How to do WhatsApp Marketing through broadcasting and bulk messages
TL;DR: Quick Summary
WhatsApp marketing is crucial for businesses in Malaysia with 70% of customers preferring messaging for contact. It offers high engagement and 98% open rates.
WhatsApp Business API allows for scalable bulk messaging, broadcast lists, and personalized campaigns while minimizing the risk of account bans.
AI-driven automation improves efficiency by instantly responding to inquiries and personalizing engagement, streamlining lead qualification and boosting conversions.
SleekFlow simplifies WhatsApp marketing by integrating CRM systems, automating follow-ups, and creating a seamless chat commerce experience with Shopify integration.
Businesses can leverage WhatsApp Broadcasts to send personalized updates, promotional messages, and drive sales directly via the app.
7 in 10 Malaysians prefer to message a business instead of calling or emailing, which is why WhatsApp is now a must-have channel for Malaysian brands in 2025. With WhatsApp reaching more than 3 billion monthly users globally, it offers a fast, familiar way to promote offers, answer enquiries, and drive sales in a single chat thread.
But “WhatsApp marketing” can mean two very different setups. If you’re just starting out, the WhatsApp Business App lets you broadcast updates to contacts—but each broadcast list is capped at 256 recipients, and people must save your number to receive your broadcast. If you need to send campaigns at scale (segmentation, automation, reporting, multiple agents), you’ll want the official WhatsApp Business Platform (API), which charges per delivered message based on message category.
Want to know more about how Sleekflow's AI system handles complex business communications? Check out our breakdown on the technology that powered SleekFlow AI.
Two ways to run WhatsApp marketing campaigns in Malaysia
WhatsApp marketing in Malaysia typically comes down to two methods: broadcasts in the WhatsApp Business App for smaller lists, or bulk messaging via the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) for campaigns at scale. Here’s a quick comparison before we get into the step-by-step.
How to send bulk messages in Malaysia using WhatsApp
WhatsApp is widely used in Malaysia for both personal and business communication, making it a strong channel for marketing updates, promos, and reactivation campaigns—if you use the right approach. In practice, there are two ways businesses send bulk WhatsApp messages: broadcasts in the WhatsApp Business App (best for small lists) and bulk messaging on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (API) (best for scale, automation, and reporting)
Option 1: Broadcast messages with the WhatsApp Business App
If you’re just starting out, the WhatsApp Business App lets you send one message to many contacts using Broadcast Lists. Each broadcast list can include up to 256 contacts, and messages are only delivered to recipients who have saved your number.
How to send a broadcast (step-by-step)
Open WhatsApp Business App
Go to Lists (or Broadcast lists)
Tap New list and select the contacts you want
Tap Create and send your message
To make your workflow easier, you can use Labels to segment before you broadcast. Labels help you group contacts so your messages stay relevant (and don’t feel like spam). For example:
New lead
Existing customer
VIP
Abandoned cart
Repeat buyer
How to use Labels:
Go to More options → Labels
Create labels (or pick an existing one)
Add contacts to labels
Build broadcast lists based on those labels
But remember, broadcasts are great at the early stage of your business, but they hit limits quickly:
You’re capped at 256 contacts per list
People must save your number (or they won’t receive it)
Reporting and automation are limited (hard to scale campaigns cleanly)
Option 2: Bulk messaging at scale with the official WhatsApp Business Platform (API)
If you’re running WhatsApp marketing seriously (segmentation, automation, multiple agents, analytics), you’ll outgrow the Business App. The official WhatsApp Business Platform (API) is designed for scale—but it comes with rules and a pricing model you should understand.
What’s different with the API?
WhatsApp charges businesses per delivered message, with pricing depending on the message category (marketing, utility, authentication, service) and the market.
You must follow WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy (especially for marketing content and user experience).
The API doesn’t “guarantee you won’t get blocked”, it simply keeps you on the official route. Accounts can still be subject to enforcement if messages violate policy or user-experience expectations.
How to send bulk messages on the API
Set up WhatsApp Business Platform access (Cloud API or via a partner/platform)
Prepare compliant message templates for outbound campaigns
Build segments (leads vs customers, categories, intent)
Launch campaigns with tracking + routing for replies (so leads don’t go cold)
Once you’ve picked the right method (broadcast or API), the next step is making sure your WhatsApp marketing stays official—and that your campaigns don’t end as one-way blasts.
Why SleekFlow works best for WhatsApp marketing at scale
If you’re serious about WhatsApp marketing at scale, the goal isn’t just to send more messages—it’s to stay on the official WhatsApp API, keep campaigns organised, and turn replies into outcomes (orders, bookings, qualified leads). SleekFlow helps you do that, and if you run an online store (like Shopify), integrations can make the workflow even smoother.
Stay official and reduce risk as you scale, not getting blocked
High-volume WhatsApp marketing should run on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (API) — not unofficial tools that put your number and deliverability at risk. SleekFlow runs on the official API layer, so you can scale campaigns with the right foundations (templates, opt-in workflows, and proper routing) instead of “spray and pray” blasting.
Shopify + WhatsApp, connected in one workflow
With Shopify integration, your WhatsApp marketing stops being guesswork. You can see customer context in one place — order info, past purchases, and intent — so agents (and automation) can respond faster and more accurately. This also enables practical automations like:
Order updates and delivery tracking triggered by Shopify events
Abandoned cart recovery flows (e.g., send a reminder after a set time, optionally with a limited-time incentive)
Post-purchase follow-ups for reviews, reorders, and repeat purchases
AI + automation that supports the full funnel
The biggest upgrade in 2025 isn’t blasting messages — it’s what happens after someone engages. With SleekFlow’s AI-driven automation, you can:
Reply instantly when customers respond to a campaign (so leads don’t cool off)
Personalise messages using customer history and behaviour (so it feels 1:1, not mass)
Route chats automatically (VIP, urgent, negative sentiment → the right agent)
Trigger follow-ups that move customers toward checkout (and stop when they convert)
Real-life example: Malaysian businesses using SleekFlow for WhatsApp Marketing
Mudah.my utilises WhatsApp broadcasts for marketplace business
Mudah.my uses SleekFlow’s comprehensive solution to integrate WhatsApp Business API into their online marketplace.
With an open platform, Mudah.my attracts a diverse consumer base, and merchants who advertise job vacancies on Mudah.my may require assistance in achieving satisfactory outcomes for their listings.
The SleekFlow platform integrates the WhatsApp Broadcast feature to disseminate crucial messages to merchants, informing them on how to achieve their objectives with these advertisements and outlining the guidelines for ad creatives and the employment regulations in Malaysia.
In Malaysia, you can emulate what Mudah.my has done to leverage WhatsApp Marketing by sending key updates and information about sale offers and promotions. You may use some of the examples of WhatsApp promotional messages described below.
Here is a sneak peek at our newest [product title]!
You purchased, you left comments, and we listened.
We know how powerful our [other goods] were with you, so we have combined the best aspects of each of our products to create our brand-new [item name]!
Are you as enthusiastic as we are about the upcoming launch? Visit our website to learn more about them: [link]
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you do have any queries!
SleekFlow, the WhatsApp Marketing solution provider
WhatsApp Marketing has grown to play a huge part in Malaysia’s business and commerce communications. Companies are using WhatsApp API to communicate with their customers officially.
SleekFlow, as an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) assigned by Meta, is the best tool for WhatsApp Marketing because it offers an easy way to create automated messages, track replies, and automate follow-ups with AI. You can set automated rules to assign conversations, send personalized engagement messages and develop chatbots that suit you the best. All these help streamline workflows and shorten response time, boosting productivity instantly.
One of our key findings is that people prefer to read messages on WhatsApp. After using SleekFlow, we observe a dramatic increase of 40% in open rates of our communications.
Caroline York
Head of Corporate Communications at AQUMON
Watch the latest episode of That’s Why I SleekFlow to learn how AQUMON, a leading FinTech company, utilizes our omnichannel platform to react faster and catch up with the speed.
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Book your personalised demo with SleekFlow today and unlock the potential of seamless communication
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