WhatsApp

How Your Business can Build Meaningful Customer Relationships with a WhatsApp Business API

“At its core, customer relationship management is simple. However, it can be implemented in a huge array of methods: websites, social media, telephone calls, chat, mail, email, and various marketing materials can all be integrated into a CRM [customer relationship management] solution.” - Forbes

The customer must be at the heart of any business that’s looking to succeed in an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace, and this means choosing the right channel for engagement. There are so many possibilities available to the companies these days that it often becomes quite overwhelming when deciding on the right communication platform. Actually, the answer is really simple – reach your customers with the most popular platform: WhatsApp. By using a WhatsApp Business API, you can reach a larger audience and benefit from the many WhatsApp Business solutions available. Here’s a look at how.

What is WhatsApp Business API? 

“Like the original version of WhatsApp, the business application allows you to interact with customers in the form of a chat. However, unlike the normal chat, small business owners are offered a number of tools to help organize, automate, and speed up the communication process.” - Forbes

WhatsApp already boasts around 2 billion active users around the globe, and the business community has been afforded the opportunity to leverage this engagement through WhatsApp Business. However, WhatsApp Business was created for small businesses, but the many WhatsApp Business features provide the solutions that even large-scale businesses require.

That’s where WhatsApp Business API comes in. The API was built to facilitate the high-volume communication needs of corporates looking to engage with customers. This innovative platform provides you with a number of features that will help you build meaningful customer relations much quicker.

What are the WhatsApp Business API features?

The ease and convenience with which WhatsApp allows you to engage with your customers is just one aspect of this impactful communication platform. WhatsApp Business API comes with so many innovative features that help to build those customer relationships and create brand loyalty. Here’s a look at some of them:

1. Automatic greeting messages

Your potential and existing customers will be warmly welcomed through WhatsApp Business by an automatic greeting you can customize. This not only welcomes your customers; it can include links to FAQs and other necessary information that encourages a call-to-action.

2.  Business profiles

Using WhatsApp Business, you can create an informative and professional business profile that includes useful information for your customers. This can be your business description, address, contact details, and website. You can also include your business logo, badge, or slogan to show it’s a verified account.

3. Quick replies

A great feature that not only builds customer engagement but also frees up your employees to focus on more worthwhile work activities is quick replies. This is a WhatsApp Business feature that lets you save and reuse messages which you send frequently, allowing you to answer those FAQs in no time at all.

4. Label contacts

A useful way to send customized messages to groups of customers is through this WhatsApp Business feature that allows you to label contacts. Once they’ve been labelled, they can be organized into various contact groups so that you can quickly communicate relevant information without the hassle.

5. Away message

Similar to the aforementioned automatic greeting message, WhatsApp Business also comes with the away message option. This sends a customized message to potential customers who are trying to contact you after business hours, which can be activated at your chosen time.

6. Multimedia format options

With WhatsApp Business, it’s not just about chatting – you can send a range of multimedia options such as photos, videos, audio messages, and even documents in .docx and .pdf. Through these formats, you’re able to engage with your customers even further, sharing catalogues and other brand-specific information.

What are some of the WhatsApp Business API tips?

To make the most out of your WhatsApp Business API and build those meaningful customer relationships, it’s important to take advantage of the various features in the most effective way possible. Here are a few guidelines to get you started.

- Let audiences find you

It’s great having WhatsApp Business as a communication tool – it’s less great when your customers don’t know this! You need to alert your customers to this fact by making it easy for them to find you on the platform. This can be done by adding a ‘click-to-chat’ link on your customer service contact information or even a QR code that connects customers to your team. 

- Response time expectations

Whether you’re working with local or international customers, you’re going to get queries after hours. Different time zones or not, you don’t want to leave your customers’ queries unanswered, or they’ll move on to another organization. That’s why it’s important to use autoresponders as a way to let you set response time expectations, so they know their query is being attended to. Alternatively, your away message can provide customer support through FAQs, catalogues, and more.

-  Integrate WhatsApp

You can actually integrate the WhatsApp Business API with your customer relationship management (CRM) software and other messaging channels. This will give you a full history on your customer so that communication can be customized when using WhatsApp.

-  Send proactive messages

You don’t have to wait for your customers to contact you first, make them feel supported by reaching out to customers with information they need before they even get in touch. Some of the ways you can proactively message include:

  • Appointment reminders for healthcare or beauty services

  • Flight status alerts for travel and tourism

  • Boarding gate updates and alerts for travel and tourism

  • Shipping notifications for deliveries

  • Product launch alerts

  • Suggestions about events and activities nearby

  • Parcel tracking information for deliveries 

-  Use the multimedia features

We mentioned the many rich multimedia features that are supported by WhatsApp Business, but there’s no use having these if they’re not being used. Think of innovative ways to share company information, new brands, ways you can help through images, video, audio, and PDF – just remember not to overdo it and drive the customer away. 

Don’t waste valuable time, get in touch with Clickatell today to find out how their WhatsApp Business API solutions can get you closer to your customers.

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