What’s up with using WhatsApp for marketing strategies?
This nifty messenger application should not be underestimated despite the fact it isn’t your typical social network.
Admittedly, marketers may be hesitant at first to dabble with WhatsApp marketing because of its strict privacy policies and zero buying potential for third-party advertising.
However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t benefit your business growth and keep your customers content.
The application itself is a peer-to-peer messaging application installed at the click of a button onto smartphone devices.
Contacts are added through the use of telephone numbers, allowing SMS and video messages to be sent for free with internet connection.
As a marketer, you can send images and videos, conduct customer surveys and give updates to customers – all valuable resources that can be put to good use!
A staggering 1.5 billion people use WhatsApp on a monthly basis, so there is potential customer growth for your business on a global level.
This quick guide will give you the insight and tips you need for marketing strategies to implement across the WhatsApp network in 2018.
1) Create campaigns that have a personal feel
Brand image is easy enough to build on an impersonal level, but the fact is most consumers now want to feel a human connection in the buying process.
The key to standing out and creating sales conversion is creating a brand persona – what better way to do this than through Whatsapp!
WhatsApp itself is a private network between individuals messaging each other.
It’s therefore important for users to not feel as though their privacy has been invaded – creating a personal connection through your brand also helps diminish this feeling.
A prime example of using a personal touch in a WhatsApp campaign to create engagement is Hellman’s mayonnaise.
They used live chefs to interact with their customers in a fun recipe challenge focused around their product – the catch was users had to sign up with their Whatsapp number and take a photo of their fridge contents to play.
This really got customers and their taste buds talking because of the interactive element that made recipes customized to customers’ own fridge contents.
2) Create incentives
WhatsApp may be an invaluable marketing tool but the success of your campaign lies in getting customers to readily give you their number.
Due to the private feel of the application, it’s likely users will want to feel they are in control of who they share information with.
It’s important to find a good incentive that will make people willing to join your campaign such as offers, freebies or competitions.
If you’re looking for incentive inspiration, then take heed from Heineken’s campaign based around soccer trivia.
Heineken fans and WhatsApp users were invited to take part in a competition to win a trip through a football quiz.
This campaign was a great way to get customers interacting as they battled through the rounds of trivia to get the chance of being entered into the draw.
Fun and interactive incentives that appeal to your audience will create buzz and spread the word about your brand.
3) Surpass customer service standards
People on the go love WhatsApp for its instant messaging and easy layout.
It’s, therefore, the perfect platform to enhance customer service by creating quicker rapport with customers – this will also build your brand’s reputation in a positive way.
Although there are no specific business tools on the application, you can still create WhatsApp business accounts so customers can contact you one-on-one to deal with requests.
The layout of the app and its functions mean that customers know you won’t overlook their message (which can happen all too often with emails) and make them feel like you are available at the touch of a button.
To really take advantage of this instantaneous feel, you’ll need to have a good response time.
If you are a bigger business, it is worth investing in dedicating part of the team to handling WhatsApp queries.
Customers will feel like they are receiving a personalized treatment – something which is more difficult to gain in the modern world of marketing and product selling.
4) Make your campaign seem exclusive
Customers love to feel special and important.
Building new customers is vital but so is retaining them.
WhatsApp has the potential to create exclusivity for your current clients to reward them for their brand loyalty.
How does it do this?
Well, the application’s broadcast messages can only be sent to a maximum of 256 people.
This narrows the pool of customers but enhances the quality of the campaign potentially through its focused group.
Customers won’t feel that they are just part of an automated push message campaign.
The private messaging feature can be used to send company news and updates as well.
Be sure to include services that are not usually available through other social media networks in WhatsApp broadcasts such as providing earlier release dates on offers – this will enhance the exclusive, private feel the application offers.
Agent Provocateur released a clever campaign that provided a personal shopper to couples wanting to spice up their Christmas shopping list.
It was exclusively for WhatsApp customers and the privacy element allowed clients to feel safe and trusted to shop for underwear with the brand.
Allowing couples to participate with a personal assistant also added a human connection, which helped customer engagement, website traffic, and sales.
Top Takeaways
These four factors for getting your WhatsApp campaign in motion are essential – brand persona, incentives, customer service and exclusivity.
WhatsApp is growing in numbers day-by-day so it’s definitely a platform to consider.
Messaging applications are quickly over-taking normal social media, so take advantage of the gap in the market to promote your products and services.
Have you had any experience using WhatsApp for your campaigns?
Let us know, we would love to hear from you on our User’s Facebook Group.
