WhatsApp has become the most popular application today. The popularity of WhatsApp is not only used for personal communication but also for promotional purposes. There are various ways to promote via WhatsApp that can be done. However, the ease of use also triggers obstacles. One common obstacle faced by marketers when using WhatsApp is being frequently blocked by customers.
There are several reasons why users choose to block your WhatsApp, one of which is unclear sender identity or containing spam. On the other hand, META will also block your WhatsApp Business account if there are several violations within it. Some common violations include messages containing violence, then detected as spam. So how do you promote via WhatsApp without being blocked by users and WhatsApp itself? Let’s learn together.
To Ensure Promotion via WhatsApp Isn’t Blocked
A brief explanation of the reasons why your WhatsApp Business is blocked is hoped to make you understand better in using WhatsApp wisely and responsibly. The following WhatsApp promotion methods can help you implement maximum WhatsApp marketing strategies. What are the steps that can be taken? Let’s see below.
1. Clearly Categorize Customers
Why is customer categorization needed? The first benefit if you take this step is to maximize the promotions you do. You can send WhatsApp broadcasts according to your customer persona. It’s unwise to send promotions about sports needs to customers who have no intention of exercising.
Customer categorization will also make it easier for you to get to know customers better. Its function is for you to know the language usage, message sending frequency, and call to action (CTA) to minimize messages being ignored or even blocked by customers.
2. Limit the Number of Messages Sent
Send messages for WhatsApp marketing needs periodically. Find the right time to do promotions. That’s the first thing to understand about promoting via WhatsApp. Sometimes customers need information about your products, sometimes they don’t need it and even feel disturbed. Also, pay attention to the number of characters according to WhatsApp guidelines and write messages that are easy for customers to understand, thus shortening their journey to buy your products.
3. Personalize the Messages to be Sent
Personalizing messages is a signal that you know your customers. They will perceive that not only do you want to promote, but you also want to maintain a good relationship with customers. They won’t hesitate to read and support promotional efforts via WhatsApp without blocking your WhatsApp.
4. Avoid Using Inappropriate Language
Using language according to what is mastered by customers is not enough. You must truly understand the values and norms that apply to be able to write polite messages. Promoting via WhatsApp will not be accepted and run effectively if the language selection alone is wrong. The minimum limit is not to write elements of SARA in your WhatsApp broadcast messages. On the other hand, also pay attention not to have elements of violence in the message.
5. Offer Added Value during Promotion
Returning to the explanation of the first point if customer categorization is important, one of them is to understand the values they believe in. Attract customers with values they believe in, increase value by sending messages suitable for them. For example, if customers value healthy living, occasionally you can send messages containing health tips and link them to the values of your products. Then promotional messages will be easier to capture and remembered by customers.
6. Add Supporting Images or Videos
Like vegetables without salt, that’s how promotional depiction is without supporting images and videos. Unclear messages will be considered uninteresting especially if you force to send them all the time, it will be detected as spam. Add interesting supporting images and videos so that customers feel comfortable and clear in understanding your promotions via WhatsApp.
7. Pay Attention to the Frequency of Sending WhatsApp Broadcasts
Sending WhatsApp broadcasts too often doesn’t make customers buy your products. Customers will even feel disturbed if you send messages to them too often. Especially if you only send hard-selling promotions, or offer products directly. You should agree that offering products directly with a high frequency is quite disturbing. Send WhatsApp broadcasts periodically, you can send them at most every 2 weeks.
8. Use WhatsApp Business API for More Security
Unclear sender identity, sending messages frequently, and inadequate message personalization are the reasons why promotions via WhatsApp don’t go as expected and are at risk of being blocked. Here you can switch to using WhatsApp Business API to overcome these problems.
When you have activated WhatsApp Business API, your business identity will be verified directly by WhatsApp. Your brand or business name will appear automatically when sending messages to customers, and you even have the opportunity to get the green checkmark verification sign from WhatsApp. This is important to reassure customers and clearly know who the sender of the message is.
On the other hand, there are many supporting features in WhatsApp Business API to facilitate your promotion via WhatsApp. Some features that you can maximize are as follows.
- Message templates, useful for saving dozens of message types and making the messages sent to customers more personal. On the other hand, you will be assisted by WhatsApp to detect whether the messages you send are in accordance with their guidelines or not, before finally being sent to customers.
- Scheduled messages, useful for sending WhatsApp broadcasts at the right time according to the productive time of customers.
- Call to action buttons, make it easier for you to give direction to customers to buy or take action to buy or learn more insights that you share.
- Customer contacts, you can save hundreds or even thousands of customer contacts in one dashboard. On the other hand, you can categorize message recipients to facilitate WhatsApp marketing penetration.
- Data analytics, real-time data analytics are available to help you measure the success of WhatsApp marketing campaigns that you have run.
The last important benefit is that you are spared from being blocked by customers or by META. Because you have promoted via WhatsApp in accordance with their guidelines and in accordance with customer desires.
After reading this article, it is hoped that you understand better how to promote via WhatsApp maximally and effectively. Especially now that you are familiar with WhatsApp Business API, not only for promotional needs, WhatsApp Business API can also be used for customer service such as sending OTP codes and responding to customer complaints quickly. Interested in activation? Activate WhatsApp Business API with Qiscus here.
