Managing customer

conversations at scale
with the WhatsApp
Business Platform
Meet your customers where they’re at with
an API built for medium and large businesses.
Customer engagement
is changing

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Customer engagement is changing

Traditional communication platforms are Two billion monthly users are on

no longer enough to maintain engagement WhatsApp. Meet them there for
in today’s omnichannel, digitally native, simpler, faster, and more convenient
always-on environment. In this ebook, communications across the
we’ll explore how your business can delight customer journey.
customers and drive revenue with a modern
messaging solution. People dread having to call a customer
service number and wait on hold. They
People around the globe use messaging apps don’t like sending an email to a business,
to talk with friends and family. They want not knowing when (or if) it will be read.
the same easy experience when they need Your customers want an easy way to
to connect with a business. The WhatsApp connect with you and they expect a
Business Platform (application programming quick, personalized response.
interface) enables enterprises to engage
with customers in a way that’s personal,
convenient, and widely popular, without
giving up the controls and data analytics
they need from business-driven technology.

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 Customer engagement is changing

In the pages that follow, you’ll learn:

• How enterprise communication strategies need to shift to keep pace

with evolving customer preferences

• The value of a messaging platform with a strong footprint in established

and emerging world markets

• The critical capabilities of the WhatsApp Business Platform and how it can
help you elevate your messaging in a noisy marketplace

• Key use cases highlighting the power of messaging through the

WhatsApp Business Platform

• Easy steps to add the WhatsApp Business Platform to your technology stack

The WhatsApp Business Platform provides the connection medium and large
organizations need to communicate with customers in a personal and
convenient way. You can nurture existing customer relationships and
extend your brand’s reach to new audiences, all through a channel
they’re already using.

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Factors behind the
growth of messaging

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Factors behind the growth of messaging

Your customers have many channels to Emerging customer service preferences are
potentially connect with your business, accelerating the popularity of messaging.
but research indicates the demand for
messaging far outpaces that of other Millennials, Gen Z, and younger generations
communication channels. are not only digitally native, they’re also
reaching the age where their buying power
A survey conducted revealed that 68% and influence in the marketplace makes
of users surveyed called WhatsApp the them a prime audience for businesses.
easiest method of contacting a business.1 Older consumers have also embraced
digital communications like never before.
It would appear that business messaging
is displacing traditional engagement methods.
In fact, 64% of consumers said they were
unlikely or very unlikely to download a brand’s
app, with 53% preferring to communicate

76 %
with customer support via text.2

of WhatsApp users surveyed want

to be able to communicate with
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businesses through messaging.3
 Factors behind the growth of messaging

Messaging has become so pervasive that governments now use it to

maintain communications with their citizens. The Government of India’s citizen
engagement platform, MyGov, developed a chatbot on the WhatsApp API to
share health information and lockdown-related guidelines. Within 10 days of its
launch, the chatbot reached 17 million people and by the end of April 2020 had
generated 35 million conversations.4

Advances in consumer technology are also influencing how and when people
turn to their devices in their daily lives. A survey of British shoppers showed
that 34% of smartphone owners shop at least once a week on their phone;
that figure jumped to 48% for consumers with 5G devices.5

The COVID-19 pandemic had undeniable effects on messaging trends.

Messaging was becoming increasingly popular prior to COVID-19. The

global impacts of the pandemic greatly accelerated this trend and elevated
the importance of messaging for individuals and the brands that serve
them. Shuttered storefronts, limited in-person interactions, and guidance to
curb nonessential travel increased consumers’ reliance on messaging and
contributed to explosive growth. The WhatsApp Business Platform continues
to give firms a way to create virtual storefronts where customers can ask
questions and discuss products with associates. Teams are able to move

6 conversations along, extending customer relationships and closing sales.

Factors behind the growth of messaging

In a world of physical distancing, people’s familiarity with texting and

messaging more broadly, and even the rise of the mobile experience,
messaging a business has proven to be incredibly helpful for people;
it serves as a lifeline for companies to stay connected to customers.

In late 2020, it was revealed that over 100 billion messages were
exchanged every day on WhatsApp alone.7 Everything from local
store visits to in-person discussions with an insurance agent migrated
to digital channels; it’s likely some of those previously face-to-face
interactions will never return to pre-pandemic levels. Customers
want the convenience of message-based services and support;
forward-looking businesses can meet those new expectations
through the WhatsApp Business Platform.8

67 %
of people surveyed report checking
their phones within the first 5 minutes
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of starting their day.6
Factors behind the growth of messaging

WhatsApp is a leader in global messaging.

Today’s marketplace is increasingly global. Customers can easily shop
for goods and services from providers all over the world. WhatsApp is
at the heart of many of those transactions.

More than 2 billion people use WhatsApp every month.8 More than 175
“WhatsApp is the main communication
million users globally send a message to a WhatsApp Business account
platform in Brazil, and we believe that it will
each day,9 making it the most popular messaging app in the world.10
be fundamental in countless opportunities
The reach of WhatsApp extends into the most powerful markets in the
to bring iFood closer to our clients.”
world; it is also a driving factor in many emerging markets.
– Felipe Pereira, Marketing Director

From Indonesia to Mexico, the US to the UK, consumers are leaning more
heavily on those digital channels that are frictionless in their lives. WhatsApp
can ensure your business doesn’t lose touch with your most important
audiences in an increasingly connected world.

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Maximize the business
value of messaging and
conversations with the
WhatsApp Business
Platform

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Maximize the business value of messaging and
conversations with the WhatsApp Business Platform

We’re currently in the midst of a major shift in the way people

communicate with one another and with businesses. That shift is also
happening behind the scenes, where new technologies are available
to broaden your reach and deliver a customer experience that reflects
your brand across every touchpoint.
“Communicating with our customers naturally via
The WhatsApp Business Platform integrates with enterprise resource their preferred channel is super important to us
planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, at Booking.com. That’s why we’re exploring how
ticketing platforms, and call center solutions to drive key automations and
to share booking confirmations and other handy
make your messaging more powerful. It’s also an easy add to your existing
updates with our customers via WhatsApp.”
tech stack, enabling you to begin building connections with customers
in minutes, not months.
– Adrienne Enggist, Director of Product Development, Messaging

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Maximize the business value of messaging and
conversations with the WhatsApp Business Platform

With the WhatsApp Business Platform, your enterprise gains a valuable

opportunity to extend the customer relationship and lift sales, while also
driving operational efficiency and boosting agent productivity. Each agent
or associate can communicate with multiple customers simultaneously,
increasing their capacity. In addition, routine inquiries are well-suited to
messaging and can be automated to either address them programmatically
or more efficiently route them to the appropriate team for help. Enterprises
may also choose to add chatbot functionality through a business service
provider or in-house development team.

Rather than applying a fixed frontend interface, the WhatsApp Business

Platform connects to your existing software as a complement to your in-
ternal workflows and systems. The API is designed specifically to suit the
needs of medium and large businesses; it can be configured to allow ac-
cess to key users — office-based sales staff, in-store associates, field per-
sonnel, and call center agents — via the devices that make the most sense
for their role.

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Maximize the business value of messaging and
conversations with the WhatsApp Business Platform

Optimize your messaging for every stage in the

customer journey.
The right messaging platform doesn’t just address customers’
expectations for convenience. It also delivers valuable benefits to support
your operational objectives. The WhatsApp Business Platform provides
enterprises with a higher return on investment (ROI) by enhancing the
entire customer journey — extending brand awareness into a popular
engagement channel, enabling easier and more natural customer
communications, meeting consumers’ growing expectations around
timely account and order notifications, and delivering valuable support
and other re-engagement opportunities post purchase. This more
modern approach to messaging has the potential to create more up-sell Pre-Purchase Purchase Post-Purchase
opportunities and drive increased customer satisfaction and retention
while also increasing operational efficiency for your organization.

Messaging is not only a customer service communication tool; with the

right capabilities it can be a powerful sales channel. In a global survey,
40% of conversational commerce shoppers said their first foray into
online shopping happened through chat.11

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Maximize the business value of messaging and
conversations with the WhatsApp Business Platform

Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is just global survey by Harvard Business Review,
one capability that can further enrich your 82% of organizations say better metrics
WhatsApp communications. From adding and analytics data are the most important
personalized recommendations complete capabilities of advanced messaging apps.12
with product references to offering in-chat The WhatsApp Business Platform provides
appointment booking for your VIP shoppers, enterprise-grade analytics and reporting
the WhatsApp Business Platform makes every tools to help you identify trends and
“Bank BRI is proud to run SABRINA,
conversation more natural for customers and leverage new opportunities. our virtual personal assistant on WhatsApp.
enables your business to provide a compelling We believe conversational banking will
brand experience. WhatsApp continues to evolve to meet the give our customers a whole new great
needs of enterprises and their customers. experience throughout their day.”
Business messaging on WhatsApp will be
The WhatsApp Business Platform enhanced with new capabilities to support – Kaspar Situmorang, Executive Vice President, Digital Banking

has the features and flexibility shops and commerce features within chat,
you need to make the most of including digital storefronts, catalogs,
your technology ROI. shopping carts, payments, and checkouts.

Analyzing the performance of your customer

engagement efforts and optimizing your
strategy are critical for success. In a

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Maximize the business value of messaging and
conversations with the WhatsApp Business Platform

Protect your reputation with stringent opt-in controls.

People today are more mindful about sharing their personal information
with businesses. A poorly implemented messaging strategy that misuses
customer data could result in reputational damage — or worse. Enterprises
must also consider the evolving privacy regulations within their markets
when communicating with customers.

More than one-quarter of businesses admitted to sending texts in 2020

to customers who hadn’t opted in.6 And consumers are fighting back —
47% of smartphone users employ ad blockers and 35% use browser
extensions to protect their privacy.13

The WhatsApp Business Platform helps your organization build and

maintain customers’ trust in today’s privacy-conscious world through opt-in
tools and vigorous application of messaging best practices. The
transparency built into the WhatsApp Business Platform gives customers
peace of mind that you’re honoring their communication preferences.

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The WhatsApp
Business Platform
in action

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The WhatsApp Business Platform in action

“WorldRemit is thrilled to be the first UK fintech

Product providers and service businesses Take advantage of ongoing engagement
to integrate with WhatsApp Business Platform.
around the world use the WhatsApp Business opportunities with support messages and Millions of WorldRemit customers use WhatsApp
Platform to create a brand experience that post-purchase notifications and alerts. each day to chat with loved ones around the
persists across every touchpoint and through world and discuss sending and receiving money.
the entire customer account lifecycle. Sale Stock, an Indonesian e-commerce By giving our customers instant updates on their
fashion brand, uses the WhatsApp transactions via WhatsApp, we’re making money
The WhatsApp Business Platform enables Business Platform to send immediate
transfers even simpler.”
your organization to drive customer order confirmations, order updates, and
satisfaction with support, information, shipping information. They also leverage it – Alice Newton-Rex, Chief Product Officer
guidance, and recommendations at each step as a customer service channel to answer
in the engagement journey. customer queries and have more personal
conversations with those who need more
Enterprises gain additional benefits using help. WhatsApp has become the company’s
the WhatsApp Business Platform to connect number one source of sales traffic.
with customers after each transaction.

“Tapping into WhatsApp has had a big impact

on our business and customers, with lots of
potential yet to be explored. The delivery rate,
engagement, and ease of integrations can’t be
compared to other channels.”

16 – Wahyu Saputra, Head of Product, Customer Facing

Realize the benefits
of the WhatsApp
Business Platform now

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Realize the benefits of the WhatsApp Business Platform now

The growth of messaging continues to With so many benefits to help you better
accelerate, and consumers increasingly engage with customers and deliver the
prefer it over other channels. Respondents experience they expect from companies
in a global survey ranked messaging apps today, adding the WhatsApp Business
higher than their organization’s mobile app Platform to your suite of technology tools
when it came to improving customer is as simple as contacting a business “WhatsApp Business Platform has been
engagement, creating a direct marketing solutions provider. a great enabler in reaching out to our
channel, and distinguishing themselves customers quickly and effectively. It
from the competition.12 The WhatsApp Business Platform is available is a great example of how technology
only through selected business solutions creates customer-centric experiences.”
The WhatsApp Business Platform is a full providers. These providers have extensive
solution that enables you to seamlessly experience implementing and optimizing – Saujanya Shrivastava, Group Chief Marketing Officer
connect with customers and drive better the WhatsApp Business Platform and have
experiences at every step in their journey. the expertise to assist your business in
integrating complementary tools to
It’s time to get in on the evolution of maximize your messaging strategy.
business-to-consumer messaging
with the WhatsApp Business Platform.

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 Sources

1
“Motivations and Mindsets in Messaging” by Sentient Decision Science (Facebook-commissioned study of 8,157 people who use Messenger,
WhatsApp, and/or Instagram Direct on a daily basis), ages 18+ in the US, UK, BR, and IN, June 2018.

2
Zipwhip, The 2020 State of Texting.

3
“Motivations, Mindsets and Emotional Experiences in Messaging (vs. Feed)” by Sentient Decision Science (Facebook-commissioned survey
of 8,156 people in BR, GB, IN, and the US), June 2018.

4
Facebook, Inc., Case Studies: MyGov, Government of India.

5
Reed J, Connectivity drives Convenience as Brits Turn to Their Smartphones for Retail Therapy, GSMA Intelligence, Dec. 2020.

6
Zipwhip, The 2020 State of Texting.

7
Facebook, Inc. Third Quarter 2020 Results Conference Call, Oct. 2020.

8
WhatsApp, Business Vision and Strategy Narrative, 2021.

9
Shopping, Payments, and Customer Service on WhatsApp, WhatsApp blog post, Oct. 2020.

10
Tankovska H, Most popular global mobile messenger apps 2021, Statista, Feb. 2021.

11
Facebook for Business, Why Conversation Is the Future of Commerce, Facebook survey commissioned by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Sept. 2019.

12
Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, Mobile messaging blazes a path to consumers, Pulse Survey, Copyright © 2019 Harvard Business School Publishing.

13
Personal Data, Privacy & Smartphones: The Cautious Consumer, AppsFlyer & MMA Global Consumer Report, March 2021.

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