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Traditionally, businesses have used email to send newsletters, event invitations, and other marketing materials to their customers. However, in recent years, a significant portion of customer communication has shifted to messaging apps like WhatsApp Business.
This shift is driven by the convenience and speed of messaging apps for consumers. While WhatsApp Business previously didn't allow for outbound messaging in bulk, businesses can now use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender to reach multiple customers at once. This tool can be used to inform customers about discounts, promote new products, or send service updates, helping businesses stay in touch with their customers through their preferred communication channel.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use a WhatsApp Bulk Sender for your business.
What is a Bulk WhatsApp Sender?
A Bulk WhatsApp Sender is a tool that allows a single WhatsApp Business user to send messages to multiple phone numbers simultaneously. The recipients of these messages will receive them as if they are private, rather than part of a group conversation.
This feature offers a unique opportunity for businesses that use the WhatsApp Business API, as it allows them to send outbound messages in addition to responding to inbound messages. Prior to the availability of broadcast messaging, these businesses were limited to only responding to inbound messages.
Is using a WhatsApp Bulk Sender legal?
If you’re using the WhatsApp Business API via a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP), using a WhatsApp Bulk Sender is completely legal. That’s because BSPs have to make sure their customers stick to some strict guidelines. One of them is that every customer has to live up to the WhatsApp Commerce policy.
This means that a BSP such as Trengo will leave no room for spam or unsolicited messages.
5 inspiring Bulk WhatsApp Sender use cases
There are many potential uses for a Bulk WhatsApp Sender, and it can be a valuable asset for businesses and organizations looking to communicate with their customers. Here are some examples of how you can use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender.
Send newsletters
One of the most common uses for a Bulk WhatsApp Sender is to share newsletters with opted-in customers. This can be a great way to keep your customers informed about the latest news and updates from your organization or products. You can use the tool to send regular newsletters or special announcements, depending on your needs.
Provide updates on games in a competition
If you are running a competition or event, you can use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender to send updates to people who have purchased tickets. This could include information about time changes, cancellations, or other important news. By keeping your customers informed about any changes or updates, you can help ensure that they have a smooth and enjoyable experience at your event.
Send status updates
Another useful way to use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender is to inform customers when your website or services are unavailable due to issues or planned maintenance. This can help prevent frustration and keep your customers informed about any downtime.
Send back-in-stock alerts
If you have customers who have expressed interest in a product that is currently out of stock, you can use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender to let them know when the product becomes available again. This can help keep your customers informed and encourage them to make a purchase when the product becomes available.
Provide travel or leisure updates
If you are a travel or leisure company, you can use a Bulk WhatsApp Sender to send customers updates about their trip or vacation. This could include information about gate changes, check-in times at hotels, or the outfit color of their tour guide. By keeping your customers informed about any changes or updates, you can help ensure that they have a smooth and enjoyable experience during their travels.
Overall, a Bulk WhatsApp Sender can be a valuable tool for businesses and organizations looking to communicate with their customers or members. Whether you are sending newsletters, providing updates on events, sending status updates, sending back-in-stock alerts, or providing travel or leisure updates, a Bulk WhatsApp Sender can help you keep your customers informed and engaged.
Using the regular app as a WhatsApp Bulk Sender
The WhatsApp Business app is a tool that allows businesses to communicate with their customers and clients. While the app has many useful features, it does have some limitations when it comes to sending bulk messages.
In particular, you can only send bulk messages to people who have saved your business's phone number as a contact, and you are limited to sending messages to a maximum of 256 contacts at a time. Additionally, the app can only be used by up to four different users simultaneously, which may not be sufficient for larger businesses with bigger teams.
Despite these limitations, it is still possible to send bulk messages using the WhatsApp Business app. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Open the WhatsApp Business app on your device.
- Navigate to the "Chats" section of the app.
- Scroll up until you see the "Broadcast lists" option above your most recent conversation.
- Tap on "Broadcast lists" and add the phone numbers of the recipients you want to include in the bulk message.
- Once you have added all the phone numbers to the list, give the list a name and tap "Send." The list will be automatically saved, so you can send additional messages to the same group later on.
The best WhatsApp Bulk Sender software: The WhatsApp API
The WhatsApp Business API is the best solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises who want to send out bulk messages. To use the API, you will need to use a smart messaging software solution like Trengo. Setting up the API only takes a few minutes of time.
There are many benefits to using the WhatsApp Business API, including the ability to send messages to an audience of 800 people per day, manage incoming messages with multiple users, and automate responses to incoming messages with WhatsApp chatbots.
Using the WhatsApp Business API can help businesses eliminate the limitations of the regular WhatsApp Business app and take advantage of the many benefits of the API. Whether you are looking to send messages to a large audience, manage incoming messages more efficiently, or automate responses to incoming messages, the WhatsApp Business API can be a valuable tool for your business.
Everything you can do with the WhatsApp Bulk Sender feature via the API
Here is an overview of everything you can do with the API via Trengo.
Send a message to 800 recipients a day
With the API, you have the ability to reach out to a large group of people at once, whether you want to send a single message to 800 recipients or divide your audience into smaller groups and send multiple messages.
For example, you could send two bulk messages to audiences of 400 users each, or divide your recipients into smaller groups of 200 and send four messages. The choice is yours and you have the flexibility to choose the approach that works best for your business.
Reach out to customers who have not saved you as a contact
One of the major benefits of using the WhatsApp Business API is that it allows you to reach a wider audience, including customers who have not saved you as a contact in the regular WhatsApp app. While this opens up new opportunities for communication, it is important to remember that spamming a list of random contacts is not an appropriate use of the API.
Instead, you should ensure that all of your recipients have either opted-in to receive messages from you or are existing customers. This will help to ensure that your messages are well-received and that you are following best practices for responsible communication.
Schedule a bulk message
You can either send a message on the spot or schedule it to be sent out at a later date. This is especially ideal for messages that need to go out during the weekend or the holidays.
Monitor your sent messages
Once you have sent out your broadcast message, you can track its performance using a dashboard that provides a clear overview of its status. This dashboard will display information such as whether the message has been sent, scheduled, or has failed, and it will also show the cost per sent broadcast message on the right side. This information can be useful for understanding how your message is doing and for keeping track of the cost associated with sending it.
Reply to customers with a team
If you plan on sending a message to 800 people simultaneously, you may receive a large number of replies. To manage these responses efficiently, you may want to consider using the WhatsApp Business API via Trengo, which provides a shared inbox where you and your team can collaborate on incoming replies. This can be especially helpful if you need to respond to a high volume of messages in a timely manner.
The limitations of using the WhatsApp Business API as a bulk sender
To prevent spamming and irresponsible marketing on WhatsApp, Meta established some guidelines to establish boundaries and ensure that the platform is not overwhelmed by unscrupulous marketers. These guidelines aim to create a more organized and controlled environment on WhatsApp, helping to protect users from spam and inappropriate content.
Outbound messages can only be sent with message templates
When using the WhatsApp Business API as a Bulk WhatsApp Message Sender, you are required to use template messages that have been approved by WhatsApp. These templates must adhere to the platform's commerce policy in order to be accepted.
However, this does not mean that you cannot personalize your messages to make them more relevant to your audience. Using placeholders, such as [business name], [receiver name], [order number], and [date], you can customize your templates to include personalized information for each recipient. This can be especially useful for creating a more engaging and targeted message that is more likely to be well-received.
For example, a template for a back-in-stock alert might look something like this:
Sending outbound messages comes with a cost
The cost of sending a WhatsApp Business template message varies by country. To calculate the total cost of a bulk message, you can simply multiply the cost of the template by the number of recipients. In Trengo, you can get an estimate of the total cost of a bulk message before you send it out. This allows you to budget and plan your marketing campaigns more effectively, ensuring that you can reach your target audience without breaking the bank.
It's important to keep in mind that while sending bulk messages can be an effective way to reach a large audience, it does come with a cost that should be carefully considered as part of your overall marketing strategy.
Note: the first 1000 conversations every month (both user and business-initiated) are completely free of charge.
Bulk messages are sent with a (very) short delay
To prevent overloading the system, bulk messages are sent with a slight delay between them. This means that there may be a few minutes between the time the first message is sent and the last message is sent. You can monitor the status of each message in your dashboard. This allows you to keep track of when the messages are being sent.
Ready-to-use WhatsApp Bulk Sender sample messages
Now that you know how to set up your WhatsApp Bulk Sender, it’s time for some much-deserved inspiration.
WhatsApp requires that you use specific templates for your bulk messages. These templates must be approved by the platform before you can use them. To help you get started, here are some sample templates that you can use for various types of messages.
Booking confirmation
Customers appreciate receiving immediate confirmation of their purchases, so setting up an automated and scheduled confirmation message can help you preemptively address any questions or concerns about successful payments.
Sample template: "Hello [name], we're happy to let you know it's confirmed! We can't wait to meet you on [date]. Thank you for booking with Hotel [name]. Check out all the details of your reservation here: [link]."
Order confirmation
Order confirmations can be a great way to let customers know that their order was successful. It also helps to build excitement about their purchase.
Sample template: "Hello [name]! It's in. We have just received your order #[order number]. We appreciate your visit to [name] and will send the [item] asap! And keep your eyes on the price, follow your order here: [link]."
Flight update
Traveling can be stressful. That's why sending a flight update can help reassure customers and make them feel like you have everything under control. This can be a great way to demonstrate excellent customer service.
Sample template: "Are you ready for the trip? We are! Your flight [flight number] to [city] will depart from [gate]. Enjoy your flight!"
Upselling message
If you have customers who have added items to their shopping cart but have not yet made a purchase, you can use a bulk message to upsell them on related products or items that they may find helpful. Just be sure to do so in a helpful, non-pushy way.
Sample template: "Hi [name], we noticed you took the time to select great items and put them in your cart. But have you checked out [item] and [item] too? They can come in handy! Have a look at these items before you finalise your purchase: [a list of products]."
Back-in-stock alert
Sending a back-in-stock alert to customers who have shown interest in a particular product or collection can be a great way to drive conversions and encourage them to make a purchase. If you have a product or collection that has recently come back in stock, consider sending a bulk message to customers who have expressed interest in these items to let them know that they are available again.
Sample template: "Good news, [name]! Remember when you asked us about [product name]? Good news! It's back in stock. We haven't added it to our website yet, but we wanted to give you the first opportunity to buy it since you let us know that you were interested. If you're still interested, please get in touch and let us know. We'd be happy to help you place your order."
Sale announcement
Sale announcements are another type of message that can be effective for driving conversions and attracting attention. Whether you are running a special promotion or offering discounts on your products, a sale announcement can be a great way to let a large number of customers know about your sale in one go.
Sample template: “Hello! We are excited to announce that our [name of promotion] is about to begin in just a short period of time. This is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of our biggest discounts of the year, with all of our products available at discounted prices. Are you ready to start shopping and take advantage of these amazing deals?”
WhatsApp Bulk Sender case study: The Polar Company
Martijn Bohnke and Dennis van Steijn are two Dutch entrepreneurs who have a shared history, having met each other in high school. Together, they founded The Polar Company, a business that helps more than 400 people per day manage sweating issues. They believe that a personal approach is key to effectively communicating with their customers, who often feel embarrassed or self-conscious about their sweating.
To provide a personal touch, The Polar Company sends a WhatsApp message to each customer after they place an order, with instructions on how to use the product. They also include a video in which they explain how to use it.
While this personalized approach is highly effective, it was also very time-consuming when The Polar Company first started out. As the business grew and the number of orders increased, Martijn and Dennis found themselves spending at least an hour a day sending out these personalized WhatsApp messages.
“We were using this huge spreadsheet with all our customer’s contact information, then created a WhatsApp link in Web WhatsApp, and then manually reached out to people,” says Martijn. “As you can imagine, this isn’t the way to go forward when your company is growing. That’s why we started to look for solutions that can help us to keep communication personal and efficient on WhatsApp.”
With Trengo’s WhatsApp Bulk Message Sender, The Polar Company now automatically sends out these messages without manual labor.
Go outbound with a WhatsApp Bulk Message Sender
A WhatsApp Bulk Message Sender can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to send outbound messages to their customers via WhatsApp. With just a few clicks, you can send a message to a large group of customers, and with an open rate of 90% or higher, these messages are likely to lead to conversions.
If you want to get started with a WhatsApp Bulk Message Sender as soon as possible, try out official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider Trengo. We’ll get you set up in a matter of minutes.
