If you run a B2C business (or even a B2B one, in some cases), WhatsApp can be one of the easiest ways to get more customers and improve CX (customer experience) in your company. How so? It’s one of the most popular, convenient, and flexible messaging platforms that’s just fantastic for sales and marketing purposes.
If you’re wondering whether you should introduce WhatsApp to your business strategy, the answer is yes, and there is one very good reason for that: WhatsApp is by far the most popular messaging app in the world.
Take a look at this study published by Statista:
With over 2 billion users worldwide, other messaging apps are not even close to WhatsApp (the next in line, WeChat, has almost 700 million fewer users!).
The conclusion is apparent – most likely, a vast majority (if not all) of your customers use WhatsApp. So, why wouldn’t you use it to your advantage? Let’s talk a bit more about this tool’s potential.
WhatsApp vs. SMS – what to choose
While both channels have their pros and cons, WhatsApp is a better choice when you want to use visual assets in your communication, and you have customers in more than one country. That’s because, with WhatsApp, you have more communication options, including:
- Standard text messages (with almost no length limit)
- Photos and images
- Videos and animations
- And even surveys/polls!
With WhatsApp, you can create more visually appealing communication that engages two or three senses (such messages are usually easier to remember). Additionally, because WhatsApp is 100% web-based, all your customers need to get messages from you is an internet connection.
So, there are no additional costs, such as roaming, if some of your customers are abroad. Imagine a customer who’s on vacation outside of the European Union. They don’t use standard text messages and phone calls to avoid roaming costs. And suddenly, a message with your latest offer lands in their inbox. Such a customer can be afraid that additional costs would be charged to their account, which would have a detrimental effect on the relationship with your brand, right? With WhatsApp, there’s no such risk!
For the same reason, WhatsApp is better if you run an international company and want to stay in touch with customers in more than one country.
Now, if you want to use WhatsApp for business purposes, you need to start using WhatsApp Business. Unfortunately, unlike standard WhatsApp, this platform is paid, but it also comes with more useful features. Let’s have a look at them.
WhatsApp Business – two options for your company
Depending on your business profile and needs, you have two options to choose from:
What are the differences between them? We’ll start with the latter one because it’s easier to use
WhatsApp Business App
It’s the most straightforward version of WhatsApp Business. With Business App, you can create a profile for your company, showcase your products and services, and streamline communication with your target audience (e.g., by setting up automated welcome and away messages).
Here’s how such a profile looks:
As you can see, it’s a bit like a Google Maps profile, a short summary of the most important information your customers need to reach out to and stay in touch with your company. The Business App also offers so-called quick replies. In short, you can create and store ready-made replies to frequently asked questions so that you don’t have to write the same answer over and over again.
Other vital features comprise:
- Catalog (a virtual storefront for your business)
- Catalog links (it allows you to easily distribute the whole catalog to your customers)
- Cart (it streamlines online shopping)
- Broadcast (you can use this feature to send out info about promotions and special deals).
WhatsApp Business Platform
The main difference between the App and the Platform is that the latter can be integrated with your tech ecosystem via API. This gives you access to other, more advanced solutions, such as custom-made conversational flows with interactive CTAs, dynamic product lists, rich media, and more.
Because the Business Platform can be integrated with other tools in your business (including your CRM and iPresso), you can use it to send out order confirmations, shipment updates, and other notifications to your customers 100% on auto-pilot.
The Business Platform allows you to make communication with customers more personal and advanced. However, if you run a relatively small, local business, the Business App should be enough for your needs.
Use WhatsApp Business for omnichannel, automated experiences
On the other hand, if you run a large company and utilize the omnichannel model, the Business Platform is your go-to option. Since it can be integrated with other tools, you can integrate it with our marketing automation platform, thus creating one super-effective communication ecosystem for your brand.
Thanks to the integration between WhatsApp and iPresso, you can create entire communication scenarios that engage and sustain communication with your customers.
As a result, you can use WhatsApp to send:
- Personalized promotion notifications (e.g., about current promotions, sales, and exclusive offers; use this feature to encourage customers to visit your company and place an order)
- Order-related messages and notifications (including automated order confirmation, parcel tracking links, and updates on the order status)
- Discount codes (you can use WhatsApp to distribute vouchers and discount codes, e.g., with limited-time availability)
- Customer surveys (turn WhatsApp into a very convenient tool for gathering customers’ feedback and opinions about your services)
Add the fact that WhatsApp is great for visual materials, and you can have a true all-in-one communication platform for your customers, no matter where they are!
Summary: Start using WhatsApp in your company
If you’re not yet using WhatsApp Business, perhaps 2025 is a good year to start. All you need is the Business Platform account (to do so, you need to send your application form first) and your iPresso account, and you can start communication with your customers almost right away!
If you’d like to see how WhatsApp marketing works in real life, start today with a free trial. We give you free access to our marketing automation platform for 30 days so that you have enough time to set everything up and see how it can streamline your communication with customers.
We invite you to start for free today!
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