Millions of people use WhatsApp every day to chat, share, and stay in touch. But did you know that it's also a powerful business tool? WhatsApp is excellent for communicating with customers, marketing your goods and services, and even selling them directly.
What is WhatsApp for Business?
WhatsApp for Business (WFB) is a standalone app that lets you connect to customers in the same way you use the regular WhatsApp app. The difference is that WFB has additional features specifically designed for businesses.
Downloading and using WFB is free. You can find the app on the Android, Apple, and Huawei app stores.
Something important to know: like regular WhatsApp, you register WFB with a phone number. If that number is already associated with a WhatsApp account, your information will migrate to WFB.
For this reason, it's best to use a separate device or at least a different SIM card for WFB; otherwise, your personal and business activities will cross over. It's also a little tricky to migrate from WFB back to regular WhatsApp, so try to use WFB on a different phone number to keep things easy and organised.
What can you do with WhatsApp for Business?
WFB uses the WhatsApp platform to provide many communication, marketing, and sales features for a business of any size. It's particularly useful for small businesses, boutiques, artisans, and anyone who sells specialist products and services. Using the app, you can set up automated messages, track conversations, and even create a catalogue where you can show and sell your goods.
Let's look closer at the most popular features:
Automated messages: You can't be online all the time to answer every business query. But with WFB, you can create automated messages. For example, you can set an automated welcome message for first-time messages, and you can set an 'away' message for queries that come in after hours.
Quick replies: Do you have time to type out messages for every query? Likely not, which is why WFB has Quick Replies. These are pre-written messages (like "Thank you for your business!"), which you can access later to save time and respond quickly to customer enquiries.
Catalogue: The WFB catalogue is a very useful feature. Upload images and descriptions of your products, as well as links to buy them. Depending on what you offer and your location, you can also add prices for items. You can share items from the catalogue or the entire catalogue, making it a very handy marketing tool. Note that WhatsApp must approve catalogue changes, which can take around 24 hours.
Labels: Tracking different conversations with customers and suppliers can become a chore, but WFB's labels make it a lot easier. You can create up to 20 different labels, such as 'prospective sale' or 'customer request.' Tap and hold on a chat to add a label, then select a label to see all the chats tagged with it.
Facebook and Instagram ads: You can create ads in WFB that display on Facebook and Instagram ad networks. When people click on these, they go directly to WhatsApp to chat with you or browse your catalogue. You can use images from your phone or catalogue for the promotion and set limits such as the desired audience, budget, and timespan in the WFB app.
QR codes: Using WFB, you can create a special QR code that directs people to your WFB space. Use this QR code for your marketing, placing it in ads, on stickers, on your business card, or wherever you want to reach new customers.
There are many more features to try out. Some are not available locally yet, but they might roll out here in the future. Other features include smart lists that organise messages and users, sending specials and other marketing messages to WhatsApp users. There are also advanced features such as shopping carts and integration with popular software such as Salesforce for a complete ecommerce experience.
To find out more, visit the Getting Started With WhatsApp for Business page and check out the WFB video tutorials on YouTube.
