Interesting facts:
- WhatsApp has over 2 billion users worldwide
- Over 100 billion messages are sent through WhatsApp, daily
- WhatsApp is the most used app in Africa
In this day and age, mobile phones are humans’ closest companions.
They travel with us wherever we go, and we check on them several times a day.
Millions of apps are available to mobile phone users, but there is one that stands out: WhatsApp.
WhatsApp allows users to communicate through rich messaging, including images, videos, voice notes, and so on. As well as voice and video calls.
Its simplicity and security (communications over WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted) have made it one of the favourite apps for billions of users around the world, especially in developing countries. During peak times, the app is opened several times an hour. Not only is WhatsApp used for personal reasons, its use extends to the workplace as well.
In the business environment, be it among corporates, SMEs or even government, WhatsApp has replaced the need for many emails, phone calls and meetings.
If executives, employees and customers are frequently on WhatsApp, then it is imperative that businesses use it to their benefit. “If you can’t beat them, join them” – as the adage goes.
However, whether WhatsApp is a limiter or an enabler, is up to each business owner, and how they intentionally manage its use and employ it as a lever for growth.
In this article, we briefly take you through 3 reasons why using WhatsApp in your business will be of great benefit.
1. Reduce friction – communicate with customers where they are
Over 100 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp every day. A significant number of these messages are from customers to businesses.
As a business owner or manager, don’t swim against the tide but go with the flow of the current. WhatsApp is already in most of your customer’s hands. When used correctly, it can be a more cost-effective and convenient communication solution, delivering faster and better results than phone calls, emails, and in-person interactions.
Over 100 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp every day. A significant number of these messages are from customers to businesses.
Small businesses
WhatsApp Business allows them to engage with prospective clients and customers, and acquire feedback through seemingly casual chat.
Businesses can:
- share key contact information
- share catalogues of their products and services
- share pricing, and
- have answers to frequently asked questions on hand
All through the use of Whatsapp for Business.
Medium to large businesses
On the other hand, medium to large businesses can use WhatsApp API to further interact with customers through the use of intelligent self-care chatbots that can receive order notifications for delivery, automatically update customers on statuses, process vital customer data, and more.
Don’t be rigid. Communicate with customers where they are. If your customer wants to communicate a certain way, i.e through WhatsApp chat, then don’t fight them and tell them to call your helpline, as they have tried that and your helpline is where the friction is.
Allow the customer to be right, and rather adapt your processes and systems to fit the customers’ flow. They will love you more!
Remember, the efficiency of a tool is determined by how effective it is. Your communication systems are – or should be – designed with the customer in mind.
Allow the customer to be right, and rather adapt your processes and systems to fit the customers’ flow. They will love you more!
2. Accessibility and reach
The more accessible a business is to their customer, the better customer support it can offer them.
WhatsApp has around 1 million users in Botswana, and these users open the app over 30 times a day – conservatively speaking.
These users are not based in cities only but are spread out to remote and rural areas where there is no fibre, hardly any Wi-Fi, and the “E” sign on phones is seen more frequently than 3G or 4G.
These marginalized communities may include farmers, out-of-school youth, unemployed people as well as older age groups such as pensioners and retirees.
WhatsApp reaches a wider demographic nationwide, reaching people where fliers, newspapers, billboards or even television can not get to.
They also need access to services, for education, digital inclusion and financial inclusion.
As the government, a service provider, a corporate, or an SME, you can use WhatsApp to raise brand awareness, share information and carry out simple transactions remotely, saving time and money for you and your customers.
Imagine if you, living in a city, could conduct affairs at your home village digitally and remotely. It is possible.
3. Speed of communication
Reason number three of the 3 Reasons Why You Should Use WhatsApp in your Business, is fast communication.
Instant communication has become so common, we instinctively act like this is the way things have always been. Instant messaging, and instant responses.
WhatsApp has increased the speed of communication multi-fold. Correspondence that used to take a day, can now be completed in 15 minutes. Customer service that needed you to wait in line for an hour, can be done in 3 minutes.
Before WhatsApp was ubiquitous, you had to call someone to say you were going to be late for that meeting. Or ask someone at the office to pass a message on because you couldn’t reach them.
Before WhatsApp was ubiquitous, we had to manage multiple email threads or various text messages to speak to groups of people that we work with daily. Now we have WhatsApp groups. Love them or hate them, we all need them.
Before WhatsApp was ubiquitous, you were not sure if an email was opened. There were no two ticks of blue ticks. There were no reactions or emojis for quick acknowledgements. You needed a “Dear sir”, and a “kind regards”. With WhatsApp, now you can keep communication brief, with an almost guaranteed 100% open rate.
WhatsApp has increased the speed of communication multi-fold. Correspondence that used to take a day, can now be completed in 15 minutes. Customer service that needed you to wait in line for an hour, can be done in 3 minutes.
The Speed of Communication has greatly increased. Customers can message 5 businesses to ask for quotes in the time it would’ve taken to call 1 business. However, it’s the business that’s most responsive and most understanding of the customer of this age, that will get that client’s business.
In fact, it would be detrimental to relegate a prospective client as a low ticket just because they reached you on WhatsApp instead of via email.
It’s the business that’s most responsive and most understanding of the customer of this age, that will get a client’s business.
The latest thriving marketplace
For most business owners, using WhatsApp is already a common practice to connect with their customers. It’s mostly for marketing purposes – posting status updates, sending one-way messages, and having catalogues of services and products.
The next step toward success through WhatsApp is to learn how to use this indispensable tool to provide the best customer experience, enabling the customer to do what they want, and when they want. If they choose to place an order at 3 am, they should, and you can attend to it at 9 am.
Businesses can digitize their operations through personalised and automated interactions through chatbots. These real-time, customised engagements will increase customer loyalty and retention, and build brand trust, while making you more money.
This is digital transformation, better processes for better returns, for happier clients.
We do hope that this article was helpful. If you want to talk to us regarding the use of WhatsApp in your business, reach out to us at info@meeticks.africa, or WhatsApp us at +267 7592 0266.
