Is WhatsApp Newsletter the same as email newsletter?

No, but the concept is the same, only on a different channel. While email newsletters are sent to users' email addresses, WhatsApp Newsletter is sent directly to users' WhatsApp accounts through the instant messaging app, which has a much higher open rate (>90%) as compared to email (20%).

Is WhatsApp Newsletter free to use?

Yes, but the free version has its limitations. WhatsApp Business itself is a free messaging app, but you only broadcast the newsletter to 256 contacts. There is also a higher chance of getting reported as spam. If you use WhatsApp Business API to send WhatsApp Newsletters through a WhatsApp BSP (Business Solution Provider), there will be subscription and conversation fees. Consult our experts to find out how to create the best WhatsApp Newsletter strategy for your business.

Will my WhatsApp Business account get banned for sending WhatsApp Newsletter?

If your WhatsApp Newsletter violates WhatsApp's terms of service or spam guidelines, your WhatsApp Business account may be banned. To avoid this, make sure you only send relevant and valuable content to users who have opted in to receive your messages, and avoid sending too many messages too frequently. Using the WhatsApp Business API, you can also apply for the WhatsApp Business green tick verification to show brand reliability and prevent users from reporting your account.

WhatsApp newsletter tool for your business

WhatsApp newsletter is becoming increasingly popular amongst marketers, providing them with a great way to reach their customers directly. With 2.24 billion users on WhatsApp worldwide, more WhatsApp newsletter tools have been available these days, allowing businesses to easily reach their customers and create engaging newsletters.

whatsapp chat with sleekflow api for support options

WhatsApp newsletter is a type of broadcast message used by businesses to reach out to their subscribers on WhatsApp. It involves sending regular updates, news, offers, promotions, or any other information of interest to subscribers in bulk via WhatsApp.

Sending newsletter via WhatsApp is an effective way for businesses to keep their subscribers informed, engaged, and connected with their brand. However, it's important to note that businesses must follow WhatsApp's guidelines and regulations for sending promotional messages to avoid being flagged as spam.

Make sure the subscribers in your WhatsApp newsletter contact list provided your business with their WhatsApp phone number for opt-in. If they report your WhatsApp messages as spam, it will affect the quality rating of your WhatsApp Business account.

Get customer to opt-in on WhatsApp for better quality rating

Combined with automation features such as automated segmentation and drip campaigns, WhatsApp newsletter allows businesses to connect better with their audience. Using personalized messages, your brand can create engaging WhatsApp newsletters according to the interests of their customers. They can even monitor user activity (such as buttons and media click-through rates) and make adjustments to improve engagement.

1. Direct, intimate communication with customers on WhatsApp

When a user subscribes to a WhatsApp Newsletter, they are giving the business permission to send them updates, news, offers, promotions, or any other information of interest directly to their WhatsApp account. This creates a direct line of communication between the business and the audience, enabling businesses to reach their audience in a more personal and engaging way.

Also, a WhatsApp newsletter tool allows businesses to send personalized messages to their audience. This can be done by segmenting the audience based on their interests, demographics, or behavior. This makes the message more relevant and engaging, leading to higher engagement rates

2. Wider reach through WhatsApp’s large user base

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. This makes it an excellent platform for businesses to reach a large audience. With WhatsApp Newsletter, businesses can reach their subscribers instantly, regardless of their location. This makes it a great tool for businesses that operate globally or have customers in different parts of the world.

3. Higher open rates on WhatsApp as compared to email

WhatsApp newsletter has a higher open rate (approximately 99%) compared to email marketing (approximately 21%). This is because WhatsApp messages are usually read and responded to quickly, making it an effective way to capture the attention of the audience. Moreover, WhatsApp messages are less likely to end up in the spam folder, ensuring that the audience receives the message.

4. Cost-effective marketing solution with WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp newsletter is a cost-effective way for businesses to reach their audience. Unlike traditional marketing channels like TV, radio, or print ads, WhatsApp newsletter is free to use. All businesses need is a WhatsApp Business account, which is free to set up.

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Before you start broadcasting your WhatsApp Business newsletter, you must first create the content for it. Here are a few tips to create an engaging WhatsApp newsletter:

Define your goals and audience
Plan your content, make it interesting, informative, and relevant, and keep your content short and concise
Use engaging visuals such as images, videos, or GIFs
Segment your audience and send more personalized messages that resonate with them based on their interests, demographics, or behavior
Provide a CTA (Call-to-Action) such as a quick reply button, a link to your website, or a message to encourage them to share your WhatsApp Newsletter with their friends

The content for your WhatsApp Business newsletter will need to be drafted and sent to WhatsApp for approval. There are rules and guidelines you will need to follow for these WhatsApp messages, and they are called template messages.

Le Dessert broadcast WhatsApp Business newsletter

WhatsApp newsletter can be used for various purposes, including but not limited to:

Monthly promotions for members or loyal customers
Regular news updates about the business/brand
Early access to product launch
Distribution of early bird discounts
Festive wishes to cultivate customer loyalty
Relocation or opening of new branches
Seasonal or limited-time menu of a restaurant

Below are some of the successful WhatsApp Newsletter examples that brands can use as references:

SleekFlow WhatsApp Broadcast for personalized messaging

For those who are still wondering how to send a newsletter to WhatsApp, TKD Lingerie’s campaign is one of the great WhatsApp Newsletter examples. Using an official WhatsApp Business API account, TKD Lingerie, an award-winning GCC retail brand, broadcasted their WhatsApp Business Newsletter to 4,500 customers to promote their 3-for-2 promotion. The results of their WhatsApp Business Newsletter reported a 74% message open rate and 78 closed online-to-offline sales attributions, leading to an outstanding ROAS of 40X in 7 days.

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

Another one of the best WhatsApp Newsletter examples can be found in Bossini, a renowned fashion retailer in Asia, who distributed 10,000 copies of exclusive coupon books through the WhatsApp Business Newsletter. With interactive chat buttons, their WhatsApp Newsletter recorded an impressive performance with a message open rate of 80% and a response rate of over 14%. 10,000 coupon books ran out within five days, and 18% of membership sales were achieved when its members were directed to the physical store for purchases. The increase in in-store traffic created tremendous sales opportunities despite the pandemic.

Retail selling is all about communication. The messaging data generated by SleekFlow is critical for us to drive lasting sales performance.

Yonnie Wong

Senior Marketing Manager of bossini

See more WhatsApp Newsletter examples from SleekFlow’s success stories.

Using WhatsApp Newsletter service includes starting business-initiated conversations with customers. The cost for WhatsApp’s business-initiated conversations varies depending on the country and the WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) you’re using.

To understand how WhatsApp pricing works, read our blog on the latest pricing for WhatsApp Business.

Now, if you’re still thinking about how to send a newsletter to WhatsApp, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Own a WhatsApp Business account on the free app or WhatsApp Business Platform

To get started with creating a WhatsApp Business Newsletter, the first step is to own a WhatsApp Business account. This can either be the free app version or the WhatsApp Business Platform, which is also known as WhatsApp Cloud API. If you choose to use the WhatsApp Business Platform, you will need to select a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) to access the wide range of advanced features on the official WhatsApp Business API.

Once you have your WhatsApp Business account set up, you'll need to create a contact list to send your newsletter to. On the free WhatsApp Business App, you can only broadcast to 256 contacts.

But if you’re using a WhatsApp Business API, you can broadcast messages to an unlimited number of contacts (since they give you the opt-in permission).

You may also risk losing your WhatsApp Business account if the users report your messages as spam and WhatsApp bans your account. This is why it is critical to ensure that your contacts have opted in to receive your newsletter.

Some of the common ways to get customer opt-ins are by using CTAs on your Facebook Business page, sharing WhatsApp QR codes for campaigns or events, and incorporating click-to-WhatsApp ads, which allow users to initiate a WhatsApp conversation with your business.

Step 3: Get your WhatsApp Template Messages approved

The next step is to get your WhatsApp tTemplate mMessages approved. WhatsApp has strict guidelines for sending messages to users, so it's important to ensure that your messages comply with their policies. From February 2022, WhatsApp Business API introduced template messages for all business-initiated conversations.

It means that Meta has to approved all you messages before you send them to your clients.

Use variables to set up template messages and ensure that your customers get personalized WhatsApp newsletters.

Once your template messages are approved, you can start sending or scheduling your WhatsApp Business nNewsletter. Use a broadcast list to send personalized messages to multiple contacts at once, and reach a large audience quickly without having to copy and paste messages.

Using a platform like SleekFlow to broadcast messages, will optimize the process.

After sending your WhatsApp Business newsletter, it is recommended that you analyze its performance and refine your approach. You can use detailed analytics to track metrics such as message delivery rate, open rate, and click-through rate.

By analyzing these metrics, you can gain insights into how your audience is engaging with your content and make adjustments to improve the effectiveness of your WhatsApp Business newsletter. Refining your approach can help you achieve better results and keep your audience engaged over time.

Find out all you need to know about WhatsApp Broadcast for your WhatsApp Business Newsletter in this blog guide.

WhatsApp newsletter ready-to-use examples are pre-designed message templates that you can use to send out your newsletters quickly and easily through WhatsApp. They are perfect for businesses looking to streamline their communication with customers and reach them where they are most active. Here are four message templates you can use for your WhatsApp Newsletter:

Distributing discount voucher

Dear [name],

We have a special discount just for you! Use the code 'DISCOUNT10' at checkout to receive 10% off your next purchase. This offer is only valid for the next 48 hours, so act fast and take advantage of this exclusive deal!

Announcing new product launches

Hi [name]!

We're excited to announce the launch of our [new product line]! Our latest product(s), [product name], is/are now available for purchase and we can't wait for you to try it/them out. Check out our website [link] or visit our store to see the full range of products.

Sending back-in-stock alerts

Great news! Our popular product, [product name] was out of stock and is now back on the shelf. Don't miss out on this chance to get your hands on it. Order now before it sells out again!

Hey [name], you’re in luck!

For a limited time only, we're offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on our best-selling products. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to stock up on your favorites or try something new. Hurry, this offer ends in 24 hours!

SleekFlow platform automation feature for WhatsApp marketing messages

To create a high-performing WhatsApp newsletter, you will need a great WhatsApp newsletter tool, and SleekFlow it’s perfect for your business!

SleekFlow’s platform has the following features:

Quick and easy onboarding process
Shared inbox for teams to manage conversations simultaneously
Automation features with an easy-to-use interface
Detailed analytics for campaign analyses
Stable, native integration to consolidate customer information from e-commerce stores (e.g. Shopify) to CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce & HubSpot)

While using the WhatsApp newsletter service is important, it is also essential for businesses to adopt an omnichannel marketing strategy to keep up with consumer needs in today’s digital age. Attending channel-hopping customers with a premium customer experience will allow your businesses to stand out from the crowd.

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How to create WhatsApp newsletter

1. Direct, intimate communication with customers on WhatsApp

2. Wider reach through WhatsApp’s large user base

3. Higher open rates on WhatsApp as compared to email

4. Cost-effective marketing solution with WhatsApp Business

Step 1: Own a WhatsApp Business account on the free app or WhatsApp Business Platform