How Marketers can Leverage WhatsApp for Promoting their Businesses

WhatsApp is the world’s fastest growing communication app which was acquired in 2014 by Facebook for $19bn. It is the new mobile marketing app which allows you to reach out to millions of WhatsApp users. A convenient mode of messaging which is fast replacing SMS and other popular messenger’s apps, WhatsApp is being used for personal and business purposes.

Using WhatsApp for marketing will be even more lucrative than before as now it would be sharing user data with Facebook. This facility will not only fight spam, it would also aid in tracking some basic metrics of usage. Small, medium-size and even larger enterprises are becoming more and more active on WhatsApp to advertise service and products. What is the secret of the growth of this communication app? Let’s find out.

Benefits of using WhatsApp for advertising:

1. Reach- Far and wide

With about 1 million new users registering daily and 42 billion messages being sent via WhatsApp every day, this app has definitely spread its roots far and wide. Moreover, WhatsApp supports 53 languages and is used in approximately 109 countries. This cross platform mobile application is easily run on platforms like iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone, and Nokia. With these amazing statistics, it is clear that marketers can use WhatsApp to reach out to the audience across varied demographics and different strata of the society.

2. Fast, easy and convenient

With the WhatsApp messenger, marketers can send out bulk posts to people across the world. And with every soul hooked on to WhatsApp there is no hassle of training and teaching people how to use the messenger. WhatsApp is easy to use and no technical knowledge is required to use the app. Hence people from different backgrounds and age groups use this messenger with sheer ease. Brands can promote their products by sending images, content, audio files, and videos via WhatsApp. Further, the chance of message delivery is higher as compared to an SMS and the format of WhatsApp messaging does not have too many restrictions. Messages can be sent to any part of the world, that too free of cost via WhatsApp. With the inclusion of WhatsApp web, this app can be accessed on the desktop, tablet, and smartphones.

3. Innovation and Creativity

Businesses can use WhatsApp in innovative and interesting ways to promote their items and inform users about their services. Local restaurants, concierge services, and even cab services are using WhatsApp to showcase their offers and discounts. A restaurant can inform its trusted customers about the ‘offer of the day’, the discount on certain food items or new additions to their menu via WhatsApp. Women who operate their retail businesses from home are making good use of WhatsApp to promote their products. Moreover, as a marketer you can decide the kind of posts you will be using to communicate to prospective and current clients. They could be images, videos or just plain texts depending on the nature of the product and need of the business.

4. Build a community

Group chatting is also offered by WhatsApp and marketers can leverage this feature for promoting their business. You can make groups by adding all current and prospective clients in one chat forum. Use this platform not only to display your products, hold open discussions with the customers and request their views and feedback on the product and services. Understand their needs and preferences and thereafter offer customized products as per their requirements. Groups can be an effective platform for the productive exchange of ideas that boost the sales of a business enterprise.

5. Direct marketing

Marketers can be directly in touch with consumers using the WhatsApp app. In the growing competition, consumers want personal attention and have specific demands. WhatsApp is a means of direct messaging where a one-to-one interaction with the client can be established. It’s a great forum for targeting premium clients and ascertaining their preferences and connecting with them in a smart way.

WhatsApp advertising is a premium tool for marketing on mobiles. Marketing professionals are now devising plans to use this service for marketing by utilizing all its features and functions. This tool can be effectively used in an array of businesses like finance, retail, banking, insurance, IT, Medical, hospitality and more.