Want to use WhatsApp for your business but don’t know where to start? Fret not, here’s all you need to know about WhatsApp Business!

Did you know that more than 1.5 billion people use WhatsApp on a monthly basis? And that’s exactly what makes it one of the most popular messaging platforms out there.

With the era of digitalisation finally looming upon us, businesses all across the world are constantly trying to figure out various tactics to promote their products and services to a wide audience.

In the previous blog post, we took a brief look at what Instant messaging marketing is all about and why it’s the real deal in today’s digital world.

Instant Messaging for Businesses?

Did you know that about 98% of the overall mobile users will click through and read a business-based message by the end of the day?

And that’s the reason why you need to add instant messaging into your Digital Marketing playbook right away.

In the past year, we witnessed “WhatsApp Business” come into existence.

However, not many business owners have given it a shot up until now.

For starters, WhatsApp has a tremendously high user base and is considered as the best messaging platform all across the world.

According to 2019 reports, about 300 million people in India use WhatsApp on a monthly basis.

The second position goes to Brazil, having an active user base of about 120 million people.

Apart from it dominating about 104 countries, WhatsApp’s userbase is also very varied and that’s something that shouldn’t ever be ignored.

Don’t worry if you don’t already know what WhatsApp Business is all about.

In this blog post, not only will we take a brief look at what exactly WhatsApp Business is, but we will also be learning why it’s SUPER-DUPER important for just any business out there.

Let’s just get started right away.

 What is WhatsApp Business?

Long before WhatsApp Business came into existence, many businesses had already included the use of WhatsApp into their daily operations.

As such, WhatsApp released business versions of WhatsApp for business owners to better engage with their target audience through both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.

It’s no secret that the user engagement on WhatsApp is really high.

According to Tech Crunch, about more than 3 million business owners have already started equipping WhatsApp Business for effectively reaching out to their consumers and prospects.

With the help of additional functionalities, WhatsApp Business makes the job a lot simpler for the businesses. This is especially true for workflows like payment notifications, customer support and even sales and marketing!

As mentioned above, are two different WhatsApp Business models available for businesses depending on their requirements:

• WhatsApp Business App

With the WhatsApp Business App, small as well as medium-sized businesses can easily engage with their customers via a smartphone application.

• WhatsApp Business API

On the other hand, the WhatsApp Business API is more suited for large businesses that have a large messaging volume. In addition, it also comes with more business-specific features. Want to know more? We’ve written an essential guide to the WhatsApp Business API!

Here’s a quick comparison between the WhatsApp Business App and API:

 All You Need to Know About The WhatsApp Business App

WhatsApp Business is one of the most popular iOS and Android messaging applications for small business owners, helping them connect with their prospects and consumers in a more reliable manner.

It is a free app available on Android and iPhone, and was built with the small business owner in mind. WhatsApp Business makes interacting with customers easy by providing tools to automate, sort and quickly respond to messages. It’s also intended to feel and work just like WhatsApp Messenger.

You can use it to do everything that you’re used to doing, from messaging to sending photos.

That being said, the WhatsApp Business app only provides single-person access and requires relatively more manual input and workflows.

WhatsApp Business App Features

1. Create a Business Profile

WhatsApp Business allows you to create your own professional business profile.

You can add various pieces of information about your business, such as contact information, company’s website as well as location.

And that’s something that will help you build the credibility of your business.

2. Set Business Timings

Set your business hours in the WhatsApp Business app! This allows your customers to know when is the best time to reach you. At the same time, this also allows you to manage expectations when it comes to customer support.

3. Use Automated Responses

With WhatsApp Business, you can easily automate messages like greetings, quick replies, or away messages.

Through the use of Away Messages, you can let your customers know that you are busy. Simply, toggle “Send away message” and type in the message customers will receive based on the schedule determined by you.
With Greeting Messages, you can send a message immediately after a potential customer contacts you. You can use this opportunity to share information about your company with your consumers.

As for Quick Replies, you can create keyboard shortcuts for the messages you send most frequently. You can use quick replies for text or media messages, such as GIFs, images and videos. 

To send quick replies, simply search for the quick reply using the keyword or type “/” and select the shortcut directly.

4. Include a Product Catalogue

WhatsApp Business allows you to create your own product catalogue to showcase and share your goods easily. This makes it easy for customers to browse and discover things that they would like to buy. Say goodbye to sending tons of pictures and repeating pricing and product information like a broken recorder!

To create a catalogue, tap on Business Settings > Catalog > Add Product or Service. Then, fill it up with images, product, and pricing information and tap save.

5. Add Labels to Group Chats

With WhatsApp Business, you can group your chats with labels. This allows for quick classification of customers and fast access to the labelled chats.

Here are some label suggestions that you can use:

• New Customer
• Returning Customer
• Customer Awaiting Orders 

6. View Messaging Statistics

It’s now possible for you to manage your messaging statistics.

For instance, it’s now possible for you to check how many messages were sent by you and how many of them were read.

In short, you are able to track the performance of your campaign effectively.

 Get to know the WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business API comes with much more flexibility and functionality and is suited for larger teams with a more varied WhatsApp Business usage.

It has verified business profiles to allow companies to establish trust with customers. And it also supports unlimited devices and users, allowing for multiple teams and user access.

However, it only provides an API endpoint and requires a software solution and an official Whatsapp provider to integrate with before being able to harness its full functionality.

Apart from that, there are phone number requirements and also certain rules to adhere to when it comes to sending messages to customers and each message sent will be charged.

That being said, using the WhatsApp Business API can greatly increase workflow efficiency by allowing integrations with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. With the ability to build and include automation rules with forms and different CRM software to schedule messages, the possibilities are endless! Furthermore, the WhatsApp Business API also comes with upgraded data management capabilities like data exporting and archiving. Great for periodic revies to improve work processes!

There’s so much more to the WhatsApp Business API that we’ve written a dedicated blog on it. Make sure to check it out if you are considering to use the WhatsApp Business API!

Which one should I choose? 

There are a few determining factors when it comes to deciding whether the WhatsApp Business App or API is better suited for you. Some of which include the need for various forms of automation, the presence of multiple teams requiring access to WhatsApp and the frequency of sending mass messages.

Nonetheless, it is worth investing in the WhatsApp Business API for its powerful business-class features. Read more about the WhatsApp Business API in this blog where we do a deep-dive and highlight the key functionalities of the WhatsApp Business API.

Regardless of whether you prefer the WhatsApp Business App or the WhatsApp Business API, SleekFlow provides a simple solution to manage all your messaging channel needs. By providing both an app and a web interface, both small and large companies can respond to customer queries in a timely manner while enjoying workflow automation and increased efficiency.

Our team at SleekFlow has written blogs on both the WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp Business API providers. Check them out if you want to know more!