7 strategies to get people subscribe to your WhatsApp Business
Can you guess which is the most popular mobile messenger app globally? Hint – it's in the headline of this article. If you're not a fan of hints we can unveil that it's WhatsApp. Why is this fact important, you might ask? Because WhatsApp can help your business.
As there are about 1.6 billion WhatsApp users worldwide, there is quite a chance that your potential or current clients have it on their mobile devices. And the best thing about it – you can communicate with them via their WhatsApp by using your company's profile on WhatsApp Business.
Nevertheless, we have to point out that WhatsApp Business is a separate app, which is out there to connect businesses to their clients. Today, there are already more than 5 million companies that use it.
Opt-ins are required
It's easy to create a company account on WhatsApp Business. The trickiest part is to ensure that both new and potential clients of your company opt-in or, in other words, agree to receive messages to their private phone number via WhatsApp Business.
Opt-ins are usually collected via the company's website, app, email, SMS, and other channels. In addition, it's your company's responsibility to store them and make sure that a person has agreed to receive messages from you to his or her mobile.
And this is where the big question arises – how can you get people to subscribe to your company's WhatsApp Business profile?
To help you out, we've compiled a list of 7 strategies that you can use.
1: Highlight the perks of using WhatsApp Business
First, you can use your regular communication channels – transactional emails, support chat, or SMS – to tell your new and existing customers about the perks of using WhatsApp Business in communication with your company.
You can point out that:
- Using WhatsApp is actually safer than using Gmail
- Your client doesn't have to be registered in any messenger platforms to communicate with your company – instead, they can use their personal WhatsApp
- WhatsApp can speed up the communication process in comparison to other messaging platforms
You can frame it in a leading question. For instance, you could ask ''did you know that communication via WhatsApp is safer than via Gmail?'' And below add text – ''subscribe to our WhatsApp Business to receive all the necessary information 100% safe''.
2: Offer a promotional code
There's an undeniable beauty in a promotional code – it encourages the customer to buy and it benefits the business. In addition, promotional codes work for both recurring and new clients. Therefore, you can offer a promotional code as an incentive to subscribe to your company's WhatsApp Business.
There are a lot of options on how you can make it work:
- Use pop-ups that appear upon opening your website's landing page
- Include the offer in your company's email newsletters
- Announce the promotional code in your company's social media, explain the reason behind it, and invite people to use this offer while it lasts
In this strategy, an attention-catching CTA button or slogan for social media (you can get some inspiration here) is also very important, so your clients would have no doubt about where they're required to sign up for your company's WhatsApp Business.
3: Push eye-catching ads on social media
Who would have thought that ads on Facebook will become one of the most targeted forms of advertising? Or that 1 of 4 people who follow your company on Instagram consider buying a product from you? Social media as a sales channel is not the future anymore – it's the present.
As there are thousands of other businesses trying to catch people's attention, you have to put in some thought to outshine them. To make your social media ad stand out in the crowd, try to make it bold, funny, and original (get some inspiration here) and lead your audience to a link or website to subscribe to your WhatsApp Business (similarly to how Spotify has done in the ad below).
Source: Meme
However, you have to remember that the social media ads you publish have to be targeted in the right direction, otherwise, it's a waste of time and money. Target the followers of your page, page visitors, clients, recurring clients, etc. on Instagram and Facebook to achieve the best results.
4: Make blog posts stating the facts
Did you know that businesses that use blogs as a part of their content strategy get about 67% more leads than the ones who don't? And that 81% of online consumers trust the information that is included in blogs?
Therefore, write a blog post explaining in detail how WhatsApp can improve the experience with your company for current and potential clients. Don't be shy and add some statistics and facts that can back-up your claims.
However, keep in mind that the main message of the blog post is getting people to subscribe to your WhatsApp Business, so don't forget to include a link in the content that can lead the reader to the subscription.
5: Add an extra step at check-out
Use your client's attention while you have it! While the client is at the checkout of your website, you can politely ask him or her whether they want to subscribe to your WhatsApp Business, so they could follow the company's news or check information about their order.
Frame this extra check-out step in a form of question where the client has to answer by checking their preferred choice (similarly like in the example below) or use pop-up windows at check-out.
In addition, you can state the pros of subscribing to WhatsApp Business – product's delivery status update (if you sell deliverable goods), news from the company, exclusive subscriber discounts, or easy-to-reach client support without any phone numbers – just a link.
Keep in mind, that you shouldn't make this a very complicated process to avoid abandoned carts at check-out.
Additional tactics that are not digital but are worth mentioning
In addition to the digital strategies mentioned, it never hurts to take into consideration the more classical forms of advertising to catch people's attention.
6: Learn to love stickers and pamphlets
This might seem like an old-school strategy, but we have to admit – it's still effective. You might ask – why? First of all, both stickers and pamphlets are cheap and easy to make. But most importantly – you can show your position or attitudes with it.
For example:
You want to share the message that it's safer to communicate via WhatsApp than email. Then you can put a leading question or a statement on a sticker like – I choose to communicate safely. And below that add a short link to your website or blog which explains all the additional details and perks of using WhatsApp Business in communication with your company.
Use pamphlets in a similar manner. Don't be afraid to include extra info about your company, its values, and any other information that you find necessary to add to share your company's message and get people to subscribe.
7: Use the outdoors
It doesn't have to be a shining billboard on the busiest street of the city. You can also take small steps that will bring big results. Especially by knowing the fact that outdoor ads are beneficial for smaller companies as they have a limited budget for marketing. So this might be your strategy to follow when it comes to getting more subscribers to your company's WhatsApp business.
If your company has a physical presence locally, such as a store, product stall, or a place to receive the goods you've ordered, etc., use this space to spread the information, message, invitation for people to subscribe to your WhatsApp Business. You can do this by including a QR code in the receipts, design of the rooms, or even posters.
Why QR codes? Because they're making a comeback in the marketing world and they're easy to use to lead current or potential clients to your website where they can subscribe to your company's WhatsApp Business and take your communication to the next level.
Conclusion
Communication is the key to every business that wants to be successful – no matter how big or small you are. However, we live in a time ruled by several communication channels and each business is required to find the one that is the most accessible for their clients.
When you want to get people to subscribe to your WhatsApp Business you have to evaluate what works best for your client and your business. Take into consideration the costs, possibilities, and time required for the execution of the strategy. If your company mainly works online, use digital strategies. If you have a store or it's ready to include the environment as their advertising channel – make pamphlets, stickers, QR codes, etc.
In the end, the main thing to remember is the message that communication via WhatsApp business is easier, safer, and faster. And these are the facts that no one can deny.
If you want to setup WhatsApp account, get in touch via support@amio.io
