WhatsApp automation as a communication strategy
WhatsApp is today one of the most used applications for communication in the world. And thanks to that, it has also become an excellent marketing tool for companies of all segments. But did you know that WhatsApp automation can take your company’s communication to another level?
But before we show you the advantages of this, we need to explain what automation is.
It is about the construction of processes that allow the sending of automatic messages from a certain trigger, that is, an application configuration to help companies to scale their responses, making the processes more agile and, consequently, the waiting time for lesser responses to customers.
Its operation, in practice, is like a robot, which will respond according to the user’s interaction and the words used. And it is these words that will be the triggers for the automation of the answers to happen and, in some cases, the service is directed to a human.
For this to occur, the API (Application Programming Interface) is used, an interface that promotes the integration of WhatsApp with other platforms, such as marketing automation tools, Sales CRM, and customer service software, among others.
It’s the WhatsApp API that allows you to create conversations that are automated and personalized when customers contact your company. In a simplified way, it is the API that allows the use of chatbots (automation tools) in the service through WhatsApp.
What are the advantages of WhatsApp automation for your business?
There are many advantages of automating your company’s WhatsApp to improve communication with your customers and even promote sales. Here, we list the main ones that we consider important for any type of business. Take a look:
Agility and a greater number of calls
As we have already said, automation speeds up customer service and one of the main advantages of this process is precisely that these services can be performed without human intervention.
The result of this? Reduced labor costs and 24/7 customer service: Customers can reach you at any time, so there’s no need to wait for you to be available during normal business hours, or only on certain days of the week.
In addition, while in human service it is possible to dedicate only one customer at a time, with automation it is possible to serve a much larger number of customers, without them having to wait in line for service.
Customer time service
With the automation of conversations, it is possible to serve the customer on their time, that is, if they need to interrupt the conversation and continue later, no problem: when they return, the service is continued where they left off.
Reduced errors in WhatsApp automation
The automation of your company’s WhatsApp ensures that the entire communication process is assertive, that is, there are no gaps in the information, which allows your customer to be more satisfied.
Customer experience
And speaking of reducing errors in the communication process, one of the things that are positively affected is the customer experience. In addition to receiving the information you want and being guided in an assertive way to solve your problem, the automated service understands how the customer wants to be served.
And when they choose WhatsApp to keep in touch with the company, they are making it clear that this form of communication is the best and will be a plus point in their experience as a consumer.
Easy access and use platform
WhatsApp is today the most used communication app worldwide. Therefore, walking alongside this culture in sales and communication strategies is to hit the nail on the head! That’s because you facilitate your customers’ access in an environment that they have ease and comfort to use.
Personalization
When you automate WhatsApp through external tools, mainly, you can write and propagate messages using the language and style of your company, which guarantees more truthful and coherent communication with your audience.
Increase in credibility
When customers realize that the “person” they are talking to is a company and presents itself in a professional manner, the relationship becomes more trusting, since the information given is official.
Increases the chance of selling
And speaking of customer satisfaction, when it is achieved, the possibility of selling is much greater, do you agree?
And this is exactly what is observed through the communication automation system, increasingly exploited by companies of all segments and sizes.
How does WhatsApp automation work in your communication?
Now that we have listed some of the benefits of investing in WhatsApp automation, you need to understand how this process works.
First of all, for you to be able to automate your company’s WhatsApp, you must have WhatsApp Business (it is different from the WhatsApp application you use with your personal contacts). For this, it is important that you have a SIM and a specific number for your company and these will only be used for your commercial communication.
Automation is only possible in the WhatsApp Business version as it offers different features, including some for basic automation. That is, you can configure automatic messages that will be sent as soon as there is user interaction.
This type of automation offered by WhatsApp Business, although very simple, helps you to experience the process and realize, in practice, its advantages.
How to automate WhatsApp Business?
If you’ve decided to try your company’s WhatsApp automation and want to start with the configuration offered by the business application, follow the steps below:
- The first thing to do is click on the 3 dots in the upper left corner of the screen and select the option “Commercial Tools”;
- Click on the “Greeting message” option;
- Click on the little key on the side of the text “Send greeting message”;
- Edit the content by clicking on the “Greeting message” field;
- Select to whom this message should be sent;
- Click on “Save” at the top of the screen;
- Ready! Your basic WhatsApp automation is set up and ready to go.
From now on, every time someone sends you a message for the first time, they will receive the text you edited in the walkthrough we explained above.
You can also write an away message, but in step 3, instead of clicking on “Greeting message” you must click on “Away message” and follow the same steps below.
That way, every time someone sends a message outside your opening hours, they’ll receive an automatic reply set up by you.
It is worth remembering that WhatsApp Business natively, that is, without using external automation applications, only allows you to make these 2 types of settings.
External WhatsApp automation tools
Now, if you want broader automation, also known as “chatbot”, to improve communication in all sectors of your business, the best thing to do is invest in external tools. And the interesting thing is that each one has specific solutions for small, medium, or large companies. That is, you can choose the best one that suits your company and your service routine.
This is possible because automation servers (chatbots) create the robot from scratch and do the integration for you, as building automation content from scratch is a process that involves programming and advanced knowledge.
This type of message automation offered by the WhatsApp Business API version is capable of completely changing the way companies communicate with their customers. Although a robot does it, it allows companies to communicate as if a person were doing it.
And chatbots can range from the simplest to the most sophisticated, such as Artificial Intelligence, capable of interpreting, evaluating, and responding to messages in the most natural way possible.
It’s what we call humanized service, an art that involves several studies of language, metrics, technology, and follow-up. Therefore, invest in humanized expressions, using common sense, of course, interjections, such as: “huh, “wow”, “hey”, and so on. This brings your company closer to your customer.
And the interesting thing about chatbots is that you can always improve messages, shaping them as you identify new needs and opportunities in your company.
Managing WhatsApp in automation
Any WhatsApp automation tool should offer a dashboard, that is, a control panel that will allow you to manage your conversations.
In this dashboard you can see all the messages that are being sent, as well as data related to service time, the number of messages received/sent, see what the main questions are, and much more. This control even allows you to reassess points to be improved in the company and in the service system itself.
Why is it worth offering service via WhatsApp?
If your company wants to be closer to the consumer and follow the digital transformation that is here to stay, then you need to offer an efficient service via WhatsApp.
Did you see how many positives you have when investing in the automation of your service via WhatsApp?
Business communication is important in the company-consumer relationship, because it helps to take care of the brand’s reputation, increases the company’s credibility, and helps it stand out in the market. In addition, it helps to improve the company’s relationship with customers, optimizing the consumer experience.
Therefore, you don’t have to stop at the automation of service through WhatsApp.
From the moment you implement WhatsApp automation in your business, many other opportunities can be opened for your company, such as sales, relationship, and after-sales automation.
Everything will depend on how you are going to design the marketing strategy and manage it to align it with your automated service.
If this content helped you, how about forwarding it to that friend who will also benefit from the automation of your commercial WhatsApp service?
