business plan whatsapp group

• WhatsApp Shared Inbox For Multiple Numbers
• WhatsApp and Pipedrive Integration
• HubSpot and WhatsApp Integration
• WhatsApp and Zapier integration
• WhatsApp to CRM Integration
• Salesforce and WhatsApp Integration
• Zoho and WhatsApp Integration
• Monday and WhatsApp Integration
• ChatGPT autoresponder for WhatsApp
• WhatsApp Click to Chat Button for Your Website
• Book a Demo
• Sign up/ Sign in

WhatsApp for Business: A Guide to Groups and Broadcast Lists

• By TimelinesAI
• Reading Time: 7 Min

The article is Powered by TimelinesAI

Table of contents.

Forget megaphones and crowded squares. Today’s customers are on their phones, and that’s where you want your business to be. We’re talking about WhatsApp, the messaging platform with billions of users. But how do you reach them all without coming across as a spam machine?

WhatsApp Business offers a powerful toolkit to connect with customers on a platform they already love. It comes with several features that enhance business communication inclduing away messages, a product catalog, Broadcast Lists, and Groups.

Broadcast Lists allow you to send the same message to a large group of customers simultaneously, making them ideal for announcements, promotions, and updates. Groups, on the other hand, create a space for interactive communication and help you build a community around your brand.

In this blog, we will discuss how Broadcast Lists and Groups differ and how you can use them both to effectively reach your customers and grow your business.

Why Should You Use WhatsApp for Business Communication?

About 70% of people said a positive WhatsApp experience with a brand boosts their impression, and 66% have actually made purchases after chatting with a business on the platform. 

Source: Spectrm

If these numbers don’t say enough, here are some reasons why you should use WhatsApp Business for customer communication:

Huge User Base: With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps. This means you’re likely to reach a large portion of your target audience through this platform.

Customer Preference: According to Spectrm, 69% of respondents are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers WhatsApp as a communication option. This highlights the increasing preference for familiar and convenient messaging apps like WhatsApp for customer communication.

Improved Engagement: WhatsApp fosters two-way communication, allowing you to have real-time conversations with customers. It also has an opening rate of 98% !

Enhanced Customer Support: Provide efficient customer support through WhatsApp. Customers can easily reach you with questions or issues, and you can resolve them promptly within the chat.

Rich Media Sharing: Share images, videos, and other documents, including product catalogs, with your customers. This can be a great way to showcase your products or services and enhance the overall communication experience.

Improved Efficiency with Automation: Utilize features like away messages to set expectations during off-business hours, labels to organize conversations, quick replies for common questions, and greeting messages to introduce your business to new contacts. These features can save you time and ensure a more streamlined communication flow.

Targeted Communication with Broadcast Lists: Send messages to several contacts at once with WhatsApp Broadcast. This is a great way to share announcements, updates, or promotions with a specific segment of your audience without creating a group chat. 

Using these features, you can respond to customers quickly and maintain a personal connection, increasing satisfaction and loyalty.

Now, how can you use WhatsApp Broadcast and WhatsApp Groups to improve your customer reach? Let’s get to that. We will start with Groups!

WhatsApp Groups: A Powerful Tool for Business Communication

Imagine a digital roundtable where you can connect directly with your customers, answer their questions, and foster a sense of community. That’s the power of WhatsApp Groups for businesses.

More than just a chatroom, WhatsApp Groups offer a unique space to engage with your customers on a personal level. They can be a valuable tool for:

Customer service: Create a dedicated group for customer support where you can answer questions, troubleshoot issues, and provide real-time assistance.

Community building: Foster a space for your customers to connect with each other, share experiences, and build brand loyalty.

Targeted marketing: Share exclusive offers, product updates, and industry insights with a specific group of interested customers.

Feedback gathering: Get valuable customer feedback through polls, discussions, and Q&A sessions within the group.

 A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating and Managing a Group

• Download the WhatsApp Business app and create an account using your business number. Verify your number to establish a professional presence.
• Open the app and tap the three-dot menu.
• Select “New group” and give your group a clear and descriptive name. Add a profile picture and click on “Create.”

• Add relevant contacts like customers or those interested in your business.

Invite customers to join these groups by sharing an invite link or adding them directly if 

you have their permission, ensuring everyone interested can easily participate.

Also Read: How to Share WhatsApp Group Link with Customers? [Complete Guide]

Best Practices for Thriving WhatsApp Groups

Set clear guidelines: Establish the purpose of the group, what kind of content will be shared, and expectations for respectful communication.

Offer value: Share informative content that benefits your customers, like industry tips, helpful guides, or exclusive promotions.

Encourage interaction: Ask questions, conduct polls, and spark conversations to keep your group members engaged.

Respond promptly: Address customer inquiries and concerns quickly to build trust and demonstrate your commitment to excellent service.

Pin Important Information: Pin crucial messages like group guidelines or FAQs to the top of the chat for easy access.

Manage the Group Settings : As an admin, ensure you manage the group’s settings to maintain order and respect among members. This includes managing who can add new members, restricting content types (like links or large files), and even removing disruptive members if necessary.

While Groups foster a space for interactive communication, Broadcast Lists excel in one-way communication for reaching a wider audience. Let’s see how Broadcast Lists can be a valuable asset for your business.

Broadcast Lists: Reaching a Wider Audience on WhatsApp Business

Broadcast Lists, unlike Groups, are a one-way communication channel for businesses to send messages to hundreds of customers at once. They’re ideal for announcements, promotions, or general updates. 

Imagine an email list but for WhatsApp. Broadcast Lists let you send the same message to a maximum of 256 contacts individually. Recipients won’t see each other’s phone numbers or replies. This creates a private communication experience.

If you are looking to efficiently manage such lists and ensure their broadcasts reach the right audience, TimelinesAI can help you with that. It streamlines broadcast creation, automates sending, and provides analytics to optimize targeting for better audience reach.

How can Businesses Use Broadcast Lists?

Product Announcements & Promotions: Announce new product launches, exciting deals, or flash sales to generate interest.

Company Updates: Share important company news, like changes in business hours or service updates.

Event Invitations: Invite customers to exclusive events, webinars, or workshops.

Non-Promotional Content: Share valuable content like industry tips, articles, or interesting infographics.

Advantages of Broadcast Lists over Groups

Targeted Communication: Perfect for specific audiences, unlike groups where messages go to everyone.

Privacy-Focused: Maintains recipient privacy as phone numbers and replies remain hidden.

No Unwanted Interactions: Avoids chat clutter as recipients cannot reply directly to broadcasts.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting up and Managing Broadcast Lists

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up and manage your broadcast lists effectively:

Step 1: Set Up WhatsApp for Business

Before you can create a broadcast list, make sure you have downloaded and set up WhatsApp for Business on your smartphone. 

Step 2: Create a Broadcast List

• Launch the WhatsApp Business app on your mobile device.
• Go to the Chats Tab. This is typically found at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen and select ‘New Broadcast.’ This will allow you to create a new broadcast list.

• Add the contacts you wish to include in your broadcast list. Note that only contacts who have saved your number can receive your broadcast messages.
• After selecting the desired contacts, press ‘Create’. This will establish your new broadcast list.

Step 3: Send Messages

Once your broadcast list is created, you can start sending messages:

• Go to your Chats tab and select the broadcast list you want to use.
• Enter the message you want to send to your customers.
• Hit the send button. Your message will be sent to all contacts in the list as an individual chat, making it appear as a private message from you.

Step 4: Manage Your Broadcast List

• Add More Contacts: You can add more contacts to an existing list by opening the list, tapping on the name at the top, and then selecting ‘Add Recipient.’
• Remove Contacts: Similarly, you can remove contacts by opening the list, tapping on the name, and selecting ‘Remove recipient(s).’
• Delete the List: If a broadcast list is no longer needed, you can delete it by opening the list, tapping on the name, and selecting ‘Delete broadcast list.’

Guidance on Managing Broadcast Lists

• Regularly Update Lists: Regular maintenance of your broadcast lists ensures that the right recipients are receiving your messages. Periodically review and update these lists to include new customers or remove those who are no longer engaged.
• Monitor Engagement: Keep track of who interacts with your messages. This can inform future communication and help refine your audience segmentation.
• Comply with Regulations: Always ensure compliance with data protection regulations (like GDPR) when managing lists and sending messages.

Importance of Audience Segmentation and Message Customization in Broadcast Lists

Segment your audience based on their preferences and history with your business to tailor messages, making them more relevant and engaging.

• Segment Your Audience: Divide your audience into segments based on demographics, purchasing behavior, or engagement levels. This allows for more targeted and relevant messaging, which can lead to higher engagement rates.
• Customize Messages: Tailor your messages to each segment. Addressing recipients by name or referencing their past interactions with your business can make the communication feel more personal and effective.

Example: “Hey [Customer Name], excited to share new running apparel that pairs perfectly with your recent shoe purchase!”

• Use Feedback: Collect feedback through surveys or direct messages to understand how different segments perceive your brand and use this insight to refine your messaging.

Tips for Effective Use of Broadcast Lists

Here are some tips for effective use of Broadcast Lists:

1. Understand Your Audience

Before you start sending out messages, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your audience. This involves knowing their preferences, behaviors, and needs. Use data analytics, surveys, and direct feedback to gather as much information as possible to segment your audience accurately.

2. Craft Compelling Conten t

The content of your messages should be engaging, relevant, and valuable to the recipient. Here are a few tips:

Personalization: Use the recipient’s name or include details that are specific to their interactions with your business. Nearly 76% of consumers get frustrated when businesses fail to personalize their communication.

Clarity and Brevity: Keep messages clear and concise. Avoid jargon and lengthy text.

Strong Call-to-Action: Every message should include a clear call-to-action that tells the recipient what you want them to do next.

3. Optimize Timing

Timing can significantly impact the effectiveness of your broadcast messages. Analyze when your customers are most active and likely to engage and schedule your broadcasts accordingly. Avoid sending messages too early in the morning or too late at night.

4. Use Multimedia Wisely

WhatsApp allows the sending of images, videos, and GIFs along with text. Use these multimedia elements wisely to make your messages more engaging. 

For example, a short video showcasing a product or a graphic explaining a service can be more effective than text alone.

5. Engage in Conversation

While broadcast lists are primarily for sending messages to large groups, try to encourage two-way communication. Ask questions, invite feedback, and engage with recipients who respond to your messages. This helps build stronger relationships and can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

6. Integrate with Your Marketing Strategy

Ensure that your broadcast messages are part of a larger marketing strategy. They should work in tandem with your other marketing efforts, such as email campaigns, social media, and traditional advertising, to create a cohesive and comprehensive marketing approach.

By following these strategies, you can make the most of your broadcast lists and use them as an effective tool for communication and marketing in WhatsApp for Business.

Note : WhatsApp Broadcast Lists are great, but they only let you message up to 256 people at once. This can be a real pain if you’ve got a huge customer base. 

The WhatsApp Business API is your saving grace here. It lets you send messages to all your customers, no matter how many, and unlocks even more ways to chat with them effectively.

Now, Let’s look into the key distinctions between Broadcast Lists and Groups.

Broadcast Lists and Groups: Understanding the Differences

How do you decide which one is right for your business situation? Here’s a breakdown of the key differences to help you make informed choices:

Remember, the best approach often involves a combination of Broadcast Lists and Groups. We will discuss more about this in the next section.

Combining Groups and Broadcast Lists for Strategic Customer Interaction

Don’t view Broadcast Lists and Groups as isolated tools. When used together, they can create a dynamic and interactive customer experience. Here are some creative ways to combine them:

Targeted Onboarding

New customers often have questions or require basic product information. Utilize Broadcast Lists to send a warm welcome message with a brief introduction to your brand or key product features.

Following this, invite them to a dedicated onboarding Group where they can connect with other new users, ask questions, and receive support from your team.

Segment-Specific Promotions

Broadcast Lists excel at targeted communication. Segment your audience based on demographics, purchase history, or interests. 

For instance, create a Broadcast List for customers who recently purchased a specific product and send them a special offer on related accessories. You can then invite these same customers to a dedicated Group for product discussions, troubleshooting tips, and exclusive content.

Live Q&A Sessions

Groups provide a fantastic platform for real-time interaction. Host live Q&A sessions with industry experts, product developers, or customer support representatives. Promote these sessions beforehand using Broadcast Lists to a wider audience, encouraging them to join the Group and participate in the live discussion.

Post-Purchase Support

The customer journey doesn’t end after a purchase. Create a dedicated Group for post-purchase support, allowing customers to ask questions, share experiences, and get help with troubleshooting.

Use Broadcast Lists to send important product updates, maintenance reminders, or loyalty program incentives to all members within the Support Group.

Broadcast Lists and Groups can be powerful tools when used in conjunction. Here’s a practical example of how to combine them for a strategic customer interaction campaign.

Building Buzz and Gathering Feedback: A Sample Campaign Using Broadcast Lists and Groups

The Scenario: You’re an athletic apparel company about to launch a new line of running shoes.

The Goal: Generate excitement, gather valuable customer feedback, and build a community around your new product line.

The Tools:   WhatsApp Business Broadcast Lists and Groups.

Here’s how you can execute the campaign:

Phase 1: Planting the Seed (Week 1-2)

Week 1: Utilize Broadcast Lists to send a series of cryptic messages piquing customer interest. This message could include- ” Something big is coming soon. Stay tuned…” accompanied by a shadowy image hinting at a shoe silhouette.

Week 2: Broadcast another message revealing the official launch date and inviting interested customers to join a dedicated “Run with Us” Group. People who join this group get exclusive access to product details, sneak peeks, and a chance to win a pair of new shoes before anyone else!

Phase 2: Building the Community and Gathering Feedback (Week 3-4)

Week 3: Welcome new members to the “Run with Us” Group with a warm message outlining the Group’s purpose: sharing launch updates, discussing running tips, and providing a platform for feedback.

Week 4: Within the Group, host a live Q&A session with your product development team. This allows customers to ask questions about the new shoes, share their running goals, and provide initial feedback on the design and features.

Phase 3: Maintaining Momentum and Post-Launch Engagement (Week 5+)

Week 5 (Launch Week): Broadcast a celebratory message announcing the official launch of your new running shoes! Include a link to your website or online store for purchase.

Week 6+ : Within the Group, share user-generated content featuring customers sporting the new shoes and their running adventures. Host polls to gauge customer satisfaction and gather insights for future product development. 

Continue to provide valuable content like training tips, inspirational stories, and exclusive discounts for Group members.

By strategically combining Broadcast Lists to tease the launch and spark initial interest and then using a dedicated Group to foster a community around the product, you can not only generate excitement but also gather valuable customer feedback throughout the entire campaign lifecycle.

WhatsApp Policies and Compliance: Keeping Your Broadcast Lists on the Right Track

WhatsApp prioritizes a spam-free and secure environment for its users. To ensure your Broadcast Lists are compliant and contribute to a positive user experience, here’s a breakdown of key WhatsApp policies to follow:

1. Solicited Communication is Key:

Obtain Clear Opt-in:  Building trust starts with permission. Only add contacts to your Broadcast Lists who have explicitly agreed to receive messages from you. This can be done through your website sign-up form, in-store registration process, or a clear opt-in message within a WhatsApp chat.

Respect Opt-out Requests:   It’s inevitable that some users may change their minds.  Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your Broadcast Lists.  Include a clear unsubscribe link at the bottom of every message.  When a user unsubscribes, promptly remove them from your Broadcast List to avoid any further unwanted messages.

Transparency is Paramount:  Before requesting a contact’s opt-in, be transparent about the nature and frequency of messages they can expect to receive from your Broadcast List. This could involve outlining the types of content you’ll be sharing, the approximate frequency of messages, and a clear unsubscribe option.

2. Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity:

Focus on Value, Not Volume:   Don’t bombard users with excessive messages.  Broadcast Lists are meant for sending valuable updates, promotions, or announcements, not constant marketing blasts. 

Avoid Misleading or False Information: Be truthful and transparent in your Broadcast messages. Don’t use misleading content, false promises, or deceptive tactics to promote products or services.  Strive to build trust with your audience through genuine communication.

Remember, building trust and transparency with your customers is key to long-term success on WhatsApp Business.

Now, let’s explore some advanced strategies you can use within WhatsApp Business to enhance engagement levels.

Advanced Strategies in WhatsApp Business: Unlocking New Levels of Engagement

While Broadcast Lists and Groups offer a solid foundation, WhatsApp Business has even more to offer for businesses looking to elevate their customer engagement strategies. Here are a few of those advanced functionalities that can help you craft a dynamic and results-oriented communication approach:

1. Utilizing the WhatsApp Business API for Enterprise-Level Messaging

The WhatsApp Business API unlocks a whole new level of functionality for businesses with high message volumes and complex communication needs:

Break the 256 Contact Limit: Broadcast Lists have a limit of 256 contacts.  The WhatsApp Business API breaks this barrier, allowing you to send messages to vast audiences, perfect for large-scale marketing campaigns or customer notifications.

Advanced Automation Features:  The API allows you to automate appointment reminders, order confirmations, personalized greetings, and even basic customer support interactions using chatbots.

Automating repetitive tasks can help you free up valuable resources and streamline communication.  

Omnichannel Integration: With API, you can seamlessly integrate your WhatsApp Business communication with your existing CRM system, marketing automation platform, or helpdesk software. This allows for a centralized view of customer interactions and a more holistic approach to customer relationship management.

Enhanced Shopping Experience: The API offers even richer media formats like catalogs showcasing product listings with images, prices, and descriptions. This creates a more immersive shopping experience directly within the WhatsApp chat window.

Also Read: Using WhatsApp API for Business Communication in 2024

2. Using Data for Strategic Insights and Improved Performance

Data is the lifeblood of any successful marketing strategy. WhatsApp Business provides valuable data points to help you understand what resonates with your audience and optimize your communication for better results:

Track Engagement Metrics:  Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and response rates to your Broadcast messages.  Analyze which content types generate the most engagement and plan your future campaigns accordingly.

Understand Group Dynamics:   Gain insights into how your Groups are performing.  Track how many messages are being sent, identify the most active participants, and analyze the overall sentiment within the Group to ensure a positive and productive environment.

A/B Testing for Optimization: The API allows for A/B testing of different message formats, CTAs, or content types. This data-driven approach helps you identify what resonates best with your audience and continuously refine your communication strategy for maximum impact.

By employing these strategies, you can transform WhatsApp Business from a simple messaging tool into a powerful platform for driving customer engagement. 

However, there are additional tools available to help you manage and enhance your WhatsApp Groups and Broadcast Lists even further. Let’s talk about TimelinesAI and how it can empower your communication efforts.

TimelinesAI: Power Up Your WhatsApp Groups and Broadcast Lists

TimelinesAI goes beyond basic management. It equips you with features to significantly improve how you use Groups and Broadcast Lists, leading to stronger customer engagement and smoother workflows.

Centralized View: See all your Groups in one place. Monitor activity, identify unanswered messages, and prioritize responses across all Groups. This ensures every customer inquiry gets a timely reply.

Teamwork Efficiency: Assign roles and permissions. Designate team members as admins to manage settings, while others focus on customer interactions. This helps promote a structured and efficient communication flow.

Automated Assistance: Free up your team using TimelinesAI’s advanced automation features. Use TimelinesAI’s ChatGPT-integrated chatbot to handle greetings, answer FAQs, or direct customers to relevant resources within the Group. 

Additionally, create a library of canned responses for common inquiries, allowing team members to respond swiftly.

Targeted Communication: Use CRM integrations to segment your customer base for highly targeted Broadcast messages. Create lists based on demographics, purchase history, or interests, ensuring your messages resonate with specific customer segments.

TimelinesAI provides native integration with several major CRM platforms, including Zoho and Salesforce .

Track Broadcast Performance: Gain valuable insights into the performance of your Broadcast Lists. Monitor open rates and click-through rates, and identify messages that generate the most engagement. Use this data to refine your communication for better results.

TimelinesAI acts as a central hub for all your WhatsApp communication, integrating Groups, Broadcast Lists, and CRM data. This provides a holistic view of customer interactions, simplifying communication management.

WhatsApp Business offers several features that help businesses enhance their customer communication. By strategically using Broadcast Lists and Groups, you can reach a wide audience, foster engagement, and build a loyal customer base. Remember to prioritize value over quantity in your messages and always obtain clear opt-ins from users before adding them to your Broadcast Lists.

You can consider using WhatsApp Business API for enterprise-level messaging and advanced features. Third-party platforms like TimelinesAI can further help you manage and enhance your Groups and Broadcast Lists for even greater impact with features like centralized group management, automated responses, and CRM integration. Visit their website today to learn more!

• Recent Posts

• What is WhatsApp Marketing and Is It Legal in India? [2024] - May 16, 2024
• Best WhatsApp Marketing Services and Solutions in Dubai, UAE - May 16, 2024
• How to Add WhatsApp Chat to Your Wix Site? - May 16, 2024

[email protected]

Get Started Today

Boost your sales with TimelinesAI powerful Whatsapp integration

Book A Free Demo

Omnichannel automation platform.

TimelinesAI helps businesses with multiple individual numbers gain 360° visibility & boost performance on WhatsApp.

Latest from Blog

What is WhatsApp Marketing and Is It Legal in India? [2024]

Best WhatsApp Marketing Services and Solutions in Dubai, UAE

How to Add WhatsApp Chat to Your Wix Site?

Start your 10 days free trial.

Try full functionality 10 days for free. No credit card required!

• 🚀 We have released a new FREE WhatsApp Widget with an option to add multiple contacts! Try now

WhatsApp Communities: 7 Ways To Grow Your Business

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Mail

Table of Contents

What are whatsapp communities, how to create whatsapp communities, whatsapp communities vs groups vs broadcast, advantages of whatsapp communities, 7 ways businesses can use whatsapp communities, do you need a whatsapp business account to create a whatsapp community, boost your marketing on whatsapp with whatsapp communities, do more with gallabox’s whatsapp automation solution, further reading.

Community marketing has become a necessity in today's complicated digital landscape. Today, companies need to showcase their products & services, build their brand, find & retain clients, and provide support for current clients. A strong community will boost all of these. While community marketing is often associated with social media platforms, WhatsApp is quickly growing in popularity and is just as viable for businesses to use. Even though WhatsApp has become a popular platform that's being used by over 2 billion users, its community culture is something that's often overlooked. That's why we wanted to highlight WhatsApp communities and show how businesses can use them to their advantage.

Introduced in November 2021, the WhatsApp community feature helps people & businesses communicate with a large group of users efficiently. Since WhatsApp groups only allow 256 users, the platform wanted a feature that enhances WhatsApp groups & helps it compete with its competitors (Telegram & Discord) that enabled users to create larger groups with more people. The feature expands on WhatsApp groups as it allows businesses to combine different groups and share their opinions on various topics. Therefore, a community create an environment that is conducive to healthy user interactions & discussions. On the other hand, companies can use communities to engage with a large group of customers efficiently & also build a strong brand presence across different customer segments.

Suggested read: WhatsApp broadcasts vs groups: Which is best?

WhatsApp community is a feature that is in the beta stage and has not yet been rolled out to the public. Based on the initial reports, we can confirm that users can create communities using the following steps:

• Click on the ‘Communities’ tab.
• Select ‘Start your Community’.
• Enter the relevant name & profile picture to create the community.
• In the Community window, you can either ‘Add existing groups’ or ‘Create new group’.
• Once the groups have been added, you can start sending announcements to all groups.

To add a new admin,

• Press ‘Options’ at the top-left of the Community window
• Select ‘View Members’ & choose the relevant contact.
• Press the ‘Make Admin’ button.

Both WhatsApp groups & broadcasts are existing features that allow users to communicate with a group of peers. While groups & broadcasts facilitate communications with smaller groups of people, communities allow WhatsApp users to interact with a larger group much like Telegram’s Channels & Discord’s Servers. In addition to this fundamental difference, we have outlined other differences based on available information.

Suggested read: How to send WhatsApp Broadcast: A guide for 2022

Even though WhatsApp communities are in the beta phase, they have the capability to provide a host of benefits to businesses. The following are some of the potential advantages of communities.

Large-Scale Notifications

A WhatsApp community can allow businesses to communicate with people in multiple groups and notify people across different segments. This allows businesses to reach a wider audience more efficiently and effectively than traditional approaches.

Suggested read: How to send WhatsApp notifications for Woo-Commerce orders

Easy Scalability

For businesses that are looking to grow beyond geographical and demographic segments, communities can become their ticket to success. Since communities are a collection of groups, exploring & interacting with community members can help them increase a user’s engagement with their business.

Brand Exposure & Trust-Building

Businesses that have genuine interactions with community users can become a voice of trust in the community. This allows them to build trust & loyalty in the community in a fast way without having to spend a lot of time & effort.

Increased Connectivity

Since WhatsApp Communities allow up to 32 people to connect through WhatsApp video & audio calls, it allows businesses to connect with a larger group of customers. This allows businesses to become more familiar with their audience, learn more about them and offer them products/services of which they’re not aware of.

Interactive Chats

Since WhatsApp Communities support rich media messages (images/videos) & emojis, businesses can use them to deliver product/service information in an engaging manner. In addition, communities also allow larger file transfers (up to 2GB), which allows them to add user manuals & other relevant files.

Suggested read: How To Create A Click-To-WhatsApp Ad Campaign (In a few steps)

Now that we’ve seen the potential advantages of WhatsApp communities, we would like to showcase how businesses can use communities to increase their reach & revenues.

Product Marketing

First & foremost, communities help businesses market their products to a large group of customers across different sectors. By partnering with a good WhatsApp community, business owners can gain access to a large pool of potential customers that are interested in their brand, product or domain. Therefore, this approach can be used to improve brand awareness and drive engagement in a targeted audience.

Product Launch

If businesses create WhatsApp communities to cover all their customer segments, they can instantly notify their entire customer base about the launch of a new product or service. They can even host a Q&A session to answer any questions from the community to increase the chances of better conversion.

Community Events & Outreach

By partnering with a WhatsApp community that covers a geographical region, businesses can quickly inform customers across the region about the latest community events & outreach programs. This allows them to reach their target audience and spread awareness about the events & programs.

Product Safety Notifications & Recalls

In the event of product deficiencies or any unforeseen safety issues, businesses can post a series of warning messages to notify users about the issue & take appropriate steps to prevent it from happening again. They can also issue an instant recall notification through communities to help them organize product callbacks better.

Holiday Promotions & Deals

Business owners can leverage community discussions & participation to make their customers aware of the latest promotions & deals that they’re offering to their target audience. This helps them increase the reach & conversions during busy holiday seasons.

Try out the templates for WhatsApp promotional messages !

Support Tickets

Internally, large enterprises can create a community that covers different branches & regions. Through this community, they can raise support tickets to either individual people or branches effectively. This helps them streamline their processes & address issues at an early stage.

Critical Business Notifications

Relocating your office or changing your website domain? You can quickly inform all of your customers about critical business notifications to ensure that you don’t lose any customers during this transition. You can also inform about business emergencies that arise due to natural calamities & other external factors.

WhatsApp Community is a feature that covers all WhatsApp users & groups, therefore one need not have a WhatsApp Business account to create a WhatsApp community. Communities can be created & managed by normal WhatsApp users.

Based on what we’ve seen in this article (and the thousands more that you could find on WhatsApp Community), we can clearly see that the community feature provides a unique marketing edge to businesses. Specifically, WhatsApp Community helps businesses create a stronger brand presence, reach a larger audience, improve their sales & drive engagement with a larger customer base. Therefore, we hope that businesses leveraging the community feature will create larger revenues for themselves.

Incorporating WhatsApp automation into your existing communication & marketing workflows will make sure that you take advantage of WhatsApp Community when it rolls out. If you’re a business owner that wants to gain a competitive edge through WhatsApp communities, you need to partner with a good WhatsApp Business Solution Provider like Gallabox to maximize the power of your campaign. Our experienced team help you create & manage WhatsApp chatbots , groups & broadcasts better. Sign up now for a free trial to create customized WhatsApp automation solutions that will help you grow your brand & revenue.

We hope you found this article useful! Here are some other articles we think you might like,

• All you need to know about WhatsApp Business API
• How to Create a WhatsApp Chatbot: No-code Guide
• How to send WhatsApp Broadcast: A guide for 2022
• 27 Best WhatsApp Business Greeting Messages
• Ultimate Guide to Sending OTP via WhatsApp

Nihal Twitter

Thanks for being here : ) I’m Nihal - #TheSaaSGuy So much in love with SaaS that I end up bringing every conversation to SaaS products. Sometimes also convinces you on purchasing a few.

You might also like

Decoding WhatsApp Conversation-Based Pricing in 2024

Our favourite messaging platform- WhatsApp, which has become an important part of communications between businesses and their customers, has announced that starting February 1st, 2022 they will be switching to a conversation-based pricing model.

How to Create Effective WhatsApp Message Templates

In this article, we’ll tell you all about WhatsApp message templates, why they're an indispensable part of your business communication, the different types of templates available, and how to create your own on platforms such as Gallabox.

Free Conversation Pricing Calculator

Featured posts, whatsapp marketing for businesses in 2024: how to get started.

The End of WhatsApp Blast Marketing?

WhatsApp Business app: How to build a community for your business

Posted: Tue 23rd Aug 2022

According to Enterprise Nation's research, 43% of the early-stage businesses in its community claimed not to have a marketing plan, while 55% said they need support with all aspects of marketing.

Community engagement marketing allows businesses to build long-term relationships, making customers feel recognised and heard.

In this blog, we look at how the WhatsApp Business app – specifically the community feature – can help you build those relationships and better engage with your customers.

What is the WhatsApp community feature?

The WhatsApp community feature is a popular feature that lets you connect with a group of people. It's a place where you can invite up to 512 people, and everyone can chat.

Not only do WhatsApp communities make communications quicker and simpler, but there are many other merits if you use the feature to its fullest. We cover some of the benefits below.

What's the difference between a WhatsApp community and a WhatsApp group?

The main difference is the level of engagement and participation.

You'd typically create a WhatsApp group for a specific purpose or interest, and for a smaller number of people who are actively involved in the conversation. On the other hand, a WhatsApp community involves a larger group of people who share a common interest or goal but who may not take part in the discussion.

You might think of a WhatsApp community as being more like a forum or discussion board, where people can share ideas, ask questions and get feedback from other members. A WhatsApp group, meanwhile, is more for quick and immediate communication among a select group of people.

How do I create a community in my WhatsApp Business account?

If you use WhatsApp Business and want to build a community with your customers, it's important to know how to do it in the app. To create a community, just follow these simple steps.

Create a WhatsApp community on iPhone and iOS

Tap Menu above your chats list in WhatsApp, or tap the New chat icon.

Tap New community .

Enter the community name and description and add an icon.

The community name limit is 100 characters.

Your description should give members an idea of what the community is about.

Add a community icon by clicking the Camera icon. Choose Take photo , Upload photo , Emoji & Sticker , or Search Web to add an image. Once set, the icon will appear next to the community in the Chats tab.

Tap the green arrow icon to add existing groups or create a new group.

Create a WhatsApp group on Android

Open WhatsApp and swipe right to access Communities.

Tap Start your community .

Enter a name and description and set the icon for your community.

Create a group from scratch or add existing groups.

Tap the green tick button in the lower-right corner to save the settings.

Add groups to your community

If you're an admin (see What does it mean to be an admin of a group? below), you can create new groups to add to your community or add existing groups.

Tap Create New Group or Add Existing Group .

Create New Group: Enter the group subject. This will be the name of the group that all participants will see.

You can create up to 10 new groups.

You can add a group icon as well as a short description of the group.

You can add participants later.

Add Existing Group: You can choose to add groups you're currently an admin of to your community. Select which groups to add then click the green arrow icon.

When you're done adding groups to your community, tap the green tick icon.

How do I use WhatsApp groups? What can I do with them?

WhatsApp groups are ideal if you want to share personalised messages that will add value and be of interest to a targeted group of customers.

In a WhatsApp group, especially if you're dealing with a high volume of messages, it's vital you stay organised. Here are some of the feature's functions that allow you to do that.

Create a group description

The group description is designed so that everyone on the group can stay on track. It's simply a short description found under 'Group Info' that allows you to specify the group's purpose, guidelines or topics.

When a new person joins a group, the description will show up at the top of the chat. By default, any member of the group can change the group description. However, a group admin can change group settings to allow only admins to edit the 'Group Info' or send messages.

This feature provides more context about the purpose of groups your customers are added to, which helps them decide if it's relevant to them.

Add and remove participants

To add participants to a group:

Open the WhatsApp group chat, then tap the group subject.

Tap Add Participants .

Search for or select contacts to add to the group.

Tap Add when you're finished.

To remove participants:

Tap the participant you want to remove.

Tap Remove , then tap OK .

Use links to invite people to the group

You can add up to 512 members to a group. Anyone who uses the WhatsApp Business app can join the group, even if they're not on your contact list.

However, those people who are not on your contact list can join using an invite link that you can share with them. Here's how you can invite people to groups using links:

Tap Invite via Link .

Choose Send Link via WhatsApp , Copy Link , Share Link via another app , or QR Code .

If you're sending via WhatsApp, search for the selected contacts, then tap Send .

Your contacts will be able to join the group automatically by tapping on the link, or by scanning the QR code. This is a great feature to use when you want to invite people who you think will be interested in joining but aren't in your contact list.

Reply to a message or reply privately to someone in a group message

To reply to a message in a group:

Tap and hold the message, then tap Reply .

Enter your response and tap Send .

Alternatively, you can swipe right on the message to reply.

To reply privately to someone who sent a message in a group:

Tap and hold the message.

Tap More options , then Reply privately .

Mention someone in a group

To mention someone in a message that you're in a group with, type the @ symbol and select the contact's name. When you mention someone, a notification will be sent to that contact, telling them they were mentioned.

What does it mean to be an admin of a group?

Being the admin of a group means having control over certain actions and allowing other users to have permissions too. By default, the person who creates the group is named as the admin.

Admins can, for example, restrict who can change the group's subject, icon and description. They can also set who is allowed to send messages in the group.

Sometimes it may be helpful to have more than one person manage the group. To achieve this, the WhatsApp Business app has a permission setting that allows you to appoint additional admins.

Admins can change permissions for each group member and add or remove admin permissions of other group participants. Be aware that if an admin leaves the group, a new admin is chosen at random.

Here's how to access the admin settings:

Admin settings on iPhone

Go to the WhatsApp group chat, then tap the group subject.

Tap Group Settings .

Tap Edit Group Info to choose who can change the group's subject, icon and description.

Tap Send Messages to choose who in the group is allowed to send messages, whether it's only admins or all participants.

Tap Edit Group Admins to add or remove admins.

Admin settings on Android

Tap More Options (the three dots) in the top-right.

Tap Group Info , then tap Group Settings .

How do I change my privacy settings?

With end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp is private by design. In the WhatsApp Business app, there are additional privacy controls which let you control who can add you to groups.

To access the WhatsApp group privacy settings, tap Settings , Account then Privacy . In the Groups menu, select one of the following options:

Everyone: Everyone, including people outside of your phone's address book contacts, can add you to groups without your approval.

My Contacts: Only contacts in your phone's address book can add you to groups without your approval. If a group admin who's not in your phone's address book tries to add you to a group, they'll get a pop-up that says they can't add you and will be prompted to tap Invite to Group or send a private group invite through an individual chat. You'll have three days to accept the invite before it expires.

My Contacts Except...: Only contacts in your phone's address book, except those you exclude, can add you to groups without your approval. After selecting this option, you can search for or select contacts to exclude.

Can I have more than group at once?

Yes. Indeed, many businesses have a number of subgroups or project teams, as not all information is relevant to all group members. Having several groups helps you manage a large customer base more effectively without sending members information they may not be interested in.

As an example, you could have a group for each of the following:

Nearby businesses

Relevant resources

Use the WhatsApp Business app to:

Create an engaging business profile

Build an engagement plan

Create engaging content

Reach your target audience

Boost your sales

You might also like…

Get business support right to your inbox

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive business tips, learn about new funding programmes, join upcoming events, take e-learning courses, and more.

Send us an email

16 unexpected ways to use WhatsApp for business

Written by by Jessica Coleman

Published on  November 30, 2022

Reading time  9 minutes

Conversational marketing is on the rise, driven largely by consumers’ increasing expectations for convenience and tailored digital experiences. In fact, 90% of global consumers say they’ll spend more with companies that personalize the service they offer.

Coupled with recent government- and self-imposed restrictions on in-person shopping, more brands than ever before are turning to WhatsApp and similar messaging platforms to interact with customers in meaningful ways.

Today, millions of brands are using WhatsApp Business to build personal connections with consumers at scale. In this article, we’ll establish the growing importance of WhatsApp across business functions (not just marketing), showcase the ways some brands are using the app and highlight a few innovative tips for making the most of the network.

The benefits of using WhatsApp for business

• Inventive ways to use WhatsApp for business

7 WhatsApp Business account features to use

Whatsapp business account vs. whatsapp business api, customer service, financial services, marketing campaigns, human resources, pipeline growth.

For brands that use WhatsApp to engage with customers, there are a number of clear benefits.

• Expand your global reach. WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app worldwide , has upward of two billion active users across more than 180 countries. With a potential audience that large, it’s easy to engage with new prospects that may not yet be aware of all your business has to offer.
• Improve the customer experience. Research from Zendesk found that leading companies offer customer support across twice as many channels as their peers. If you are looking to expand your opportunities to support customers, WhatsApp provides a seamless platform for doing so.
• Enhance employee satisfaction. WhatsApp’s messaging capability can also be a win for your internal team as customer support personnel report that they are 50% more likely to want to engage with customers via messaging platforms versus more traditional methods because it affords them the freedom to multitask.
• Increase profitability. When customer service is streamlined, operating expenses often shrink. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 40% of customer service will go from a major organizational expense to a significant profit driver as direct messaging streamlines sales pipelines.

Once you create your WhatsApp Business profile, you’ll find a suite of tools you can use to scale your 1:1 messaging strategy on the platform. Here are seven that can help you make the most out of your presence on WhatsApp:

1. Quick replies

Quick replies are a great way to take some of the work out of addressing those frequently asked questions, like “when are you open?” or “is this in stock?”.

To set one up, all you have to do is click Quick Replies under the Business Tools section of WhatsApp. From there, you can create up to 50 unique replies that you can access via keyboard shortcuts.

A word to the wise: Start with 5-10 Quick Replies and add more as needed. That will make your new shortcuts easier to remember and use when talking to customers.

2. Automatic away messages

Adding 1:1 messaging to your strategy doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7. You can use away messages to set appropriate expectations with your customers and to give yourself a break as needed.

Away messages can be triggered by a few different scenarios, including:

• When a customer messages you outside of business hours
• During specific periods, like holidays or extended closures
• When receiving high volumes of inbound messages

When you set up an away message, be sure to clearly state when a customer can expect to hear back from you. Remove as much ambiguity from the situation as possible for an improved customer experience.

3. Contact and message Labels

You can use labels to organize inbound messages and contacts on WhatsApp, similarly to how you might use labels to organize your email inbox.

When it comes to creating a label strategy, it’s a choose your own adventure game. However, if you want to keep your social media response times low, we recommend that you create a label specifically for unresolved issues. This will help keep them top of mind as you work to find the answer to a customer’s question.

4. Catalogs and collections

Use your WhatsApp Business account to drive social commerce sales by creating an inventory catalog within the app. Aside from the product title, all additional fields—price, description, website link, product code—are optional, so you can make your listing unique to your sales process.

You can also use collections to sort your catalog for easier browsing. For example, you can create a holiday-specific collection or one that features products currently on sale.

5. Catalog links

Once you create a catalog, you can share items in your catalog in conversations with customers. All you have to do is find the item you’d like to share and click Send link via WhatsApp Business.

Use this tool if a customer is asking about a specific item or to provide alternatives for items that have sold out. You can also use it to send loyal customers updates on items that have gone on sale.

While you can drive customers directly to your site using WhatsApp Business’s catalog feature, you can also create a more seamless checkout experience by encouraging them to complete their purchase in-app using the cart tool.

All you have to do is enable the Add to Cart feature within your catalog and your customers can handle the rest from there.

7. Broadcast lists

If a customer adds your business to their address book on WhatsApp, you can add them to a broadcast list. These lists help you send the same message to multiple customers at once, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Use this tool sparingly and with SMS marketing best practices in mind. If you use it too often, you risk alienating customers who appreciate your business enough to consider it a personal contact.

If you’ve been looking into setting up a WhatsApp Business account, you’ve probably also come across information on the WhatsApp Business API (also known as WhatsApp Business Platform).

Think of this as the next evolution of a WhatsApp Business account, designed for medium and large businesses to manage conversational marketing at a wider scale. The WhatsApp Business API provides access to the tools listed above, along with advanced marketing and customer care features, including:

• Multi-agent access
• Profile verification
• Multimedia message templates
• Message variables for personalization
• Interactive messages

Of course, advanced tools come at an advanced price point. WhatsApp Business API also has a conversation-based pricing model whereas WhatsApp Business Accounts are free. Businesses using the WhatsApp Business API receive 1,000 free conversations per month, with monthly rates increasing depending on the number of user- and business-initiated messages sent within the billing period.

16 brands that demonstrate how to expertly use WhatsApp for business

Brands are using WhatsApp in a variety of ways that expand their customer-facing and internal capabilities. The following examples highlight use cases in customer service, financial services, marketing, human resources and pipeline growth.

1. Vodafone , a German telecommunications company, has embraced WhatsApp for customer messaging, reaching more than 200,000 customers via this channel each month. Their artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, TOBi, recognizes more than 250 customer needs and will only pass requests over to employees if it encounters an issue it is not equipped to solve. More than half of these interactions result in a solution for the customer, removing the need for live customer service support in many cases.

2. Estée Lauder was the first major beauty brand to use WhatsApp to offer personalized skincare consultations for customers. Liv, an AI chatbot, was developed in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to replace over-the-counter consultations customers previously had in department stores. These digital conversations help customers understand how to use the company’s products and gather tips for maintaining an effective skincare regimen.

3. Nissan Saudi Arabia , looking to engage younger customers and reduce its reliance on call centers, began using WhatsApp to handle inquiries and nurture sales. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, people under 30 years old make up nearly three-fourths of the population. To reach that market, Nissan developed an automated chatbot powered by WhatsApp that could answer simple customer questions without the need to transfer them to the call center. After the launch of the chatbot, leads increased 390% and inbound calls were reduced by 33%.

4. One of Spain’s leading insurance providers, Mutua Madrileña , offers personalized messaging for customers via WhatsApp on more than 1,000 topics. In the first six months of using this new channel for customer support, the company had received nearly half a million messages, making up 23% of digital customer inquiries. In late 2020, the brand became the first insurer in the country to allow customers to submit automobile accident claims via their WhatsApp virtual assistant, resulting in a process that is now 30% faster.

5. WhatsApp banking is also a thing. Many banks, primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Asia are using the app to make banking simpler and more convenient for customers. India’s ICICI Bank and Pakistan’s HBL Bank both use the app to answer customer questions and to conduct basic transactions.

6. Mukuru , one of the largest money transfer providers in Africa, realized more than $1 million in reduced SMS costs after implementing customer service via WhatsApp. It also improved the reliability and security of wire transfers for the financially excluded communities it serves across the continent. With WhatsApp available, consumers can reduce their dependence on mobile banking apps that traditionally use more unpredictable unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) protocols that don’t require an internet connection. Since the introduction of WhatsApp, the brand’s customer satisfaction has jumped from 65% to 80%.

7. Tikkie , a Dutch peer-to-peer payment app (similar to Venmo or Zelle), created their own set of 11 stickers for their WhatsApp users. The stickers allowed customers a fun way of communicating with each other to thank someone for paying or to remind them to do so.

8. Absolut Vodka , a Swedish spirits brand, used WhatsApp to publicize an in-person product launch event in Argentina. Customers were encouraged to message a chatbot doorman named Sven to try to convince “him” they deserved one of two available tickets. This campaign resulted in more than 1,000 messages from 600 individuals over three days.

9. Carrefour Group , a French-based big box store chain, uses WhatsApp to provide digital coupon catalogs to its client base. These offers were previously printed, but the company wanted to offset those costs and have better targeting capabilities based on customers’ locations and preferences. By inputting their zip code into a chatbot, customers can be directed to their nearest store and also receive tailored deals straight to their phone. According to Meta, 45% of users now engage with the digital catalog versus 10% who open the catalog via email.

10. The Brazilian arm of Hellmann’s , a mayonnaise brand, launched a campaign via WhatsApp to provide its users with on-demand cooking advice delivered by culinary professionals. The campaign, called WhatsCook, allowed customers to converse in real time with chefs to get detailed instruction, answers to their questions, or specific assistance for preparing their meals.

11. Adidas’ 100% Unfair Predator campaign, launched via WhatsApp, helped the brand engage with a core set of customers: footballers. Users were allowed to chat with Adidas to request a professional athlete join their local teams for a single game. For the lucky teams chosen, Adidas-sponsored players showed up in the company’s new Predator20 Mutator shoes.

12. BASF Group , a German chemical production company, uses WhatsApp to engage potential recruits. Anilina, a digital career assistant in the form of a chatbot, helps to answer candidates’ questions quickly and on the spot. For more involved conversations, candidates can reach out to representatives Monday through Friday via WhatsApp chat.

13. Logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group allows candidates to apply to open positions directly from WhatsApp, eliminating the need to fill out lengthy and cumbersome online forms. The company deployed the chatbot to reach their target candidates where they are via a more user-centric application process.

14. French newspaper Le Monde used WhatsApp’s status feature to target customers in French-speaking African countries. The company posts content to its status, which is viewable for 24 hours (similar to an Instagram Story), three to four times a day. About 20% of the brand’s follower base typically consumes this content, and over time, Le Monde Afrique has grown its WhatsApp followers by 10,000.

15. Triya , a Brazilian beachwear brand, uses WhatsApp to converse with its customers and also to send order information like receipts and tracking information. After doubling down on their presence on the app, the company 5Xed their annual sales.

16. Centaline Property , one of Hong Kong’s largest real estate brokerages, uses WhatsApp to qualify leads more quickly and increase their sales pipeline. The company integrated the network with its property recommendation engine to allow leads to be funneled to the appropriate agent, along with each customer’s information and communication history. The use of key WhatsApp features like List Messages and Reply Buttons help Centaline Property personalize their outreach, resulting in a 27% increase in sales conversions.

How will you use WhatsApp for business ?

Conversational marketing is here to stay. The majority of customers expect it, and companies that strategically engage their audiences via channels like WhatsApp are better positioned to take advantage of the growth it makes possible.

If you’re looking for even more opportunities to use social messaging to build stronger customer relationships, this interview with Martha O’Byrne-O’Reilly , head of messaging developer partnerships at Meta, should give you some ideas.

• Social Media Engagement

Link in bio: The complete guide to maximizing engagement

• Customer Experience

Audience engagement: What it is and tips to improve it

5 ways social media listening increases customer advocacy

• Social Media Analytics

Social media personalization: The opportunity and risks to consider

• Now on slide

Build and grow stronger relationships on social

Sprout Social helps you understand and reach your audience, engage your community and measure performance with the only all-in-one social media management platform built for connection.

🚀 Our Fresh New Look Is Now Live – Welcome to Respond 3.0! Learn more 🌟

What Is A WhatsApp Group [June 2023]

WhatsApp Group Chat is a popular WhatsApp feature that lets you connect with a group of people. In this article, we’ll cover what is a WhatsApp Group and what are WhatsApp Groups used for. Plus, you’ll learn how to create a WhatsApp Group, how to edit WhatsApp Group Names as well as how to join WhatsApp Group with a WhatsApp Group Link and WhatsApp QR Code. We’ll also explain how WhatsApp Group Call works and how to delete WhatsApp groups.

What is a WhatsApp Group?

If you use WhatsApp, you're already familiar with a WhatsApp Group. It is a place where you can invite people, and everyone can chat. A WhatsApp Group is a great place to arrange events, plan a night out or have a discussion with colleagues.

WhatsApp Groups do have a user limit though. You're only allowed to have up to 256 people in a WhatsApp Group Chat.

When To Use WhatsApp Groups?

The critical element that makes a WhatsApp Group special is that everybody can chat in the group. Therefore, the best time to use a WhatsApp Group is when you are looking to get input from everybody.

In our experience, we've seen two situations when WhatsApp can be useful in business or if you have profitable online business ideas . When you're working with a client, and you need multiple team members to be involved in the chat.

Alternatively, when you are working on a project internally that requires many conversations, you want to make sure everyone on the team is on the same page.

Open a WhatsApp Group With An Important Client

The beauty of a WhatsApp Group with a client is that it makes it easy to deliver timely and authentic conversations. It allows you to give your customers a super personalized level of support and builds the relationship.

WhatsApp Groups tend to make communication quicker. It's easy to ignore an email that comes in at 8 pm, but chats are a lot easier to deal with. Sometimes a client is fighting a deadline and they need to know how to do something right away. Responding to a chat is the ideal solution.

If you have too many WhatsApp Groups they can be challenging to manage. With a problematic client, sometimes even one WhatsApp Group can be challenging to manage.

On the flip side, an excessive number of messages can harm your client rather than improve their experience. The most important thing about WhatsApp Groups is that you create them sparingly. Ideally, only for your most important clients.

Create a WhatsApp Group Chat Marketing Campaign

Agent Provocateur used WhatsApp Groups for their The Ménage à Trois Campaign. The lingerie brand used WhatsApp Groups to help women decide which lingerie was best from their "Naughty or Nice" Christmas collection.

Customers were encouraged to start a group chat with their partners, and an Agent Provocateur Agent to help them decide which items from their shop best matched their personality.

In short, this WhatsApp marketing campaign was a massive success in the UK - 112 conversations took place in the app, 31% of the chats resulted in physical store visits, and 61% of the chats converted into substantial website traffic.

If you'd like to learn more about WhatsApp Marketing check out our article about WhatsApp Campaigns . Also, while creating your marketing campaign you need to make sure it contains quality and original content to avoid plagiarism . If you need help with writing, there are  writing services that will help you get a professional look at it.

Use A WhatsApp Group For An Internal Team

Last but not least, WhatsApp Groups can be used for internal teams. However, we do recommend this as a last-ditch effort. Because Slack, Google Chat & Microsoft Teams are so much better optimized to work internally.

However, if you don't have any of those apps available at your company, try a WhatsApp Group if you need that extra level of collaboration to increase productivity among employees. Ready to create a WhatsApp Group? Read on to find out how.

Setting Up WhatsApp Groups

In this section, you'll learn how to create a WhatsApp Group and edit WhatsApp Group Names, how to change WhatsApp Group privacy settings, and how to join WhatsApp Group.

How to Create a WhatsApp Group & Edit WhatsApp Group Names

Creating a WhatsApp Group is simple. To begin, press the three dots in the top right corner. Then, select New Group and select the people you would like to add to the group.

The next step is to add a WhatsApp Group Name, and you're done. Can you change WhatsApp Group Names? Yes, simply go to Settings and click on the pencil icon. Then, enter your new WhatsApp Group Name. At this stage, you can also add a profile picture for your business or simply use an online logo maker to create one if don’t have it yet.

If you can’t add certain contacts to a WhatsApp Group, chances are they’ve turned on WhatsApp Group Privacy Controls.

How to Change WhatsApp Group Privacy Settings

WhatsApp has recently introduced new group privacy controls which let you limit who can add you to WhatsApp Groups. To access WhatsApp Group privacy settings, go to the Account options within the settings menu.

Then, click on Privacy and select Groups. Here, you’ll be able to select who exactly can add you to a group. There are 3 options - Everyone, My Contacts and My Contacts Except.

If your contacts have restricted who can add them to WhatsApp Groups and you are not in their address book, you can add them privately by sending a temporary a time-limited link. Remember, the invite link will expire after 3 days.

Once the link has expired, you can still invite contacts by sharing a WhatsApp Group Link or WhatsApp QR Code.

How to Join WhatsApp Group With a WhatsApp Group Link & WhatsApp QR Code

Inviting users via link is a handy feature if you're using your WhatsApp Group for reporting something. You could post the link somewhere on your work’s internal website or share it in another group. With the invite link, anyone who uses it can join the group.

Unlike the time-limited invite link, WhatsApp Group Link will not expire. If the group is no longer used, you'll be able to revoke the link later so no new contacts can join your WhatsApp Group.

To create an invite link open the actions menu on the top right and enter the group info panel. Then scroll down to participants and click Invite via link button. In the invite link panel, you'll have a few options with how to share the link.

You may also generate a WhatsApp QR Code for your WhatsApp Group. If you share this group QR Code with someone, they can join the WhatsApp Group by scanning it with their WhatsApp camera.

Managing WhatsApp Groups

There is a chance that your WhatsApp Group may get out of hand. Not to fear! WhatsApp has provided some tools you can use to manage your WhatsApp Group.

WhatsApp Groups Organization Features

In a WhatsApp Group, especially if you're dealing with a high volume of messages, it is critical to stay organized. WhatsApp Groups have three features that can help you with this.

WhatsApp Group: Group Description

The Group Description will do its part to help you, and everyone else in the group stays on track. To see the group description, people will need to click on Group Info.

To create a group description, you'll need to go to the action menu on the top right. Navigate to group info, then click on the description. As long as you have permission to edit the group info, you'll be able to do so here.

WhatsApp Group: Search

Search helps to find information that was sent hundreds of messages ago. Once you press search, you'll be able to search for text.

The beauty of WhatsApp search is that it will search in reverse chronological order, so you'll be able to start with chats that mention your search term recently and go back in time to older conversations that mention the same text.

To search through your WhatsApp Group, you'll need to go the action menu on the top right and press search.

Once you're in the search interface, you can type some text then press the search button on the bottom right to find. The up and down arrows on the top right will let you move up and down the conversation where your search term appears.

WhatsApp Group: Group Media

Remember that pdf that someone sent you six months ago? You have no idea what the name of it was? Group media can help you with that.

Group Media can be extremely useful in a chat that has lasted thousands of messages. It will separate documents or even those super hard to find links that someone shared with you ages ago and give them to you in a nice list.

To check out your group media, open the action menu on the top right, and select group media. There, you can move between media, documents, and links. Here you'll find all the documents and links shared in the conversation. With links you can even go back to the part of the conversation where the link was sent.

WhatsApp Groups Productivity Features: WhatsApp Group Call

Some of the least known features about WhatsApp Groups are WhatsApp Group Call and WhatsApp Group Video Call. Sometimes, a group call is just what you need to figure things out. Did you know you can video call with up to 8 people in a WhatsApp Group?

To start a call, press the phone + icon at the top of your WhatsApp Group. Once pressed, you can select your participants at the bottom of the screen and choose between a voice call or a video call.

WhatsApp Groups Permissions Settings

Sometimes it's not enough to have one person manage the group. Perhaps the person who created the group is not that active anymore and you need someone else to add and remove people from the group. To help achieve this WhatsApp has quite a few permissions settings.

How to Add and Remove WhatsApp Group Admin

Edit Group Admins allows an admin to add and remove other WhatsApp Group Admins from the group. To access the admin settings you open the action menu on the top right and open group info. Once there, you can open group settings then edit group admins.

Admins can enable or disable the abilities of regular group members to edit group info and send messages.

How to Edit WhatsApp Group Participant Privileges

Edit Group Info allows you to take away privileges from regular group members. By default, everyone can edit the group info. This setting allows you to make it so that only admins can edit the group info.

To access this setting open the action menu on the top right and open group info. Once there you can open group settings and then edit group info.

Send messages allows you to take away the messages privileges from regular group members. In a way, this turns your WhatsApp Group into something akin to a telegram channel. Just a way for admins to share information to everyone in the group.

To access this setting open the action menu on the top right and open group info. Once there you can open group settings then send messages.

WhatsApp Groups Sanity Features: Delete & Mute WhatsApp Group

We're calling these features the sanity features because they help you stay sane. For those that have had tons of WhatsApp Groups before, you know the pain of a group that has a new message every 10 seconds or so.

How to Leave WhatsApp Group

If you have a WhatsApp Group that is blowing up, you have the option to leave the group. Simply press the three dots in the top right > More > Exit Group. Alternatively, tap on the WhatsApp Group Name. Then click Exit Group > Exit.

You'll be removed from the group if you exit a group, but you can still see the group in your Chats tab & you can read the chat history. If you are the only WhatsApp Group Admin, a new admin will be chosen at random.

How to Delete WhatsApp Group

You can delete a WhatsApp Group once you’ve left. Keep in mind, the chat history will be erased when you delete the group and the group will no longer show up in the Chats tab.

To delete a WhatsApp Group, tap on the group name, tap Delete Group > Delete. If you want to delete the group media, check the Delete Media In This Chat box.

How to Mute WhatsApp Groups

Mute Notifications allows you to take a break from a WhatsApp Group for a while but not leaving it for good. You can mute notifications for any WhatsApp Group for 8 hours, one day or forever.

One unusual item though is that there is a checkbox where you can press show notifications. Why would you want to show notifications if you are muting notifications?

When clicking that option, you'll be able to see that WhatsApp app icon in your top bar, when there is an unread message, but you will not see the popup notification of what the message is as usual.

To mute notifications open the action menu on the top right, then press mute notifications. Then you'll be able to select how long you want to mute the notifications for. To unmute notifications, you can go back to the same menu.

How to Set Up WhatsApp Group Custom Notifications

Custom Notifications are the exact opposite of muting notifications. Instead of muting the group, this setting will allow you to create a special notification so that you can easily separate which WhatsApp Group requires your attention.

This can be useful when you have many conversations or groups in your WhatsApp, and you need to be able to give special attention to one WhatsApp Group or a few WhatsApp Groups.

To create a custom notification, open the action menu in the top right, open group info, then select custom notifications. There you will be able to choose a custom ring tone, a long or short vibration pattern, and the color of your notification light.

Adding a Shortcut to your home screen is another way of giving this WhatsApp Group priority over others. This is something you can do if your WhatsApp App is completely cluttered with conversations, and you'd like to get quick access to some groups.

To create a shortcut to the WhatsApp Group open the action menu in the top right, press more, then select Add shortcut. Then you'll be asked where you would like to place the shortcut on your panel(s).

And there you have it. Communicating with multiple participants at the same time is easy with WhatsApp groups, but it might not be the most effective strategy for marketing or announcements at scale.

In that case, you’d want to check out WhatsApp broadcasts with WhatsApp API . With the right tools for your use case, using WhatsApp can take your customer conversations to the next level.

Further Reading

If you enjoyed this article and are interested in learning more about WhatsApp for Business, check out these articles:

• Everything You Need to Know About WhatsApp Business
• How Companies Are Doing WhatsApp Marketing
• How Companies Are Doing WhatsApp Customer Service

Ready to get started? ✨

• 7-day free trial
• No credit card required
• Cancel anytime
• Experience a personalized demo with us
• Discover why 10,000+ businesses choose us

We use cookies 🍪 (and other similar technologies) to collect data to improve your experience on our site as specified in our cookie policy .

Register your trade account today for Exclusive Business Deals – Register now >

• iPhone for Business
• Samsung for Business
• Accessories
• Special Offers
• iPad for Business
• Android Tablets
• Business Laptops
• VOIP Systems

• November 29, 2023

WhatsApp for Business: Our Complete Guide

Top 3: Best Folding Smartphones of 2024

TOP 5+ Best Online Meeting Platforms in 2024 and Beyond

What Is an M2M SIM Card & How Do I Use It?

Our Guide To Microsoft Teams: Tips & Tricks

The Best Mobile Apps for Focus, Work & Productivity

15+ Must-Have Home Office Accessories

Top 10: Best Android Phones of 2024

The Role of Technology in Business & Recent Advancements

Best Phones for Business 2024: Our Top 10 Mobiles for Work

Top 5: Best Tablets for Business of 2024

Table of Contents:

Want to use WhatsApp for Business? Connect with customers and enhance operations with ease.

WhatsApp, the popular messaging app with over 2 billion active users worldwide, has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.

With its simplicity, reach, and rich features, using WhatsApp for business offers a unique opportunity to engage with customers, streamline communication, and drive growth. So, here’s our complete guide & how to get started:

What is Whatsapp for Business?

WhatsApp for Business empowers businesses to establish a direct and personal connection with their customers, fostering stronger relationships and building brand loyalty. Through real-time messaging, group chats, and multimedia sharing, businesses can engage in meaningful conversations, provide timely support, and easily address customer concerns. 

Take full advantage of additional tools and services designed to automate, sort, and rapidly respond to messages from customers. This direct line of communication fosters trust, transparency, and a sense of community among customers, elevating the overall brand experience.

How to Create a WhatsApp for Business Account

1: download and install:.

The first step is to download the WhatsApp Business app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Once downloaded, launch the app and follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your device.

2: Verify Your Business Phone Number:

Enter your business phone number and select your country code. You will receive a verification code via SMS or voice call to confirm your identity.

3: Create Your Business Profile:

Once verified, you’ll be prompted to create a profile for your business. This includes providing your business name, logo, a brief description, and a link to your website.

4: Set Up Your Business Account:

Next, you’ll be guided through setting up your business account. This includes establishing a greeting message, a quick reply template for frequently asked questions, and business hours.

5: Connect with Your Customers:

Start importing your existing customer contacts or manually add new ones. You can also create broadcast lists to reach a wider audience.

Benefits of Using WhatsApp for Business

WhatsApp for Business provides a cost-effective way to reach a wide audience at a low cost. Businesses can leverage the app’s global reach to connect with customers across borders, expanding their market potential. 

By sending personalised broadcast messages , creating targeted group chats , and sharing engaging multimedia content, businesses can effectively promote their products, services, and brands without incurring significant advertising expenses.

Here are a handful of the biggest benefits of using WhatsApp for Business:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement WhatsApp offers a direct and personal channel to connect with customers, fostering stronger business relationships and building brand loyalty.
• Improved Communication Efficiency Real-time messaging and group chats streamline communication, allowing for quick responses and timely resolution of customer issues.
• Cost-Effective Marketing Provides a cost-effective way for your business to reach a wide audience, eliminating the need for expensive marketing campaigns.
• Global Reach With its global reach, WhatsApp enables businesses to connect with customers across borders, expanding their market potential.
• Enhanced Customer Service A convenient and accessible platform for customers to seek assistance, leading to improved customer satisfaction.
• Broader Brand Awareness By actively engaging with customers, businesses can increase their brand visibility and attract new customers.

Businesses can also make use of tools like video to text from platforms such as VEED. This tool can convert crucial video messages into text, providing a record of noteworthy conversations or relevant points. This aids in making the communication process more efficient and accessible, even for those who might prefer text over videos.

Whatsapp for Business Features

WhatsApp for Business offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline communication, enhance customer engagement, and drive business growth. Here’s a comprehensive overview of its key features:

Business Profile:

Create a professional profile for your business, including your business name, logo, description, website link, and contact information.

Business Account Settings:

Set up your business account, including business hours, greeting messages, quick replies, and away messages.

Labels and Tags:

Streamline your contacts and conversations using labels and tags for easy categorisation and management. Organise chats with specific labels, such as “Urgent,” “Important,” or “Follow-up,” for better prioritisation and management. Learn how to use labels here .

Broadcasts and Groups:

Send personalised broadcast messages to inform customers about new products, promotions, events, or important announcements. Create group chats with customers or employees to facilitate discussions, share updates, and collaborate on projects.

Multimedia Sharing:

Share images, videos, documents, and voice messages to enhance communication and provide rich content. This can even be done through an API, learn how here .

Business Insights:

Access valuable insights into customer engagement, message delivery rates, and customer interactions to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Learn more from the WhatsApp website .

Quick Replies:

Save and reuse frequently used messages to respond quickly and efficiently to common customer inquiries.

Showcase your products or services with an interactive catalogue, allowing customers to browse and inquire about specific items.

Payment Links:

Integrate payment links to your messages, enabling customers to make secure payments directly within the app.

Link Preview:

Display rich previews of links shared in chats, providing customers with a more engaging and informative experience.

Location Sharing:

Share your business location with customers, making it easier for them to find and visit your premises.

Linked Devices:

Connect your WhatsApp Business account to up to four devices, allowing you to manage conversations from your smartphone, desktop, or tablet.

Message Scheduling:

Schedule messages to be sent automatically at a specific time or when you are away, ensuring timely delivery of important announcements or reminders.

Advanced Settings:

Control various aspects of your WhatsApp Business account, including privacy settings, notifications, data usage preferences, and much more.

How to Use WhatsApp for Business Effectively

WhatsApp for Business has revolutionised the way businesses interact with their customers, providing a direct, personal, and cost-effective channel for communication. Here’s a glimpse into how businesses are harnessing the power of WhatsApp for Business to enhance customer engagement, streamline operations, and drive growth:

Direct Customer Engagement

WhatsApp for Business fosters a direct line of communication between companies and their customers, breaking down barriers and creating a more personalised experience. Businesses can engage in real-time conversations, address customer inquiries promptly, and provide timely support, all within the familiar interface.

Streamlined Communication and Collaboration

Real-time messaging, group chats, and file sharing enable businesses to collaborate seamlessly, share updates efficiently, and make informed decisions quickly. This enhanced communication flow leads to improved productivity, reduced costs, and better customer service.

Cost-Effective Marketing and Customer Acquisition

Businesses can send and automate personalised messages to inform customers about new products, promotions, or events. This direct marketing approach allows businesses to reach their target audience with minimal effort and investment.

Here are a few more ways you can effectively use WhatsApp for your business needs:

• One-on-One Communication Engage in direct conversations with your customers to answer inquiries, provide support, and address concerns.
• Group Chats Create group chats with customers or employees to facilitate discussions, share updates, and collaborate on projects.
• Broadcast Messages Send personalised broadcast messages to inform customers about new products, promotions, events, or important announcements.
• Labels and Tags Organise your contacts and conversations using labels and tags to categorise and manage interactions easily.
• Multimedia Sharing Share images, videos, documents, and voice messages to enhance communication and provide rich content.

WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API is a programmatic interface that allows businesses to connect their existing systems and applications with WhatsApp, enabling them to send and receive messages, manage customer interactions, and automate tasks. This seamless integration empowers businesses to harness the power of WhatsApp’s global reach and user base to enhance customer experiences and gain a competitive edge.

To get started with WhatsApp Business API, businesses need to create a WhatsApp Business account and apply for access to the API. Once approved, businesses can integrate the API with their existing systems and applications using the provided documentation and support resources.

Additional Tips

• Maintain Professionalism Ensure your communication is professional, polite, and respectful, reflecting your brand’s values.
• Respond Promptly Aim to respond to customer inquiries promptly, demonstrating your commitment to customer service.
• Provide Value Offer valuable content and assistance to customers, building trust and loyalty.
• Respect Customer Privacy Adhere to data privacy regulations and use customer information responsibly.
• Utilise WhatsApp Business Features Leverage the various features available, such as labels, tags, and business insights, to optimise your marketing efforts.

WhatsApp for Business Pricing

WhatsApp Business is completely free to download and create an account on. However, please note, it can only be used by one person at a time. The additional API includes many extra features and offers a transparent and flexible pricing structure that caters to diverse business needs.

The platform’s pricing model revolves around service conversations, which are initiated by customers and require a response from businesses.

For the first 1,000 service conversations each month, businesses are not charged . This complimentary tier allows new users to explore the platform’s capabilities and experience its benefits without upfront costs. After the initial 1,000 service conversations, businesses are charged a nominal fee for each additional conversation.

The pricing tiers are designed to align with the volume of customer interactions, ensuring cost-effectiveness for businesses of all sizes. For instance, businesses with medium-sized customer bases can opt for the Standard plan, which offers competitive rates for service conversations.

Additionally, the WhatsApp Business API offers a Pay-as-you-Go plan for businesses with unpredictable or fluctuating customer engagement levels. This plan provides flexibility and eliminates the need for long-term commitments. Businesses can simply pay for the service conversations they consume, ensuring that their WhatsApp Business expenses align with their actual usage patterns.

Using WhatsApp has emerged as a transformative tool for businesses, offering a direct, personal, and cost-effective way to connect with customers, enhance communication, and drive growth. By embracing the power of WhatsApp Business, businesses can effectively engage with their target audience, strengthen customer relationships, and achieve their marketing goals.

In terms of cost, the WhatsApp Business pricing structure is designed to be accessible, transparent, and scalable to the needs of all businesses. The platform’s complimentary tier encourages adoption, while the tiered pricing plans and Pay-as-you-Go option ensure cost-effectiveness for businesses with varying customer interaction volumes.

Overall, we highly recommend utilising this communication channel for both the benefit of your business and customers!

Looking for more apps? Read our 15+ best mobile apps to help you focus at work !

Unlimited SIM Only Deal

Now £14 a month (Was £25 )

Share this article

Business deals from just £5.50 per month!

Get up to 57% off Network prices across  EE , Three , Vodafone and O2 with the UK’s best deals on:

iPhone Deals

Samsung Deals

SIM-Only Deals

Tablet Deals

Laptop Deals

Broadband Deals

Related Articles

Today, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best folding smartphones 2024 has to offer.  Within the constantly changing realm of cell phones,

Take a look at our Top 5+ of the best online meeting platforms and take back control of your business. Following the recent pandemic situation,

If you’ve been searching for deals on your business devices recently, you may have come across the term ‘M2M SIM’. But what does it mean?

Welcome to our Microsoft Teams guide, containing everything you need to know about getting started! This app is our favourite way to stay in contact

Join 20,000+ Business Customers

Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive offers and tips on how to use your smartphone to benefit your business.

• Sales enquiries on 0800 999 2 999

Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 08:30-17:30 

• [email protected]

HELP & advice

980+ Business WhatsApp Group Links [2024 Updated]

If you are interested in businesses and planning to start your own business or startup and searching for where to get some really useful and incredible ideas for your business then you should join the business WhatsApp group link.

In this new generation, most people want to start their own business because it is considered far better than getting a 9 to 5 job and working for another company and doing work for someone else. Even the government in India encourages youth to start something of their own with the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan approach.

By joining, you can discuss with entrepreneurs to get better advice, get untapped ideas to kickstart your new business, and get educated about online businesses as well. All these things can be done and learned by just joining Business WhatsApp group links. Below, we have listed a number of the most active & engaging groups you can join for that purpose.

Table of Contents

Active Business WhatsApp Group Links 2024

• Business Group – Join
• MLM BUSINESS – Join
• Win23 Community Business – Join
• Practical Business Ideas – Join
• Business Strategy – Join
• Online Business Interested – Join
• Power of Online Business – Join
• Loans – Join
• Project Maker – Join
• Business Life Style – Join
• Lets Talk Business – Join
• MINER INVESTMENT – Join
• START BUSINESS.COM – Join
• Government Job Group Links
• Online Business – Join
• Entrepreneur – Join
• Business Loans – Join
• Business Partners – Join
• Easy Business Life – Join
• Logo Maker – Join
• Business Today – Join
• Dropshipping Business – Join
• Indian Start-Up – Join
• Great Business – Join
• Entrepreneurs Forum – Join
• BITCOIN TRADING GROUP – Join
• India’s Best Earning Plans – Join
• Active Business Group – Join
• 2024 Best Plan – Join
• Business Ideas Group – Join
• SMART BILLIONAIRES – Join
• Independent Business Consultant – Join
• The Business World – Join
• CARRIER BUSINESS – Join
• Sell And Buy – Join
• Earn through Social Media – Join
• Latest Part-Time Job & Business – Join
• Work From Home – Join
• Online Networking – Join
• CRYPTO MASSIVE EARN – Join
• Self-Made Ecom – Join
• THE INVESTORS – Join
• Amazon Seller – Join
• Trading With Dave – Join
• FASHION POINT – Join
• Lets Up Business – Join
• Young Entrepreneurs – Join
• Business StartUps India – Join
• Premium Trade Capital – Join
• Business Development – Join
• RJ BUSINESS – Join
• Super Comunity – Join
• IMC Networking Marketing – Join
• HYDERABAD LOANS – Join
• SHOPPING MASTER – Join
• Exodus Orbital Invest ltd – Join
• World Trip – Join
• HYDERABAD EASY LOANS – Join
• Credit Cards – Join
• Trader Zone – Join
• ATS ADD CLICK TOP ID – Join
• Best Business Group – Join
• Paisa Trade Group – Join
• BBIN PER DAY INCOME – Join
• Reindeers Club – Join
• Business Skills – Join
• Practical Business Idea – Join
• Opportunities Provide – Join
• Asdhrar Biometric – Join
• Online Business 0 Invest – Join
• Business Updates – Join
• No Investment Business Work From Home – Join
• Sales & Promotion – Join
• Celebrity Cash Hub – Join
• Business Friends – Join
• NEW BUSINESS UPDATE – Join
• Direct Selling Agents – Join
• PASSIVE INCOME EARNING – Join
• KC Reseller Group – Join
• K RAJPUTI COLL – Join
• Gifting Solutions – Join
• Business Enhancer – Join
• Online Shopping Mall – join
• Due point training – Join
• Sellers Group – Join
• FASHION TOUCH – Join
• Fashion Club – Join
• AIM SUCCESS TEAM – Join
• Part-time business Dubai – Join
• The Millenials Shop – Join
• Shopping Bee – Join
• Western World – Join
• Network Xoxo Life Global – Join
• Brandz Town – Join
• Suit Shop – Join
• Women’s Bag And Wear – Join
• ATOMY ONLINE BUSINESS – Join
• Small Business – Join
• Business Admins Of India – Join
• Achievers Investors – Join
• Business Technology – Join
• Business Offer – Join
• ONLINE WORK – Join
• Earn Unlimited Money – Join
• Online Business And Jobs – Join
• Prime Cash – Join
• PAISA PAY AND SUPPORT GROUP – Join
• Internet Business Wall – Join
• Learn To Trade 4Living – Join
• Dreams Success This Business – Join
• Noor Collection – Join
• Advertise your business – Join
• LIFE MAX Support Team – Join

Online Business WhatsApp Group Link

• LOCKDOWN BUSINESS – Join
• 2Bros Accessories – Join
• Pre-Launching Plan – Join
• C Networking With Me – Join
• 27- 160₹ Self Income – Join
• Earn Money WhatsApp Group
• Genuine Business Plan – J o in
• GNFH BUSINESS SERVICES – Join
• Promote Your Business – Join
• DREAMS ACHIEVEMENT- G – Join
• The Real Entrepreneur’s HangOut – Join
• BUSINESS ZONE 2 – Join
• RCM BUSINESS PARTNER – Join
• Zubi Elite Writing – Join
• MB Reseller Clothing – Join
• Business Out Source In India – Join
• Yazh’s Boutique – Join
• Reseller Khan Group – Join
• Global Charity US – Join
• ADN Syndicate – Join
• FREE 3.24 BTC in 51 days – Join
• Success Boostpal – Join
• Negocios Criptomonedas – Join
• SUN CITY SOLAR – Join
• Green Leaf Eagle – Join
• Best Online Plan – Join
• BCP INDIA – Join
• Row Clothing – Join
• Recharge & Get – Join
• Tiny Seed Prospect Group – Join
• Global Distribution – Join
• RD X FASHION – J o in
• MrsMode RAGP Team – Join
• Power Of 2 – Join
• JAMA LIFE MULTI-MILLIONAIRE – Join
• SUPER LIFE STC – Join
• MLM PLAN – Join
• GIST INCOME – Join
• DK NEWS – Join
• Kash Network Prospect – Join
• H Business Group – Join
• LONG RICH STOCKVEL – Join
• CARDING KING – Join
• NNU Make Money Online – Join
• Jama Life Program – Join
• New Job From Mobile – Join
• Job Search Cape Town – Join
• Stonker Group – Join
• Taxtalk1-Direct Taxes – Join
• Absolute Fashion – Jo i n
• I Am A Businessman – Join
• Karnataka Business Startups – Join
• Indian Import Exports- Join
• Online Dukan – Join
• Import Export Worldwide – Join
• Business With Khandelwal – Join
• BUYER of ETHIOPIAN COFFEE – Join
• Global Trading – Join
• Portar&Impoter – Join
• Natural Stone Trading – Join
• Gold – Join
• WORLD OF BUSINESS – Join
• China Africa Asia Exp_Imp – Join
• Lifestyle Business – Join

Related WhatsApp Groups:

• Share Market WhatsApp Groups
• Work From Home WhatsApp Group
• Trading WhatsApp Group
• Bitcoin WhatsApp Group
• Dream11 WhatsApp Groups
• Sub4Sub WhatsApp Groups
• News WhatsApp Groups

Business WhatsApp Group Rules

Whether you’re joining an online business WhatsApp group or offline, you have to follow some very important rules to stay in the group without violation. Following the below rules will ensure your best relationship with the business groups on WhatsApp.

• Make conversation specifically around businesses, off-topic is not allowed.
• Have respect for all kinds of business owners in the group.
• Don’t spam members or use your secret marketing strategies, you will be blocked.
• If you have business ideas, share them freely with the members. You and others might be able to get out with something better.
• Don’t brag about your business income instead, help others with your experience and tell your story of how you made the business a success.

Benefits of Joining Business WhatsApp Groups

If you’re confused about the actual perks that you can get from joining Business WhatsApp groups then let me make that clear for you.

• If you are starting a particular business that you don’t have much idea about, you can ask questions in the group and get a better perspective.
• By joining the group, you will get a lot of new useful information about businesses as experts often share their experience and knowledge. Especially about how a successful business is operated.
• As you will be in a business group, there might be many members looking for co-founders, or in case you yourself looking for one, you can find that as well in the group.

How to Join Business WhatsApp Group

Facing any problems while trying to join a business WhatsApp group? You do not need to tension for that as we have described below how to do just that step by step.

• Choose the group from the list that you want to join i.e offline or online.
• Look beside the group name, there should be a join link.
• Click on that and you’ll be redirected to that particular group join page.
• Hit the join chat and you are all set.
• That’s it.

Note: Before you follow the above steps, make sure WhatsApp is properly logged on your device.

How many people can be in a WhatsApp Business Group?

It doesn’t matter what kind of WhatsApp group you have, you will only be allowed a maximum of up to 1024. The limit has been recently increased, previously it was only 512. Therefore, a WhatsApp Business group can only contain a maximum of 1024 members. For further members, separate groups can be created.

Can you promote your business in the WhatsApp Business Group?

It depends on the admin of the WhatsApp group and what the rules are for the particular group. Some business WhatsApp group allows the promotion of other business and some doesn’t. You will have to read the group rules or contact the admin of the group. Usually, there are paid promotions in every WhatsApp group, so if you have money, reach out to the admin freely.

Is it okay to share business performance in WhatsApp Business Group?

Again, you have to read the rules of the WhatsApp business group whether it is allowed or not. Also, if it’s allowed as per the rule, you have to be cautious about the details you are going to share with the group members. To be precise, we recommend hiding the numbers and personal details from the performance status.

Business WhatsApp group links are important if you want to do a startup and learn the skills required in business. You might be tired of your job and want to start something of your own on the side. In that case, you should prefer an online business WhatsApp group. However, by joining these types of specific groups, you can learn how to start your business from scratch online by sitting at your home.

As the world can’t guarantee you a permanent job, learning business skills is something everyone should consider. So, when you lose your job or get fired if that ever happens, you will have the skills to rise back. Also, learning business doesn’t mean that you have to start your own, you can help other growing businesses or startups. So, we hope now everything is clear to you about the topic.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

The Ultimate Guide to Using WhatsApp for Business in 2021

Updated: February 04, 2021

Published: April 16, 2020

Does your business offer international services, but you've found it hard to connect with global customers in a personalized, cost-effective way? Do you, as a marketer, struggle with offering one-on-one experiences with customers when you're not online?

Marketing messages are hard, right? But they don't have to be. Allow me to introduce you to your new favorite app for customer relationships: WhatsApp .

Now, if you've just read that and thought, "WhatsApp? What's that? And how is an app going to help?" That's understandable.

Allow HubSpot's Head of Conversational Marketing, Connor Cirillo, to break it down: "WhatsApp has become the center of gravity for billions of users around the world. It's where we message the people we care about most — like our friends and family," he says.

He continues by noting that, "Businesses always want to build relationships and meet customers where they are. WhatsApp can become one of the most important marketing channels."

Even though the app is the most popular global mobile messaging service , WhatsApp commonly isn't known as a tool for businesses. For instance, just over 7% of marketers use WhatsApp for business .

However, while on the surface it may seem like WhatsApp is just another messaging service, there are tools built in the app that are great for maintaining strong customer relationships and cultivating lead generation.

But, what exactly is WhatsApp, and what does it do?

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a free mobile messaging app that allows users to communicate with friends and family. WhatsApp is used for group messaging, calls, and multimedia sharing, regardless of mobile device type. The app also allows for international communication between users.

To use WhatsApp, you have to download the app on your phone, or scan the QR code from a computer with your phone's camera. The app is available for desktop, but you need a phone in order to sign up.

Image Source

WhatsApp is appealing because, in most cases, the app is free to use, depending on your phone service's messaging rates. Additionally, it provides a centralized location for multiple group chats, multimedia sharing, and voice messaging.

Here, let's explore some ways those benefits can be used in WhatsApp for marketing efforts.

WhatsApp Marketing

If you want to remind your customers about promotions, offer accessible customer service options, or increase visibility, WhatsApp is a perfect tool for you. And, with the addition of WhatsApp Business , it's now easier than ever to build positive customer relationships.

More of a visual learner? I've got you. This video will walk you through everything you need to know about leveraging WhatsApp for business. 

With WhatsApp Business, you'll be able to offer personal customer support to your audience with automated messages and chatbot-like capabilities. So, if you're launching a new product, WhatsApp can automatically send the messages you've created to the customers you select.

Think of selecting customers being synonymous with audience segmentation — which you can do in the app using a broadcast list .

Additionally, if you have a global audience or customer base, you'll find it easy and cost-effective to connect with your international customers, since WhatsApp doesn't charge a fee for international communication. This helps you strengthen customer relationships abroad, and allows for quick-problem solving.

Next, we'll show you how you can use the tools provided in WhatsApp Business to make an effective WhatsApp marketing campaign.

How to create a WhatsApp Business profile

Making a WhatsApp Business account is easy, especially if you have the app already downloaded. If not, head over to your local mobile app store and type in " WhatsApp Business. " If you've already set up an account, the app will connect your account to a Business profile.

Next, accept the Terms and Conditions, and enter a phone number. (If you want to refrain from using your personal number, this is something you can change letter in Settings).

And then, you're all set! You can make your Business account look polished and professional from here. You can also begin to explore some of the business-specific functions available to you, like contact labels and short links.

Let's talk about some of the features you'll have to work with in WhatsApp Business.

First, you can list your company's contact information, such as email, address, and website link, in the "Business Profile" section, accessed by clicking "Business Settings". If you've ever seen a Facebook or Google Business profile, they're very similar. Your WhatsApp Business profile will be a quick view of your company.

Your Business profile will also be listed as one, so when you communicate with leads and customers, they will know they're talking to your business. Another identifier for customers is a green checkmark:

You'll see it added when your account is verified by WhatsApp, which involves the app making sure the information you've given to set up your profile is accurate.

You'll also be able to use labels to organize sales functions, access messaging metrics (such as stats on when messages are sent, delivered, and read), and build a catalog of products from your business. We'll get more into how these features can help your marketing strategy in the next section.

How to Use WhatsApp for Business

You can use WhatsApp for business efforts in a couple of different ways. Mainly, the app is used for communication and sharing, and that's the basis of using WhatsApp to your advantage. If you would like to incorporate WhatsApp Business into your own app or platform, you can also consider using WhatsApp Messaging API for your developers.

WhatsApp can be a powerful app to have in your toolkit. You can improve visibility, automate communication, and keep your workflow organized.

The app is also free to use and manage, so you won't be spending money downloading new software. Let's cover how some other ways to use WhatsApp as an asset for your company. 

1. Improve your business's visibility.

Similar to Facebook, WhatsApp allows businesses to have a Business page on the app. Your profile will offer important information for customers, such as location, description, website, and contact details. You can also add a catalog to your WhatsApp, like shown below:

Image S ource

The catalog tool lets you upload your products in bulk, so users can browse your offerings through the app. This tool is an easy way for customers to get an idea of what they can purchase from your business. Having a business page for your company increases the amount of possible customers who can interact with your business using the app.

For instance, let's say your customers want to know what your business offers, but don't feel like Googling it. If your catalog is set up, they'll be able to access your offerings before their attention is diverted to something else.

You can use catalogs to display a new product line, or feature your most popular products to entice your audience members.

2. Lessen the response time.

When you use WhatsApp Business, you can engage with customers directly. You can also automate messages using a chatbot, so your audiences can have their questions answered quickly.

Notice how you can save a few quick replies for your customers. This interactive "FAQ" undoubtedly cuts down on having to type, or copy-and-paste answers to common questions.

Think about providing a content offer with quick replies. For instance, you might configure your welcome message to ask about your new offerings, ( "Welcome! Would you like to know about our new sale?") , and include a quick reply that links back to your catalog, or another page or promotion.

3. Organize your duties.

WhatsApp offers different options for organization. First, you can organize your contacts using their label system. Alternatively, if you use a CRM that integrates with WhatsApp, like HubSpot, you can import your contacts directly from the CRM to the app, and manage conversations from there, like shown below:

If you can integrate WhatsApp with your CRM, you won't have to manually add contacts into the WhatsApp account. The two platforms will work together to import contact information onto your business dashboard.

Additionally, if you want to save the conversations you have with customers, you have that option with an integration. For example, HubSpot customers can access previous conversations on their HubSpot dashboard:

This will help you keep track of your customers and the relationships you grow with them. For more information about how to integrate your contact information with HubSpot, refer to this instructional post .

WhatsApp Marketing Campaign Examples

If you want to fit WhatsApp into a larger brand campaign, but are unsure how that will look, think of the app as a way to streamline communication in a way that's a little more personal, and easier to access, then email or a product page. Let's look at how some companies use WhatsApp.

1. Hellmann's Brazil

Tactic: Story-based chatflow conversations.

To help teach their younger audiences how to cook, the team at the Brazil headquarters of Hellmann's got to work, marketing through WhatsApp. This was an optimal choice for the team: WhatsApp is popular in Brazil , so their Brazilian audience would most likely already use the app.

This tool was a perfect addition to use in the campaign:

Here's how it works: After texting the Business profile, WhatsCook, with WhatsApp, users can ask the profile for recipes based on what they have in their fridge. Then, they can message the profile to get more direction, video-based instructions, or send photos of progress.

The profile offers multimedia directions, such as photo and video, to make the learning experience personalized. The app even texts you to remind you when the dish is done. With less than $900 invested, and four million people satisfied, Hellmann's had a home run.

The company used chatflows and labels to provide a choose-your-own-adventure story to connect with customers as part of their campaign to educate youngsters about cooking, all through text messages.

Think of how your customer service team would have an easier time organizing their contacts and helping customers with WhatsApp's quick messaging capabilities. They can create customized workflows using integrated software and upload them into WhatsApp.

Finally, if leads want to check out your business, they won't have to give it a Google search. They can just click on your user profile. These scenarios work for any type of business, and are some cost-effective alternatives to email marketing and international marketing.

2. Beck's Brewery

Tactic: Secondary app integration.

Beck's Brewery is an alcohol company that's popular in Europe, and focuses on legendary experiences. To make one for mobile phone users, their team created an app that integrates to WhatsApp, and offers a comic book theme for their chats:

This app promotes longer chats on WhatsApp, and increases brand awareness for Beck's Brewery as a brand. For instance, if a friend of a fan had never heard of the company before trying out the app, they'll learn about the brand when they try out the comic book-themed integration.

Maybe your company offers graphic design services, or is a software development company. The bright, designing minds at your company can use the WhatsApp API to come up with similar integrations to use as a promotional tool in part of your next campaign.

Tikkie is an app, available only in Europe, that lets its users repay small loans on their phone. The app is most notably used by global bank ABN AMRO to let users in the Netherlands make bank payments.

This can be done for customers using WhatsApp. To market this function, Tikkie's developers created a line of stickers that messengers can use in their chats to make them customizable, such as the ones shown below. Like other messaging apps such as Slack, these stickers add a funny, meme-able addition to chats:

These phrases, "Takes a long time," and "Paid!" are vague enough to be used in general conversations, funny enough to make an impact with younger customers, and branded enough to increase brand recognition with users choosing these stickers.

Though Tikkie isn't the first brand to use stickers for WhatsApp marketing ( For instance, these Star Wars stickers celebrated the franchise's 40th anniversary ), they highlight how you can use the money you save with a free app. This makes marketing messages more delightful for your customers.

To create a sticker campaign of your own, you can use this sample code provided by the app, after you read up on some best practices for creating stickers. Basically, make sure your sticker images have transparent backgrounds, is less than 100kb, and measures exactly at 512 x 512.

For more examples like these, be sure to check out these extra WhatsApp campaign examples .

Ultimately, it's important to keep in mind that WhatsApp shouldn't be a primary marketing tool, like a CRM or email marketing software. Instead, it should be a partner to advance your marketing messages.

If you have disorganized chatflow structures, and feel as if you can do more to build customer loyalty, give WhatsApp a try. You'll find a platform that's easy to use, integratable, and provides metrics about your performance to help you increase effectiveness over time.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

Demystifying Marketing's 6 Biggest Mixed Messages of 2024 with Jasper's Head of Enterprise Marketing

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Strategies & How to Improve Your Digital Presence

9 Pivotal Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024, According to Experts

Diving Deep Into Marketing in Construction (My Takeaways)

11 Recommendations for Marketers in 2024 [New Data]

The Top 5 B2C Marketing Trends of 2024 [New HubSpot Blog Data + Expert Insights]

5 Marketing Trends That Might Not Survive in 2024 [HubSpot Research + Expert Insights]

Everything You Need to Know About Webinar Marketing

7 Marketing Questions Teams are Asking in 2024 (+Data & Insights)

50 Small Business Marketing Ideas for 2024

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Computers and Electronics
• Online Communications
• Instant Messaging

How to Create a Group in WhatsApp

Last Updated: May 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd . Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 666,312 times. Learn more...

Like most instant messaging applications, WhatsApp lets you create a group in order to message many people at once. You can create a group in WhatsApp by opening the Chats menu and selecting the "New Group" option. From there, you'll be able to add up to 256 people to a group as long as they're in your phone's contacts!

Creating a Group (iPhone)

• If you can't find WhatsApp on your iPhone, swipe down from the middle of the screen and type "WhatsApp" into the ensuing search bar. You should see WhatsApp's icon pop up at the top of this menu. [2] X Research source

• If WhatsApp opens to your last-used chat, you'll need to tap the "Chats" option in the top left corner to return to the Chats menu.

• You will need to have at least one chat in your Chats menu before you can create a group; if you've only just installed WhatsApp, simply send a one-word chat to a contact in order to activate the "New Group" option.

• You can also search for specific contacts from within the search bar at the top of the WhatsApp screen.
• You cannot add people who aren't currently in your contacts.

• Add a "Group Subject" to name the group (25 character maximum).
• Add a photo by tapping the camera icon on the left of the Group Subject field.
• Delete participants from the group before you officially form it.

Creating a Group (Android)

• If you can't locate WhatsApp on your phone, try searching for it using Google's "In App" feature.

• If WhatsApp opens to your last-used chat, tap the "Chats" option in the top left corner to view the Chats menu.

• Tap the "OK" button in the top right corner of your screen when you're ready to continue.

• You can also take a photo from within WhatsApp if you like.

Messaging Your Group

• Tap the "Send" option in the top right corner of your screen to send your photo.

Community Q&A

• After sending your message, you will see a series of checkmarks as they pertain to your recipient: one checkmark means your message has been sent, two checkmarks mean your recipient has received the message, and the checkmarks turn blue when your recipient has read your message. [13] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• The group feature in WhatsApp is a great way to organize international meetings, get-togethers with friends, and so on. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

• Be careful about who you add to a group if you're going to be making sensitive plans. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whatsapp-messenger/id310633997
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201285
• ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/whatsapp/text-messaging/1/
• ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/3242937609289432/?cms_platform=iphone
• ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp&hl=en&gl=US
• ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/3242937609289432/?cms_platform=android
• ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/993629751672762/?cms_platform=android
• ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/665923838265756/?cms_platform=android

About This Article

1. Open WhatsApp. 2. Tap Chats . 3. Tap New Group . 4. Select group members. 5. Tap Next . 6. Enter group details. 7. Tap Create . Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Is this article up to date?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

• Website chat Bring modern messaging to your website
• WhatsApp Support customers on the #1 messaging app
• Facebook Messenger Connect to the social network
• SMS The universal messaging channel
• Threema The most secure messaging app
• Telegram The popular alternative
• Instagram COMING SOON Message with your followers
• Message Center Your shared messaging inbox
• Chatbots & AI With GPT-4 Automate the right way
• Video calls Easily switch from chat to video
• Data Privacy & GDPR Born and hosted in Germany
• Add-ons Connect your favorite tools
• Enterprise features Tackle support at scale
• Blog Explore insights about customer service and more
• E-books Free resources to learn and grow
• Customer stories This is what success looks like with Userlike
• Partners See our partners or apply to become one
• Professional services Our workshops for personalized guidance
• Help center Learn everything you need to know about Userlike

WhatsApp Business Pricing: What Costs You Can Expect

More than 50 million companies are already using WhatsApp in their customer communication. But how much does WhatsApp Business cost and is it actually worth it?

Today's customers prefer convenience. Chatting instead of calling. Online shopping instead of in-store shopping.

Whatsapp Business lets companies respond to changing user behavior and be available on a channel their customers already use every day.

The benefits of WhatsApp for businesses are clear. But what costs should you expect if you want to offer WhatsApp support?

This article will give you a brief overview of how to set up WhatsApp Business and what costs you can expect for the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.

• WhatsApp Business App - Free app for small teams
• How much does the WhatsApp Business App cost?
• WhatsApp Business Premium - Paid version of the WhatsApp Business App
• How much does WhatsApp Premium cost?
• WhatsApp Business Platform - Professional customer messaging for small and large companies
• How much does the WhatsApp Business Platform cost? (+table)
• How to quickly and easily get started with WhatsApp Business

1 Free WhatsApp Business App

The WhatsApp Business App was developed for small businesses with up to five employees. It’s an ideal solution for small, local businesses that don’t have a professional service department, such as Hofladen Sauerland.

The app works similarly to the private WhatsApp people use to talk to friends and family. It also offers businesses some handy additional features for efficient messaging support such as quick replies, a catalog and broadcasts.

One disadvantage is that the WhatsApp Business App is limited to a single employee account, which makes it not suitable for professional customer service - for example, you can’t track which employee sent which messages. Depending on how it’s set up, it’s also problematic in terms of data protection and isn't GDPR-compliant.

WhatsApp Business app at a glance

• Accounts: 1
• Connectable devices: 5
• Assign chats to employees: No
• Approved WhatsApp newsletters: No
• Sales and support features: Basic features
• Privacy compliant: No

2 How much does the WhatsApp Business App cost?

The WhatsApp Business App is free to download from the App Store and the Google Play Store. You can find our step-by-step guide on how to set up your WhatsApp Business account in our article: “WhatsApp Business Account from app to z - features, costs, setup.”

Only one number may be used per WhatsApp account. If you use your existing private number, your account will be converted into a WhatsApp Business account.

We recommend using a new number for WhatsApp Business. This means you’ll need a new SIM card and either another cell phone or a dual-SIM-capable smartphone.

3 WhatsApp Business Premium: Paid version of the WhatsApp Business App

WhatsApp Business Premium is a subscription model of WhatsApp Business that adds more features to the WhatsApp Business App. Currently, these are the two features you get with WhatsApp Business Premium:

• The number of linkable devices is increased from four to 10. This means WhatsApp Business Premium subscribers can use a total of 11 devices. Just like the basic version, you can only use a smartphone; all other devices must be desktop-based. Tablets are also excluded. You can also assign chats to specific employees to better organize team collaboration.
• In the basic version, the automatically generated "WhatsApp website" for your company consists of a brand name and profile picture. In the premium version, opening hours, address, a link to your website and the WhatsApp catalog are added. In the basic version, the link to the website is created based on the phone number (the so-called wa.me link ), but in the premium version you can choose your own link name, which redirects to your company overview (as long as it’s not already taken). The WhatsApp website shows the information you store in the WhatsApp Business App. For example, if you change the opening hours in your WhatsApp Business profile, it will also reflect on the website.

WhatsApp Business Premium is worthwhile for your company if you’re happy with the business app's feature range but plan to add more employees and want to keep a better overview of who answers which chats. However, WhatsApp Business Premium isn’t suitable for mid-sized and large companies. It still lacks many support features that are standard in professional chat support, such as employee routing, forwarding and chatbots. WhatsApp offers the WhatsApp Business API for this purpose.

The data protection situation is also a problem for WhatsApp Premium. Since it can access the connected smartphone’s phone book, numbers are passed on to WhatsApp without consent. This doesn’t happen with the API.

WhatsApp Business Premium app at a glance

• Connectable devices: 11
• Assign chats to employees: Yes
• Sales and support features: Advanced basic features

4 How much does WhatsApp Premium cost?

WhatsApp Premium is currently only available to select WhatsApp Business users. You can easily check if you’re eligible by opening the settings in the WhatsApp Business App. If the menu item "Premium" is listed, you can sign up for the subscription. You also have the option to sign up for a free trial month.

WhatsApp has yet to publicly share the prices for the Premium subscription.

5 WhatsApp Business Platform

The WhatsApp Business Platform is designed to meet the needs of businesses with professional service teams. It’s used by small and large businesses from car dealerships to language schools to brands like Decathlon and Toyota.

One of its many advantages is that it’s scalable and adapts easily to existing company processes.

With the connected customer messaging software, you get advanced sales and service features you can use in WhatsApp, such as intelligent routing to the most appropriate employee, automatic translations and chatbots. Also, only a WhatsApp Business Platform allows you to send approved WhatsApp promotional messages.

Most importantly, it’s GDPR-compliant, making it a secure option for WhatsApp support in business.

WhatsApp Business Platform at a glance

• Accounts: unlimited
• Connectable devices: unlimited
• Approved WhatsApp newsletters: Yes
• Sales and support features: Professional features for customer communication
• Privacy compliant: Yes

You can find more information about the WhatsApp Business Platform or WhatsApp API in our articles:

• WhatsApp Business API – Everything you need to know
• WhatsApp in Business – How to be GDPR-compliant in 2023
• WhatsApp Business API: Set up your account in 10 minutes with Userlike

6 How much does the WhatsApp Business Platform cost? (+table)

Unlike the app, the WhatsApp Business Platform is not available for free because of its extended feature range and focus on data protection.

Costs incur according to the monthly plan price for the customer messaging software, and - if you have more than 1000 conversations per month - for the amount of conversations. But let's go through the individual costs in detail.

Monthly costs

While you can download and set up the free WhatsApp Business App yourself, you can only get access to a WhatsApp Business Platform through a respective customer messaging provider, i.e. official WhatsApp partners.

The costs vary depending on the provider you choose, so it's worth comparing your options. With SinchEngage, for example, costs start at €499 per month.

Userlike offers WhatsApp for just €90 per month, starting with the Team plan.

WhatsApp Business: Privacy, examples and first steps

In this guide, you'll find all the important info you need for using WhatsApp in business.

Fees per conversation

WhatsApp charges cents per conversation (see the pricing table below). However, only if you exceed the monthly free quota of 1,000 conversations. Note that this free quota can only be used for service chats, i.e. conversations where a customer contacts you first. If you want to proactively write to customers, you can’t use the free conversations.

What counts as a "conversation"?

.A paid conversation includes a 24-hour session that begins as soon as the company writes to a customer or responds to a customer message. All messages sent and received within this 24-hour service window are covered by the session fee

Example: Shoe retailer Kicks initiates the conversation with a message template (1), the customer responds a short time later with a message (2). Kicks thanks them with a session message. WhatsApp only charges for one conversation for all three messages.

If the customer were to respond 24 hours later, this message would also be free of charge, because only the company can open a new chargeable 24-hour window. If Kicks doesn't thank her until 9 a.m. the next day, it costs them one conversation and a new 24-hour window opens.

Tip: If a Facebook or Instagram user clicks on your click-to-WhatsApp ad, you can chat with them for free for up to 72 hours instead of just 24. The user automatically switches from the social media platform to the WhatsApp chat. All messages within the next three days are completely free. WhatsApp calls these special cases “Free Entry Points.”

How much does a conversation cost?

If you use up the 1000 free support conversations for the current month, charges apply that vary depending on the country and who initiates the conversation. Conversations initiated by the user, i.e. usually classic support chats, cost approx. 8 cents in the United States.

For conversations initiated by the company, WhatsApp divides it into three use cases: Utility, Authentications, and Marketing messages. Each use case has its own fee. In the United States, the costs for a utility message is about 2 cents, an authentication about 1 cent, and for marketing content about 1 cent.

Conversations in different categories can run in parallel or overlap. For example, if you answer a customer's support question at 3 p.m., a conversation in the Support category will open. If you send him a newsletter at 7 p.m., a conversation in the Marketing category will open. There is a charge for both conversations. You can send as many session messages and support templates as you like until 3 pm. the next day. And you can send as many session messages and marketing templates as you like until 7 p.m. the next day.

WhatsApp Business Platform — Price chart 2024

Note: "User-initiated" does not mean that a company pays for WhatsApp messages from customers. Only when you reply and start a session is this considered a "user-initiated conversation." For example, you don't pay if you receive an unsolicited message and don’t respond. Receiving messages from your customers is always free with the WhatsApp Business API.

You can find a current price overview of WhatsApp at Meta for Developers.

Real-life examples for current pricing model (since June 2023)

Scenario 1: reply to support request within 24 hours with normal session messages.

• The customer sends a question about her reservation.
• The 24-hour service window does not start until Commercial Air delivers the reply message.
• If the airline responds immediately to the customer's message (e.g. "Happy to help. Have a nice flight"), there is no charge. If Commercial Air wants to respond or send a status update after the 24-hour window has expired, for example at 4 p.m. the next day, a new conversation will be charged.

Scenario 2: Automated transaction messages

• The customer wants to check her order with Kicks, an online shoe retailer. She sends her message at 1.13 p.m.
• Kicks uses a chatbot that responds to simple order requests and immediately provides the customer with delivery details at 1.13 pm.
• The next day, at 3:45 pm, the Kicks bot notifies the customer that her order has been delivered. This message is sent outside the 24-hour service window using a message template. Therefore, a new conversation is charged for this notification.

Scenario 3: WhatsApp campaign with multiple template marketing messages

Nivea drives customers to its Mother's Day campaign on WhatsApp via an ad on Instagram. As this is a free entry point, there is no charge for the conversation. Nivea can now exchange messages for free for 72 hours, in this case template messages from the "Marketing" category.

But what happens if the customer changes the subject during the campaign, e.g. has a question about the order?

If the customer hadn't been led to the campaign through one of the free entry points, an additional conversation would now open in the support category (with the associated fee). However, because the conversation was started from a free entry point, a special rule applies: you can send any template type and session messages for free for 72 hours, regardless of its content.

Scenario 4: Combining two categories in one message template

Markt sends the customer a shipping confirmation and includes a discount offer in the message. The conversation is then no longer categorized as a transaction, but as a marketing conversation. When two use cases are mixed in a message template, then the more expensive category always applies. This is similar to the 2-for-1 offers in fashion stores, where the price of the more expensive product is charged.

7 How to quickly and easily get started with WhatsApp Business

Leverage the potential of WhatsApp Business and upgrade your customer communication with the world's most popular messaging app. A spot in your customer’s contact list automatically bridges a close relationship, boosts customer satisfaction and provides better digital service thanks to innovative features.

The WhatsApp Business API is a powerful, GDPR-compliant solution that works for businesses of all sizes and industries. With Userlike, you can get access to the API for just $90 per month – including our WhatsApp Campaigns feature, which allows you to send your customers unique WhatsApp campaigns in the form of newsletters, brochures or individual offers.

Still, WhatsApp is not the only relevant messaging app. That’s why Userlike also provides access to more popular channels, such as website chat, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Threema and SMS. All channels are combined into one business software for all your customer messaging needs.

If you’re interested, please feel free to reach out to us on our website. We look forward to hearing from you and guiding you as you get started with the WhatsApp Business API!

Additional WhatsApp resources

• WhatsApp Business API - Everything you need to know
• WhatsApp Business: Advantages and disadvantages at a glance
• 7 ways to use WhatsApp for business
• WhatsApp template messages: Rules, best practices and examples

Tamina is Head of Marketing at Userlike, passionate about personal growth and consumer behavior. Outside of work, she enjoys going on adventures with her dog.

Reach your customers on the #1 messaging app

• WhatsApp API
• Shared inbox

• Marketing Tools /
• WhatsApp Marketing Software /
• Smartflo - Cloud Telephony Solutions /

What are the Benefits of Using WhatsApp Business Platform

Table of Contents

Related Posts

• Top 10 WhatsApp Automation Tools in 2024
• How to Send Bulk Messages on WhatsApp?
• Best WhatsApp Promotion Message Ideas Templates
• How to Record WhatsApp Call: Best WhatsApp Call Recorders
• Tips to Make Your WhatsApp Advertising Campaign Successful with iRocket

In this era of rapid digital transformation, WhatsApp Business Platform is redefining how businesses operate and connect with their clientele, bringing a new age of communication and customer engagement. With its innovative features and seamless interface, this revolutionary platform opens the door to a host of benefits.

From increasing lead conversion to automating customer interactions, designing smart campaigns, reducing support costs, and integrating communication channels effortlessly, WhatsApp Business Platform empowers businesses to effectively address new challenges and deliver exceptional customer assistance.

While these features are helping businesses reach out to their existing and potential consumers, tools like Smartflo are unlocking new potentials for businesses in their marketing strategies.

The integration of WhatsApp Business API Platform with Smartflo’s WhatsApp for Business Suite enables businesses to achieve accelerated customer engagement, enhance the customer experience (CX), and create impactful interactions that leave a lasting impression on their clientele. This powerful integration allows businesses to turn their vision of advanced digital solutions into reality.

What is WhatsApp Business Platform?

WhatsApp Business Platform is a specialized solution catering to businesses seeking effective customer communication. It provides two primary options: WhatsApp Business App, designed for smaller businesses, and WhatsApp Business API Platform for medium scale enterprises.

WhatsApp Business App, a free mobile application, offers basic features, like business profile creation and quick replies. However, it has limitations, such as single-device usage. Whereas, WhatsApp Business Platform API, is a paid service that addresses these limitations by allowing businesses to manage WhatsApp conversations at scale.

It offers advanced functionalities, including automated messaging and customer chatbots, but requires a third-party partner service for access.

WhatsApp Business Platform API allows companies to connect their existing software systems, like customer relationship management (CRM) or messaging platforms, with WhatsApp for seamless communication.

It also enables businesses to send automated messages, notifications, and respond to customer inquiries through WhatsApp. By integrating their systems with the WhatsApp API, companies can efficiently manage and expand their customer communication on this popular messaging platform .

Benefits of Using WhatsApp Business Platform

WhatsApp Business Platform comes with a bundle of benefits for businesses. From extensive user reach and secure communications to streamlined marketing efforts, it is a powerful tool for improving customer engagement and brand interaction. Some of the key benefits include:

• Large User Base

WhatsApp is not just another messaging app, it’s the most widely used messaging platform globally, with over two billion active users. This extensive user base makes WhatsApp the best platform to connect with millions of users. Also, operating in more than 180 countries, like India, Brazil, and the United States, WhatsApp boasts remarkable user penetration in several countries that further adds to its reach.

Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness and financial accessibility of whatsapp business platform pricing has also contributed to its widespread adoption. This has made it the go-to choice for keeping in touch with family and friends, both locally and internationally.

• Real-Time Engagement

WhatsApp designed for business is not only exceptionally easy to use but also very popular. It functions as a real-time communication channel that enables businesses to reach their audience with unparalleled efficiency.

Roughly 80% of WhatsApp messages are read during the initial five minutes after they’re received. This means that businesses can use the real-time nature of the Whatsapp marketing platform to send marketing messages that are more likely to capture the recipient’s attention.

To fully harness the potential of connecting with WhatsApp users and optimizing real-time engagement, businesses should consider integrating this platform with Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite. This strategic partnership empowers businesses to significantly enhance their real-time engagement capabilities, using Smartflo’s robust support and infrastructure.

• Diverse Content Formats

WhatsApp Business offers a versatile array of content formats and interactive options for businesses to engage with their audience. These options include lists, calls to action (CTAs), hyperlinks, images, videos, attachments, and product listings.

Businesses can expand their messaging versatility by integrating WhatsApp Business Platforms like Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite, featuring chatbots, campaign coordination, and hybrid communications. This integration empowers brands to efficiently send a wide range of messages.

This includes the ability to send booking reminders, shipping alerts, order status updates, product demonstration videos, verification PINs, boarding passes, two-way customer surveys, as well as messages for customer support. These add-on features make Smartflo a superior choice for diverse content formats.

• Two-Way Communication

Whatsapp commerce platform not only allows businesses to send messages to customers but also enables customers to initiate conversation with businesses. This two-way communication increases client engagement and creates a sense of accessibility.

A study revealed that 53% of consumers prefer to shop from companies they can directly message. This fact highlights how crucial it is to provide customers with a means for immediate communication and support, which, in turn, raises the chances of them opting for your business.

• Multichannel Strategy Scaling

Whatsapp marketing platform is highly versatile and can function both as a customer support channel and a marketing tool, allowing businesses to address inquiries, process orders, resolve issues, and send marketing messages through direct chats.

Whatsapp multi agent platform offers the flexibility of using a single business account across multiple phone numbers, users, and devices, making it easy to scale your customer support and marketing teams as needed.

• Automated Responses

WhatsApp simplifies customer support with automation capabilities. Companies have the ability to establish “away” messages to notify customers when they are not accessible and employ rapid responses to efficiently handle frequently asked questions.

Automation extends beyond basic responses, enabling the creation of onboarding sequences for new customers and gathering valuable feedback. These automation features streamline communication and enhance the customer experience.

Businesses looking to take their communication and messaging capabilities to the next level can consider solutions like Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite. This advanced platform seamlessly integrates with the WhatsApp Business Platform API and enhances real-time engagement through features such as intelligent chatbots, campaign coordination, and versatile hybrid communications.

These additional functionalities not only expand the range of messaging options but also ensure a more personalized and efficient interaction with customers, making Smartflo a valuable complement for businesses seeking to optimize their customer support and engagement.

• Private and Personalized Communication

WhatsApp provides a platform for businesses to have individualized and private conversations with their customers. Through one-on-one chat, businesses can offer tailored deals and individualized customer service.

This direct channel allows businesses to send personal account credentials, real-time order updates, and immediate assistance. Whereas, Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite excels in providing even more enhanced capabilities for private and personalized interactions between companies and their clientele.

This integration of Smartflow with WhatsApp Business Platform not only supports private interactions but also goes above and beyond by offering advanced features that enable businesses to share account credentials, real-time order updates, and immediate assistance, thereby building strong customer relationships.

• Security and Trustworthiness

WhatsApp’s robust security features, including end-to-end encryption for message privacy and authentication for instilling trust, ensure secure and confidential business communication.

Integration with Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite further strengthens these security measures, offering businesses the peace of mind and reinforcing their credibility.

• Enhanced Marketing

WhatsApp Business introduces a new communication channel and improves marketing with labels, engagement data, and CRM integration for better campaigns . It also offers user-friendly labels for streamlined contact management that help you categorize contacts into groups such as Loyal customers, WhatsApp newsletter subscribers, and Leads from trade shows.

Moreover, it provides valuable engagement metrics, revealing whether your messages have been read, clicked, or reported, allowing you to fine-tune your approach.

To elevate marketing efforts even further, businesses can use Smartflo WhatsApp for Business suite that can be seamlessly integrated with a CRM system. This will help leverage customer data for highly targeted and personalized campaigns that resonate with your audience.

WhatsApp Business Platform is a transformative tool for modern businesses that offers a wide range of benefits, from real-time engagement to GDPR compliance, diverse content formats, and enhanced marketing capabilities.

Using Smartflo WhatsApp for Business Suite adds an extra layer of sophistication, enriching the user experience and maximizing the potential of this dynamic platform for successful customer engagement and brand development.

Shobhit Kalra boasts an impressive 12 years of diverse experience across industries, including Digital Media, Digital Marketing and Healthtech. He has a proven track record of creating engaging and impactful content that resonates with readers. In his journey with Techjockey, he has been given the responsibility of crafting... Read more

Related Question and Answers

Some of the best WhatsApp marketing software that can send bulk messages with buttons are WappBlaster, WhatSender, Whatso, and Rapid Planner. You can also create WhatsApp bulk messages with interactive and multimedia message templates. An interactive message template contains call-to-action or quick reply buttons. A multimedia message template supports text, images, videos, and PDF files.

• Write Answer

NotifyVisitors provides one of the powerful WhatsApp marketing which aids businesses of every size achieve their targeted audience, build on their customer relationships, and boost sales. Free plan is available as well as Paid plan which starts from Rs 5000 per month. Here are two more options MessageBird Paid plan starts at $50/month and Whatso lifetime access for $49.

A few good bulk WhatsApp messaging software solutions are Wozto Bulk WhatsApp, SDI Bulk WhatsApp Sender, Goarjun Bulk Whatsapp Software, Ameyo, and NovoChat.

There is no software that can directly add contact number file to WhatsApp group, however, you can convert Excel file to vCard format using the BitRecover Excel to vCard Converter software. After this, you can import the contacts in mobile device and manually create a WhatsApp group.

There is no limit to the number of messages that can be sent in a WappBlaster Plan. For more details, visit techjockey.com.

Still Have a Question in Mind?

Get answered by real users or software experts

Recommended Products

WappBlaster

Wapp Blaster

Dunes Factory

Rapid Planner

Meshink Whatsapp Marketing

Indian Mesh Pvt Ltd

YoGi Direct Marketing

Star Solution WhatsApp Marketing Software

Star Solution

Orai-Robotics WhatsApp Business API

Orai-Robotics

Whatsender Profile

Mtalkz Whatsapp API

Mtalkz Mobility Services (P) Ltd.

Maxmite global Pvt. Ltd.

Taxweb Bulk WhatsApp Software

WhatsTool Tech

AiSensy Communications Pvt Ltd

Goarjun Bulk WhatsApp Software

Click2Surat Mobile WhatsApp Sender

Click2Surat

Puportweb WhatsApp Marketing Software

PUPORT WEB PLUS MARKETING

Trending Posts

21 Best Free Online Typing Software and App in 2024

February 7, 2024

Top 14 Free Bulk SMS Apps for Marketing in 2024

August 29, 2023

10 Best Open Source and Free Library Management Software

March 28, 2024

20 Top Free Bulk WhatsApp Sender Tools Online in India 2024

21 Best Technical Analysis Software for Stock Trading in India 2024

April 18, 2024

Top 27 Gaming Websites for PC, Android & iOS – Download Free Games Online 2024

September 18, 2023

16 Best Stock Screeners in India for Day Trading 2024

January 17, 2024

12 Best Hidden Call Recorder Apps for Android & iPhone in 2024

April 16, 2024

Business titans privately urged NYC mayor to use police on Columbia protesters, chats show

A WhatsApp chat started by some wealthy Americans after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack reveals their focus on Mayor Eric Adams and their work to shape U.S. opinion of the Gaza war.

A group of billionaires and business titans working to shape U.S. public opinion of the war in Gaza privately pressed New York City’s mayor last month to send police to disperse pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, according to communications obtained by The Washington Post and people familiar with the group.

Business executives including Kind snack company founder Daniel Lubetzky, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, billionaire Len Blavatnik and real estate investor Joseph Sitt held a Zoom video call on April 26 with Mayor Eric Adams (D), about a week after the mayor first sent New York police to Columbia’s campus, a log of chat messages shows. During the call, some attendees discussed making political donations to Adams, as well as how the chat group’s members could pressure Columbia’s president and trustees to permit the mayor to send police to the campus to handle protesters, according to chat messages summarizing the conversation.

One member of the WhatsApp chat group told The Post he donated $2,100, the maximum legal limit, to Adams that month. Some members also offered to pay for private investigators to assist New York police in handling the protests, the chat log shows — an offer a member of the group reported in the chat that Adams accepted. The New York Police Department is not using and has not used private investigators to help manage protests, a spokeswoman for City Hall said.

The messages describing the call with Adams were among thousands logged in a WhatsApp chat among some of the nation’s most prominent business leaders and financiers, including former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital and brother of Jared Kushner, former president Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

People with direct access to the chat log’s contents supplied them to The Post. They shared the information on the condition of anonymity because the chat’s contents were meant to stay private. Members of the group verified the chat’s existence and their comments.

The chat was initiated by a staffer for billionaire and real estate magnate Barry Sternlicht — who never joined directly, instead communicating through the staffer, according to chat messages and a person close to Sternlicht. In an Oct. 12 message, one of the first sent in the group, the staffer posting on behalf of Sternlicht told the others the goal of the group was to “change the narrative” in favor of Israel, partly by conveying “the atrocities committed by Hamas … to all Americans.”

Israel estimates 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. In the months since the war began, the death toll in Gaza has risen above 35,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry .

The chat group formed shortly after the Oct. 7 attack, and its activism has stretched beyond New York, touching the highest levels of the Israeli government, the U.S. business world and elite universities. Titled “Israel Current Events,” the chat eventually expanded to about 100 members, the chat log shows. More than a dozen members of the group appear on Forbes’s annual list of billionaires; others work in real estate, finance and communications.

Overall, the messages offer a window into how some prominent individuals have wielded their money and power in an effort to shape American views of the Gaza war , as well as the actions of academic, business and political leaders — including New York’s mayor.

“He’s open to any ideas we have,” chat member Sitt, founder of the retail chain Ashley Stewart and the global real estate company Thor Equities, wrote April 27, the day after the group’s Zoom call with Adams. “As you saw he’s ok if we hire private investigators to then have his police force intel team work with them.”

Sitt declined to comment through a spokeswoman.

A half-dozen prominent members of the group confirmed on the record their participation in the chat. Multiple people familiar with the group confirmed the names of other members.

Cypriot Israeli real estate billionaire Yakir Gabay wrote in a statement shared by a spokesperson that he joined the group because he wanted to “share support at a difficult and painful time,” to aid the victims of Hamas attacks, and to “try and correct the false and misleading information intentionally spread worldwide to deny or cover up the suffering caused by Hamas.”

Asked about the Zoom meeting with chat group members, the mayor’s office did not address it directly, instead sharing a statement from Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy noting that New York police entered Columbia’s campus twice in response to “specific written requests” from university leadership. “Any suggestion that other considerations were involved in the decision-making process is completely false,” Levy said. He added, “The insinuation that Jewish donors secretly plotted to influence government operations is an all too familiar antisemitic trope that the Washington Post should be ashamed to ask about, let alone normalize in print.”

Adams demonstrated a willingness to send law enforcement to deal with campus protesters from the beginning . He sent police to Columbia’s campus to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators April 18, at the university’s request — about a day after protesters erected their Gaza solidarity encampment. Officers arrested more than 100 protesters . The mayor has subsequently alleged that student activists were affected by “outside influences” — and that police intervention was needed to prevent “children” from being “radicalized.”

Both he and Columbia’s president have since drawn criticism — but also support — for involving police, adding to a fraught stretch for Adams, who is up for reelection in 2025 and faces an FBI corruption investigation into whether his 2021 campaign received illegal donations from Turkey. Adams has defended that campaign, saying he held it to “the highest ethical standards.”

Four days after chat members held the video call with Adams, student protesters occupied a campus building and Columbia’s president invited police back to campus to clear the building . Officers removed and arrested dozens of protesters, pushing, striking and dragging students in the process, The Post reported . One officer accidentally fired his gun.

Months before the protests at Columbia this spring, some chat members attended private briefings with former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett; Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet; and Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, according to chat records.

Members of the group also worked with the Israeli government to screen a roughly 40-minute film showing footage compiled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) — titled “Bearing Witness to the October 7 Massacre” — to audiences in New York City. The film portrays killings committed by Hamas. A chat member asked for help from other members to show the film at universities; it was later screened at Harvard , a showing chat member Ackman helped facilitate , attended and promoted publicly.

Sternlicht declined to comment on the record, although a person close to him — speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the chat group publicly — confirmed the real estate tycoon initiated the chat. Other members of the chat, including Ackman and Schultz, confirmed their membership.

A spokesman said that Ackman had not participated in the chat since Jan. 10, adding that Ackman never spoke to Adams about the Columbia protests or donated to Adams’s campaign, although Ackman “likes and is supportive of the Mayor.” Joshua Kushner declined to comment.

On Oct. 12, a staffer for Sternlicht relayed a message from his boss outlining the group’s mission: While Israel worked to “win the physical war,” the chat group’s members would “help win the war” of U.S. public opinion by funding an information campaign against Hamas. The campaign was referred to in the chat as “Facts for Peace.”

The news site Semafor reported in November that Sternlicht was launching a $50 million anti-Hamas media campaign with various Wall Street and Hollywood billionaires. The people involved, per Semafor’s reporting, include some members of the WhatsApp chat, a review by The Post found. The chat messages, the contents of which have never before been reported, appear to reveal the start of the campaign, as well as separate pro-Israel activities undertaken later by chat members. It is unclear to what extent the chat group and media campaign overlapped.

Some of the media campaign’s activities were public, including its website and Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , Facebook and X accounts, which together attracted more than 170,000 followers.

High-level contacts, private briefings

At a moment of rising antisemitism, the staffer for Sternlicht wrote in one of the first chat messages that his boss was proud of his Jewish heritage and wanted to support Israel, but was also concerned about security. Anonymity, the staffer wrote Oct. 12 on Sternlicht’s behalf, “is a practical need and concern for safety of my family in an increasingly complex world.”

The staffer wrote that Sternlicht understood if other members felt similarly and promised that all contributions to the media campaign would remain anonymous. “I’m sensitive to concerns about being less effective if it appears that this is a Jewish initiative,” the staffer wrote, speaking for Sternlicht.

From the start of the chat, members sought guidance and information from officials in the Israeli government.

Some of the WhatsApp chat members said in the chat they attended private briefings about the Gaza war with Israeli war cabinet member Gantz, former prime minister Bennett and Herzog, the ambassador. The chat log shows Zoom invites for these meetings.

“Most appreciative for the behind the scenes briefing by Naftali Bennett,” Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, wrote to the group on Oct. 16. “Quite extraordinary!”

Bennett did not respond to a request for comment. Gantz could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington said the briefing Herzog gave chat members was “one of dozens” the ambassador delivered that month, adding that “communities here in the U.S. understandably wanted to learn more about what was happening on the ground in Israel.”

A spokesperson for Schultz confirmed in a statement that he attended the briefing with Bennett, but said Schultz “did not participate in, or contribute financially to, any of the group’s work.” Schultz was neither involved in discussions about Adams and the Columbia protests nor screenings of the film, according to a spokesman.

In late October, the chat records show, chat members appear to have suggested to Israeli officials that they should hold a private New York City screening for media members of “Bearing Witness,” the IDF film featuring graphic footage recorded by Hamas gunmen on body cameras and cellphones as they attacked Israel. Sitt wrote in a message to the group Oct. 27 that Israeli officials wanted to thank them “for coming up with the concept of the press event in NYC.”

The next month, the group showed the film in New York, records show. Sitt wrote on Nov. 10 that the Israeli government “arranged for us” to screen the film in Gotham Hall on Nov. 17, adding in a later message the showing “will be listed as a IDF event not affiliated to Facts for Peace to keep them separate.”

In ensuing months, group members wrote in the chat to flag news articles or social media posts about Israel, events in Gaza or, later, college campus protests.

‘So NYPD can return’

Columbia students first set up an encampment April 17 , eventually leading some Jewish students to allege the protests had forged a hostile and harassing atmosphere. Police stepped in to clear the encampment at the Columbia president’s request April 18, arresting more than 100 demonstrators.

In the chat, discussion of how Adams was handling the Columbia protests — and how group members could help — took off the following day, after student protesters built a new encampment to replace the demolished one.

Lubetzky, of the snack company Kind, posted in the chat sharing a link to an Instagram video showing an Israeli Arab journalist getting hit by a man the video caption claims is an “anti-Israel protester.” Not long after, billionaire Blavatnik posted a picture of Adams and wrote, “He needs help.”

Sitt responded that he had already “been helping but can use more support.” He asked if others were “open to giving” to Adams.

Gabay, the Cypriot Israeli real estate billionaire, replied: “Pls send the info. Thanks.” Then Blavatnik posted an ActBlue link allowing donations to the Eric Adams 2025 committee.

Lubetzky messaged: “If there is a group to contribute through, or a way to ensure our contributions are known to be related to his efforts to fight antisemitism and hate, pls let us know and I will support meaningfully alongside you guys.” Sitt replied that he was arranging a “code” for such donations; asked about this message, Vito Pitta, counsel to Adams’s 2025 campaign, said “there is no ‘special code’ for contributions.”

A spokeswoman for Blavatnik said he contributed $2,100 to Adams’s reelection campaign in April. She said the donation was given “to endorse Mayor Adams’ stalwart support of Israel and firm stand against antisemitism.”

Spokespeople for Lubetzky, Sitt and Gabay said they did not donate to Adams. Loeb declined to comment.

In the chat, discussion turned to the fact that Columbia had to grant Adams permission before he could send city police to the campus.

One member asked if the group could do anything to pressure Columbia trustees to cooperate with the mayor. In reply, former congressman Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), CEO of the American Jewish Committee, shared a PDF of a letter his organization had sent that day to Columbia President Minouche Shafik calling on her to “shut these protests down.”

“Also in touch with the board,” Deutch wrote to the chat group. “So NYPD can return.”

Asked for comment, a spokeswoman for Deutch wrote in an email to The Post that the American Jewish Committee “values all opportunities to engage with various individuals and institutions who support the Jewish people and the State of Israel.” Asked about the chat group and its activities, a Columbia spokesperson wrote, “We have no knowledge of this.”

A Zoom video call with chat group members and Adams took place a little after 11 a.m. April 26, according to chat records.

It is unclear how many members attended the meeting, which lasted roughly 45 minutes, chat records show. Those present included at least Blavatnik, Sitt, Loeb and Lubetzky, according to the chat logs.

Sitt wrote minutes after the call ended to summarize items “discussed today,” including donating to Adams, using group members’ “leverage” to help persuade Columbia’s president to let New York police back on campus, and paying for “investigative efforts” to assist the city.

Lubetzky replied listing concrete actions group members should take. These included resharing a link to offer financial support to Adams, calling and writing to Columbia’s president and board of trustees, and “getting Black Leaders to condemn Anti-Semitism.” He named several people he would contact and asked if anyone in the group knew Jay-Z, LeBron James or Alicia Keys.

Asked about his comments, Lubetzky wrote in a statement to The Post that “building bridges between the Black and Jewish communities … is more important than ever.”

Blavatnik, through a spokeswoman, confirmed he attended the Zoom with Adams but said he did not “participate in a conversation about private investigators and is unaware of discussions related to that subject.” The spokeswoman noted other people on the Zoom said things Blavatnik “did not weigh in on or agree with.” She said the billionaire, a Columbia alumnus and donor, only joined the Zoom to understand how Adams “was thinking about the Columbia protests.”

The evening after the call, Sitt shared the ActBlue link for donations to Adams’s 2025 committee.

The chat does not record who donated money to Adams nor how much. The New York City Campaign Finance Board website shows donations sent only up to January of this year; more recent donations will not become public until July .

Pitta, the Adams campaign lawyer, said the campaign had not received donations from Lubetzky, Loeb, Sitt or Gabay. He confirmed Blavatnik had donated but did not respond to questions asking about the timing of Blavatnik’s donation.

A day after the April 26 Zoom with Adams, Loeb wrote the chat group to share reflections on what transpired during the call. He wrote that it was “a sad state that we feel the need to grovel to ask our elected officials to do their jobs.” He added, “I’ll be grateful when the perpetrators are dragged off campus.”

Police returned to Columbia on April 30, arresting dozens of demonstrators who had occupied a university building. Columbia President Shafik had requested law enforcement’s aid in a letter, writing that the takeover of Hamilton Hall raised “serious safety concerns.” She asked police to remain on campus at least through May 17.

The morning afterward, Adams gave a news conference summarizing the action. “We went in and conducted an operation,” he said, “to remove those who have turned the peaceful protests into a place where antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes were pervasive.”

In early May, seven months since its inception, the chat was shut down. A person close to Sternlicht said he decided to shutter the group because the activities were moving beyond the initial objectives and the people who started it — including himself — were no longer actively participating, and hadn’t been for months.

“We are incredibly grateful for the dialogue and support that this group has provided over the past 7 months,” wrote a staffer for Sternlicht. The staffer wrote that members should not hesitate to reach out if they needed anything.

“We are stronger together,” the staffer wrote in closing.

Visa-free travel to Russia! Good news for Indian travellers likely soon - All you need to know

India-Russia Visa Free Travel: In what could be a big development for the tourism industry, India and Russia are on the brink of finalising a landmark visa-free travel agreement, anticipated to come into effect by the close of 2024. Talks between the two nations have been underway, with a focus on easing travel restrictions and fostering stronger tourism ties, according to TOI.

Scheduled to commence discussions in June, both parties are keen to facilitate visa-free group tourist exchanges, aiming to bolster cultural and economic relations between Moscow and New Delhi. Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Russian Economic Development Ministry's Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, emphasized India's preparedness for the forthcoming agreement, citing progress in internal state coordination.

India-Russia Visa Free Travel

Speaking at the sidelines of the International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2024" in Kazan, Kondratyev revealed that negotiations are progressing well, with a tentative timeline in place for the agreement's signing by year-end. The initiative seeks to replicate the success of existing visa-free tourist exchanges with China and Iran, which commenced on August 1 of the previous year.

Tourism Boost: India-Russia Visa Free Travel

In anticipation of the visa-free agreement, travellers are already planning their itineraries. Among the must-visit destinations in Russia once visa-free travel becomes a reality are the iconic Red Square in Moscow, the illustrious Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the breathtaking Lake Baikal, and the majestic Peterhof Palace, often hailed as the "Russian Versailles."

RISE with India - FOLLOW ET NOW WhatsApp channel !

ET NOW WhatsApp channel gives you all Stock Market Details, Money Making Ideas, IPO News, Mutual Funds SIP News, Income Tax and other news right on your mobile screen!

• WP Menu Icons
• TikTok Feed
• Instagram Feed Gallery
• WhatsApp Chat
• Telegram Chat
• WooCommerce Direct Checkout
• WooCommerce Checkout Manager
• WooCommerce Autocomplete Orders
• WooCommerce Perfect Brands
• WooCommerce License Manager
• Your cart is currently empty.

Provide support to your customers via WhatsApp

Customer service made easy! Improve your user's experience with WhatsApp Chat. Let your users start a conversation from your website directly to your WhatsApp phone number in one click.

Powered by WhatsApp Chat

WhatsApp Chat is free, download and try it now here!

Click one of our representatives below to chat on Telegram or send us an email to [email protected]

Powered by Telegram Button

• Integrations
• Learning Center

MoSCoW Prioritization

What is moscow prioritization.

MoSCoW prioritization, also known as the MoSCoW method or MoSCoW analysis, is a popular prioritization technique for managing requirements. 

  The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Some companies also use the “W” in MoSCoW to mean “wish.”

What is the History of the MoSCoW Method?

Software development expert Dai Clegg created the MoSCoW method while working at Oracle. He designed the framework to help his team prioritize tasks during development work on product releases.

You can find a detailed account of using MoSCoW prioritization in the Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) handbook . But because MoSCoW can prioritize tasks within any time-boxed project, teams have adapted the method for a broad range of uses.

How Does MoSCoW Prioritization Work?

Before running a MoSCoW analysis, a few things need to happen. First, key stakeholders and the product team need to get aligned on objectives and prioritization factors. Then, all participants must agree on which initiatives to prioritize.

At this point, your team should also discuss how they will settle any disagreements in prioritization. If you can establish how to resolve disputes before they come up, you can help prevent those disagreements from holding up progress.

Finally, you’ll also want to reach a consensus on what percentage of resources you’d like to allocate to each category.

With the groundwork complete, you may begin determining which category is most appropriate for each initiative. But, first, let’s further break down each category in the MoSCoW method.

Start prioritizing your roadmap

Moscow prioritization categories.

1. Must-have initiatives

As the name suggests, this category consists of initiatives that are “musts” for your team. They represent non-negotiable needs for the project, product, or release in question. For example, if you’re releasing a healthcare application, a must-have initiative may be security functionalities that help maintain compliance.

The “must-have” category requires the team to complete a mandatory task. If you’re unsure about whether something belongs in this category, ask yourself the following.

If the product won’t work without an initiative, or the release becomes useless without it, the initiative is most likely a “must-have.”

2. Should-have initiatives

Should-have initiatives are just a step below must-haves. They are essential to the product, project, or release, but they are not vital. If left out, the product or project still functions. However, the initiatives may add significant value.

“Should-have” initiatives are different from “must-have” initiatives in that they can get scheduled for a future release without impacting the current one. For example, performance improvements, minor bug fixes, or new functionality may be “should-have” initiatives. Without them, the product still works.

3. Could-have initiatives

Another way of describing “could-have” initiatives is nice-to-haves. “Could-have” initiatives are not necessary to the core function of the product. However, compared with “should-have” initiatives, they have a much smaller impact on the outcome if left out.

So, initiatives placed in the “could-have” category are often the first to be deprioritized if a project in the “should-have” or “must-have” category ends up larger than expected.

4. Will not have (this time)

One benefit of the MoSCoW method is that it places several initiatives in the “will-not-have” category. The category can manage expectations about what the team will not include in a specific release (or another timeframe you’re prioritizing).

Placing initiatives in the “will-not-have” category is one way to help prevent scope creep . If initiatives are in this category, the team knows they are not a priority for this specific time frame. 

Some initiatives in the “will-not-have” group will be prioritized in the future, while others are not likely to happen. Some teams decide to differentiate between those by creating a subcategory within this group.

How Can Development Teams Use MoSCoW?

  Although Dai Clegg developed the approach to help prioritize tasks around his team’s limited time, the MoSCoW method also works when a development team faces limitations other than time. For example: 

Prioritize based on budgetary constraints.

What if a development team’s limiting factor is not a deadline but a tight budget imposed by the company? Working with the product managers, the team can use MoSCoW first to decide on the initiatives that represent must-haves and the should-haves. Then, using the development department’s budget as the guide, the team can figure out which items they can complete. 

Prioritize based on the team’s skillsets.

A cross-functional product team might also find itself constrained by the experience and expertise of its developers. If the product roadmap calls for functionality the team does not have the skills to build, this limiting factor will play into scoring those items in their MoSCoW analysis.

Prioritize based on competing needs at the company.

Cross-functional teams can also find themselves constrained by other company priorities. The team wants to make progress on a new product release, but the executive staff has created tight deadlines for further releases in the same timeframe. In this case, the team can use MoSCoW to determine which aspects of their desired release represent must-haves and temporarily backlog everything else.

What Are the Drawbacks of MoSCoW Prioritization?

  Although many product and development teams have prioritized MoSCoW, the approach has potential pitfalls. Here are a few examples.

1. An inconsistent scoring process can lead to tasks placed in the wrong categories.

  One common criticism against MoSCoW is that it does not include an objective methodology for ranking initiatives against each other. Your team will need to bring this methodology to your analysis. The MoSCoW approach works only to ensure that your team applies a consistent scoring system for all initiatives.

Pro tip: One proven method is weighted scoring, where your team measures each initiative on your backlog against a standard set of cost and benefit criteria. You can use the weighted scoring approach in ProductPlan’s roadmap app .

2. Not including all relevant stakeholders can lead to items placed in the wrong categories.

To know which of your team’s initiatives represent must-haves for your product and which are merely should-haves, you will need as much context as possible.

For example, you might need someone from your sales team to let you know how important (or unimportant) prospective buyers view a proposed new feature.

One pitfall of the MoSCoW method is that you could make poor decisions about where to slot each initiative unless your team receives input from all relevant stakeholders. 

3. Team bias for (or against) initiatives can undermine MoSCoW’s effectiveness.

Because MoSCoW does not include an objective scoring method, your team members can fall victim to their own opinions about certain initiatives. 

One risk of using MoSCoW prioritization is that a team can mistakenly think MoSCoW itself represents an objective way of measuring the items on their list. They discuss an initiative, agree that it is a “should have,” and move on to the next.

But your team will also need an objective and consistent framework for ranking all initiatives. That is the only way to minimize your team’s biases in favor of items or against them.

When Do You Use the MoSCoW Method for Prioritization?

MoSCoW prioritization is effective for teams that want to include representatives from the whole organization in their process. You can capture a broader perspective by involving participants from various functional departments.

Another reason you may want to use MoSCoW prioritization is it allows your team to determine how much effort goes into each category. Therefore, you can ensure you’re delivering a good variety of initiatives in each release.

What Are Best Practices for Using MoSCoW Prioritization?

If you’re considering giving MoSCoW prioritization a try, here are a few steps to keep in mind. Incorporating these into your process will help your team gain more value from the MoSCoW method.

1. Choose an objective ranking or scoring system.

Remember, MoSCoW helps your team group items into the appropriate buckets—from must-have items down to your longer-term wish list. But MoSCoW itself doesn’t help you determine which item belongs in which category.

You will need a separate ranking methodology. You can choose from many, such as:

• Weighted scoring
• Value vs. complexity
• Buy-a-feature
• Opportunity scoring

For help finding the best scoring methodology for your team, check out ProductPlan’s article: 7 strategies to choose the best features for your product .

2. Seek input from all key stakeholders.

To make sure you’re placing each initiative into the right bucket—must-have, should-have, could-have, or won’t-have—your team needs context. 

At the beginning of your MoSCoW method, your team should consider which stakeholders can provide valuable context and insights. Sales? Customer success? The executive staff? Product managers in another area of your business? Include them in your initiative scoring process if you think they can help you see opportunities or threats your team might miss. 

3. Share your MoSCoW process across your organization.

MoSCoW gives your team a tangible way to show your organization prioritizing initiatives for your products or projects. 

The method can help you build company-wide consensus for your work, or at least help you show stakeholders why you made the decisions you did.

Communicating your team’s prioritization strategy also helps you set expectations across the business. When they see your methodology for choosing one initiative over another, stakeholders in other departments will understand that your team has thought through and weighed all decisions you’ve made. 

If any stakeholders have an issue with one of your decisions, they will understand that they can’t simply complain—they’ll need to present you with evidence to alter your course of action.  

Related Terms

2×2 prioritization matrix / Eisenhower matrix / DACI decision-making framework / ICE scoring model / RICE scoring model

Prioritizing your roadmap using our guide

Try productplan free for 14 days, share on mastodon.

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Accountant shortage prompts US plan for quicker path to qualification

• Accountant shortage prompts US plan for quicker path to qualification on x (opens in a new window)
• Accountant shortage prompts US plan for quicker path to qualification on facebook (opens in a new window)
• Accountant shortage prompts US plan for quicker path to qualification on linkedin (opens in a new window)
• Accountant shortage prompts US plan for quicker path to qualification on whatsapp (opens in a new window)

Stephen Foley in New York

Simply sign up to the Accountancy myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox.

The leaders of the US accounting profession have signalled they could cut the education requirements for becoming an accountant, amid growing alarm about a shortage of new recruits.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants on Tuesday dropped its opposition to calls to reduce the amount of university education needed to qualify as a CPA. That is currently set at the equivalent of five years, one year longer than a typical bachelors degree in the US.

The declaration is a watershed moment in what had become an increasingly tense struggle between the professional body and reformers.

Calls for reform have been growing louder as the number of US students taking accounting courses and going on to sit professional exams has fallen, leaving some accounting firms struggling to hire replacements for the baby boomers who are retiring.

An AICPA advisory group that included representatives from large and small firms said on Tuesday that the profession needed to “address the cost and time of education” as a priority for fixing the shortage.

It called for “a competency-based licensure model not tied to university credit hours”, among other reforms. The AICPA, in turn, expressed “directional support” for the group’s recommendations.

“While expanding approaches to CPA licensure alone will not solve the accounting talent problem, we believe our licensure process does need to acknowledge changing market conditions,” the AICPA said.

Accounting groups in Minnesota are among those lobbying to change state laws to cut the educational requirements for a licence, a movement that the AICPA says threatens long-established reciprocal agreements enabling accountants to practice across state lines unless change is co-ordinated at a national level.

Sue Coffey, chief executive for public accounting at the AICPA, said it aimed to propose an alternative to the current requirements by this time next year, but getting state accountancy boards or state legislatures to embrace the changes could take significantly longer.

The currently mandated fifth year of education would need to be replaced with skills requirements, she said, including technical knowledge and communication and strategic thinking skills.

“I really hope Minnesota and others talking about this see value in working with the rest of the country,” Coffey said. “This is our attempt to bring everybody together.”

The AICPA’s shift did not immediately prompt a change of strategy by states hoping to move faster.

The Minnesota Society of CPAs said it was “pleased to see the AICPA has engaged in the conversations evolving nationally”, but it continued to back a bill cutting state licensing requirements to the equivalent of a four-year degree plus two years of work experience. It said it would reintroduce the legislation in the next sessions of the Minnesota legislature, if it does not pass in the current one ending on Monday.

With three-quarters of US accountants at or near retirement age, the number of AICPA members has fallen from 430,000 in 2017 to 400,000 last year, according to its latest annual report, missing its membership target for the fifth year out of the past six.

The number of people taking the CPA exam fell from a peak of more than 100,000 in 2016 to a 17-year low of just above 67,000 in 2022. An uptick in 2023 was the result of students rushing to take the exam before the introduction of a new curriculum and numbers were set to resume their decline in the short term, the AICPA said.

The AICPA’s advisory group also called for accounting firms to raise starting salaries for new recruits and improve work-life balance, as well as for a revamp of accounting degrees to emphasise why the job is important.

Lexy Kessler, mid-Atlantic regional leader for the accounting firm Aprio, who chaired the group, said a shortage of accountants threatened the functioning of capital markets and business. “If we don’t have trust in our financial markets it could bring chaos,” she said.

Promoted Content

Follow the topics in this article.

• US & Canadian companies Add to myFT
• Accountancy Add to myFT
• Accounting & Consulting services Add to myFT
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Add to myFT
• Stephen Foley Add to myFT

International Edition

Educating Your Team on Using WhatsApp as a Marketing Channel

September 1, 2023

If you’re reading this post, chances are you understand the marketing power of WhatsApp.

Our platform has a wide reach with 2 billion users, 1 and we estimate more than 1 billion users connect with a business account across our messaging services every week. 2 And in Kantar’s research, 66% of respondents said they’re more likely to buy from a brand they can connect with over messaging. 3

Despite these benefits, getting your marketing team to adopt business messaging might not be a walk in the park. You’ll need to obtain legal and budget approvals like you would with any new software. You’ll also need buy-in from marketing team members, who might be concerned about learning a new platform.

Rest assured, the WhatsApp adoption process can be smooth and straightforward. Read on to learn how to build your first business messaging campaign, so you and your team can feel confident investing in WhatsApp.

Set up a WhatsApp Business Platform account

Before creating a messaging campaign, your team will need a Meta Business Account and a WhatsApp Business Platform account.

The sign-up process for creating a Business Account in Meta Business Manager only takes a few minutes. Just click “Create an Account” on the Meta Business homepage, select your business’ Facebook page, submit information about your company, and complete a few onboarding steps.

From there, you’re ready to create a WhatsApp Business Platform account .

• Open Facebook Business Manager.
• Under Business Settings, select WhatsApp Accounts.
• Click “Add”-> “Create a WhatsApp account.”
• Fill in necessary account details — account name, messaging purpose (indicating whether the account is for your business or a client), time zone, currency, payment method (optional), and purchase order number (optional)
• Add people to the account, and set their permission levels.
• Click “Assign.”

Once you finish these steps, you can manage your WhatsApp Business Platform account from Facebook Business Manager. Use Manager to create Message Templates for campaigns and check basic conversation analytics, like the number of sent and received messages.

Integrate WhatsApp with other communication platforms

Facebook Business Manager offers basic features for setting up WhatsApp messaging campaigns. But offering the best customer experience often means you’ll need to integrate WhatsApp with your tech stack. Popular tools to connect to WhatsApp include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms
• Customer success management (CSM) software
• Point-of-sale (POS) system
• Chatbot/conversational AI platforms

The Indian ecommerce company Tata CLiQ integrated its WhatsApp Business account with the chatbot-building service Gupshup. Thanks to this integration, Tata can automatically send custom messages based on shoppers’ history and product changes — like abandoned carts, price drops, browsing activity, and wish-listed items.

Tata saw significant campaign engagement and conversion improvements with these customized WhatsApp messages. The brand found that its WhatsApp messages had a 57% clickthrough rate , and people were 1.7 times more likely to make a purchase on the messaging platform than on other channels. Their Diwali and Black Friday WhatsApp campaigns even generated $500,000 in revenue — a ROI that’s 10 times higher than their other channels.

The steps for connecting WhatsApp with a Business Solution Provider vary depending on the tool, but the process is typically easy. You’ll need to share basic information about your business with the tool and verify your WhatsApp account. Contact your Provider’s support team to learn how you can set up the integration.

Identify marketing campaign goals and audience

Your WhatsApp Business Platform account and integrations are all set up. Now you’re ready for the fun part — brainstorming your first WhatsApp marketing campaign.

Just like marketing on other channels, your first step is determining the campaign’s goals and audiences. This information helps you decide the best entry points (more on these in the next section) and content for your WhatsApp campaign.

In terms of campaign goals, WhatsApp’s wide reach makes it perfect for generating leads. It’s also a powerful channel for nurturing prospects at the consideration stage. One-on-one chats with shoppers go a long way toward building their trust in your products and brand.

The Bolivian home goods store Multicenter uses WhatsApp for this purpose. The brand’s “Open House” campaigns for major holidays, like Black Friday and Oktoberfest, encourage shoppers to start a chat with an agent about their products.

“Through WhatsApp, we can provide personal attention that gives customers the confidence to move forward with big-ticket purchases at a broader scale,” said Multicenter’s Customer Service Operations Coordinator, Wilson Salomón Rojas Jimenez.

As you set your WhatsApp campaign goals and audience, consider checking out our resource, “Elevating Each Stage of the Funnel with Business Messaging.” It breaks down how brands can use business messaging campaigns to engage shoppers all across the customer journey.

Establish your entry points

With a goal and audience established, it’s time to consider the campaign’s entry point — the online and offline portals that lead shoppers to a WhatsApp chat with your brand. These points could be anything from your site’s “Chat with us!” button to a QR code on product packaging.

This step is so important because potential customers may not realize your company is on WhatsApp. An entry point makes it clear that they can chat with your brand. And chances are, many shoppers will be open to starting a conversation because they’re already comfortable using WhatsApp.

There are no “good” or “bad” entry points — you just have to consider which ones make the most sense for your audiences and campaign goals. A product label QR code that leads to WhatsApp will work for engaging existing customers but it likely won’t help bring in new leads.

Consider these entry point examples for your own WhatsApp campaign.

• Social media posts that lead to WhatsApp: A beauty company, for example, might create a Facebook post that encourages followers to ask the business’ experts their makeup and skincare questions and includes a link to WhatsApp.
• Ads that click to WhatsApp: These promotions appear on Instagram and Facebook and direct shoppers to WhatsApp conversations with your brand. Set up targeting for these ads to reach potential customers who match your ideal buyer profile. Learn more about engaging and nurturing leads with these promotions in this resource .
• Exit intent popups: Set these notifications up to increase WhatsApp sign-ups from people who are about to leave your website. The clothing company SNOCKS created an exit-intent popup that offered site visitors a discount if they opted in to WhatsApp communication. The brand grew its subscriber base to 100,000 people and generated over €1m in revenue from WhatsApp in less than a year.
• QR codes on brand materials: If you have a physical store, consider directing leads and customers to WhatsApp through QR codes at your business location. The Mexican supermarket franchise Merco used store signs and receipts to show QR codes that led to WhatsApp chats with the brand. With this entry point, the brand has increased its marketing database by 70% through WhatsApp.
• Website pages: Create a page with your WhatsApp number or a link to a chat so new leads and existing customers visiting your site can easily reach out. The Indonesian online grocery company Segari has a Help web page that lists the business’ WhatsApp number. 4 Segari’s engagement rate on WhatsApp is over 50%, so it’s a key channel for staying connected to customers.

Pick the best way to start a chat with potential customers by learning more about WhatsApp entry points in this resource .

Design your campaign message

Getting shoppers to start a WhatsApp chat with your brand is just half the battle. You’ll also need to set up a conversation flow for the campaign, so potential customers can start chatting with your brand right after your entry point.

Your campaign conversation starts with the initial greeting— the first message that shoppers see after the entry point. Set this message up to automatically appear, and then an agent or bot can pick up the conversation once the customer responds.

Say you’re running an ad that clicks to WhatsApp about a sofa for a home goods brand. The greeting might be, “Looks like you’re interested in our leather sectional. Do you have any questions about this product?”

After the greeting, your agent or chatbot will respond to customers’ messages. Your brand can send replies without asking for an opt-in during a set time period (the window varies depending on the entry point). Agents can create these responses live or leverage message templates for consistency.You can also define pre-set responses for your chatbot.

Once the conversation window passes, you’ll only be able to chat with these shoppers if they click on an entry point again or if they opt in to WhatsApp messages. In this initial conversation window, your agent can ask shoppers for their opt-in or you can set up a chatbot to make the request . A typical opt-in message is, “Would you like to receive messages from [insert brand name]? Tap “Yes” to sign up.”

For shoppers who opt in, chat with them at scale by creating message templates for marketing, utility, and authentication conversations. 5 You can make templates in Meta Business Manager or in a third-party communication tool, like a chatbot platform.

Throughout your conversation design, remember to get creative with your WhatsApp campaign messages. You can engage shoppers with a wide variety of content in your messages beyond text — like videos, images, stickers, documents, and buttons. Check out this resource for more ideas on creating media-rich messages.

And if you’re using a chatbot, consider creating your conversations with a platform like Landbot. It makes the design process simple with a drag-and-drop interface, so there’s no need for coding. You can even submit message templates for WhatsApp’s approval from the Landbot app. 6

Check your campaign’s performance

Once you start sending marketing messages, track your WhatsApp campaign performance to determine what’s working and where you can improve.

Track metrics that are tied to your campaign’s goals. For example, you might measure the number of users reached for a lead generation message. Along with gauging your objective, monitor your WhatsApp campaign costs and revenue to show your campaign’s value.

Marketing teams often track these metrics to gauge their WhatsApp campaign goals and returns:

• People reached
• Qualified leads
• Cost per qualified lead
• Conversions
• Increase in marketing database
• Cost per conversion

WhatsApp only tracks a few basic metrics on it’s own. To really monitor your campaign’s performance you’ll need to leverage the Conversions API which helps connect your marketing data to Meta’s platforms. This will require either in-house developer resources or a third-party solution to implement.

Test, iterate, repeat

You can’t read shoppers’ minds, but you can figure out what marketing resonates with your audience by experimenting with your WhatsApp messages. Use your reporting in the last section to hypothesize which campaign adjustments would lead to performance improvements. Then, A/B test these ideas by comparing campaigns with the variation to the control version of the message.

The general steps for A/B testing are:

• Decide which campaign message you’d like to test and which factor you’ll change , like a call-to-action or an image.
• Choose a metric to gauge the performance of each campaign variation.
• Build a large enough test audience to generate meaningful results.
• Send the campaign variations evenly across the audience.
• Measure results.

Along with changing an element of a message, you can also test how the same campaign message performs on WhatsApp compared to other channels. In this case, step one’s changing factor is just the channel. The campaign message needs to be identical across channels because any changes could create differences in results.

The easiest way to set up these experiments is to use a third-party communication tool with testing features, like Twilio. Users can A/B test WhatsApp message template variations and track results with Twilio’s Journey Analytics feature. 7

Keep shoppers engaged with WhatsApp marketing campaigns

We get it — your marketing team might find business messaging intimidating at first. If that’s the case, share this post with them. We want to make it easy for organizations to start creating WhatsApp campaigns with resources like this article.

But WhatsApp isn’t just simple to use. It’s also worth the investment because shoppers already enjoy messaging. Many people already connect with friends and family over WhatsApp, so they’re comfortable messaging brands, too.

Use campaigns to start one-on-one chats, and you’ll be on your way to building leads’ trust and driving sales. Try out WhatsApp Business Platform today .

Related Posts