the best answers and service possible. It’s incredibly satisfying to see a customer leave a conversation happier and eager to purchase your product. Your efforts can significantly enhance the customer experience, but you need the right tools to truly excel. Integrating these tools into a platform amplifies your capabilities and lets you experience the power of the platform effect.

Aplicación de WhatsApp Business Platform para eCommerce
May 08, 2024 • WhatsApp

Quality customer engagement with the WhatsApp Business Platform

We all want to get our messages out there. We want to engage with our customers, raise brand awareness, and connect with our target audience. WhatsApp Business Platform helps you safeguard the way you communicate with existing and potential customers, making sure that you provide them with a meaningful and relevant customer experience to help grow your business.

how-popular-is-sms
Mar 01, 2024 • SMS

How popular is SMS in 2024 and how does it add value to businesses?

SMS is one of the oldest messaging services, and the rise of instant messaging apps definitely made a dent in SMS traffic. Contrary to the newer apps with their rich features, SMS is quite basic with; plain text messages, no fluff and a character limit of 160. Regardless, SMS is still one of the most impactful communication channels today. Read all about SMS statistics and its continued value for modern business communication.

The Benefits of A2P Messaging
Feb 28, 2024 • SMS

The benefits of A2P Messaging for business

Amid the thicket of technology TLAs with 2 in them (B2B, P2P, 2FA,...) is one of the simplest A2P messaging, or “Application-to-Person”. You may not be familiar with the acronym, but it’s probably touched your life several times in the last week alone. Let’s see why A2P remains relevant as a messaging technology today.

WhatsApp Pay
Feb 26, 2024 • WhatsApp

Rich, flexible, and functional interactions with WhatsApp Flows

The WhatsApp Business Platform is adding another new and exciting feature to its repertoire: WhatsApp Flows. What is it and what can your business do with it? Let's take a look!

WhatsApp vs Facebook Messenger
Feb 12, 2024 • Instant Messaging

WhatsApp vs Facebook Messenger: Which messaging channel is best for what?

WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are both established messaging channels for customer engagement, but what are the differences? Lets look at what the advantages are of each channel and which situations call for which channel. Let's dive in.

blog-featured-sms-ecommerce
Feb 09, 2024 • SMS

SMS for e-commerce: Create a successful e-commerce strategy with SMS

Want to grow your business? Then customer contact is key. Now that everybody and everything is connected to each other via these powerful little computers in our hands, the way you communicate with customers is becoming increasingly important for your success. Read all about how you can use SMS to elevate your customer contact, drive sales and create a loyal customer base.

Is this region a better fit for you?
Go
close icon