WhatsApp has a strict opt-in policy to prevent businesses from spamming customers. Therefore, it’s not always possible to send the first message to your customers over WhatsApp. An easier way to connect with your customers on WhatsApp is to encourage them to initiate the chat. In this article, you’ll learn how to get your customers to start a WhatsApp conversation with WhatsApp Link Generator, WhatsApp Widget and Click to WhatsApp ads.
Interested in using WhatsApp for your business but don’t know how? We’ve put together a guide to show you how to use WhatsApp Business for Sales and Support teams. Check out our A to Z guide for setting up a WhatsApp CRM for your company here.
WhatsApp Business At A Glance
In case you didn’t know, WhatsApp has two types of business accounts - WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API. The former is designed for small businesses while the latter is made for bigger companies.
One of the biggest differences between Business App and Business API is their messaging limitations. WhatsApp Business App has no messaging limitations, which means you can send the first message to customers as long as you have their number.
To avoid spam, WhatsApp has a more restrictive messaging policy for Business API accounts. Before initiating a conversation with Template Messages, businesses will need to collect opt-in from customers.
Opt-ins means obtaining consent to receive your WhatsApp messages. They can be obtained in many ways, on and off WhatsApp. For example, you can collect opt-in through automatic phone systems (IVR) or via a website contact form.
Getting opt-ins can be complex depending on your use case. Thankfully, you have the option to encourage customers to message you first instead. Once they’ve done so, you can continue the conversation within 24 hours even if they haven’t opted in.
In this article, we'll cover the best ways to encourage customers to start a WhatsApp conversation. Regardless of whether your WhatsApp Business account allows sending the first message, these methods will be useful to attract new WhatsApp contacts.
How To Get Customers To Send the First WhatsApp Message
There are 3 ways you can get customers to message your business first. You can create a WhatsApp Click to Chat Link, add a WhatsApp Widget to your website or run a Click to WhatsApp ad.
1. Generate a WhatsApp Link with WhatsApp Link Generator
WhatsApp Link (WhatsApp URL) lets you begin a chat with someone without having their phone number saved in your phone's address book. A WhatsApp Link always begins with wa.me/ followed by your WhatsApp number.
WhatsApp Link is the simplest way to get your customers to send the first message. All your customers have to do is click on it, and they’ll be taken to a pre-filled WhatsApp chat where they can message your business quickly.
There are 2 ways to use a WhatsApp Link for your business. You can create a WhatsApp button with WhatsApp Link and add it to a website. Or you can generate a QR code for WhatsApp Link and display it in your store.
WhatsApp Link: Add a WhatsApp Button to Website or Email
WhatsApp button is a clickable WhatsApp logo or text embedded with a WhatsApp Link. It’s a great way to encourage online visitors to initiate a conversation, especially for businesses with a lot of website traffic or many email subscribers.
Wondering how to create WhatsApp Link? WhatsApp Business App has a built-in WhatsApp Link Generator, so you can get your WhatsApp URL from the app itself. Simply navigate to Settings > Business Tools > Short Links.
If you are using WhatsApp Business API, you need a third-party WhatsApp link Generator to create WhatsApp Links. Connect your WhatsApp business account to respond.io, and you can create a link using the respond.io native chat link generator.
To get started, navigate to Growth Widgets > QR Code > Create Widget. Select your WhatsApp API channel from the dropdown menu.
Then, you can fill in the pre-filled text if desired so a predetermined message will be automatically sent to you when they click the link or scan the code. Finally, copy the chat link. It’s that simple!
The WhatsApp button is great for converting online visitors into WhatsApp Contacts. However, it can’t drive offline visitors to message you. You’ll need a WhatsApp QR code to do that.
WhatsApp Link: Create a WhatsApp QR code
WhatsApp QR codes help convert offline traffic like foot traffic at a physical store to WhatsApp contacts. Customers can simply scan a QR code to begin a WhatsApp conversation, no typing needed.
You can place WhatsApp QR codes anywhere in real life. We recommend displaying your QR codes on physical surfaces like product packaging, banners, flyers or receipts.
The steps for creating a WhatsApp QR code differ depending on the type of business account you’re using. WhatsApp App users can find their account’s QR code by going to Business Tools > Short Link > QR Code. Learn more about WhatsApp Business App QR code here.
If you are a WhatsApp API user, you can generate a WhatsApp QR code using respond.io Code Generator. The steps are similar to those for getting a chat link. Navigate to Growth Widgets > QR Code > Create Widget. Select your WhatsApp channel from the dropdown.
You can fill in the pre-filled text if desired. Once you’re ready, download the QR code.
Now that you’ve learned about WhatsApp Link, let’s move on to the next method to get your customers to message you - WhatsApp Widget.
2. Add a WhatsApp Widget to Website
Using a WhatsApp widget is fairly straightforward. When clicked, it will take website visitors to WhatsApp to start a conversation. WhatsApp widget is a lot better than live chat widget, you can always get back to your customers after they’ve left the chat.
Respond.io Multichannel Website Widget gives website visitors the option to contact you via live chat or WhatsApp. Plus, you can add more messaging Channels like Facebook Messenger or Line to the widget.
Before adding a WhatsApp widget to your website, you'll need a WhatsApp API with respond.io integration. Then, follow these instructions to create a WhatsApp widget.
3. Run a Click to WhatsApp Ad
Click to WhatsApp Ad is a Facebook or Instagram ad that takes users directly into a WhatsApp conversation with a business. Click to WhatsApp Ads work almost exactly like Click to Messenger Ads, but clicking on them will open a WhatsApp conversation instead of a Messenger chat.
Another difference between Click to WhatsApp & Click to Messenger ads is their tracking abilities. Unlike Click to Messenger Ads which come with advanced tracking features, Click to WhatsApp Ads don’t allow you to track how many customers clicked on the ad.
There are 2 ways to create a Click to WhatsApp Ad- by boosting a Facebook post or create it directly from Ad Manager. We recommend creating Click to WhatsApp Ads from Ad Manager because it has more customization features. Here’s how to do it.
Set up Click to WhatsApp Ad from Ad Manager
You can run a Click to WhatsApp Ad with a WhatsApp Business App or Business API account. Before setting up a Facebook Click to WhatsApp Ad, you need to:
- Connect your WhatsApp account to your Facebook page
- Make yourself the admin of the Page
1. In Ads Manager, create a campaign with the Messages objective. When choosing this objective, your call-to-action will become Send to WhatsApp.
2. Edit campaign name and campaign details. Where appropriate, declare your ad as a Special Ad and set up A/B test to understand which ad strategies give you the best result.
3. Select WhatsApp Business as the Message Destination. If you are managing multiple Facebook Pages, choose the Page you want to create the ad for. Make sure it’s connected to a WhatsApp Business account.
4. Edit Budget, Schedule, Audience, Placements, Optimization and Delivery on the same page. Then, click Next.
5. Choose your ad format under Ad setup. Then compose your ad under Ad Creative.
6. Create Template. Write a Greeting Message and Frequently Asked Questions. Click Save and Finish when you’re done.
7. Finally, click Publish to launch the Click to WhatsApp ad.
And that’s how you create a Click to WhatsApp ad. Check out this article to learn how to set up a Click to Messenger ad.
Using WhatsApp Link & WhatsApp Widget: Infographic
Further Reading
If you're interested in using WhatsApp for Business, you'll want to check out these blog posts:
- How to Choose a WhatsApp Partner: WhatsApp Business API Pricing
- How to Use WhatsApp For Multiple Users
- How to Use Respond.io with a WhatsApp Integration: WhatsApp CRM
