How to use WhatsApp to promote your small business: Our guide
Running a small business is no easy task. As the owner, you have to manage many different aspects of the business while working with limited resources.
We know this can be a real challenge, so we’re here to inspire you in marketing for restaurants and retailers!
Of your seemingly endless list of tasks in your business, marketing should be one of your top priorities. But if you’re not an expert in the field and don’t have the budget, how would you promote your business?
The answer is to keep it simple. Use marketing tactics that get your message across while requiring minimal investment.
WhatsApp meets these requirements and we will discuss how you can use it to your advantage in the following sections.
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a messaging application that lets you send and receive messages instantly to individuals and groups. Besides, it lets you share images, videos, voice messages, contacts and your location.
The best thing about WhatsApp is that it’s incredibly easy to use and free. That means you can quickly set it up and use it to communicate with your customers in real time.
From a marketing standpoint, WhatsApp allows small business owners like you to connect directly with customers for a variety of purposes.
You can use the service to send promotions, build and strengthen your brand image, and provide personalized attention to your customers.
Here are some examples of how WhatsApp can help you:
1. Send ads to large groups of customers.
You can create groups with up to 256 people on your WhatsApp profile. This way you can quickly forward messages to your customers. Add information about current promotions, special offers and a link to new products or services.
2. Provide personalized customer service regardless of time or location.
Customer service is only good if it’s quick and easy to reach. WhatsApp lets you do this, since you can create private conversations with specific people to help them with anything they need.
3. Provide personalized service to your loyal, valuable customers.
You can create your own group to which only your most valuable customers have access. This gives you the opportunity to offer them specialized services that you could not offer to all your customers.
4. Use the platform to give your customers the opportunity to trade with you over the Internet.
Since WhatsApp is web-based, it’s ideal for linking customers directly to your other digital platforms. You can send your customers a link to your online order pages, making it easier for them to complete the transaction.
Summary
Creating a WhatsApp marketing strategy can be simple and effective, and cost you next to nothing. However, we recommend you complement it with an online and offline ordering platform to share your digital menu or assortment, accept online orders, and make day-to-day operations more efficient.