The world’s attitude towards WhatsApp is changing. Before COVID-19, a Statista report predicted that about 85.8 million consumers would use WhatsApp to communicate by 2023. Yuri Fiaschi, vice president, global sales, Infobip, tells how WhatsApp can aid your retail and marketing strategies.
The year 2020 was a whirlwind, to say the least, with industries worldwide forced to cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. With lockdowns, loss of jobs, and people being forced to stay indoors, it caused one of the harshest economic environments in global history. And with that, marketers and retailers are faced with possibly the biggest challenge yet: creating the best possible customer experience while social distancing.
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The Answer: WhatsApp
To help inform marketers of best practices for this unusual year, Infobip monitored channel trends across their platform and found that WhatsApp far surpassed the growth of other channels. This finding continues to prove that 2020 is a year determined to bring change, as marketing messages are often sent via text message, email, or chatbot.
Although WhatsApp has yet to be fully embraced in America, it remains one of the most popular communication mediums in Asia and Latin America. In fact, 93% of Brazilians actively use the app; in comparison, only 20% of AmericansOpens a new window have the app downloaded. However, with the coronavirus pandemic reshaping communications as we know it, WhatsApp could become a major player in U.S. retail strategies by the end of 2021. Even in 2020 alone, Infobip saw massive growth in its WhatsApp customer base – retail, in particular, skyrocketed by 115% with triple-digit growth in the Americas (and Africa).
The Many Benefits of WhatsApp
The reason its use is skyrocketing includes a variety of benefits for brands. These include increased automation, personalization, activation of marketing campaigns, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, with many shoppers staying home and making holiday purchases via mobile devices, using WhatsApp keeps all communications and interactions at the consumers’ fingertips – literally.
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Using the app also allows brands to direct customers to chatbots for virtual assistance, an avenue that reduces wait times, and the number of consumers contacting customer service agents for assistance. Besides, WhatsApp can significantly boost customer satisfaction rates by saving chat history to ensure consumers do not need to repeat themselves. This allows for a seamless and hassle-free customer experience.
Further, marketers can upsell through WhatsApp since it will be much harder to do in stores this holiday season. For example, they can use WhatsApp to suggest similar items when one is out of stock. They can also share additional items the consumer may be interested in, based on purchasing patterns. Consumers can also track loyalty points via WhatsApp, eliminating the need for additional apps. Ultimately, using WhatsApp creates a holistically harmonious experience— which leaves consumers wanting to come back for more.
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The benefits of WhatsApp are far-reaching and crucial for marketers to keep in mind as we enter the “new normal.†And with digital transformation accelerating even more quickly, marketers will have to adapt with the times to meet KPIs – utilizing a range of digital marketing tools, including WhatsApp, will only benefit their customer funnel and enhance their brands’ overall success.