Kick-start your WhatsApp marketing strategy for 2023

With 2023 on the horizon (where did 2022 go?!), you may be wondering how to take your marketing strategy to the next level. Like many businesses, you probably rely on email marketing to do much of the legwork in promoting campaigns, products, and deals. However, with email open rates standing at around 20%, it’s time to diversify your communication channels and embrace WhatsApp. Boasting an average open rate of 99%, WhatsApp is quickly becoming the go-to tool for marketers hoping to supercharge leads and conversions. To help you make the most of its powers, we’ve put together five steps you can take to fulfil your New Year’s resolution to embrace the WhatsApp revolution!

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Step 1: Define your goals and delegate responsibilities

Before installing a new WhatsApp strategy, you need to delegate responsibility for planning and implementing your WhatsApp marketing initiatives. Start by researching the platform basics and how competitors in your niche are using WhatsApp. Once you’ve ascertained realistic key performance indicators (KPIs), divvy up tasks between relevant colleagues. For example, who will write the message copy? Who will track the efficacy of WhatsApp messages? And who will work with third parties to ensure messages are sent to the right customers?

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Step 2: Get to grips with GDPR

GDPR compliance represents a real headache for many marketers. However, ignoring GDPR legislation could land your company in hot water. To avoid reputational damage and financial losses due to data compliance issues, you must remember to collect subscription consent for every channel through which you plan to send marketing materials, including email, WhatsApp, and SMS. You must also include an opt-out link that allows people to unsubscribe from your messages without fuss or hassle. If you’re wondering where to find out more about GDPR, we’ve put together a handy article about data handling compliance for WhatsApp marketing.

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Step 3: Learn about your audience and their preferences

Before inundating your valued customers with WhatsApp messages, research their preferences. What are their favourite channels through which to receive company updates? How often would they like to receive communications? Would they prefer to hear about promotional offers or just practical issues affecting their goods and services? Setting up a survey will help you collect valuable answers to these questions and ensure you cater for customer needs.

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Step 4: Make a plan for growing your subscriber list

The larger your subscriber list, the more likely you are to drive sales and boost your brand image – that’s simple maths! So, how can you encourage as many people as possible to sign up for your WhatsApp marketing messages? You could, for example, offer special goodies or discounts in exchange for their details, promote your WhatsApp list on social media, or collect sign-up information for multiple channels at once (while ensuring you remain GDPR-compliant!).

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Step 5: Decide what kinds of messages you want to send

Finally, you’ll need to start crafting WhatsApp messages that drive high open rates and retain subscribers. The most common forms of marketing messages include:

• Campaign messages: Launching a new promotion? Spread the word via WhatsApp with a campaign to the people who have given you consent to receive WhatsApp marketing content.
• Triggered messages: Triggered messages are sent when customers perform certain actions. For example, you could send a reminder email for customers to revisit their abandoned cart or remember to attend an appointment. These messages are great for enhancing customer experience.
• Conversational messages: These messages avoid spamming customers with deals and offers, boosting brand loyalty by sending conversational welcome messages, helpful information, and much more.
• Transactional messages: Transactional messages provide helpful information about recent purchases or upcoming payments.

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Conclusion: Best practices in WhatsApp Marketing

So, there you have it – five clear steps to getting started with WhatsApp in 2023. Hold your horses before getting to work, however. Here are a few best practices to take into account:

1. Remember to find the right tone for your brand to avoid alienating customers.
2. A/B test your campaigns to ensure you’re always building on your marketing successes (unsure about what A/B testing is and how to implement it? Check out this article!)
3. Personalise your WhatsApp campaigns to improve open and click-through rates and increase your return on investment.
4. Integrate WhatsApp with the rest of your tech stack to facilitate streamlined operations and avoid customer service problems (for example, through Fuzey!).

Eager to learn more about how Fuzey can help you grow your business? Get in touch!

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