There are currently 2.7 billion active accounts on WhatsApp, with more than 100 million messages sent every day.
While the prevalence of personal communication through the platform is clearly visible, WhatsApp for Business is a newer phenomenon, with more and more brands offering it as an option for customer service and support, as well as for the distribution of marketing messages. But understandably, it can take some getting used to for customers on the receiving end.
The boundaries between personal and professional WhatsApp activities can easily become blurred. Some may find that they prefer to keep the platform just for conversations with family and friends, while others may find it a useful way to get help and support from the brands and retailers they shop with.
Brands cannot assume that their entire customer base will have the same preferences when it comes to engagement platforms. What should brands consider when using WhatsApp for Business as a customer engagement channel?
Tread carefully
While WhatsApp is considered by nearly a quarter of consumers (23%) to be one of the best channels to get their attention, many consumers are still very protective of personal channels, including WhatsApp. 52% want to keep these personal channels exactly as they are.
Because brands must earn their right to occupy what consumers consider their personal space, understanding your audience and their preferences has never been more important. Consent is also non-negotiable, with almost a quarter of consumers (22%) saying they would consider signing up for WhatsApp communications if they had given the brand explicit permission to do so. So make sure you get the green light first.
Personalize, personalize, personalize
Content tailoring is the other key to success here. More than two-fifths of consumers (41%) would be more receptive to messages on such personal communication channels if they were hyper-personalized, demonstrating the importance of tailored interactions over generic interactions. Half (50%) of respondents also say they are less forgiving when receiving irrelevant information via WhatsApp. It can be a powerful tool for customer service via quick text chat, especially since so many of us use it all day, every day. But it should not be used as a dumping ground for promotional messages, or function in a silo. It must match the broader profile that a brand has for a particular customer.
WhatsApp for Business should be seen as a new resource that allows brands to better understand and serve their customers. Instead of potentially valuable insights sitting in one location, ensure that first-party data that customers like to share on WhatsApp can be accessed and aggregated into unified profiles on a Customer Data Platform (CDP). For example, this may include information about customer preferences, purchase history, accessibility needs, preferred interaction times and interests. Being able to leverage this data across all communication channels makes for a much more engaging customer service experience.
Integrate AI from the start
AI should be considered a key enabler in maximizing WhatsApp for Business and facilitating the personalization on which its success depends. AI should be factored into your WhatsApp for Business approach from the start.
Once you have a data-driven CDP, AI can help sort and interpret this data to ensure brands can leverage quality insights and turn them into tailored communications at scale.
For promotional messages, for example, AI can help roll out potentially millions of WhatsApp marketing campaigns personalized to a hyper-individualized level. Marketers can say goodbye to the generic marketing messages that discourage engagement. AI can instead help marketers share tailored offers and incredibly personalized product recommendations. Customers who have unsubscribed, may not be interested, have already converted, or customers who have already been contacted with a complaint (and would likely not be receptive to a hard-sell tactic) may also be excluded.
For customer service, the combination of an AI-powered chatbot and a platform like WhatsApp can help automatically sort and filter queries, speed up response times, and provide valuable customer context and insights to the human agents needed so that every interaction is more context-driven and useful for the customer.
Provide a wide choice
Another part of understanding and catering to your customers is responding to their communication preferences. While WhatsApp for Business offers powerful tools to reach a large portion of customers, it cannot be the only one.
There is a time and place for WhatsApp, and ultimately some customers will prefer to get their questions answered or receive promotional messages through other channels. Brands should make it easy for customers to share their preferences about what they want to receive and through which channels – whether it’s promotions, customer support or delivery updates.
And for those who do not have a smartphone, WhatsApp for Business only leads to digital exclusion. It’s about offering wide choices.
In addition to experience, think about data and security
Customer convenience and safety go hand in hand, and no customer wants to compromise on either. Data security and privacy, especially because WhatsApp is often used for customer service and as a result is likely to carry confidential or sensitive customer information, are essential for brands rolling out WhatsApp for Business.
Fortunately, WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which means exchanges cannot be intercepted by third parties. However, any customer data exfiltrated from the platform must be handled securely on the brand side as well.
Brands should be transparent in their data retention policies, clearly explaining why they are capturing and storing certain data, how long they plan to keep it and how they will keep it secure. Customers should also be given the opportunity to request deletion if they wish.
WhatsApp can be a very effective tool for providing fast service and support that many consumers already find useful for getting other things done in their lives. By taking a considered and careful approach to how they use it, brands can deliver the greatest possible value to their customers while building trust in them.
Also read How to use Google My Business.
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