I am sure you must have come across these ads while scrolling where you click the button and it directly redirects you to the WhatsApp chat of the business. These are WhatsApp Ads. Earlier businesses used to redirect users to their websites, landing page or the product page. But, Click to WhatsApp Ads (CTWA) also known as WhatsApp ads, has revolutionized digital marketing.
What is Click to WhatsApp Ads?
Click to WhatsApp Ads is a format of ads that Meta introduced in 2023 and is gaining a lot of popularity recently. CTWA is an ad format that allows you to add a WhatsApp button as CTA that redirects the viewer directly to WhatsApp. This seamless integration with WhatsApp is super beneficial for the business. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of Click to WhatsApp Ads and how to set them up.
Not only this, I will further talk about a small addition you can make that will make CTWA the ultimate superpower of your business.
Benefits of Ads That Click To WhatsApp
As we discussed earlier, there are a number of benefits of using Click to WhatsApp Ads. A few of them are listed below.
Setting Up Click to WhatsApp Ads
Here is how to set-up Click to WhatsApp Ads.
Pre-requisiteries
- WhatsApp Business Account
- Facebook page for your business
Step 1: Connecting WhatsApp Business Number to Facebook Page
Following are steps to link your WhatsApp Business number to the Facebook page.
- Go to your Facebook Business Page;
- Click on "Settings;"
- Access the Page settings panel and click on "WhatsApp;"
- Choose a country code from the drop-down list;
- Enter your WhatsApp business phone number to Continue;
- Enter the OTP code sent to your WhatsApp and click "Confirm."
You can also link your Instagram to the Facebook page to run Click to Chat WhatsApp ads on Instagram.
Step 2: Setting up Ad Campaigns in Facebook Ads Manager
You can set up click-to-chat WhatsApp ads through the Facebook ads manager. It is quite simple to set up ads on Facebook ads manager given its smooth and easy-to-use user interface. To start with, you need to follow the following steps;
- Open Facebook Ads Manager
- Create a New Campaign & Select the Campaign Objective as "Messages"
- Name your Ad Campaign
Step 3: Choose an ad campaign budget and bid strategy
After selecting the campaign objective, you can decide the budget for the campaign. The campaign can be set on a daily or lifetime basis and can be altered at any point in time.
At the same time, you can also choose from the available campaign bid strategies available with the platform like Highest volume or Bid cap.
Step 4: Ad type and Messaging app for the Ad set
Under this step, you need to select the Ad type that you want to push.
For Click to WhatsApp Ads, we'll select the "Click to Message" option. We can also select the platform where we want our customers to migrate and start the conversation.
For the current case, we'll select “WhatsApp” from the list as we are setting up Ads for WhatsApp campaign and want our users to chat with us on WhatsApp.
Step 5: Budget, start and end date
You need to set the start and end date of the campaign and also set spending limits for the campaign.
Step 6: Choose audience and define targeting for the Ad set
This step includes choosing and defining the target audience for your ad campaign. You can either create a new audience set or select from the saved audience.
You can target your audience based on their location, age bracket, gender, languages, and connections, or even define custom and lookalike audiences.
Step 7: Placement of the Ads
Facebook ad manager gives you options to place your ads on Instagram and Facebook feeds. Automatic placement reflects your ads on Instagram and Facebook feeds based on their AI system, and manual placement allows you to define where you want to show your ads and at what price.
Step 8: Choose the Ad format
You can upload a single image/video or choose multiple scrollable images/videos. Select the format as per your choice and requirements.
Facebook ad manager will automatically show you previews of what these ads are going to look like on the social media feed. You can easily create your ads via Facebook ad creator tools.
Step 9: Optimize & preview the ad placements
I. On Facebook and Instagram, you can change the image size or video duration of specific ad placements.
II. To increase CTR, you can also use templates to turn a collection of images into a video slideshow.
III. For your Click To WhatsApp Ad, include the primary text and headlines. You have the option of adding up to five primary text options and headlines.
IV. To prompt a user response, create actionable headlines like "Chat with us now!" or "Talk to us now!"
V. Add a description to the ad to provide more information and context.
VI. Choose a CTA button for your WhatsApp ad based on the campaign's use case.
VII. You can choose from a number of different CTAs.
Step 10: Create and preview the Welcome Message Template using destination preview
Advanced Preview allows you to see the ad in different placements. Each media placement will look like this.
If you want to get your hands on 285+ WhatsApp message templates for free, click here.
Make your Click to WhatsApp Ads the Ultimate Superpower
Here we will talk about how to capture leads, leverage WhatsApp advertising for personal engagement and, how to do retargeting and broadcasting to make the most out of your click to WhatsApp ads.
To make your WhatsApp ads your ultimate superpower, all you need to do is create a high converting WhatsApp Chatbot which will work for you, talk to your potential customers and even convert them with zero to minimal human interference.
WhatsApp chatbot has ‘n’ number of features especially when it's created with Engati’s no-code WhatsApp chatbot platform.
Users mostly want personalized and conversational experiences as well as instant access to brands. With CTWA it is possible. Thus, using Engati is one of the best choices to nurture your lead.
Why use CTWA with Engati?
Mainly, Enagti helps with “post-advertise engagement” as the set-up of CTWA itself lies with Meta. Below are some of the features of Engati and how they can be used.
- Engati WhatsApp automation: You can manage incoming traffic with immediate engagement.
- Guided conversational journeys: With the help of Engati, you can have well guided conversational journeys which are highly personalized resulting in increase in customer lifetime value (CLV).
- Retargeting: With Engati you can do retargeting based on segments. This will increase sales and repeat purchases also, helps in upselling and cross-selling.
- Analytics: Engati has proper analytics which lets you optimize campaigns based on campaign performance data.
Recommended reads: Create WhatsApp Chatbot for Free in 5 mins
Let’s dive deep into the topic to understand every aspect individually
1. Lead Capturing: How you can Capture Lead
First things first, Click to WhatsApp Ads are a great way to capture leads. Let’s understand this by comparing different scenarios.
Scenario 1: You run an ad which redirects the view to your website when they click a button. Now this viewer is interested in your product but in order to get his lead you will have to hope that they fill up the form and make a purchase to get their details.
Scenario 2: You do Click to WhatsApp Advertising and thus, the interested viewer will land on your WhatsApp and even if they don't do anything more than just hitting send button on the pre-filled text you get their WhatsApp number which can be further used for broadcasting and other marketing purposes.
Scenario 3: Well, with Engati WhatsApp ads can be proved to be even better. Engati allows you to do WhatsApp Automation which can be leveraged to qualify these leads. It also has a feature where you can integrate your CRMs which can be used to feed this lead directly into your CRM.
2. Personal Engagement
CTWA + Engati is the best way you can build stronger connections with your audience. Using the features of WhatsApp Business and Engati, will lead to super personalized engagement helping you to not only create customer loyalty but also increase your sales.
Here is how:
WhatsApp Flow: With Engati, you can streamline customer interactions with automated chatbot flows and workflows. You can have a proper customer journey preset for all those who land on your whatsapp via the WhatsApp ads.
For Example: You sell apparels and are running ads for jeans. You can set up a chat flow beforehand that will take the user to a proper journey when they land on your whatsapp via the ad.
The Chatflow can look like this:
1. Viewer sends a message
2. Automated reply with greetings and options
- Are you looking to buy jeans?
- Just exploring
3. If they select option (a) you present them with jeans options using whatsapp catalog feature and engati’s abilities to showcase them as carousels.
4. Viewer selects the jeans they like.
5. You capture their contact information.
Do you want to learn how to design a chatbot flow with real examples? Check it out here!
WhatsApp Payment: Well that is not it. WhatsApp has the feature of WhatsApp payments. You can actually convert the viewer into a buyer right there from the whatsapp buy prompting them to complete the order by making the payment using WhatsApp payments.
Automation and Engagement: You can leverage automation tools to enhance customer engagement for those who didn’t complete the transactions by running strategic campaigns like sending them WhatsApp notifications whenever you have a new sale, offer or discounts coming up.
3. Retargeting and Broadcasting
Retargeting and broadcasting are powerful strategies that help businesses reconnect with potential customers and keep their audience engaged. With Click to WhatsApp Ads combined with Engati, you can effectively use WhatsApp’s messaging capabilities to retarget and send broadcast messages to your audience, driving better results from your ad campaigns.
Strategies for Retargeting Potential Customers Using WhatsApp
Retargeting means reaching out to the audience that have interacted with your business but haven't completed a desired action, like making a purchase. By using WhatsApp, you can re-engage these potential customers with personalized messages, offers, or reminders, making it easier to guide them toward completing their purchase journey.
- Segment Your Audience: Use data collected from Click-to-WhatsApp Ads and segment your audience based on their behavior.
For example, you can create segments of the audience that abandoned the cart, showed interest in specific products, or engaged with your brand but didn’t make a purchase.
- Send Personalized Follow-ups: Retargeting through WhatsApp allows you to resonate with each segment by enabling you to send personalized messages. If a user abandoned their cart, you can send a message offering a discount or highlighting the benefits of the product they were considering.
- Use Automated Reminders: Set up automated reminders for users who showed interest in booking appointments, filling out forms, or completing purchases. Automated reminders help in bringing back users without manual intervention, making your retargeting efforts efficient.
- Exclusive Offers and Flash Sales: Retargeting can be an effective way to promote exclusive offers and flash sales to users who have previously interacted with your brand. A targeted WhatsApp message saying, “Still thinking? Enjoy a 20% discount on your selected items!” can effectively prompt a purchase.
- Feedback and Surveys: Retargeting isn't just about sales—it’s also about learning from your audience. Send surveys or feedback requests to users who have interacted with your WhatsApp chat. This helps in engaging them and also provides valuable insights for your product or services eventually helping you to improve.
All of this is easily achievable with Engati. It allows you to segment the data, send personalized messages on automation, and has quick ways to get feedback and reviews and other such features inbuilt in it.
Using WhatsApp Broadcast Lists to Share Information
Broadcast lists are a great tool for sending bulk messages to multiple users without creating a group. This feature lets you send messages to customers while keeping the conversation private for each user, ensuring a personalized touch.
- Announce New Products and Features: Use broadcast lists to let your customers know about the new product/service launches, updates, or features.
For instance, a fashion brand can send updates about the latest collection to its customers via a broadcast list, ensuring they are the first to know.
- Promote Sales and Special Offers: Broadcasts are perfect for promoting sales, discounts, and special offers. You can notify your audience instantly about a flash sale or an exclusive discount code, encouraging immediate action.
- Share Valuable Content: Engage your audience by sharing valuable content such as blog updates, tips, or guides. This not only keeps your brand top-of-mind but also positions your business as a helpful resource.
- Event Reminders and Invitations: If you're hosting a webinar, in-store event, or online sale, use broadcast messages to send reminders and invitations to your audience. This helps keep your community engaged and increases participation rates.
- Updates and News: Keep your audience informed about business updates, such as changes in opening hours, new service launches, or important news. Regular communication helps build trust and keeps customers connected to your brand.
For this, you will have to create a WhatsApp broadcast list.
Tips for Effective Retargeting and Broadcasting
- Personalize Your Messages: Avoid generic messages. Personalize your retargeting and broadcast messages to make the recipient feel valued and understood. Use the customer’s name and refer to their previous interactions when possible.
- Timing is Key: To maximize engagement it is important to send messages at the right timing. For retargeting, reach out shortly after the user’s initial interaction. For broadcasts, avoid sending messages at odd hours when engagement might be low.
- Keep It Concise and Action-Oriented: Keep your messages clear, concise, and direct. Include a strong call-to-action (CTA) that guides the user on what to do next, such as “Shop Now,” “Claim Your Discount,” or “Book Your Appointment.”
- Use Engaging Media: Enhance your messages with images, videos, or GIFs that capture attention. For example, showing a quick video of a new product can be far more engaging than plain text.
- Measure and Optimize: Track the performance of your retargeting and broadcast messages. Use WhatsApp analytics to see which messages are getting the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.
5 Ways to Use WhatsApp Ads
Click to WhatsApp Ads are a powerful tool that can be used creatively to boost customer engagement, increase sales, and streamline communication. Here are some innovative ways to make the most of these ads:
1. Instant Customer Support
- Strategy: Use CTWA ads to provide immediate customer support by redirecting users directly to a chat where they can get quick answers to their queries.
- Example: A tech company can run CTWA ads that let users directly contact their support team for troubleshooting issues with their devices. This approach reduces wait times and enhances customer satisfaction.
2. Lead Generation and Qualification
- Strategy: Use the ads to capture leads by engaging users in conversation, asking for their details, or qualifying them for further action.
- Example: An ed-tech company can use CTWA ads to connect with potential students. When users click on the ad, they guide the students through a quick conversation to identify their interests and capture their contact details for follow-ups.
3. Promote Offers and Discounts
- Strategy: Create CTWA ads that highlight special offers, discounts, or limited-time deals, driving users to WhatsApp where they can ask for more details or claim the offer.
- Example: A retail brand can run a "Chat Now to Unlock Your Discount" campaign. Clicking the ad leads users to WhatsApp, where they receive a special discount code that encourages immediate purchases. It can further lead to conversion on WhatsApp itself using WhatsApp Payments feature.
4. Personalized Product Recommendations
- Strategy: Use CTWA ads to guide users to WhatsApp for personalized shopping experiences. The chatbot can recommend products based on user preferences and past interactions.
- Example: An online fashion store can run CTWA ads with the message “Need Help Finding Your Style?” Users are redirected to WhatsApp, where the bot is designed with a systemic flow that suggests outfits based on their style preferences, boosting engagement and sales.
5. Appointment Booking and Reminders
- Strategy: Utilize CTWA ads to simplify booking processes, allowing customers to schedule appointments directly via chat. Automated reminders can also be sent to reduce no-shows.
- Example: A spa can use CTWA ads to allow customers to book treatments directly on WhatsApp. After booking, the bot sends automated reminders and follow-ups, creating a seamless customer experience.
Examples of Successful WhatsApp Campaigns
Hardoll Enterprise
Hardoll is an economical solar products company. They launched CTWA ads and generated approximately 2700 leads with 10% - 15% conversion rate. This campaign improved their engagement rate, refined their targeting and helped them address bulk incoming messages effectively.
Best Practices for WhatsApp Ads
WhatsApp Ads are an excellent way to connect directly with your audience. It offers a personal touch which is often missing in other advertising channels. To get the best results from your Click to WhatsApp ads, it’s essential to focus on key aspects like ad copy, visuals, timing, and performance measurement. Here’s how to maximize the impact of your WhatsApp ads.
1. Crafting Compelling Ad Copy
Crafting compelling ad copy for WhatsApp is all about grabbing attention and driving action quickly. Keep your copy short and to the point, highlighting the key benefits or unique selling points right away.
Use action-oriented language with strong verbs and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Chat Now” or “Learn More” to create urgency. Personalization boosts engagement, so tailor your messages to address the user’s needs or interests when possible.
Highlighting offers, exclusivity, and creating a sense of urgency with phrases like “Limited Time Offer” can motivate users to act immediately, making your ads more effective.
2. Using Eye-Catching Visuals
Visuals play a crucial role in making your WhatsApp ads stand out. It draws attention and sets the tone of your message before users even read the copy.
Use high-quality, clear images that are relevant to your message, and avoid blurry visuals that can deter viewers. Incorporate your brand colors and logo subtly to build recognition and trust.
Showcasing your product in action, especially in industries like fashion or food, helps customers visualize how it fits into their lives. Add text overlays sparingly, highlighting key points like discounts or offers, and use videos or GIFs to capture attention quickly, demonstrating product benefits or telling engaging stories.
3. Timing and Frequency of Ads
The timing and frequency of your WhatsApp ads can greatly influence their success. Schedule your ads when your audience is most active, such as during lunchtime or evening hours, to capture their attention.
Avoid overwhelming users with too many ads, as this can lead to ad fatigue and cause them to mute or ignore your messages. If you have a global audience, consider different time zones to ensure your ads reach viewers at the right times.
Additionally, align your ads with relevant seasons, holidays, or special events, like summer sales or holiday discounts, to make them more timely and engaging.
4. Measuring and Analyzing Ad Performance
Regular measurement and analysis are vital to ensure your WhatsApp ads perform effectively. Track key metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and engagement levels to identify what’s working and optimize your campaigns.
A/B testing different versions of ad copy, visuals, and CTAs can reveal the best combinations, while analyzing audience feedback helps refine future ads based on user responses. Monitoring the customer journey with analytics tools helps pinpoint drop-off points and areas needing improvement. Set clear goals, whether generating leads, driving traffic, or boosting sales, to measure your ad’s success accurately.
Conclusion
Click to WhatsApp Ads is a really great form of ads introduced by Meta. It has numerous benefits for the business and for viewers. Not only this, but it is also very easy to set up. By using conversational AI platforms like Engati, Businesses can unlock some really amazing features of CTWA which can help them to get better engagement and conversion rates.