WhatsApp Marketing in 2023: Ready-to-use Campaign Ideas for Consumer Brands in the U.K.

The modern consumer is always looking for an ideal way to communicate. With recent technological advancements and tech companies developing better communication channels, consumers are not left behind adopting such channels. Today, most consumers use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp to communicate.

WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging apps globally, with over 2 billion active users. Every day, at least 60 billion messages are sent via this messaging app. We’re seeing Europe and the U.K. adopt it at a very high rate. In the United Kingdom, at least 80% of adults aged 18 to 24 use WhatsApp as their primary messaging tool. In the first three months of 2020, at least 65% of U.K. citizens said they use WhatsApp many times a day.

With billions of consumers using WhatsApp multiple times each day, businesses should begin looking at WhatsApp as a new channel to communicate with their customers. Most customers will likely remain loyal and shop with a brand they communicate with directly if the recent Facebook Messaging Survey is anything to go by. WhatsApp allows businesses to directly send marketing messages to customers, win their trust, and make them loyal to their brands.

SMS Vs. WhatsApp: What Works Better for Marketing Communication?

When WhatsApp hit 27.6 million active users in the U.K. by the end of 2019, most consumers believed it was actually on its way to replacing SMS. That may be true, considering the pace at which consumers register on this messaging app.

Although most consumers still use SMS  today, the case is slightly different in most European countries. Most mobile phone users in the U.K. prefer WhatsApp as the primary messaging app. This is because it is relatively affordable compared to direct SMS.

Many consumers using WhatsApp have grown significantly because of its affordability and reliability. Statista reports that of all active mobile users in the U.K., at least 80% actively use WhatsApp to message.

Here are some reasons why most consumers in the U.K. prefer WhatsApp to SMS:

•  It is free, while SMS is not. Mobile service providers in the U.K. charge a flat rate of 0.07 to 0.11 Pounds when sending SMS. This makes it more expensive to use SMS than WhatsApp.
•  International messaging is expensive in the U.K. Those traveling to the U.K. find it economical to download and use WhatsApp for messaging in the country because it is affordable when messaging internationally.
•  It works on end-to-end encryption. It means that WhatsApp is secure even when sending messages through a public network or free WI-Fi. Customer privacy is a guarantee when messaging through WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp allows for more than 160 characters which is the usual threshold for standard SMS. It also enables customers to send other content like video and voice messages.
•  WhatsApp enables group messaging and comes with business-grade features. It offers a threaded view of all bulk messages that you send to a group of recipients.

Ways to Leverage WhatsApp for your Business

Although WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps globally, not many businesses and marketing professionals use it today to reach consumers. Only 7% of professional marketers are using WhatsApp today to promote businesses.

Every business can use WhatsApp to its advantage since it is mainly used for messaging and communicating. Here are some ways to use WhatsApp for your business.

1. Increase online visibility 

You can create a business page on WhatsApp and create a group for your customers. Once you create a WhatsApp business page, you can use this platform to create a complete profile of your business, like a physical address, website link, and valuable contacts that customers can use to reach you.

WhatsApp also allows you to add a catalog of your products on the business page so that customers can go through them and interact with you. By creating a catalog of your business on WhatsApp, customers can go through your business without having to browse and shift attention to something else. This improves your conversion rates.

2. Engage with customers directly 

Most online shoppers are always in a hurry if you run an online store. Customers always expect on-time responses from your customer care desk when they inquire.

WhatsApp makes it easier to interact with and engage your customers through direct messaging. You can also use chatbots to automate your messages so that customers don’t have to wait for your response. You can also create a FAQ section on your WhatsApp business page and save customers time.

3. Organise your contacts 

WhatsApp is a useful messaging tool for every business. You can use the app to organise your contacts using its label system. Importing all your business contacts to WhatsApp is also possible if you use a CRM that perfectly integrates with the app. When you integrate WhatsApp with CRM, you don’t have to add new customer contacts to the app because it automates the process. Consumers who have opted into your WhatsApp communication can be directly added to the WhatsApp messaging lists without manual intervention. You can also save and archive customer conversations when you integrate with CRM.

Small businesses can also use WhatsApp messaging to:

• Send reminders to customers on bill payments and upcoming travel itineraries.
• Update customers about their order status.
• Personalise occasional wishes like birthdays, and inform customers of discounts.
• Recommend possible customer actions such as new products, travel packages, hotel stays, etc.
• Remind customers of abandoned carts and persuade them to check out.

Read about WhatsApp’s recent Privacy Policy update and how this impacts your brand in this article.

Examples of Brands That Use WhatsApp for Marketing in the U.K. and Around the World

1. Clarks 

The famous shoe brand wanted to tell stories about the brand and how far it’s come, and WhatsApp seemed the right place. They had live exchanges between characters from different subcultures that were part of the Clarks’ story, namely the Mod Era, 1960s Paris, and Reggae. This got great customer responses and did a great job engaging younger groups that might not have been aware of Clarks beforehand.

2. Agent Provocateur

Buying delicates is a nuanced process, and Agent Provocateur realised that customers would appreciate the privacy of a messaging application. So they started connecting personal shoppers with customers via WhatsApp, leading to a substantial conversion bump. The critical insight here was that men were often at a loss for buying but were keen and ready to buy. Private interactions and personal shoppers turned out to be the perfect solution.

3. Cardex Autoteile OHG

The German auto parts retailer added WhatsApp Business to their marketing channels and almost immediately saw an increase in orders (15,000+ in the first nine months). The priority was to smooth out the ordering and communication process for customers. Using WhatsApp as the primary customer communication tool, they shifted over existing customers to the point where they now facilitate 90% of their sales through WhatsApp.

4. KLM

KLM uses WhatsApp to help its customers receive flight alerts and other helpful information. Once customers book a flight, they can receive booking confirmations on check-in notifications, boarding passes, and flight status through WhatsApp.

Customers can log in to the company’s official website, enter their booking details and choose to get flight notifications through WhatsApp. You can also contact the company directly on WhatsApp and get real-time information on your bookings. There is always a customer agent behind the message to ask you for your details and update you accordingly.

5. Hellman’s

Hellman’s came up with a campaign to encourage Brazilians to cook mayo. In this campaign, an individual is given a chance to connect with a real chef through WhatsApp.

The individual takes a photograph of the contents in their fridge and sends it to the chef, who designs a recipe and guides them through the cooking while staying connected on WhatsApp. Through this campaign, the company built emotional relationships with over 13,000 customers that participated.

Get Started with WhatsApp Marketing

Follow these steps if you want to get started on WhatsApp marketing.

Step #1: Install the WhatsApp app and create a business account. You should make a name for your business using the 25 characters, upload a profile picture, and describe your business in the status section.

Step #2: Add contacts to your business account. You can do this by importing contacts from your brand who have opted-in for WhatsApp communication.

Step #3: Create different WhatsApp groups for your customer segments to enable group messaging. WhatsApp is currently supporting up to 256 contacts per group.

Step #4: Create WhatsApp content for different groups and post them at the right time. WhatsApp has the highest open rate compared to direct emails. This means your messages are more likely to reach customers. You have to make the message straightforward and relevant to the target audience.

Unlock the Full Potential of WhatsApp Marketing with MoEngage

WhatsApp is an essential touchpoint in your consumer’s digital journey. To fully utilise the benefits, including WhatsApp as part of your omnichannel marketing strategy with your consumers. MoEngage helps you combine the power of customer behaviour, interests, and analytics to kickstart your WhatsApp communication strategy – all through a single platform.

Using MoEngage, you can analyse your audience based on their demographics and behavioural attributes. Using these insights, you can create personalised omnichannel engagement strategies that extend to your WhatsApp communication.

Three most popular ways in which brands like yours use MoEngage to execute WhatsApp marketing campaigns

• Personalisation using segmentation: If you’re a MoEngage customer, you can leverage your existing segments(or even create new ones) and build highly personalised campaigns on WhatsApp.
• Connected experience using Flows: You could integrate WhatsApp into your existing customer journeys in a seamless manner for better engagement.
• Smart Triggers for real-time engagement: Trigger 1:1 WhatsApp messages and engage customers during the micro-moments in their purchase journey.

Click here to learn more about how to integrate WhatsApp into your campaigns on MoEngage and see an upward conversion improvement.

Conclusion

WhatsApp gives you and your business a platform to connect and interact with customers outside the business website. As millions of consumers use the messaging app daily, WhatsApp proves to be one of the best marketing tools for any business. We’ve covered why you should consider using WhatsApp to market your business today.

What’s Next?

• How do marketers walk the tightrope between personalization and customer privacy? Watch here.
• Read how brands like yours use an insights-led engagement platform to win more customers.
• Were you looking for tactics for customer segmentation and automation? Watch how winning brands get this right.