Connect WhatsApp to BotsNext chatbot
WhatsApp as a platform is now not just limited to personal usage but for businesses as well. With the introduction of features like WhatsApp Business API, it has opened opportunities for businesses to better connect with the customers. The thing which makes WhatsApp popular among 2 billion+ users is the ease of access and a friendly interface which is ideal for a company to invest in this platform for their better growth.
When Facebook acquired Whatsapp in 2014 for $19 billion, its primary focus was to tap the people who are not much involved in other social media channels. In this way they could provide personal as well as business service to more people which led them to introduce the Whatsapp feature – Whatsapp Business.
This feature allows you to not only build relationships with family, friends, and others but also extends its reach to make it a marketing tool for businesses and brands.
With the ongoing model of subscription fees and ads in Facebook and its other social media channels, WhatsApp has a different approach to get monetized requiring the Business feature to provide its clients to do the business with its customers in exchange for a small price.
How to get WhatsApp Business API & connect with a chatbot?
1. Apply Directly with WhatsApp
For businesses to create a Whatsapp business profile, it comes with confusing bits of approvals. You can directly get started with the approval process by submitting your credentials on the official WhatsApp page- https://www.whatsapp.com/business/api. After the approval, the business will be able to communicate with clients over Whatsapp with a verified business profile. By opting for WhatsApp Business, you will unlock various features such as Industry information, send and receive, Message templates, broadcasting, automation, etc which include end-to-end encryption.
When you opt for WhatsApp API, you can enable your WhatsApp to automatically send and receive messages and integrate the service with necessary platforms like CRM, company database, etc. The notifications sent through this API will notify you about the status of the messages with the customers.
It also allows you to provide various features like click-to-chat buttons for websites, real-group chat, multiple languages, etc. WhatsApp Business is enabling big companies like KLM Airlines and Netflix to send whatsapp messages of various conformations and also allow quick customer service, there’s still unexplored potential to increase the return of investment from other features as well.
2. Apply through approved WhatsApp Partners
With the latest updates, WhatsApp has now allowed the business to get approval for the business API through its official partners like tyntec.com. Getting approved through these partners also gives you a lot of benefits. Like if you choose tyntec.com they will have specific plans based on your business requirement. If you are a start-up or a big business you can pick out the plan that better fits your needs and can help you get the most out of WhatsApp at the price you desire.
The best part about approving through an official partner is that you don’t have to struggle about having any technical problems with WhatsApp Business since everything will be taken care of by your partner.
3. Connect WhatsApp API to Chatbot
The biggest benefit you will get choosing a partner is that once you receive your WhatsApp API you can connect it with a chatbot platform and make it AI enabled. With BotsNext you can automate your WhatsApp business account without the need of any technical expertise. It will give you all the benefits of chatbot like increased CSAT score, faster customer service, improved website visitor conversions, etc.
How is WhatsApp Business integration useful for Businesses?
Small businesses can interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to messages with the WhatsApp Business App. For medium and large businesses they can communicate with customers at a big scale with the WhatsApp Business API.
The best part about approving through an official partner is that you don’t have to struggle about having any technical problems with WhatsApp Business since everything will be taken care of by your partner.
Which kind of businesses can apply for WhatsApp Business integration?
Businesses of all sizes looking to provide their customers with a direct channel of communication and support are eligible to apply.
WhatsApp for business is still in an early access phase, and open to a limited number of businesses today. The approval for this access is highly determined by WhatsApp, after looking into specific use cases, messaging volumes per day, overall reach, internal KPIs to determine success of WhatsApp as a channel.
How to use the WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp Business API can be used in several ways but the given two points are the most preferred way for a business to serve their customers.
1. Customer Care
Customer support messages can respond to customer-initiated conversations on WhatsApp readily thus eliminating the waiting time for any customer. They enable you to:
- Resolve issues one-on-one with private conversations
- Connect and convert your visitors into customers
- Communicate with your customers on the channel they prefer
2. Notifications
Notifications are business initiated, templated messages that can be send or broadcasted to customers at any time. These are called proactive messages. They enable you to:
- Deliver important and timely messages during your customer’s path to complete the purchase
- Continue the conversation with customers who respond to your notifications with personalization
- Helps in customer retention by continuously engaging with your customers on regular basis
Integrating WhatsApp Business account with Chatbots
With more than 2 billion users, WhatsApp has become the most preferred messenger platform in the world and your customers will be more comfortable contacting you through it.
On the agent’s end, managing multiple conversations is often time consuming and less efficient using the WhatsApp for Business app alone thus a API enabled conversational chatbot can help make the task easier for your agents.
By integrating WhatsApp with chatbot, you get the following benefits:
- Multiple agents can handle your WhatsApp for Business accounts at the same time.
- Efficiency-improving features such as assigning important conversations to agents, prioritizing inboxes, and canned responses will help you resolve conversations faster.
- You can keep track of your WhatsApp messages using Dashboard - integrated with your CRM which will give you real-time insights on metrics such as response time and number of chats handled.
- Leverage chatbot’s ability to map the right agents using the customer's location, language and keywords used in the message thereby delivering personalized responses.
Conclusion
As a business when you apply for WhatsApp Business API it certainly is not a quick process but with the help of the trusted service provider, it can be a smooth experience.
Also the value you can derive from reaching your leads and clients on the platform where they feel the most comfortable will definitely bring fruitful results to you. Among all of the messaging channels, WhatsApp has the strongest and most involved user base sending 65 billion messages a day! This is definitely the best place you would like to be interacting with your customers.
So, whether you want to use WhatsApp to generate leads, provide customer service or encourage user engagement using a combination of live agents and chatbots, integrating WhatsApp Business API is the best option to go for.
