WhatsApp marketing 101: grow your brand with WhatsApp Business

With WhatsApp dominating the global messaging market, businesses can no longer overlook the potential of WhatsApp marketing. By utilizing WhatsApp Business, brands can access powerful marketing tools that enable personalized engagement at scale. Companies are tapping into this platform to stay competitive by:

• Using marketing chatbots to streamline conversations.

• Adopting digital marketing strategies to improve customer retention.

• Leveraging advanced software and automation tools to create seamless customer journeys, nurture leads, and maximize conversions.

What is WhatsApp marketing?

WhatsApp marketing is the strategic use of the popular messaging platform to effectively engage and reach potential customers. With nearly 3 billion monthly users worldwide, WhatsApp provides businesses with an extensive audience to connect with. This makes it an ideal tool for direct, personalized communication—whether for sharing information, offering customer support, or promoting products and services.

There are two versions of WhatsApp designed for businesses, each offering more advanced features than the personal WhatsApp app:

• WhatsApp Business App: Tailored for smaller businesses with basic tools.

• WhatsApp Business API: Designed for medium and large businesses, offering advanced tools and automation.

For business owners, setting up WhatsApp marketing campaigns is a powerful way to reach and engage customers. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most of the world’s largest messaging platform!

How to build a WhatsApp marketing strategy?

WhatsApp plays a crucial role in guiding customers through various stages of the sales funnel, enhancing their shopping experience, and fostering long-term engagement with businesses.

1. Awareness

To generate awareness, you first need to grab your audience's attention and make it easy for them to connect with you. How can you do that on WhatsApp?

• Click-to-WhatsApp ads: WhatsApp introduced these ads to help businesses reach customers on Facebook. When a potential customer clicks on the ad, they are taken directly to a WhatsApp chat with your business. This one-click process sparks interest and makes it incredibly simple to start a conversation.

• WhatsApp links and QR codes: You can also use WhatsApp links and QR codes to make it even easier for customers to reach you.

Additionally, the WhatsApp Manager helps businesses effectively manage the surge in conversations!

2. Consideration

Once customers show interest in a product, they can engage in a seamless conversation with the brand. Using the WhatsApp API, businesses can:

• Send customers a product catalog through a WhatsApp chatbot or AI Agent.

• Allow customers to ask questions or receive additional information without the need for human interaction.

This real-time communication fosters trust and transparency, making it easier for customers to evaluate their potential purchases.

For those using the free version of WhatsApp Business, you can send pre-filled messages to minimize follow-up communication.

3. Purchase

WhatsApp enhances the purchase experience by enabling customers to make purchases directly within the app. Here's how it works:

• Businesses can integrate WhatsApp with their existing e-commerce platforms.

• They can share an in-chat payment link with customers, enabling seamless transactions without the need to leave the app.

This creates a frictionless and convenient shopping experience, streamlining the path to purchase.

4. Retention

After a successful purchase, WhatsApp remains a valuable tool for customer retention. Here’s how you can keep your customers engaged:

• Offer post-purchase services: Send automated delivery updates, shipping reminders, and personalized product recommendations directly through WhatsApp.

• Send personalized broadcast messages: Announce special promotions or new product updates to keep your brand top-of-mind.

This ongoing engagement boosts customer satisfaction and keeps them connected to the brand.

How to start your first WhatsApp campaign?

1. Set Clear Goals and KPI’s

• Define what you want to achieve with your campaign. Examples include increasing brand awareness, boosting sales, promoting a new product, or enhancing customer engagement.

• Establish which KPI’s you're gonna use to measure success. KPI’s might include open rates, response rates, conversion rates, and customer feedback.

2. Understand Your Audience

• Divide your audience into segments based on demographics, purchasing behavior, and preferences.

• Create Personas, develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers to tailor your messaging effectively.

Explore how market segmentation can benefit your business in our latest blog.

3. Build Your Contact List

• Gather contacts: Collect WhatsApp numbers through opt-in forms on your website, in-store sign-ups, or other lead generation tactics. Ensure you have permission to contact them via WhatsApp.

• Compliance: Ensure you adhere to privacy regulations and get explicit consent from users to send them marketing messages.

4. Create a WhatsApp Business Account

• Download WhatsApp Business App: Set up a profile for your business with relevant details like business name, logo, description, and contact information.

• API Integration: For larger businesses, you must use a WhatsApp Business API

5. Craft Your Messages

• Tone of Voice: Ensure your messages align with your brand’s tone of voice.

• Value Proposition: Focus on delivering value to your customers through your messages, such as special offers, useful information, and engaging content.

• Personalization: Use customer data to personalize messages. Address recipients by their names and tailor content to their preferences and behaviors.

6. Use Visual Aids

• Images and Videos: Incorporate images, videos, and GIFs to make your messages more engaging.

• Polls and Quizzes: Use polls and quizzes to interact with your audience and gather insights.

7. Plan Your Campaign

• Scheduling: Decide the frequency and timing of your messages to avoid spamming and ensure they are sent at optimal times.

• Content Calendar: Develop a content calendar to plan and organize your messages ahead of time.

8. Automate and Optimize

• Chatbots and AI agents: Implement chatbots to handle common queries and automate responses for efficiency. AI agents can be used to automate responses, and score and qualify leads. 

• A/B Testing: Test different versions of messages to see what works best and optimize accordingly.

9. Monitor and Analyze

• Track Performance: Use WhatsApp’s analytics tools to monitor the performance of your messages.

• Feedback Loop: Gather feedback from recipients to understand what’s working and what isn’t.

• Adjust Strategy: Continuously refine your strategy based on the data and feedback you receive.

WhatsApp marketing playbook

1. WhatsApp marketing for e-commerce

Goal: Convert high-intent shoppers and increase repeat purchases.

The plays:

• Abandoned cart recovery: Send a reminder with a product image + quick replies (e.g., “Checkout,” “Need help?”).

• Back-in-stock / price-drop alerts: Use automated updates based on customer wish lists or browsing interest.

• Post-purchase lifecycle: Delivery updates + how-to tips + relevant add-ons (light upsell).

• Loyalty/VIP drops: Send early access and member-only bundles via WhatsApp broadcast campaigns.

Best CTA: “Complete checkout,” “Get an update,” “Claim offer.”
KPIs: Checkout completion rate, reply rate, repeat purchase rate, ROI

2. WhatsApp marketing for SaaS

Goal: Improve trial activation, product adoption, and renewals.

The plays:

• Trial onboarding sequence: Setup nudges + feature tips with simple reply options (“1: Set up,” “2: Invite team,” “3: Book demo”) to drive Product-Led Growth (PLG)

• Demo conversion campaign: qualify leads (use case, team size, timeline) and route to the right rep.

• Usage milestone nudges: “You hit X! Want the next best feature?” to drive adoption.

• Renewal/expansion prompts: proactive check-ins for inactive accounts or renewal windows.

Best CTA: “Book a demo,” “Get help,” “Upgrade.”
KPIs: demo booked rate, activation rate, retention/renewal rate, time to first value.

3. WhatsApp marketing for healthcare

Goal: Reduce no-shows and keep patients engaged with timely, consent-based communication.

The Plays:

• Appointment confirmation/reminders: Include “Confirm” / “Reschedule” quick replies to reduce missed visits and improve clinic operational efficiency.

• Pre-visit instructions: Send arrival times, directions, and prep reminders automatically.

• Post-visit follow-ups: Care reminders + feedback collection + route to support if needed.

• Program campaigns: Vaccination, wellness checks, or clinic updates sent to opted-in patients.

Best CTA: “Confirm,” “Reschedule,” “Ask our team.”
KPIs: No-show rate, confirmation rate, patient response rate, complaint rate.

4. WhatsApp marketing for retail

Goal: Drive in-store visits and increase repeat purchases with personalized promotions.

The plays:

• O2O (Online-to-Offline) Promos: Send targeted campaigns based on category interest (e.g., sneakers, skincare) to drive foot traffic.

• Store event invites: RSVP + reminders for launches, pop-ups, and VIP previews.

• Buy online, pick up in store updates: pickup-ready notifications with store location and hours.

• Loyalty campaigns: points updates, member perks, birthday offers, VIP previews via broadcast campaigns.

Best CTA: “Reserve item,” “Visit store,” “Claim reward.”
KPIs: store visits/bookings, redemption rate, reply rate, loyalty engagement, opt-out rate.

5. Campaign idea for education

Goal: Increase student enrollment by nurturing leads, improving application completion and event attendance.

The plays:

• Lead nurture sequence: Send program info, tuition, and intake dates in bite-sized, automated messages to guide the admissions funnel.

• Open house/event reminders: "Book a slot" prompts with FAQ links and location updates.

• Application progress updates: Send document checklist, deadline reminders, next-step prompts.

• Re-engagement campaigns: Use personalized prompts for "Still considering?" leads to improve enrollment ROI.

Best CTA: “Talk to admissions,” “Book an open house,” “Submit documents.”
KPIs: Inquiry-to-enrollment rate, event attendance, application completion rate, response time.

What are the benefits of WhatsApp Marketing for business?

Massive Global Reach

As of June 2024, WhatsApp boasts approximately 3 billion active unique users worldwide, making it one of the most popular mobile social apps globally . This extensive user base enables businesses to connect with a vast audience across different regions and demographics

Cost-effective marketing

WhatsApp allows businesses to send rich media content like videos, images, and GIFs, enhancing the excitement and engagement of marketing campaigns. This can be achieved at a relatively low cost compared to traditional advertising channels, providing a high return on investment.

Seamless CRM Integration

Integrating WhatsApp with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can be a game-changer for your business. Here’s how:

• Streamlined communication: Keep all your customer conversations in one place.

• Track interactions: Easily see the history of your chats with each customer.

• Personalized approach: With all customer data centralized, you can create more targeted and efficient marketing campaigns.

Real-Time Customer Interaction

Messages sent via WhatsApp are delivered instantly, allowing businesses to engage with customers in real-time. This immediacy fosters a more personal connection, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Higher engagement & conversion rates

1. Studies have shown that WhatsApp marketing campaigns can achieve conversion rates compared to traditional channels like email or SMS. Here are some key statistics:

• WhatsApp campaigns boast conversion rates between 45% and 60%, far exceeding the typical 2% to 5% seen with email or SMS marketing.

• WhatsApp messages have an impressive open rate of 98%.

• 80% of messages are read within the first five minutes of being delivered.

This high open rate indicates that messages sent via WhatsApp are more likely to be seen and acted upon by recipients.

1. Analysis of SleekFlow campaign data shows that moving beyond basic messaging to automated, data-driven workflows creates a significant performance gap compared to traditional channels:

• 10X Response Velocity: In the highly competitive education sector, institutions have achieved a 10x faster response rate by automating lead qualification flows to handle peak enrollment inquiries instantly. 

• 5X Contact Base Growth: Innovative O2O retailers utilizing entry-point automations, such as scanning QR codes for showroom access, have witnessed their WhatsApp contact base grow by 5X while simultaneously increasing incoming inquiries by 98%.

• 80% Acquisition Surge: E-commerce marketplaces have recorded an 80% increase in customer acquisition by centralizing fragmented social media inquiries into a single automated flow.

Examples of WhatsApp Marketing implementations

Pristine Aroma achieved an 18% conversion rate on WhatsApp marketing with SleekFlow

Pristine Aroma, a premier Singaporean home fragrance brand, was expanding internationally into markets like Malaysia, Indonesia, the USA, and Canada.

Traditional email marketing was losing effectiveness. As they grew, fragmented communication channels made it harder to scale and connect with customers efficiently.

Pristine Aroma implemented SleekFlow’s WhatsApp Business API. They used personalized broadcasts for marketing and integrated their Shopify store to streamline customer support.

• By unifying communication channels and automating ticket assignments, the internal team's efficiency increased by 90%.

• The campaign saw a 56% open rate and a 16% click-through rate, proving more effective than email.

• Achieved an 18% conversion rate and a 13X ROI during a targeted sales campaign.

Cats College boosted its marketing with SleekFlow's WhatsApp Business API

CATS College, a Malaysian institution, struggled with student recruitment and rebranding. Traditional telemarketing was ineffective and communication channels were fragmented.

Confusion caused by multiple contact numbers hindered recruitment efforts. The lack of a centralized communication system made it challenging to manage inquiries.

CATS College implemented SleekFlow’s WhatsApp API, diversifying lead entry points with QR codes. A unified inbox with mobile access streamlined team collaboration and inquiries.

• RM50k in sales revenue from a single campaign within 30 days. 

• Reached 8,000+ prospects with a 20% increase in read rates and a 10% response rate. 

• 8x marketing efficiency improvement and a 60% ROI.

WhatsApp Business marketing: Grow and manage your audiences

1. Present an attractive brand persona

To make sure your customers can spot your brand quickly, you need to develop a strong, impressive, warm-blooded brand. You must create and incorporate your brand's tone of voice in all the campaigns you conduct. One way to ensure your brand is aligned with your business goals and effectively communicated to your audience is through smart business planning with AI.

2. Build a contact base with broadcast lists

Cold call messages are not allowed on WhatsApp Business to avoid spam.

Businesses can only send messages to customers under 2 scenarios:

•  The customer initiates the conversation

•  The company’s phone number is on the customer’s contact list. 

To gain permission to contact your customers on WhatsApp, it’s worth considering incentives such as coupons, promotional codes or a giveaway to encourage people to give permission for you to contact them on WhatsApp.

To overcome the limitations of WhatsApp Business, you can use WhatsApp API to broadcast messages to an unlimited number of contacts and without the risk of being blocked.

3. Offer relatable content to customers

Customers may come to you for specific reasons, in other words, you can’t use only one type of WhatsApp marketing content to keep every audience member engaged. Don’t forget to make good use of the label feature. Here’s how labels can help:

• Create labels with different colors or names.

• Add labels to an entire chat, a group, or specific messages within a chat.

By targeting those who are interested in particular topics and feeding them with relevant content, you can eventually expand your customer base.

4. Deliver excellent customer service

24/7 customer service used to be a luxury, but with WhatsApp Business, even a small companies can now provide real-time support with a limited budget. No doubt, speed matters in customer service. Fortunately, WhatsApp Business offers several features to help you respond faster:

With quick replies, you can create keyboard shortcuts for the messages, which is especially useful when you have to answer the same question over and over. This provides a considerable benefit of saving time but still being able to actively connect with customers. 

You can also consider setting AI agents within your WhatsApp workflows, so other than just replying to queries your AI agent can guide your customers through the customer journey funnel and hand them over to your team when they are ready to convert.

5. Conduct customer research

You must first have an in-depth understanding of who your buyers are, your specific market, and what influences the purchase decisions and behavior of your target audience members before achieving the goal.

When conducting customer research via WhatsApp, keep the following in mind:

• Use visuals: People generally react more positively to images than to blocks of text. Try using visual aids in your WhatsApp marketing questionnaires.

• Incorporate polls: Polls are a fun way to engage respondents and give them a glimpse of how their opinions compare to others.

Add interactive buttons: With the WhatsApp Business API, you can create interactive buttons for your customer surveys and polls, making it easier for them to respond.

Read more: WhatsApp Business API: pricing, functions, and all you need to know

Unlock WhatsApp marketing potential using the API 

WhatsApp Business API enables advanced personalized interactions and campaigns, for large and medium size companies, that guide customers toward making informed decisions.

• Personalize at scale: The WhatsApp Business API allows medium and large companies to create advanced, personalized interactions that guide customers toward informed decisions. With a multi-agent workflow from platforms like SleekFlow, you can direct customer inquiries to the right agents or teams for efficient handling. This personal touch creates a positive experience and boosts the chances of conversion.

• Automate your marketing: Go beyond simple messages. You can set up automated marketing campaigns like abandoned cart reminders or personalized sales promotions. This helps you reconnect with customers, keep them engaged, and build brand loyalty—all of which drives purchasing behavior and increases your overall sales.

• Streamline the sales process: Imagine your customers completing transactions without ever leaving WhatsApp. The API makes this possible! You can use advanced chatbots to interact with your audience at every stage of the sales funnel. With features like e-commerce integration and one-click checkout links, you can reduce friction in the buying journey and encourage customers to finalize their purchases on the spot.

• Provide stellar post-purchase support: The customer journey doesn’t end at checkout. Use the API to provide post-purchase support, send order tracking updates, and address any concerns. This continued engagement is crucial for building customer loyalty and ensuring long-term success.
  

By collaborating with a Business Solution Provider (BSP), such as SleekFlow, businesses can leverage the automated WhatsApp chatbot feature to provide a more personalized and efficient customer experience. This, in turn, leads to increased customer engagement and enhanced retention rates.

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Why choose an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) for managing business conversations

SleekFlow is a Meta-verified Business Solution Provider, a trusted platform that enables businesses to manage customer conversations in a secure, reliable way. 

Other benefits of SleekFlow as a WhatsApp BSP include: 

• Easy onboarding and support from SleekFlow

• Ensure the best pricing for enterprise customers who need to manage a large volume of contacts

• Be the first to experience the latest features from WhatsApp as BSPs work closely with Meta

• Manage other social messaging channels, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messages, and other channels in an omnichannel inbox

Case studies -  integrate WhatsApp Business API into marketing strategies

1. TKD Lingerie

TKD Lingerie operates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and holds a unique position as the only specialist for D-K cup lingerie in the Middle East. Their core emphasis is on women's lingerie, swimwear, sportswear, maternity wear, and nightwear. The brand has established a strong digital footprint, amassing a substantial Instagram following of over 10K users. 

TKD upholding customer privacy, comfort, and preferences is of paramount importance to TKD Lingerie. They extend their service beyond understanding customer needs by offering convenient virtual or in-person fittings through WhatsApp.

Yet, TKD Lingerie faced challenges in managing diverse customer information due to their wide product range. They also aimed to cultivate post-purchase customer relationships and ensure seamless WhatsApp communication for customers across locations. To overcome this, they adopted the WhatsApp Business API via SleekFlow. 

A 7-day WhatsApp Broadcast Campaign was launched, reaching 4500 contacts, promoting a 3-for-2 promotion from their customer database. Utilizing social CRM features, customer segmentation based on preferences streamlined personalized marketing, alongside accessible insights for cross-channel campaign evaluation. 

By leveraging these features, the marketing campaign yielded remarkable outcomes: 

• a 74% message open rate, 

• 78 closed online-to-offline sales attributions, 

• an outstanding Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) of 40X.

A lot of people prefer being contacted via their mobiles over email. We have seen a better open rate with SleekFlow Broadcasting and a really good return on Broadcasting messages.

Kate Kikano

Founder of TKD Lingerie

2. Bossini

Bossini, a well-known fashion brand, achieved remarkable success in their O2O marketing strategy by utilizing WhatsApp broadcast campaign via SleekFlow. They employed this approach to overcome the limitations of their mobile app's push notifications, which people opt out of mobile app push notifications and lack customer insight. 

Bossini proactively sought an alternative solution, turning to WhatsApp for its interactive messages and quick reply button for their first O2O marketing campaign. The results achieved were impressive:

• Efficiently distribute 10,000 coupons within just five days,

• Achieve 80% promotion message open rate and over 14% response rates,

• 18% increase in in-store membership sales.

By relying on this data-driven strategy, bossini was able to not only enhance customer engagement and interactions but also experience substantial business growth.

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