How to start a business whatsapp group

How to Use WhatsApp for Business: Tips and Tools

While you’ve probably already included platforms like Twitter and Facebook in your social media strategy, WhatsApp could be equally as important to your brand.

That’s right: WhatsApp isn’t just for texting your coworkers or video chatting with your family in a different city. It can be used for business, too.

WhatsApp Business was created specifically with small business owners in mind. It can help you connect with your customers and support them with immediate, personalized customer service.

If you’ve never considered adding a WhatsApp Business account into your brand’s social strategy, we’ll explore why that might be a good idea.

What is WhatsApp?

8 WhatsApp stats you probably didn’t know

How to use WhatsApp for business

4 great uses of WhatsApp for business

4 useful Whatsapp business tools

Bonus: Download our free WhatsApp for Customer Care guide to get more pointers on how to use WhatsApp Business to get higher conversion rates, better customer experience, lower costs, and higher customer satisfaction.

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a messaging app, like Facebook Messenger or We Chat.

The mobile app uses the phone’s Internet connection to let you communicate with other WhatsApp users, making it an affordable alternative to international calling or texting.

WhatsApp was an independent messenger company when it launched in 2009, but Facebook acquired it in 2014. As of 2021, it is still owned by Facebook.

People use WhatsApp for business or personal use because:

It’s free. The only charges you might get are data roaming charges.
It’s reliable. As long as you’re connected to wi-fi or have mobile data, you can use WhatsApp to communicate with users all over the world.
It’s widely available. There are WhatsApp users in 180 different countries.
It’s not just about texting. You can use WhatsApp for voice messages, calls and video calls, as well as sharing photos, videos, documents, or your location.

8 WhatsApp stats you probably didn’t know

The numbers speak for themselves.

1. WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger app in the world

2 billion people worldwide use WhatsApp at least once per month.

This places WhatsApp ahead of other popular messenger apps: Facebook Messenger with 1.3 billion users and WeChat with 1.2 billion users.

Source: Statista

2. WhatsApp is the third most-used social media network in the world

It’s behind only Facebook and YouTube for worldwide popularity.

Source: Hootsuite

3. 58% of WhatsApp users use the app more than once each day

In fact, in the USA, the average person uses it 143 times a month.

4. As of 2019, WhatsApp had more than half a billion daily active users

That’s an increase from 450 million at the end of 2018.

5. Most of WhatsApp’s new users in 2020 are in the USA

Following the States, the countries with the most WhatsApp downloads in 2020 were Brazil, the United Kingdom, India, then Mexico.

Source: Statista

6. 27% of American WhatsApp users are ages 26 to 35

Source: Statista

7. WhatsApp mostly is used to keep in contact with friends and family

That’s why 82% of Americans use the app. Other popular reasons include strengthening a professional network (13%) and getting entertainment (10%).

8. The most WhatsApp calls ever made was New Year’s Eve 2020

A record 1.4 billion video and voice calls were made using WhatsApp on December 31, 2020.

How to use WhatsApp for business

While only 4% of American WhatsApp users downloaded the app to follow brands or companies, there is still huge value in using WhatsApp for your business.

WhatsApp Business was built specifically with the small business owner in mind and offers specialized solutions that can help you connect with your customers.

To get started, you need a WhatsApp Business account. If you don’t have one yet, follow these simple step-by-step instructions.

How to create a WhatsApp Business account

1. Download the WhatsApp Business app for Android or iPhone

Find the app on the App Store or Google Play, or download it via WhatsApp’s site.

2. Agree to the terms and conditions

3. Enter your business’s phone number

4. Fill in your details

After you enter your phone number, you will automatically be directed to this page. Fill in the essential details like your business name, add a profile picture and select a category that best describes your business.

Get the guide now!

5. Learn more about the WhatsApp business tools

In the next step, you can learn about setting up a product catalog for your ecommerce or automated messaging.

You can also skip the tutorial and go straight to settings.

Before you move on to advanced features like automated messaging, make sure to add more information about your business. You can manage addresses, hours and websites in the Business Profile category in settings.

6. Now, start connecting with your customers

That’s it! Now that you know how to create a WhatsApp account for your business, you can start using the messenger app to communicate with customers.

4 great uses of WhatsApp for business

So, why should you use WhatsApp as a business owner? Here are 4 things the app might help you with.

Elevate your customer service

With a WhatsApp Business account, you can make your social media customer service more efficient and personal.

On top of serving as a channel for direct messaging, WhatsApp Business has several tools that you can use to elevate communication with customers:

Quick Replies. Save answers to commonly asked questions as templates and set up shortcuts. This will give you back the time you would spend typing out the answers to repeating questions. And, your customers will get their questions answered faster.

Labels. Use labels to organize and categorize users and messages. This will help you sort messages by urgency and recognize returning customers. You can use pre-programmed labels or create new ones that make sense for your business.

Away Messages and Greeting Messages. Set up these automated messages so your customer gets a response immediately, even if you’re unable to respond. This is a great way to set expectations for response times if a customer reaches out outside of your business hours.

On top of all this, it’s simply easy and affordable to communicate with international customers via WhatsApp Business.

Showcase your products in a catalog

You can think of WhatsApp Business’s catalog tool as a mobile storefront. It lets your customers browse your products without leaving the app.

This tool is useful for highlighting new products, seasonal collections or bestsellers.

Here are a few key facts about the catalog:

You can upload a maximum of 500 products or services.
Each product or service can include a title, price, description, product code and link to the product on your website.
Each product has an image.
You can share links from the catalog in WhatsApp conversations.

Communicate with colleagues or employees

WhatsApp Business isn’t just for communicating with customers. It’s also a useful way to stay in touch with employees. In fact, messenger apps like WhatsApp are used by 79% of professionals for communication at work.

Source: Digital 2020

The group chat feature lets you message with up to 256 people at one time. It’s possible to send PDFs and other documents over WhatsApp business. Files can be up to 100MB.

Network with other professionals

Finally, you use WhatsApp to communicate with others in your industry. The app’s video call tool can be used in a professional networking capacity, just like Zoom or Skype.

You can even sync WhatsApp Business with your desktop, so those professional networking calls can be done from your office computer rather than your phone.

4 useful Whatsapp business tools

Sparkcentral by Hootsuite

Sparkcentral makes customer service conversations a breeze. It’s an automated messaging platform, ideal for managing high volumes of messages.

Sparkcentral offers chatbots and AI solutions that help businesses automate customer service across social platforms — all in one dashboard. It works with WhatsApp, as well as Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Instagram and more.

Scan this QR code to start chatting with a Sparkcentral representative on WhatsApp, and find out more about what it can do, right now:

WhatsAuto

WhatsAuto is another solution you can use to build better auto-replies. WhatsAuto lets you create a chatbot, schedule auto-replies and easily turn auto-replies on and off.

Source: Google Play

Cleanup for Business WhatsApp

Download this business tool if you don’t want to spend time manually deleting old files off of WhatsApp. Cleanup makes cleaning up WhatsApp Business easy — you can select multiple files at once and quickly delete old images, videos, audio files, notes and profile pictures. The app works offline, too.

Status Saver For WhatsApp Scan

This app makes managing your business’s WhatsApp contact list easy. Use it to import WhatsApp contacts into your iPhone, merge duplicate contacts and connect with someone on WhatsApp without adding them as an official contact.

So, there you have it! Now you know why WhatsApp could be a great tool for your business. Don’t forget: messenger apps like WhatsApp Business are great ways to elevate customer service, and improve communication with both your customers and your team.

Save time building an efficient customer support system on social media with Hootsuite. Respond to questions and complaints, create tickets from social conversations, and work with chatbots all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

Get Started

Manage every customer inquiry on a single platform with Sparkcentral. Never miss a message, improve customer satisfaction, and save time. See it in action.

Chat with us

How to get started with the WhatsApp Business app

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Download and set up the WhatsApp Business app

1. Download and launch the WhatsApp Business app: The WhatsApp Business app is free to download on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Tap the WhatsApp Business icon on your home screen.

2. Review the Terms of Service: Read the WhatsApp Business Terms of Service, then tap Agree and Continue to accept the terms.

3. Register: Select your country from the drop-down list to add your country code, then enter your phone number in international phone number format. Tap Done or Next, then tap Ok to receive your 6-digit registration code via SMS or phone call. To complete registration, enter your 6-digit code. Learn how to register your phone number in this article.

4. Allow access to contacts and photos: Contacts can be added to the WhatsApp Business app from your phone’s address book. You can also allow access to your phone’s photos, videos, and files.

5. Create an account: Fill out your business name, select a business category, and choose a profile picture.

6. Build your business profile: Tap EXPLORE > Business profile. Here, you can add important business information like your business address, description, hours, and more.

7. Start a chat. Your business profile is now set up. Tap or , then search for or select a contact to message. Enter a message in the text field. Then, tap or .

Explore WhatsApp Business Tools

The WhatsApp Business app has several tools to help you run your business efficiently. To explore these tools, go to your chats screen. Tap More Optionson Android or Settings on iPhone. Then, tap Business tools.

Catalog: Showcase and share your products and services within your business account. Learn how to create a catalog on Android or iPhone.

Short link: Make it easy for new customers to connect with you. Share the auto-generated short link with new customers to enable them to message your business. Learn how to use short links on Android or iPhone.
Messaging tools: Use WhatsApp messaging templates to build key conversations in advance. Create automated greeting messages to engage with new customers. Set away messages to let customers know when you’ll be back, or build quick replies to answer frequently asked questions. For more information on messaging tools, read the following articles:
- How to use greeting messages on Android or iPhone
- How to use away messages on Android or iPhone
- How to use quick replies on Android or iPhone
Labels: Sort your conversations with customers into helpful categories, like “New customers” or “Pending orders. ” Learn how to use labels on Android or iPhone.

how to create, why use a WhatsApp business

Blog
Articles
WhatsApp™ business account: how and why to use it

Reading time: 4 minutes

Content:

What types of business accounts are there
Can a business account be blocked?
Can I use WhatsApp™ Messenger and WhatsApp™ Business at the same time?
How to register a WhatsApp™ business account
How to connect WhatsApp™ Business API

WhatsApp™ is the most popular instant messenger in Russia and in the world. According to

Deloitte, 88% of Russians use it in 2020. However, his management does not welcome commercial activities in ordinary accounts, which makes it difficult for companies - especially small ones - to communicate with customers and promote themselves through the messenger without the risk of blocking.

A business account is a way to reduce the likelihood of a ban, as well as get additional tools for working with a client base.

From the client's point of view, a business account means a dialogue with a well-known company or brand, and not with an incomprehensible number.

What does a WhatsApp business account provide

For comfortable communication with customers, a WhatsApp business account offers the following features:

reducing the risk of blocking.
the ability to write to the client first.
high message rate. The message will come to the user in 3 seconds, unlike a regular account, where the message can take up to 10 minutes.
an alphabetic name instead of a number and a green checkmark. This will increase your visibility and customer confidence.

What types of business accounts exist

A verified business account status is given to businesses that have been verified by WhatsApp™. These accounts have a green check mark next to their name. By default, all business registered with WhatsApp™ Business will be a regular business account, and the checkmark will be greyed out for such accounts.

Another connection type is WhatsApp™ Business API. Unlike a free business account designed for small businesses, Business API is a paid service for large and medium-sized companies. When using the WhatsApp™ Business API, you can send notifications, documents, and other important information to users that they need to have at hand, such as boarding passes, receipts, and transaction notifications.

A detailed comparison of a regular account, WhatsApp™ Business and WhatsApp™ Business API is presented in the table.

M Can a business account be blocked?

WhatsApp™ has a strict policy against spam and any mass mailings. It is worth considering the following:

WhatsApp™ blocks new customers for 5 or more identical messages;
if you send more than 20-30 messages to existing clients, you also risk being blocked;
If the account is very active, the number of messages allowed to be sent may increase.

Given the features of the messenger, we recommend that you always encourage the client to write the first message.

Can I use WhatsApp ™ Messenger and WhatsApp ™ Business at the same time?

Yes, because WhatsApp™ Business cannot be linked to the same number as a normal WhatsApp™ account. It is best to use the company's official phone number to connect a business account - and this can be either a mobile or a landline number.

If you have previously used WhatsApp™ Messenger to communicate with customers, you can transfer your message history to a new account in the WhatsApp™ Business app and continue the conversation from there. We recommend that you create a backup of your chats first.
If you stop using WhatsApp™ Business, you will no longer be able to transfer messages back to WhatsApp™ Messenger.

How to upgrade to a WhatsApp business account ™

1. Download WhatsApp™ Business from Google Play or the App Store.

2. Confirm the phone number you will use to communicate with customers.

3. If you wish, you can restore the message history.

4. Enter the company name.

5. Create a business account profile. Click More options > Settings > Business account settings > Profile.

How to connect WhatsApp ™ Business API

Leave a request on the official Chat2Desk and WhatsApp Business API integration page or write to us via the widget in the corner of the screen.

how to create, why use a WhatsApp business

Blog
Articles
WhatsApp™ business account: how and why to use it

Reading time: 4 minutes

Content:

What types of business accounts exist
Can a business account be blocked?
Can I use WhatsApp™ Messenger and WhatsApp™ Business at the same time?
How to register a WhatsApp™ business account
How to connect WhatsApp™ Business API

WhatsApp™ is the most popular instant messenger in Russia and in the world. According to

A business account is a way to reduce the likelihood of a ban, as well as get additional tools for working with a client base.

From the client's point of view, a business account means a dialogue with a well-known company or brand, and not with an incomprehensible number.

What does a WhatsApp business account provide

For comfortable communication with customers, a WhatsApp business account offers the following features:

reducing the risk of blocking.
the ability to write to the client first.
high message rate. The message will come to the user in 3 seconds, unlike a regular account, where the message can take up to 10 minutes.
an alphabetic name instead of a number and a green checkmark. This will increase your visibility and customer confidence.

What types of business accounts exist

A detailed comparison of a regular account, WhatsApp™ Business and WhatsApp™ Business API is presented in the table.

M Can a business account be blocked?

WhatsApp™ has a strict policy against spam and any mass mailings. It is worth considering the following:

WhatsApp™ blocks new customers for 5 or more identical messages;
if you send more than 20-30 messages to existing clients, you also risk being blocked;
If the account is very active, the number of messages allowed to be sent may increase.

Given the features of the messenger, we recommend that you always encourage the client to write the first message.

Can I use WhatsApp ™ Messenger and WhatsApp ™ Business at the same time?

If you have previously used WhatsApp™ Messenger to communicate with customers, you can transfer your message history to a new account in the WhatsApp™ Business app and continue the conversation from there. We recommend that you create a backup of your chats first.
If you stop using WhatsApp™ Business, you will no longer be able to transfer messages back to WhatsApp™ Messenger.

How to upgrade to a WhatsApp business account ™

1. Download WhatsApp™ Business from Google Play or the App Store.

2. Confirm the phone number you will use to communicate with customers.

3. If you wish, you can restore the message history.

4. Enter the company name.

5. Create a business account profile. Click More options > Settings > Business account settings > Profile.

How to connect WhatsApp ™ Business API

Leave a request on the official Chat2Desk and WhatsApp Business API integration page or write to us via the widget in the corner of the screen.