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WhatsApp Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide for Businesses

A step by step guide to WhatsApp ads

WhatsApp messaging app has an active user base of over 500 million in India and a little over 2 billion globally. Everyone in India uses WhatsApp to communicate with friends, families and coworkers. It’s time for you to start using another important feature of WhatsApp: WhatsApp Ads.

As a new business owner, targeting your audience with click-to-WhatsApp ads can help your business stand out and raise awareness about your products and services.

In case you own or work for a business that already has a well-oiled marketing engine, you can still leverage click-to-whatsApp ads to boost engagement with your leads.

Not only that but with click-to-WhatsApp ads, your leads or customers are instantly redirected to your WhatsApp chat. This allows you to address any issues or concerns they might have about pricing, use cases or whether the service or product you are selling is suitable for them. 

If you are wondering what click-to-WhatsApp ads are and how you deploy them on Facebook and Instagram, just KEEP READING!

What are click-to-WhatsApp ads?

Click-to-WhatsApp ads allow audiences to get in touch with a business on WhatsApp directly from its Facebook or Instagram ad. This means you can interact with potential customers (leads) instantly, in turn, saving them the hassle of filling out a form on your website.

As a business owner or marketer, you may be running Facebook and Instagram ads promoting your brand and its offerings. As you know, you can add a CTA (call-to-action) button to these ads. This button helps your leads take the next step, like visiting your business website or booking a demo. In the case of click-to WhatsApp ads, you can redirect them directly to your WhatsApp chat.

Why do WhatsApp ads matter?

Click-to-WhatsApp ads are a straightforward way for you to connect directly with potential customers. With a prominent ‘Send Message on WhatsApp’ CTA button, these ads allow consumers to easily chat with your agents on WhatsApp.

Apart from streamlining brand-consumer communication, they also increase conversion rates. How? When a lead can communicate with your business without much difficulty, you have a better chance of addressing their concerns, thereby, turning them into paying customers faster.

Say you own a software business, and most of your leads do not have much clarity on how your product can solve their pain points. When you connect with them via WhatsApp, you can answer all of their queries satisfactorily through one-on-one messaging and help them better understand your products or services.

Pro Tip: Check out how can a WhatsApp CRM help you with not just ads but so much more like bulk messaging, scheduling messages and running chatbots.

Benefits of click-to-WhatsApp ads and what makes them so effective

Before we walk you through the steps involved in creating a click-to-WhatsApp ad, let’s see how they can benefit your business.

Direct messaging

With WhatsApp send personalized messages, addressing individuals by name and tailoring content based on their preferences.

WhatsApp allows you to send personalized messages, addressing individuals by name and tailoring content based on their preferences.

As far as users are concerned, they can respond directly to WhatsApp ads by simply clicking on the Send WhatsApp message button, encouraging a two-way conversation that builds a stronger connection between you and your audience.

The best part: you can segment your audience on WhatsApp with the help of labels, sending targeted messages to different customer groups based on their interests or buying behaviour.

Significant boost in engagement

WhatsApp notifications are prominently displayed on users’ devices, ensuring that your ads are seen promptly, leading to higher engagement rates.

Users can interact with multimedia content such as videos or images, enhancing the overall engagement experience. Incorporating interactive features like polls or surveys within WhatsApp ads can further boost engagement.

Global Outreach

Tailor your messages to align with specific cultural nuances, ensuring that you connect with and cater to audiences no matter what part of the world they are from.

You can tailor your messages to align with specific cultural nuances, ensuring that you connect with and cater to audiences no matter what part of the world they are from.

What’s more, WhatsApp supports multiple languages allowing you to communicate with diverse audiences. With region-specific promotions or offers, you can enhance the appeal of your click-to-WhatsApp ads among WhatsApp users, which helps them resonate better with your target audiences regardless of their location.

Cost-effectiveness

Unlike traditional print media, WhatsApp ads eliminate the need for printing and distribution, significantly reducing overall advertising costs.

Both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business are free, allowing your marketing messages to reach a large audience without incurring additional expenses for message delivery. Thus, you can allocate your budget more efficiently by targeting specific demographics or customer segments, maximizing the impact of your advertising expenses.

Use of multimedia

Incorporating images and videos allows you to tell a compelling story, capturing the audience’s attention and conveying your brand personality effectively.

Thus, multimedia elements allow you to showcase your products or services in detail, helping users make an informed decision. Plus, you have the flexibility to express your brand creatively through multimedia, fostering a memorable and positive impression among users.

Real-time interaction

With WhatsApp ads, you bring leads directly into your WhatsApp chat facilitating faster query resolution.

With WhatsApp ads, you bring leads directly into your WhatsApp chat facilitating faster query resolution. What this does is it helps nurture leads into becoming customers faster.

Not only that but once the leads are in your WhatsApp chat, you can engage with them to share real-time updates on their order status, shipping information and delivery time any time you like.

Targeted advertising tools

You can configure WhatsApp ads to reach only a select group of your target audience, based on their age group, location, etc. This means you can target the right people with your ads so your efforts and resources are well-spent.

With Ads Manager, you can decide who you want to target with a particular ad. It could be anyone, for example:

  • Someone who has had a conversation with your business in the past but didn’t end up making a purchase 

  • Through Facebook Pixel: it is a code from Facebook that you put in your website that helps with tracking the movement of the person visiting your website and storing their details so you can run a targeted ad later 

  • Lastly, people who have already interacted with your (Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp ads) ads in the recent past 

Also Read: WhatsApp Automation

How to get started with click-to-WhatsApp ads

You need to have a WhatsApp Business account before you can deploy your first click-to WhatsApp ad. Set up an account on the WhatsApp Business app or get the WhatsApp Business API for your business.

As a business owner, you might already be using WhatsApp for your business. If you are using the standard version, read How to Change WhatsApp to a Business Account to learn how to switch to the business version without losing data.

On the other hand, if you already have the WhatsApp Business app installed, follow the steps below to create your first WhatsApp ad.

Create WhatsApp ads with the Whatsapp Business app

Open the WhatsApp business app, click the three dots in the top right corner and tap on Business Tools.

Open the WhatsApp Business app, tap the three dots in the top right corner and then select 'Business tools' from the drop-down menu

In the ‘Business tools’ settings, tap on advertise.

In the whatsApp Business app, navigate to 'Business tools' and tap advertise

Now you are in Step 1 of ad creation, add an ad description for a Facebook ad, upload the desired ad creative and click next.

Now add an ad description for your Facebook ad and click next

You can follow the same steps for your Instagram ad as well.

Now add an ad description for your Instagram ad and click next

Step 2: In this step, you set the budget and duration of your ad and specify the demographics of the audience you want to target.

In this step, you set the budget and duration of your ad along with selecting the audience you want to target

You can change the budget and duration of your ad as per your needs.

You can change the budget and duration of your ad

And set the demographics of the audience you want to target such as their region, age and gender.

You can also tweak the demographics of the audience you want to target such as their region, age and gender

Step 3: The final step is to preview your ad and its setting one last time.

The final step is to preview your ad and the setting one last time

Then click next to add the payment method, make the payment and publish your ad.

Then click next to add the payment method, make the payment and publish your ad

Once you have made the payment and clicked on ‘Create Ad’, your ad will be sent for approval by WhatsApp. Once approved, which usually takes about 4-5 hours, it shows up under the ‘Manage’ section.

You now have your click-to-WhatsApp ad up and running on the choice of your platform: Facebook or Instagram.

But this is not the only way to create and run click-to-WhatsApp ads. The other method involves using the Ads Manager.

Create a WhatsApp ad with Facebook Ads Manager

If you already know how to create ads or run ads on Ads Manager? Let’s skip the basics. Here’s how you can pick the WhatsApp message CTA directly: First set up your Facebook business Page.

Head over to Ads Manager, create a new campaign and select ‘engagement’ from the list of campaign objectives.

Select engagement as the objective of the ad campaign.

After hitting ‘continue’, select the ‘manual engagement campaign’ setting. Hit ‘continue’ to move to the next step.

Campaign setup tab in Ads Manager.

In this tab, you set the ‘campaign name’, specify the desired ‘special ad category’ and select the ‘country’ you want to run the ad in. You have to set the ‘campaign details’ here as well, namely buying type, campaign spending limit, etc.

Once done, press next.

In this tab, you get to set the campaign name, select the desired ad category and choose the country you want to run the ad in

In this tab, you specify the ‘ad set name’ and choose the desired ‘conversion location’ – here you have to select ‘messaging apps’. In the ‘ad type’ drop-down menu, select ‘click to message’ and hit next.

Finally, you will reach a page where you can select the destination for the messages you receive. Insert a tick in the box next to ‘WhatsApp’ and select the WhatsApp number below where you would like to receive these messages.

You reach a page where you can select the desitination for the messages. Place a tick in the box next to Whatsapp and select the WhatsApp number below where you would like to receive these messages.

So, that’s how you create a click-to-WhatsApp ad with Facebook Ads Manager. Read Facebook’s Guide to Creating a WhatsApp Ad with Ads Manager to learn more.

Recommended Read: Learn How to add a WhatsApp button on your Facebook page to directly bring leads to your WhatsApp rather than engaging with them in FB messenger.

Click-to-WhatsApp ad campaigns run by top Indian brands

In this section, we’ll be discussing the click-to-WhatsApp ads run by popular Indian brands to improve engagement with their leads and customers.

JioMart makes grocery shopping easy right from home.

Jio Mart's Facebook ad encouraging users to use WhatsApp to place orders.

JioMart regularly runs ads with a prominent ‘Send a WhatsApp Message’ button on their Facebook page. The retailer informs shoppers about its lucrative offers, enticing them to connect with it directly on WhatsApp and place their orders. Therefore, consumers don’t have to wait in endless queues to get groceries anymore.

boAt: The most affordable, durable and fashionable audio product manufacturer in India

Boat encourging their users to click on the send a whatsapp message button to unveil the offer.

boAt sells consumer electronic products like smartwatches, headphones, speakers and more. Its ad placements are excellent considering it runs Facebook ads and brings leads from that platform directly into WhatsApp.

And because it offers prospects additional information as soon as they reach out to the company on WhatsApp, their conversion rates are quite high.

IDP Education: The most trusted global education advisors for studying abroad

IDP Education, one of the leading study abroad consultancy firms.

IDP Education, one of the leading study abroad consultancy firms in India, recently deployed a click-to-WhatsApp ad on Facebook to highlight the fact that its clients who apply to colleges or universities abroad are not only securing admission but also getting good scholarships.

With this click-to-WhatsApp ad, whoever is interested in studying abroad can directly connect with the company by just tapping the ‘Send WhatsApp message’ button, which gets their application process started right away.

Also read: Learn in-depth about WhatsApp marketing and how can you use the platform for lead generation, and nurturing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using WhatsApp ads, especially click-to-WhatsApp ads, can be a game-changer for your business. Whether you’re a new or small business seeking to promote your brand or an established one aiming to enhance engagement with your leads, these ads offer a personalized and friendly touch.

The simplicity of a WhatsApp ad campaign allows you to bring leads directly into a chat, making the process smoother. This boosts engagement and increases the likelihood of turning leads into customers.

Also, the real-time interaction feature lets you address their concerns or hesitations, helping potential customers make informed decisions.

So, if you’re ready to enhance your WhatsApp marketing campaigns or overall marketing strategy, consider incorporating click-to-WhatsApp ads into your plan for a direct and impactful connection with your customers.

FAQs

Does WhatsApp have ads?

No, WhatsApp doesn’t display ads in the traditional sense. Unlike other messaging apps, it’s designed to be ad-free, keeping your messaging experience clean and focused on communication with friends, family and businesses.

How do I create a WhatsApp ad?

1. Open WhatsApp Business:
Launch the WhatsApp Business app on your device.
2. Access Business Tools:
Click the three dots in the top right corner and tap on “Business Tools.”
3. Navigate to Advertise:
In the ‘Business Tools’ settings, tap on “Advertise.”
4. Ad Description and Creative:
Add a description, upload your ad creative for Facebook, and click “Next.”
5. Set Budget and Duration:
Set your budget, duration, and target audience demographics (region, age, gender).
6. Preview and Confirm:
Review your ad settings, then click “Next.”
7. Add Payment Method:
Follow the prompts to add a payment method, make the payment, and click “Create Ad.”
8. Approval and Publishing:
Your ad will be sent for approval by WhatsApp, usually taking 4-5 hours.
Once approved, find your ad under the ‘Manage’ section.
That’s it! Your WhatsApp ad is created and ready to go live.

How do I stop WhatsApp ads?

Since WhatsApp doesn’t display traditional ads, there’s nothing to stop. If you’re seeing unwanted messages, you can manage WhatsApp notifications in Settings. Additionally, you can block or report business messages if they’re bothering you.

What are ads that click on WhatsApp?

“Click to WhatsApp Ads” are ads on Facebook and Instagram platforms that give a CTA ‘Send WhatsApp Message’. These CTAs when clicked upon take the user directly to a WhatsApp chat with the business. It’s a way for businesses to engage with leads instantly and is becoming a popular method of lead generation.

Fahad Abdullah

Fahad Abdullah is a marketing executive and content writer at Telecrm and has been involved in writing blogs, marketing content, SEO, and social media marketing. As a mass media graduate, Fahad has over 3 years of experience working as a content writer and social media marketer for varied B2B and B2C companies in India.

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