How to collect WhatsApp RSVP messages for your event

WhatsApp is on the rise for event organisers. With an open rate of 98% and a click-through rate of around 45-60%, WhatsApp has become the right place to send event invitations and get RSVPs. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the steps to collect WhatsApp RSVPs for your events effectively.

But first, let’s have a look at the benefits of sending WhatsApp RSVPs.

The benefits of sending RSVPs on WhatsApp

#1. High open and engagement rates

If you’re asking your guests to RSVP via email, there’s a high chance that it won’t even be opened. With an average opening rate of 21%, email is nowhere close to WhatsApp’s high opening rates.

Besides, 80% of WhatsApp messages are read within 5 minutes. This gives event organisers the opportunity to have real-time conversations and interactions with guests.

WhatsApp has become one of the most effective platforms for event organisers to engage with guests. Sending invites to your audience via WhatsApp can work wonders for your event.

#2. Easy communication with automated replies

WhatsApp enables quick and easy communication with automation tools, which makes it an effective tool for event organisers to use.

RSVPing via WhatsApp is easy. All the guest needs to do is click a button or type a simple message (more on this later. 😊)

WhatsApp RSVP is a unique and fresh technique that people might not be aware of yet. Your guests will definitely be excited to test it out. It’s a great opportunity to stand out from your competitors.

How to set up a WhatsApp RSVP

To set up a WhatsApp RSVP, you need to use the WhatsApp Business API.

With the API, you can send out WhatsApp event invitations at scale and automatically collect and label RSVPs.

After you set up the API, the next thing to do is invite your guests to the event.

Let’s assume the goal of your event is to introduce a new product or launch. You will need the maximum number of guests attending the event, right?

Then, why not leverage the WhatsApp broadcast message feature and send invites to all your guests in one go?

A WhatsApp broadcast message is a message that’s sent from a single WhatsApp account to multiple phone numbers at the same time

Although it looks like you’re communicating in a group, the recipient can’t see that the message is broadcasted. Your guests will receive the message as a private message.

Here’s how to send a WhatsApp broadcast message in Trengo.

• In the sidebar menu, click on the broadcast icon
• Next, click on ‘New Broadcast’
• Fill out the fields as explained in the sections below

And that’s it! You’re ready to send WhatsApp RSVPs.

The best part of WhatsApp RSVP messages is that you can offer your customers a quick and easy way to reply with buttons. If you’re using Trengo, you can leverage our flowbot to set up reply buttons without any knowledge of coding.

Here’s an example of a broadcast message we sent for our WhatsApp Commerce event. We added the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ reply buttons to collect RSVPs.

It’s important for you to know how many guests will be attending the event. To track this, you can set up a rule that automatically attaches a label with ‘RSVP’ to everybody that clicked ‘Yes.’

This way you will be able to see how many people will show up on the big day. Using this automation tool makes event management way simpler for event organisers.

Get WhatsApp RSVPs from website visitors

We explained how you can send invitations via WhatsApp.

But what if you’d like to invite visitors from your website?

In that case, you can add an event promotion banner or a CTA on your website that will lead visitors to WhatsApp.

For that, you’ll have to create a click-to-chat link with a pre-filled message. When people click this link they will start a conversation with your WhatsApp Business account with a message ready to be sent: “Hey, I want to RSVP for the event!” They’ll only have to hit ‘send’ to RSVP for the event. Just like that.

You can then set up auto-replies and rules as we mentioned above and thank your visitors for signing up for your event.

Add a WhatsApp QR code to your event flyers

Another option is to add QR codes on your event posters, flyers and other printed marketing materials. Instead of sending people to your website, you could send them to WhatsApp. All they need to do is to scan the QR code. The pre-filled message will be opened and they will be automatically RSVPing on WhatsApp. Convenient and fast.

Start collecting WhatsApp RSVPs with Trengo

Sending RSVPs via WhatsApp is way more effective than sending traditional invites, where guests are obliged to fill out a form manually. With Trengo, you can automate the RSVP flow on WhatsApp.

By integrating your WhatsApp Business account with Trengo, you can:

• Send an event invitation with the WhatsApp broadcast message
• Add reply buttons to the broadcast message with (Yes/No)
• Set up a rule in Trengo that automatically labels a reply with ‘Yes’ as ‘RSVP’
• Go to your label report in Trengo to see how many people have RSVP’d

What are you waiting for? Start sending WhatsApp RSVP messages to guests with Trengo.

Get in touch for a demo today.