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WhatsApp Business API is a trending word! Don’t believe us? Check out the way top companies are interacting with their customers. So, in this blog, cutting directly to the talk- we discuss how your brand can speak up with WhatsApp Business API. Also, we tell you how to manage your contacts and send messages as per WhatsApp’s best practices.
All in one, we will only focus on the business terms- because it is all for your business to gain visibility across the shopping list of the target audience.
Why is WhatsApp Business API scoring high as a business choice?
It is essential to understand the business trend today! Then, think of ways to surpass them before establishing your brand among the market already flourishing across the global audiences! Many messaging services, including Facebook Messenger and WeChat, but WhatsApp Business API is substantially one of the most popular apps worldwide. Why so?
Because it connects people to their friends and families, it is suitable for businesses to connect where their customers are present. Communication is a big thing when it comes to building online visibility. For instance, your products may be current across major marketplaces, but your brand will only be remembered if your customer service is excellent.
And, exactly, it is where WhatsApp Business API finds its “precious” place!
Know about WhatsApp Business Account and its basics
WhatsApp has two products-
- One you may have come across more often: WhatsApp Business App
- The second one is more general for large companies: WhatsApp Business API
So, for a start, note that WhatsApp Business API is specifically designed for medium and large corporations. Why? Because of the structure of an API- it has no front-end or app interface. It is one way the end-users can take the WhatsApp API endpoint and integrate it into their software.
It seems incredible, right? Indeed, there is more to it. However, businesses who want the Business API require help from third-party services. These third-party services are called Business Solution Providers (BSPs) or WhatsApp Business partners. Why so? Because of better accessibility, businesses can get their WhatsApp API account verified by applying through third-party service companies.
WhatsApp Business API Management
Undoubtedly, WhatsApp ensures the users are safe and chat risk-free. For this reason, there are specific requirements when it comes to chatting as a business to the customers. Again, it is preferred that the end-users start the first conversation. Indeed, it builds strong trust and thus, helps enterprises to scale better.
That being said, WhatsApp allows all the companies/brands to send the first message to their customers- ONLY if they follow a set of rules/protocols. So, are you wondering about those rules and the best possible way to get started? If yes, read along to the end to make full use of WhatsApp Contact management on your application.
Contact Opt-In
There is a direct rule- you should not be spamming the customers as a business. However, there should be any unwanted messages passed to the customers. Thus, it is essential to maintain the quality of the messages and the way they are sent. Maybe, you would need a specialized copywriter to design and set the tone of the messages, as the customers shouldn’t mark them as spam.
For this reason, WhatsApp, in general, requires businesses to opt-in or even gain active users to receive notifications from the companies. Moreover, it is necessary before companies send their messages forth.
Note that the Opt-in policy is one of the essential policies, which is only required for transactional notifications or messages sent after 24 hours (Message Templates). Click here to refer to the document by WhatsApp to know more about it!
How to start with Opt-In?
Businesses can obtain through different ways- it includes ways both on and off WhatsApp. It can be the Interactive Voice Response (IVR), website forms, WhatsApp links, WhatsApp ads, WhatsApp threads, or even the WhatsApp QR codes.
So for opt-ins, you should first see the exact value of doing so! It is best if you do it at the right time. Indeed we understand this with the help of an example. For instance, your business has a SaaS platform. So there is a strong chance that you can ask our customers to opt-in to receive feature or product updates from your company.
But, make sure you do not send them unnecessary messages frequently. If the customers mark you as spam, it can be adverse for your business sales and score negatively for insights.
Best practices of WhatsApp Business API
One thing is clear- as a business, you cannot send any message at any time. So there has to be a particular format for sending the messages to the customers. As there are ways through which WhatsApp prevents your business to be marked as being spammed, you should follow the right set of rules at the right time to win your customers and sell more!
Here are some rules you should know to prevent the most common errors while sending messages to your customers. WhatsApp Business API is indeed one of the best ways to connect with your target audience- only if you follow the rules.
QR- Quality Rating
There should be a standard in the messaging perspective. It is essential to drive higher-quality conversations.
WhatsApp Business provides significant insights, especially the phone numbers, via the Business Manager API.
The QR will show the rating, indicating how the WhatsApp Views conversation quality for your conversations. Thus, make sure you send only the high-quality message templates to rank better here.
What’s your messaging limit and capacity?
The phone number quality will determine your WhatsApp messaging limit. Also, the status of the phone number decides more authenticity for your businesses’ messages. It also determines how many unique users your business can message daily.
This number will also include the new and existing users in the row! However, be sure that this messaging limit does not apply to the number of messages sent in response to a message that the customer has initiated (only within 24 hours).
Know about the 3 Tiers of Messaging Limits by WhatsApp
Tier1 :
This tier will allow your business to send high-quality messages to 1k unique contacts in 24 hours.
Tier2:
Here, your company can send up to 10k people the right messages in 24 hours.
Tier3:
If you want to send 100k users the best message from your brand, this is the tier you should belong to soon!
So, what if there is a chance for you to shift to a better Tier. It can be great, but make sure your QR is not low!
WhatsApp Human escalation
Customers do not like to be addressed by chatbots. It may not be the case every time. But when the customers return to your website, they do not require help from the chatbots. So, there are many instances when the issue needs resolution help from a human agent.
Now, WhatsApp has given the power to use human escalation- open for all companies (MSMEs or big companies). In addition, WhatsApp can reactively review the chatbot experiences directly on the platform. Some human escalation ways include human agent handoff, web support form, phone number, and emails from the businesses.
So, today, there is a rule- without the human escalation pathway, your QR may be a working charm!
Types of all messages in WhatsApp Business API
Currently, there are two types of WhatsApp Business API-
- Message Templates
- Session Messages
WhatsApp Business API – Session messages
The session messages allow the businesses to interact with their contacts within a 24 hours window. That means, once the 24-hour window closes, as a business you won’t be able to use the Session messages to connect with your customer. Also, session messages limit your access to messaging your customer first!
However, businesses get the flexibility while using the session messages. For example, there is no need for prior approval before sending a message.
WhatsApp API – Message Templates
Businesses can start a new conversation with the help of WhatsApp template messages. But, it may not be as easy as it may think to you. Each template message has to be submitted to your chosen BSP for its approval. Here, if you have partnered with a third-party service provider, you will be risk-free, as they would be involved in all approval processes while you sit relaxed!
Conclusion
Today, the digital world requires answers online. And what could be better than using the go-to conversational and chatting application other than WhatsApp? Indeed, WhatsApp Business API has undoubtedly given the power to businesses and lets them speak and echo their brand value!
Get started today to make your business #1digitally.
