WhatsApp is one of the biggest social media networking platforms in which no ads interfere with your chats and status viewing. Beyond all that, WhatsApp has become an essential marketing tool that small to large business can take advantage of. If you would like your business to benefit from WhatsApp marketing, it would be a good idea to get in touch with a social media marketing agency. They will create and implement an effective social media marketing strategy to generate great results. Here are seven tips to consider for a successful WhatsApp marketing strategy.

1. Build contact lists

Start building your own contact list by sharing your WhatsApp contact number. You can then start adding people to your contact list and using their names. It creates more trust and rapport if you always interact with contacts using their name.

2. Create broadcast and segment the lists

This is a very interesting feature on WhatsApp. It allows brands to send bulk messages to a group of people at once making it look as if it was a personal message sent to them. If you are not interested in having people in your contact list interact with themselves consider using this to send messages rather than creating groups. It is important to segment your broadcast list and name them appropriately. Always put contacts of the same interests in a list. This way, it would be easy for you to know who you are interacting with and the kind of messages you should send to them to get the desired reaction. As with groups, the WhatsApp broadcast list also allows you to know in real time the number of people that have interacted with your content, who they are and when they interacted with it.

3. Create groups and use appropriate group names

WhatsApp has done a lot of impressive work with the ‘group’ feature on the app. Now you can create groups with up to 256 members and appoint as many members as you wish to become part of the admin. You can also restrict activities in the group to just admin or to every member. You can also create lengthier descriptions about groups so members can understand the purpose of the group. Creating a group makes it easier to share information and interact, so this means that people in a group can interact within the group or contact each other outside the group. So if you don’t want this, and you still want to be able to send bulk messages, consider creating a broadcast list instead.

Always group people according to interests or any other way you wish to segment your contact list so that you can always send the right message to them to get the best result. In groups, you can also know the number of members that interacted with your messages and when they did. Please note that courtesy demands that you notify your contacts ahead before adding them to a group. Alternatively, share the link to the group with them so that they can willingly join.

4. Use WhatsApp for business

If you are still using the regular WhatsApp, you will have to upgrade to the WhatsApp for business to explore other amazing features that you can use to brand and personalize your WhatsApp business profile. Use a good profile image that people can easily recognize and remember. It’s always best to use a uniform profile image across all your social media handles to make that image register faster in the minds of people that interact with the brand. You can create custom messages that auto-responds to people chatting with your business when you are away. You can also add more information about your business and display your opening or closing times, days as well as other contact information you wish to display.

Another interesting feature of the WhatsApp for business is the auto-replies. This allows you to create a series of auto-replies to questions that people frequently ask you so you don’t have to keep on repeating yourself. Doing all of this helps you build the right image for your brand in the mind of those you’re aiming at. It also makes it easy for people to understand what your brand stands for as well as help create a friendly atmosphere online so people can easily chat you up.

5. Create personalized, shareable content

Even though you are marketing the brand on WhatsApp, it is important that brands ensure that marketing messages sent to broadcast lists, groups, or individuals must be personalized. Content should not be crafted as if you are talking to people, rather it should be crafted in a way that it addresses one person – the person that will read it. Although you may be sending the same marketing content to over 200 contacts, it must feel personal.

The more personal a marketing content, the more people will connect to it easily. Once people can resonate well with the marketing content, they are less likely to think twice about sharing the content with people in their own contact list that they also feel will resonate well with them. This is what makes content go viral. It is also important that brands circulate their marketing content at the right time. You must have done your research well on WhatsApp to know the time and days that your content gets the most result (in terms of views, opens and reads). This will guide you on when to circulate your marketing content so you can get more results.

6. Give incentives, offers or discounts

Brands can give offers, discounts or other kinds of incentives to their customers or prospects on WhatsApp. This marketing strategy works across all platforms, no one shies away from any opportunity to cut back on their spendings. This is one easy way to get people’s attention on WhatsApp and get them to interact with the brand.

7. Frequently carry out simple consumer research

Market research is an integral aspect of any marketing campaign that hopes to be successful. It helps brands understand who their target audience is and what their current interests are. This will help determine the best type of marketing content for the brand that will positively impact the target audience.