WhatsApp Business is a platform intended for small businesses. The world’s largest messaging app knows that the one feature that characterises all small businesses is that they cater to a limited market. When you get a WhatsApp Business number, you get to use the power of the platform to reach and engage with that market in a number of ways.

How has WhatsApp made it easier to start a business?

Easier communication

You don’t have to rely on paid digital ads to raise brand awareness now. You also don’t have to spend months building your social media presence or newsletters. When your customers opt-in on your WhatsApp Business number, you can directly inform them about your products or services.

You can also onboard users easily as it will be one-on-one communication. You can directly address their queries about your product or service.

Better customer support

Your first users will be key in spreading the word about you. If they’re satisfied with your business, they will generate social media traction for your brand. The key to that satisfaction would be timely and effective customer service which you can deliver with a WhatsApp Business number.

If they have any questions, they will be able to ask you and get a timely reply. This will make them feel respected which will encourage them to recommend you to others.

Hyper-local groups

Instead of looking at your early adopters as individuals, you can also categorise them as groups through your WhatsApp Business number. This allows you to get quick and relevant feedback about your product or service.

It also will let you test your new products or services to a group of interested users before rolling them out to the public. Those kinds of market insights are otherwise expensive and time-consuming for any business to receive.

Platform familiarity

Probably the biggest advantage of having a WhatsApp Business number is that your customers are in all likelihood familiar with the platform. They most likely use it to communicate with everyone from family members to old classmates. They know how to send messages and documents through the app.

You won’t have to educate them on how to use it and importantly, get them to migrate to a new system. This breaks down their resistance and makes your communication more effective.

Media flexibility

You can share images, documents and videos with a WhatsApp Business number. This means instead of posting them on social media or sending them through emails, now you can easily attach the file and share it with your group.

What’s more important is that the recipients will see your message immediately unlike an email or an online ad. If they like it, they will be encouraged to share it with their friends, which will give more muscle to your marketing.

Using WhatsApp Business with a second number

WhatsApp Business requires a new number that you haven’t used before on the platform. One way is to get a new mobile number which would mean that you’ll have to spend money on a new device. A smarter option would be to get a new number through a second-line app.

There are several advantages of using WhatsApp Business with a second-line app. You can use it to receive calls and messages at cost-effective rates and use it as your WhatsApp Business number. You’ll also get auto-reply that will allow you to send pre-written texts to those calls you miss.

In short

Got an idea for a product or service? Why spend unnecessarily on digital or offline marketing and talk to audience groups when you can talk to them directly with a WhatsApp Business number? It will make your marketing easier and significantly boost your customer engagement.