Dec 9, 2020
Multichannel marketing has proven growth, conversion, and ROI for businesses across industries. Instant messaging apps have taken user engagement to the next level with their versatile use cases. It’s easier for marketers to leverage instant messaging apps to deliver a seamless customer experience where their users are most active and readily available. It’s not surprising that WhatsApp—lauded for its flexible use scenarios—is the most popular messaging app adopted by businesses.
If you are new to WhatsApp business API, here are a few resources to get you started:
Non-transactional Messages for WhatsApp Business API
What is a WhatsApp Message Template?
What Are the Possible Use Cases With Non-Transactional Messaging?
Who Will Be Able to Send Non-Transactional Messages
How to Get Started With Whatsapp Non-Transactional Messages
The Way Forward with Non-Transactional Messages
WhatsApp is a real game-changer for businesses seeking to deliver an exceptional customer experience. However, to protect their users and business value, WhatsApp has policies restricting companies from sending spammy, promotional messages. WhatsApp’s Business API only allows companies to send users transactional notifications proactively.
However, the company recently announced a significant change in their business messaging policy, introducing non-transactional notifications to Indonesia and Mexico.
The reason for the shift? People find value in engaging with businesses throughout the customer lifecycle. WhatsApp provides a conduit for connection and a quieter, more intimate channel for learning about a brand’s products and offers.
To help our partners forge even deeper relationships with customers in Indonesia and Mexico, Insider’s WhatsApp business API will enable non-transactional messages for partners in both countries.
For now, you can only send a few types of non-transactional messages, and to send those messages, you need to have your users opt-in to receive them using an approved message template.
WhatsApp Business API enables conversations between businesses and customers. If a company initiates a conversation, then a message template must be used. Businesses must first submit their content to WhatsApp and get approval. These templates are a combination of alphanumerics combined with variables or unique parameters.
For example, if you were to send an order confirmation message on WhatsApp to your users, such as:
Hi Chris! Thanks for placing an order at POSH Street. Your order 123456, for a total of USD 50.00, is confirmed. The expected delivery is Dec 26, 2020.
Here’s the Message Template that you would need to submit to WhatsApp for approval:
Hi {{1}}! Thanks for placing an order at POSH Street. Your order {{2}}, for a total of USD {{3}}, is confirmed. The expected delivery is {{4}}.
Here are the possible use cases you can implement using WhatsApp’s non-transactional messaging:
For now, WhatsApp Business has limited non-transactional messages to Indonesia and Mexico. If you are present in either of the countries, you can leverage Insider’s WhatsApp Business API to send promotional messages based on your customers’ behaviors. These messages can consist of but are not limited to cart abandonment messages, special offers, and marketing campaigns.
To get started with sending non-transactional messages on WhatsApp, you need to have these prerequisites and considerations aligned to WhatsApp’s business policies.
Prerequisites
Considerations & Restrictions
Insider will provide updates as we expand our offerings and as WhatsApp rolls out non-transactional messages to more countries.
As you begin to send non-transactional notifications, please share your feedback with us. We are excited about this new update and look forward to learning more about what use cases drive valuable experiences, boost engagement, and uplift conversions for business on WhatsApp.
If you are already using our WhatsApp business API product, reach out to your account managers to find out more about non-transactional messages.
New to Insider? Schedule a personalized demo to see how WhatsApp can grow your business.
Written by
Srikant Kotapalli
With 12+ years of experience in consulting, building, and marketing technology products for clients across industries, Srikant is a product leader, storyteller, data fanatic, and UX/usability enthusiast. He often appears as a speaker on panels about personalization and optimization and has a passion for building simple solutions to complex problems, and is currently pursuing that at Insider.