WhatsApp campaigns

Why use WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a leading mobile messaging platform used worldwide that allows conversation-based messaging for businesses. WhatsApp provides a significant opportunity for businesses to reach customers directly, allowing both transactional and non-transactional marketing messages.

Engagement's WhatsApp support allows you to build, test, and track WhatsApp messages at scale and reach customers on their mobile devices. WhatsApp messages are created via the Campaigns > Scenarios > WhatsApp node. As with any other channel, messages can be personalized and connected to a workflow or a customer journey.

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Note

WhatsApp integration access is only available in select Engagement packages. Contact your CSM or CS team to start using WhatsApp.

How the WhatsApp integration works

WhatsApp messages are sent and received via our Infobip Mobile Messaging and Sinch Mobile Messaging providers.

When using WhatsApp for business communications, the type of message you can send depends on who initiates the chat and the time frame of the conversation:

• For conversations you initiate: Businesses can only send a paid Template message when they initiate a conversation. WhatsApp requires that Templates are pre-approved and that customers have given consent.

• For customer-initiated conversations: Customers can initiate a conversation at any point. Reply to the customer for free (no fee) within a 24-hour messaging window since their last message. You can send free-form messages (any non-template message) like Text message or Media message for these conversations. Free-form messages can be fully customized and do not require pre-approval.

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Advantage

Customers' replies within WhatsApp are free of charge, so you are more likely to garner their response as compared to SMS.

Use cases

• Combine WhatsApp with other channels: WhatsApp is effective, but you first need to collect phone numbers, consent, and inform customers about the possibility of communicating using WhatsApp. All this is possible using other built-in Bloomreach Engagement channels like Email, website overlays, SMS, or in-app messaging.
• Product back-in-stock reminders: Inform customers when a product is back in stock or send a triggered alert when the price of a product drops.
• Convert abandoned carts: Send cart abandonment messages with product images and a link to the cart. Combine with Predictions to target audiences with high purchase probability.
• Relevant offers and product launches: Add images and rich media to create buzz around a product launch or seasonal promotion. Identify your best customers using our granular segmentation and send them exciting offers on mobile before announcing them via email or other channels to everyone else.
• Product recommendations: Recommend products to your customer they might be interested in based on their activities, such as headphones for a newly purchased cell phone.
• Track delivery updates: Keep your customers informed about their order statuses throughout the fulfillment process.
• Top-up and plan renewal reminders (Telco): Contact customers for top-ups before minutes run out or send reminders to renew a plan before it expires.
• Price alerts on flights (Travel):Send price drop alerts on flights that a customer is tracking instantly on their phone.
• Related product or service upsell (Travel): Once a trip is booked, send upsell offers like car rental or hotels.

WhatsApp onboarding

See the timeline below to understand our WhatsApp onboarding process.

WhatsApp setup

Prerequisites

Ensure you have:

• Access: Bloomreach Engagement project access, including Scenarios and Integrations.
• WhatsApp Business account (WABA): If you already have a Meta Business Portfolio (formerly Meta Business Manager account), we recommend nesting your WABA within your primary Meta Business Portfolio.
• Provider account: An Infobip or Sinch account. Contact your CSM to help create your account.
• WhatsApp phone number: Your WABA has a valid, dedicated phone number that meets WhatsApp's requirements. This number must not be connected to any other WhatsApp account. If you need a phone number, contact your CSM to get a phone number registered.
• Customer profile requirements: Ensure your customers' phone numbers meet these requirements:
  • Phone numbers must be in one of the 2 standard MSISDN formats, including the + or 00and country code. For example, +441234556789 or 0044123456789.
  • If using a different phone number format (for example, without leading zeros), modify the format using Jinja.
  • To use two-way messaging, you must have phone as a customer attribute.

Set up the phone attribute as a soft_id

Transforming your phone attribute as a phone soft_id is highly recommended. This will ensure that there is no duplicate profile creation for the same customer.

To set up the “phone” attribute as a soft_id follow either of the below methods:

• Through an import: first, export your current phone numbers. Once done, clean all invalid phone numbers (for example, numbers containing special characters, text, “0000”). Ensure that you are following the “+44” or “0044”. formatting. You can then re-import the data with phone_id being a soft_id.
• Through a scenario: you can create a scenario that turns all historical phone customer attributes into a phone soft_id. If you need support, please reach out to a technical consultant.
• Set the soft_id in addition to the phone attribute whenever a phone number is collected.

Provider integration setup

To use WhatsApp, you must set up the Infobip or Sinch mobile messaging provider integration on the Engagement project level. For full integration setup, follow the relevant setup guides:

• Infobip Mobile Messaging
• Sinch Mobile Messaging

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Note

The setup of a WhatsApp provider integration, either Infobip Mobile Messaging or Sinch Mobile Messaging, needs to be requested from your CSM or CS team who will provide you with the required details.

Create and send WhatsApp messages

To send WhatsApp messages using Scenarios:

1. Go to Campaigns > Scenarios

2. Click New Scenario to create a new scenario.

3. Under the Design tab, select the WhatsApp node.

   

4. Double-click the WhatsApp node.

5. Choose the message type.

   

6. If you don't want to use the default provider, select a different one in the Sender dropdown.

7. Customize the message. For details on each message type, see below.

   • You can include Jinja personalization and emojis in your messages.
   • You can use the Loomi copy generator to help write your messages.
   • The editor also displays a dynamic character counter.
   

The customer's phone attribute will be used as the phone number to send the message to.

WhatsApp message types

WhatsApp supports five interactive message types with the following specifications and limitations:

• Text: Text-only messages.
  • Character limit: 4,096.
• Media: Includes images, video, audio, and documents.
  • Images: JPEG or PNG with a maximum size of 5MB.
  • Videos: MP4 or 3GPP with a maximum size of 16MB.
  • Documents: any valid document MIME type with a maximum size of 100MB.
• Choice: Messages with up to 10 quick-reply buttons.
  • If you add more than 3 buttons, the buttons collapse into a drop-down menu.
• List message: Includes an interactive list of up to 10 selectable options.
• Template message: Use template-based messages to initiate marketing conversations outside the 24-hour customer care window.

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Note

You can only send a non-template message (for example, Text or Media) within 24 hours after a customer initiates a conversation with your business.

If a customer hasn't initiated a conversation yet or their last 24-hour customer care window has expired, you can send the customer a Template message.

Text message

Customize your message content using the Message field.

Media message

Use the Your media field to specify the media file to include in your message.

Click on + to select a file from the Asset Manager or, alternatively, enter the URL at which the media file is publicly accessible.

Choice message

Use the Message fields to customize the content of your message and the Choices fields to customize the buttons below your message.

List message

Use the Title and Description fields to customize the content of your message and the List items fields to customize the content of your list.

Template message

Template messages ensure that conversations you (the business) initiate with customers follow WhatsApp guidelines. Message templates contain predefined text and are pre-formatted. Templates can be reused when there is a need to send the same message multiple times.

1. Choose your desired template using the Selected template field, which lists all the predefined, pre-approved templates associated with your provider account (Infobip or Sinch).
2. Customize your message content.
   • You can include Jinja personalization and use the Loomi copy generator to help write your messages.

Create a template

To create a new WhatsApp template, contact your CSM, as it is not done in the Bloomreach Engagement app.

The template must be from one of the following categories:

• Transactional messages: Personal Finance update, Account update, Alert update, Appointment Update, Issue Resolution, Payment Update, Reservation Update, Shipping Update, Ticket Update, Transportation Update.
• Non-transactional messages: No predefined categories.

Examples

"Dear {{1}}, You have items in your shopping cart and have not finished your purchase. If you want us to take you to your shopping cart, type CART as a response to this message."

"We’re down to the last 3 pieces of an item you have saved in your favorites! Get in there before it’s gone. Check it out at bloomreach.com/favorites"

Limitations

All parameters must be filled out with the same data structure as submitted. For example, if the parameter was submitted in a URL form, it must be a URL.

Text formatting

WhatsApp allows you to format text inside your messages. Use the symbols below to format your text.

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Note that Bloomreach Engagement does not preview the formatting of the text. You can see the formatting on the text inside your message only after you sent the campaign.

Test WhatsApp messages before sending

Before sending a message to your audience, use the Test message feature. This allows you to send a test message to a specific phone number to see how it looks on a recipient's device.

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Note

Sending a test WhatsApp message to a phone number is only supported for the Template message type. You cannot test the template itself or any other message types.

Follow these steps:

1. Click the Test message button to send the message to your test phone number.

   

2. Check the test device to ensure you received the message.

3. Verify that all media and interactive elements work.

4. If you find any problems during testing, update the content in the Bloomreach Engagement app.

5. Retest the message until it meets your standards.

Consent management

Your use of the WhatsApp communication channel must comply with all applicable WhatsApp policies.

Using our Consent Management, you can define consent categories for your WhatsApp communications, from which customers can unsubscribe separately.

To add a WhatsApp consent category, go to Settings > Project settings > Campaigns > Privacy management > Consents and click the + Add consent button.

Once your WhatsApp consent categories are created, you can select the desired consent category for each WhatsApp campaign under the Settings tab in the visual editor.

Obtaining consents

Contacting customers on WhatsApp is permissible under the following conditions:

1. Permission granted: You can only reach out to individuals on WhatsApp if they have shared their mobile phone numbers with you and have explicitly provided consent to be contacted via the platform.
2. Honest communication: Your communications should steer clear of: confusion, deception, fraud, misleading content, spam, or unexpected messages. Transparency is key!

Before sending a WhatsApp message to anyone, it's crucial to obtain opt-in permission. This confirmation should include:

1. Clear opt-in statement: The opt-in communication should unmistakably convey that the person is opting in to receive messages from your business through WhatsApp.
2. Business identification: Your business name must be clearly stated in the opt-in message, establishing your identity.

Your team is solely responsible for determining your method(s) of opt-in, that you have obtained opt-ins in a manner that complies with laws applicable to your communications, and that you have otherwise provided notices and obtained permissions that are required under applicable law.

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Opt-in best practices

For additional guidance on obtaining opt-in permissions, we recommend reviewing WhatsApp's Best Practices for Opt-in resources.

Two-way messaging

Two-way mobile messaging allows inbound messages from customers to be forwarded to Engagement, where they will be processed and tracked as campaign events in real time. It also enables you to configure keywords auto-responses which provide customers with a user-friendly way to unsubscribe, subscribe, or ask for help.

Refer to the following documentation:

• Two-way messaging requirements
• Configure two-way messaging and keywords auto-responses

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Note

When a new customer profile is created from an inbound WhatsApp message, the phone number format configured at Project settings > Campaigns > Channels > SMS / MMS / RCS > SMS / MMS Settings > Phone number format is used. If the phone number format is not configured in SMS project settings, the "00" format is used by default.

Compliance

• Opt-in and opt-out: All messages on the WhatsApp channel must start with an "Opt-in" by the customer. Opt-ins can be collected through any third-party channel, for example, in an SMS message, web form, or email. You must also provide a method by which customers may opt out of receiving future messages.
• WhatsApp policies: You must comply with all WhatsApp Business Messaging Policies and WhatsApp Terms of Use while using WhatsApp as a communication channel.
• SHAFT compliance: You must ensure CTIA's SHAFT compliance in the US and other relevant regions. Examples of restricted content include sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco.