A closer look: brands that found success with WhatsApp and Instagram Marketing

Digital marketing is increasingly important as we spend more time communicating, shopping, and finding information, online. WhatsApp and Instagram are some of the more popular social platforms that marketers are leveraging for their digital marketing endeavors. Presently, WhatsApp is ranked as the most used mobile messenger app in the world with 2 billion active users globally. Over 100 billion messages are sent each day via the app. On the other hand, with roughly one billion active users worldwide, Instagram has found its place as one of the top, most used social media platforms.  

As digital marketing campaigns prove time and time again that they can generate revenue, especially among millennials and gen Z audiences, companies need to understand the right strategies that work for their business needs. Here are how some brands have found success with WhatsApp and Instagram Marketing.

Let’s see how the top brands are leveraging these ultimate marketing tools!

Adidas

Since 2015, Adidas has used WhatsApp for answering product-related questions and promoting new products to potential customers. In 2019, they offered to help recreational sports players rent a professional athlete for an upcoming game, after realizing that athletic teams used WhatsApp to send team-wide announcements or communications. Through a temporary WhatsApp group created by Adidas, recreational athletes and coaches were asked to send WhatsApp messages with details including the sports they play, the schedule of their next game and why they required a professional athlete. 

As the exchange of personal information was entailed, WhatsApp became the perfect platform. It enabled customers to share private information with Adidas securely, before being allocated an athlete near them. Since then, the challenge of recreational sports players having to share information on team selection and last-minute-replacements was addressed. Using WhatsApp was an easy way for Adidas to effectively boost its brand presence in the sports scene.

SleekFlow's e-commerce solution is tailored specifically for you and your customer's needs.

Singapore Airlines puzzle campaign for Instagram Marketing

In 2015, Singapore Airlines (SIA) introduced a new premium economy offering. In order to generate awareness and hype, this was promoted in a fun and unique way through Instagram marketing. An Instagram-based puzzle was created to engage users and enhance interactivity with the brand. Users were tasked to find the correct image and solve a puzzle through image tags as part of the campaign. The final image revealed the full picture of the new release before any official announcements were made by SIA. This created a sense of exclusivity for those who managed to complete the puzzle. During this campaign, about 1650 of SIA’s Instagram followers followed the separate product launch page.

New to Instagram marketing? Check out our 13-Step Instagram marketing starter kit to unlock Instagram autoreply and more features! 

As of 2021, SIA has launched yet another marketing campaign ‘We Look Forward to Seeing You in the Air Again’. This 30-second video featured iconic SIA elements including their new sonic signature, based on the new batik motif. This was published across their website and socials including their Instagram page. The video length is ideal for Instagram marketing via Instagram reels and stories. 

Apart from using Instagram for their marketing efforts, SIA is also maximizing WhatsApp Business API. This allows their customers to connect with them and receive the timely updated information. SIA is the first airline in the APAC region to be a launch partner for WhatsApp's Business API.      

Check out our latest Singapore case studies to get WhatsApp marketing inspiration:  Singtel leverages WhatsApp Business to drive Customer Experience 3.0

Absolut Vodka: the absolute WhatsApp campaign

To gain credibility and awareness from younger audiences globally, Absolut decided to maximize WhatsApp's messaging system for WhatsApp marketing. A contest was created, allowing participants to win two tickets to a celebration of their new product in Argentina. Players were required to use WhatsApp to message the account of a doorman named Sven and convince Sven why they should get to attend the party.

600 users contacted Sven over three days. In fact, the campaign performed so well that even people who did not contact the account were aware of it! Despite Absolut being a renowned, well-known brand now, this is a great example of how the brand had the vision to leverage WhatsApp as a way to increase brand awareness and sales locally.

An omnichannel social CRM platform is all you need

As seen above, it is undeniable that Instagram and WhatsApp Marketing successfully empower brands to achieve effective digital marketing. While greater brand awareness is generated, there still lies the challenge of having to answer customer queries across multiple platforms regarding the details of such campaigns. 

The power of all-in-one

This is where SleekFlow comes in handy! We provide solutions to merge your customer’s chat apps into a single, intuitive platform. For instance, our SleekFlow CRM platform will automatically record the profiles of message senders whenever a new Instagram message is received. 

In addition, SleekFlow also integrates with Instagram Business API, providing easy management of your Instagram inbox on our platform. In this way, you can offer a unified customer experience seamlessly and efficiently, no matter the customers are coming from Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp. 

What's new in SleekFlow: comments automation on Instagram and Facebook

Image by Facebook for Business

Did you know that 70% of shopping enthusiasts look to Instagram to discover new products. (Facebook, 2019)? This means engaging your followers on Instagram is a great opportunity to influence them on their purchasing decisions toward your brand. 

SleekFlow’s auto-reply feature on Instagram enables you to harness the power of digital marketing. Customers are more inclined to engage in the conversation when the messages are personalized based on their purchase history, customer profile, and product preferences. 

For example, you can add in your caption “Anyone who comments the word “DM” will receive our latest product sneak peek and information!” Then, SleekFlow’s platform will automatically sync and register your followers’ profiles so that follow-up actions can be triggered in one click. 

Other features that automate your customer’s buying journey include:  

• Automated comment replies

• Keyword-triggered initiation of conversations

• Personalized messages

• Embedding payment links in-chat for direct checkout

Stay ahead of the Instagram marketing curve and check out SleekFlow's powerful comment auto reply on Facebook and Instagram.

Take your Instagram and WhatsApp marketing game to new heights in the best way possible, through a single platform. With SleekFlow, delivering the best customer experience becomes a smooth and effortless process.