Despite warnings about an economic slowdown, the arrival of the Christmas campaign continues to be key to the turnover of many companies. And it is that the Christmas period is the most anticipated of the calendar for a good part of the small and medium-sized companies that see a more than feasible option to boost the turnover in the final stretch of the year, even also in the first stages of the following year, prior to go to the discounts
According to a recent study by the consulting firm Deloitte, Spaniards divide their spending preference between December and January. In addition, Spain is at the top of the Christmas shopping ranking. We will spend an average of 634 euros this Christmas, in line with last year. According to this report, we will invest it in gifts (€270), food (€165), leisure (€140) and trips (€59).
Even if your business does not belong to these sectors, You can take advantage of the predisposition to purchase on these dates to encourage your customers. In fact, according to the Union of Professionals and Small Self-Employed Workers (UPTA), the Christmas campaign represents 30% of annual turnover in the main sectors. It is a period of high activity in which the competition is very high, but where both online and physical stores have an opportunity to differentiate themselves and obtain satisfactory results. This is where WhatsApp Business comes in and the possibility of improving communication with your users.
What is WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business Platform is an application programming interface created to make communication between brands and their customers closer and more efficient. It is an adaptation of the popular instant messaging application, aimed at being an SMS service for companies and especially useful for eCommerce.
For example, it incorporates automation tools that intuitively allow you to configure personalized responses to questions that customers ask through WhatsApp. It also allows you to incorporate audiovisual material in these responses to offer more detailed information about the product catalog and improve the customer experience.
What is the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?
First, it should be noted that there are two modes of use: through your app or through an API. The application works in a very similar way to classic WhatsApp; while with the API You can integrate advanced functionalities for professional uses such as the integration of chatbots and message automation, integration with a CRM, eCommerce platform or other software, as well as other advantages such as templates or unlimited communications.
Unlike classic WhatsApp, both modalities allow you to use both a landline and a mobile phone number, that is, you don’t have to use your personal number. They also allow you to add an image, your working hours, your website and a physical address to your profile as a letter of introduction to your business, among many other benefits for your company.
Keys to prepare a good campaign this Christmas with WhatsApp Business
We leave you with an action plan with 5 tips for using WhatsApp Business that will help you stand out from the competition.
- Personalize your messages. In an increasingly digitized world and with increasing prominence of the Artificial intelligence, Customers miss the human touch and expect quality treatment from the company that makes them feel special. Therefore, it is important that you personalize your messages. You can address customers by name, treat them as a first name, or make personalized offers based on browsing and purchase history. With WhatsApp Business you can also send personalized messages in bulk, not just individually. In these cases, the personalization strategy should be simple (for example, addressing your customers by first name). To make your life easier, this service offers a wide variety of labels to manage contacts and chats in the purest CMR style, one more step in improving your business organization.
- get involved. If you want to leave a mark on your customers, get involved, take an active part in your conversations. Taking advantage of this link with the client, giving them the best of yourself and giving them the attention they deserve will be key to gaining their loyalty, especially on such special dates. Little details, like a thank you SMS for their commitment or a special discount that will surely encourage them to choose you this Christmas.
- Trust in the power of omnichannel. Get the most out of your marketing and sales initiatives when you use WhatsApp Business alongside the channels you already have. For example, if the January sales are approaching, you can notify customers through social networks, email, SMS and WhatsApp. You can also combine this strategy with those channels that do not operate online, such as the signage of physical stores. This can serve to broaden your reach and increase the chances of connecting with potential customers that you wouldn’t reach in other ways.
- differentiate yourself. WhatsApp Business allows you to send rich notifications, including videos, images, emoji or custom buttons that are a call to action and offer a much more personal experience. These types of notifications can be made for order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders, event invitations or promotions, to name just a few.
- Know your customers and anticipate. After the crisis caused by COVID-19, many users measure their expenses so as not to exceed their economy. This is one of the main reasons that leads society to look at the discounts offered on these dates. So if customers tend to plan their purchases, why not plan ahead too? You must know the demands, the stock of your products available, production deadlines, service capacity, etc. in order to guarantee your service.
Along the same lines, it is a good idea to have prepared a subscription and unsubscribe strategy, it is important to remember that Meta’s subscription policy determines that companies must obtain prior permission from users to contact them directly through the platform. The subscription can be done in different ways (for example, by SMS or with a form on your website). But, whatever the method chosen, you must always clearly indicate that the user is going to receive messages from your company through WhatsApp.
Similarly, you should also have a clear opt-out policy so that customers can easily stop receiving messages.