WhatsApp automation for businesses: benefits and use cases
WhatsApp automation is transforming the way businesses communicate with customers. WhatsApp has about 200 million WhatsApp users in the Southeast Asia region, with 90.7% of Malaysians and 74.7% of Singaporeans using the app monthly. It has risen to become the preferred channel for communication. For businesses, adopting WhatsApp has become more than just a trend, but a necessity to stay ahead in a competitive market. Add WhatsApp automation into the mix, and you can make WhatsApp Business more powerful for sales, marketing, and customer support.
This guide explores how businesses can leverage WhatsApp automation through SleekFlow’s WhatsApp Business API solutions, and how some of our clients have successfully done so.
What is WhatsApp automation?
WhatsApp automation is technology designed to automate and streamline routine tasks on WhatsApp Business, enabling businesses to engage more effectively with their customers.
While the free WhatsApp Business App offers basic automation features, businesses will need to use WhatsApp Business API for advanced automation capabilities.
Read more: WhatsApp Business API: A definitive guide for your business
What businesses can use WhatsApp automation?
WhatsApp automation is industry-agnostic, offering versatility that allows companies of all sizes to enhance customer engagement, streamline operations, and drive sales. Here are a few examples of how businesses in different industries leverage WhatsApp automation:
E-commerce: Online retailers use WhatsApp automation to send order confirmations, delivery updates, and abandoned cart reminders. According to Shopify, businesses using automated reminders see a 20% increase in cart recovery rates.
Hospitality and travel: Hotels and travel agencies can use WhatsApp automation for booking confirmations, itinerary updates, and customer support.
Education: Schools and universities can automate admissions updates, fee reminders, and event notifications to enhance communication with students and parents.
Healthcare: Clinics and hospitals can use WhatsApp automation to send appointment reminders, prescription updates, and follow-ups, reducing no-show rates.
Financial services: Banks and fintech companies can use WhatsApp automation to send transaction alerts, OTPs, and personalised offers.
Real estate: Property agencies can automate responses to inquiries, schedule viewings, and share property details instantly, enhancing the buying or renting experience for clients.
Why WhatsApp automation matters for your business
High adoption rate: As shared earlier, consumers in Singapore and Malaysia are avid users of WhatsApp, making it an ideal channel for engagement.
High open rate: According to Meta, WhatsApp messages boast a 98% open rate, significantly more than traditional channels such as email at 20%.
Benefits of WhatsApp automation for businesses
Efficient lead generation: Automating data capture and follow-ups can grow your customer base effortlessly— integrating WhatsApp automation can boost lead qualification rates by up to 50%, as it ensures immediate engagement with prospects.
Increased speed-to-lead: In customer acquisition, speed is crucial. Engagement rate increases by 100x when consumers are contacted within 5 minutes, and qualification rate increases when consumers are contacted within the same timeframe.
Time savings: Automating repetitive tasks can free up your team to focus on high-value activities. Businesses using automation report saving up to 20% of time spent on customer support tasks, enabling teams to dedicate more effort to closing sales and enhancing customer relationships.
Cost-effective engagement: WhatsApp automation enables businesses to achieve up to 45% response rates, significantly higher than email's average of 6%. This high engagement ensures a more efficient allocation of resources and a greater return on marketing investment.
Key features of WhatsApp automation with SleekFlow
WhatsApp automation for customer support: Enable instant, round-the-clock responses to customer inquiries, reducing wait times and improving satisfaction.
WhatsApp Business automated messages for drip marketing: Automatically nurture leads with personalised, timely messages that guide them through their buying journey.
WhatsApp automations for sales: Streamline sales workflows with auto replies, lead qualification, and targeted follow-ups to convert prospects faster.
WhatsApp auto messages for business operations: Automate routine communications like order updates and reminders, ensuring operational efficiency.
Use cases of WhatsApp automation in Singapore
How2Design4U: Capturing warm leads through Facebook integration
How2Design4U, an interior design company, implemented SleekFlow to streamline their lead management process. By integrating Facebook Lead Ads, all lead data is automatically mapped to SleekFlow’s CRM with detailed profiles created, including the lead source and customised fields such as “Facebook Form ID.”
With automated workflows in place, the company engages with and nurtures prospects even outside office hours on WhatsApp. Once a lead fills out the Facebook form, SleekFlowautomates the chat flow to send a WhatsApp message for follow-ups, understanding their needs and routing conversations to the right salesperson based on budgets. Personalised auto replies help establish rapport with potential clients.
Results:
Captured leads outside office hours seamlessly.
Increased efficiency by reducing manual data entry.
Boosted conversion rates with personalised follow-ups.
Over 30% more qualified leads routed to the sales team.
Pristine Aroma: Enhancing engagement through automated campaigns
Pristine Aroma leveraged SleekFlow to run a successful social media giveaway campaign for their essential oils. Automated comment replies on Facebook and Instagram streamlined the management of 947 post interactions and 215 new followers within a week. SleekFlow’s personalised auto-replies ensured all new leads received prompt and tailored messages, laying the groundwork for strong customer relationships.
Results:
Gained 215 new followers and achieved 947 interactions within seven days.
Improved lead conversion rates by 20%.
Increased customer satisfaction scores by 15%.
Intriq Journey: Tailored assistance for bespoke customer service
Intriq Journey, specialising in bespoke travel, uses SleekFlow to automate client interactions and ensure a high level of service. By routing inquiries based on the client’s region, they ensure personalised assistance. During off-hours, automated messages inform customers about response timelines and provide emergency contact details for urgent inquiries.
This approach ensures no inquiry is overlooked and reinforces the brand’s commitment to customer service.
Results:
Reduced response times by 40%.
Handled 100% of regional inquiries efficiently.
Increased client satisfaction rates by 25%.
Zero loss of leads during non-business hours.
How to set up WhatsApp automations using SleekFlow
Eliminate manual tasks and let automation take over. With the Flow Builder, you can streamline processes, save time, and ensure every opportunity is captured. Businesses can maximise interactions on WhatsApp with WhatsApp chat flows and take their customer communication to the next level.
Automating lead capture and assignments with SleekFlow
Creating WhatsApp automations on SleekFlow is easy with our built-in templates, or design one from scratch to suit your specific needs—to learn exactly how, try our demo on how to create a Click to Whatsapp Ad flow.
With SleekFlow, you can create a variety of automations besides ad automation, such as order confirmations, live delivery updates, OTP verifications, payment reminders and many more– the possibilities are endless, and fully customisable by you!
Why use the Flow Builder for WhatsApp automation?
SleekFlow’s Flow Builder is perfect for businesses looking to maximise the potential of WhatsApp automation as it streamlines processes, saves time and improves customer interactions.
No coding required: The Flow Builder is designed to be user-friendly, eliminating the need for technical expertise. Businesses can create complex workflows without writing a single line of code, making it accessible to all teams.
Visualise and design automation flows: The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows businesses to map out and customise their automation flows visually. This ensures clarity and ease of use, enabling teams to build and refine workflows quickly.
Seamless integration with external platforms: Connect your WhatsApp automation with external platforms such as CRMs, e-commerce tools, or other software for two-way data transfer. This ensures that your automation is not only efficient but also integrated with your broader business operations.
Save hours and boost conversions with WhatsApp automation on SleekFlow
Maximise your business potential by leveraging SleekFlow’s powerful WhatsApp automation. With proven results across various industries, you can save hours, reduce costs, and increase conversions.
Want to outcompete your peers with SleekFlow's help?
Book your personalized demo with SleekFlow today and unlock the potential of seamless communication
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