Learn how to use WhatsApp as a B2B marketing tool

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WhatsApp was created in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum. But what started out as a means of communication between friends and family has evolved and incorporated several other features.

Key takeaways from this article
WhatsApp can be a great B2B marketing and sales tool when used correctly.
The main points for using WhatsApp as a B2B marketing tool are: aligning this platform with your company's pre-established strategies and keeping this contact only for a company purpose. Make it clear what the company's channels are and their purposes.
It is important to have a history of recorded messages to ensure the security of the company and the customer, and to use this information to impact these customers in the future with new actions. Use a CRM with WhatsApp integration .
There is no point in having contact with several customers without a well-structured sales process to convert them into sales. See more in our free guide: how to develop a sales process and its steps
The tool's initial purpose was simply to facilitate the exchange of text messages between two people who were in different locations. Gradually, functions such as voice and video calls, temporary messages and others were added.

But the app's big turning point came with the creation of chat groups, which became a real craze. People soon realized the commercial potential of WhatsApp and began creating exchange and sales groups.

In fact, initially, the payment methods even launched links to be placed in WhatsApp messages and allowed people to be directed to online payment pages. Of course, the company soon realized this potential and created a specific version of the tool for companies, WhatsApp Business , and later the “payment” option.

And now we get to the main point of today's article: is it possible to use WhatsApp as a B2B marketing tool?

After all, this media seems quite geared towards the end consumer. Is it?

In this post, we will teach you how to work on marketing on WhatsApp , regardless of whether it is through a personal account, as a seller or through WhatsApp Business.

10 basic steps to use WhatsApp as a B2B marketing tool
The answer to this question is: yes, it works, and very well. WhatsApp has become an easy, practical and fast tool for direct contact between companies and customers. And to help you understand how to use this app to your advantage, today we have separated the best secrets on how to do this. Check it out!

1. Separate your personal profile from your professional profile
Create separate professional profiles for different areas of your company, such as marketing, sales, or maintenance. When you separate and distribute numbers to all of these professionals, they can better control the contacts they make.

2. Align your social strategies
Your company probably works with other social media, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, among others, and you probably already have a pre-established marketing and communication plan considering these points of contact with your customer, right?

So, try to add WhatsApp Status to these strategies, following a similar line of content that does not clash with your current corporate identity, otherwise this tool will not bring the expected results for your company.

Learn more: Social Selling: what it is and how to implement it in your sales strategy

3. Invite your customers
This is the first step to getting things up and running. You need to make your phone number public so that your customers can add you to their contact list on their phone and then on WhatsApp.

Use your company’s other social media channels for this purpose or provide a QR code and invite customers to add your contact details. Sending out a newsletter announcing the news can be a great idea.

Remember to make it clear which department will be responsible for that contact and say, in a newsletter for example, which situations can be resolved there. Make separate posts if you have more than one contact.

4. Join interest groups of your target audience
If you want to know how to do marketing on WhatsApp, take inspiration from content marketing: be relevant to your customers!

Avoid advertising products and services, be recognized as a reference in the solution that your company offers to the market and not as the person who sells that product or service.

Join groups where talking about your company is relevant. For example: if you sell list of turkey cell phone numbers products to construction companies, it makes perfect sense to join a group that discusses engineering solutions and give your opinion, share materials and links to content about your company there. Be subtle and present content, not advertising!

To this end, WhatsApp provides a series of resources, such as broadcast lists, information about your company made available automatically, catalog, tools that you need to master to know the best way to prospect new customers and retain the ones you already have.

See also: How to advertise on WhatsApp to sell more

5. Videos
Does your company have presentation videos, product and service demonstrations or customer testimonials? No?

As soon as you find an opportunity to send to a customer, do it quickly. This is a very effective way of identifying: people like people, so putting a face to your company is great.

To use WhatsApp as a marketing tool you need to be agile, as it is an instant messaging medium.

Missing the timing of a conversation could mean that the customer’s interest in that video has already cooled. Keep links to all videos ready to send.

You can, for example, send these videos to your personal number and every time you want to send one of them, simply forward the message.

6. Voice messages
Another powerful feature for those who want to use WhatsApp for business is voice messages .

They are quick and easy to send, and you don't make any typing mistakes. In addition, your tone of voice conveys what you really want to convey to the customer. Furthermore, responding in your own voice sounds like personalized service.

Study the most frequent questions your customers ask and have some speeches and arguments ready to answer them. Rehearse a few times, record and listen to your own message to see how it sounds, and then repeat it to your customers whenever necessary until it becomes second nature.

7. Images, infographics and gifs
Interesting photos, explanatory infographics and even fun gifs that have to do with your business can be a smart way to market on WhatsApp and stay in touch with customers.

Sending a gif related to the culture of that line of business can go quite viral if done with the right customers and groups.

8. Share your content
Your blog posts, articles you or your company have published on LinkedIn, podcasts, e-books, Slideshares and other forms of rich content can also be shared via WhatsApp.

In fact, if your company is going to participate in fairs and events, hold a launch or inauguration, this is an interesting channel to publicize these news.

Now that you know how to prospect customers via WhatsApp, here are some tips to close more sales:



How to use WhatsApp to sell more from Agendor
9. Catalog
WhatsApp Business has a feature called “Catalog”. With it, you can include your products/services in a portfolio and provide them to your customer, in a fixed and practical way, through the regular version of the app.

This feature is only available for business accounts and is very simple to apply. See the step-by-step guide:

Within the application settings, access “Company settings”;
Tap “Catalog”, then “Add product or service”;
Select “Add images”;
Define the name in “Product or service name”;
Then set the price in “Price R$”;
Tap on the “More fields” option to include descriptions of your products/services such as details, link, description, etc.;
Once all the information is complete, click “Save”.
10. Labels
This other tool is very important for differentiating your users. With it, which is only available in the Business version of WhatsApp, you can mark conversations or messages and list them from most to least important, with colored and themed labels for each saved item. This makes it easier to access and visually more organized.

To access this tool, simply follow the steps below:

Access the “Settings” area;
Tap on “Business Tools”;
Select “Tag” and “Add new Tag”;
Add a name for that tag and click “Save”.
Extra tip: keep a history of key messages
With the expansion of the features that WhatsApp brings to companies, this app began to be used as a way to record the dialogue that took place between your company and the customer.