WhatsApp newsletters achieve impressive open rates of more than 90%. In this article, we explain the reasons for this and show you how to successfully design your own WhatsApp marketing newsletter.
More than 6 million people in Switzerland use WhatsApp. The messenger service is no longer just for private communication, but is also used for communication between customers and companies. This channel offers companies the opportunity to make the most of this potential. This article explains the outstanding advantages of this type of communication, how to create WhatsApp newsletters and what rules need to be observed.
What exactly are WhatsApp newsletters?
WhatsApp newsletters work in a similar way to email newsletters: they allow you to send a message to multiple recipients at the same time. Push notifications are sent as messages to customers. They are an important part of companies’ mobile marketing strategy to distribute special offers, promotions, personalised product recommendations, invitations to events, news, etc.
What makes this type of newsletter so effective?
Compared to email newsletters, WhatsApp newsletters show significantly better results. The average open rate for WhatsApp messages is over 90 per cent, while emails only achieve an open rate of just under 23% according to Mailchimp. This also has an impact on the click rate: While email newsletters achieve a click-through rate of 3% ((https://mailchimp.com/de/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/)), messengers achieve around 35% according to 3pc.de ((https://3pc.de/agentur/insights/messenger-marketing-nutzen/)). The high conversion rate of WhatsApp newsletters can be explained by the popularity of the messenger, which has more than 2 billion active users worldwide. Another advantage is that messages in WhatsApp do not end up in the spam folder, as this function does not exist there. As WhatsApp is used both in the browser and as a mobile app, you can reach your target group anytime and anywhere.
Differences between the WhatsApp business app and platform
The business app
The standard application is not authorized for business use and is tailored for small businesses with a maximum of five employees. It allows you to set up a company profile and create a product catalogue. There is a limit of 256 recipients per send list. If this limit is exceeded, the WhatsApp number and profile may be blocked. It also has some limitations, such as a lack of chatbots and shortcomings in terms of data protection and CRM integration – a no-go for serious Swiss businesses, especially with the introduction of the new data protection law in September 2023!
The business platform
The Platform is a data protection-compliant software solution that provides access to the WhatsApp interface. This enables the integration of chatbots and the scaling of campaigns, among other things. As a verified company, there are no restrictions on the number of customers you can contact at the same time.
The basics of the setup
To send newsletters via WhatsApp, you must have your own company account with Meta. There are various templates for WhatsApp newsletters, which are divided into categories such as transactions, authentication, marketing and service. The use of WhatsApp Business for certain industries, such as pharmacies or providers of digital subscription services, used to be subject to restrictions, but these have now been lifted.
Rule-compliant opt-in and opt-out of customers
An opt-in is the consent required from users to be allowed to send WhatsApp marketing messages from a company. Therefore, obtaining opt-ins must follow certain rules:
- Active consent: users must actively consent, e.g. by providing their phone number and clicking a button
- Clear communication: The opt-in message must clearly state what type of information the user is signing up for, e.g. new products or dispatch status
- Mention of the company: The opt-in form must explicitly state the name of the company obtaining consent
- Simple unsubscribe option: An easy way to unsubscribe should be offered, for example by sending a message such as “Stop” or via an unsubscribe link
How do I get opt-ins from customers?
There are various methods of obtaining opt-ins. The most obvious is, of course, via your own website, but also via existing communication channels such as SMS, email or by offering rewarding discounts, vouchers, etc.
Conclusion – WhatsApp newsletters are a really effective newsletter format
WhatsApp newsletters clearly outperform email newsletters in terms of open and click rates. WhatsApp marketing messages also have a high open rate of over 90%, compared to a maximum of just 23% for emails, and therefore also offer a better click-through rate than other business messaging solutions. Only the privacy-compliant WhatsApp Business platform is suitable for professional business purposes. A company account with Meta is required to send WhatsApp newsletters. In addition, certain opt-in rules must be followed, such as active user consent and clear communication. These opt-ins can be obtained via various channels such as websites and existing communication channels.
→ Would you like to know how you can easily implement WhatsApp newsletters in your online marketing? We’d be happy to show you. Get in touch with us!
Florian
Florian is Senior Marketing Manager and responsible for promoting the eCall brand. In this blog, he writes about news and interesting facts about business messaging.
Image credits Article image: iStock.com/bombuscreative
