Connect and convert with WhatsApp marketing software

Digital marketing is about more than creating content and managing campaigns. Direct engagement, communication and customer care can set your business apart from your competition. And one of the most reliable social media apps for doing so is WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is a massive app globally; billions of people rely on it as their main communication channel. For any brand looking to connect with their audience, WhatsApp offers an immense opportunity to tap into this user base across Europe and LATAM, including a notable following in the UK. It has the highest reach of any messaging service in the country, with Ofcom finding that 87% of UK adults were using the app as of May 2024.

To connect with these potential customers directly, you need to learn how WhatsApp can be used as a marketing and communication tool. But to do so effectively, you should be using dedicated WhatsApp software tools. These tools make it easier to manage overflowing WhatsApp inboxes and track campaigns.

We’ve listed some of the best examples of brands using WhatsApp to cater to their UK and European customers. We’ve also outlined available WhatsApp marketing software tools to help you streamline your approach.

Understanding the power of WhatsApp for brands

WhatsApp is more than just a messaging app with the widest reach. In 2023, Ofcom found that approximately two-thirds (65%) of UK adults use WhatsApp as their main online communication service.

The app is used by people of all ages, but Gen Z have notable expectations from WhatsApp and businesses. People aged 16-24 in the UK now say they prefer businesses to contact them through WhatsApp, followed by Instagram, rather than by phone.

WhatsApp is a uniquely powerful tool because it allows brands to tap into conversational marketing. This is a process of communicating 1:1 with your customers, to build your relationship with them and engage directly with their needs.

How UK brands are using WhatsApp in their marketing strategies

Brands use WhatsApp marketing to support and market to customers in several ways. Here are some successful WhatsApp marketing strategies businesses in the UK are using.

WhatsApp order and delivery tracking

Brands use WhatsApp as a communication tool to give direct, real-time updates to customers. Many logistics and delivery businesses use WhatsApp to inform buyers about delivery times to make deliveries more convenient.

DHL offers multiple ways for customers to track deliveries, including through their WhatsApp digital assistant. By emulating their approach and adding WhatsApp as an additional channel, you can cater your support to people who prefer a WhatsApp chat, like Gen Z.

WhatsApp customer service

Many brands also host a WhatsApp customer service number. This gives customers a direct contact option to discuss orders, ask questions about products or offer feedback. To make these channels more reliable, you can build a chatbot to respond to initial enquiries and filter messages to the right support teams.

The online grocery service Ocado has a WhatsApp customer hub channel that’s accessible seven days a week.

WhatsApp outreach and direct sales

Alongside customer service, brands use WhatsApp as a direct outreach and sales tool. It’s used to communicate deals or begin sales conversations with customers directly.

In the Netherlands, TUI achieved 7x higher open rates by switching its email outreach strategies to WhatsApp. The travel deals website HolidayPirates created a subscription-based marketing channel on WhatsApp to share travel deals, and built a huge following of over 220,000 subscribers.

Using WhatsApp to communicate deals and news to customers directly isn’t limited to travel companies. Metro UK, a British news publication, created a WhatsApp channel in 2023 to share breaking news with readers.

When using WhatsApp as a direct marketing channel like this, consider your unique audience and send them the information they’d most like to receive.

Recruiting through WhatsApp

Brands also use WhatsApp as a recruitment tool. In the Netherlands, Domino’s Pizza achieved a 40% increase in job applicants after starting a recruitment drive on WhatsApp, and they automated the earlier stages of the process to make recruitment easier for their team.

While this can be effective, it does reveal an important part of WhatsApp marketing to bear in mind: scam concerns. Scammers, unfortunately, use WhatsApp often to communicate fake deals or job opportunities to users.

If you’re using WhatsApp for recruitment, communication or sales, make sure to only use one or a small number of official numbers. You must also comply with GDPR regulations if you’re using WhatsApp in the UK and Europe. GDPR regulations are extensive, but include rules that limit how much personal data you can collect, and how this data is both collected and retained. Customers must also give their consent before you communicate with them on WhatsApp.

When using WhatsApp for business, also apply for a verification badge. This shows your customers that the WhatsApp number you’re using is legitimate–easing concerns about scams or misinformation.

Creative WhatsApp marketing strategies

Brands also use WhatsApp as a creative marketing channel to launch and manage marketing campaigns that take advantage of the app’s reach and its direct messaging functionality.

Adidas is one of the pioneers of WhatsApp marketing, designing campaigns as far back as 2015. To support the launch of their new Predator boots in 2020, Adidas created a WhatsApp hotline number.

In 2023, they aligned the Predator boot series with WhatsApp, while linking a campaign to one of the most important dates on the UK’s football calendar; transfer deadline day. During this campaign, they leaked promotional messages about the boots on WhatsApp to increase interest and support content on other platforms.

WhatsApp campaigns are used to build a community around new products or services. They offer customers a way of directly engaging with your brand.

These efforts don’t focus strictly on sales, they’re also used to better inform and communicate with people interested in your brand or organisation. Kingston Council recently launched an official WhatsApp channel to share news and events with people living in the local area.

Learn about some more unexpected ways to use WhatsApp in our WhatsApp for business article.

The best WhatsApp marketing software tools

Effectively harnessing WhatsApp for marketing is much easier with the right tools. Without WhatsApp marketing software, it can be hard (if not impossible) to manage the number of messages your WhatsApp number receives from customers. Tools also make it easier to manage campaigns on the platform, whilst connecting the channel to your wider marketing approach.

Look out for the following functionalities when choosing between tools:

• A unified WhatsApp inbox along with other social inboxes
• Automation tools that streamline simple tasks and speed up your responses
• Collaboration tools that help your whole team manage a WhatsApp campaign
• Analytics that help you refine your strategy over time
• Integrations that connect WhatsApp with other platforms and tools

We’ve listed some popular WhatsApp marketing software tools below.

1. Sprout Social

Use Sprout Social’s WhatsApp management tools to create 1:1 customer experiences and unify your WhatsApp accounts with your other platforms. Sprout’s Smart Inbox connects your WhatsApp inbox with other social inboxes, like Instagram, Facebook and more. This enables you to handle all of your messaging from a single inbox, without having to log in and respond from individual networks and apps.

Sprout also offers automation and prioritisation tools that handle simple tasks, which help your team focus on the right messages and responses.

Since it’s a direct messaging solution, WhatsApp marketing works best when you’re able to personalise your replies to the needs of each individual. Using Sprout, you can view chat histories and analytics that give you more visibility into each message. With this information, you can create more meaningful interactions across your WhatsApp number.

Sprout’s WhatsApp functionality also integrates with other leading apps and social platforms, so you can connect your marketing efforts together and manage them from a single location. Here’s a list of the main features you can access by using Sprout to support your WhatsApp marketing:

• Unify channels and respond to WhatsApp messages in the same inbox as your other social networks.
• Speed up your message responses by automating repetitive tasks and prioritising messages based on data like keywords and phrases.
• Support better team collaboration through organisation tools. Your team can assign tasks, start conversations and approve content together.
• Tailor your message responses with more context. Gather more visibility into each conversation across social, CRM and helpdesk tools.
• Make personalised suggestions for different products and services based on information like chat histories and order histories.
• Find new opportunities to improve customer care, using Sprout’s pre-built WhatsApp analytics reports.

2. WhatsApp Business

Meta owns WhatsApp, making it a key part of their product line of apps. The WhatsApp Business platform is Meta’s core WhatsApp marketing software tool. They offer two options depending on the size of your company; either the WhatsApp Business App for small businesses or the WhatsApp Business Platform for larger companies.

Each option offers users functionality when messaging across WhatsApp. They also offer businesses ways of showcasing products, along with upselling and cross-selling deals to individual WhatsApp users.

Most importantly, WhatsApp Business gives you access to a WhatsApp Business account. You’ll often need to have a WhatsApp Business account to access advanced WhatsApp marketing software tools.

For example, you need to first create a new WhatsApp Business account before you can connect it to Sprout Social. Read more about this here, or follow our instructions on how to connect your account at the end of this article.

3. Salesforce

Salesforce offers multiple software solutions that focus on customer relationship management and sales. Their Marketing Cloud solution integrates with WhatsApp Business to improve your account’s sales capabilities.

Integrating WhatsApp with Salesforce connects the platform with information you’ve gathered using Salesforce’s Data Cloud. Use this data to better segment customers and enrich your responses based on more detailed customer information.

Salesforce also allows you to automate some WhatsApp processes, with customisable messaging templates and CTAs. It also integrates with Sprout Social.

4. Brevo

Brevo provides primarily email-focused management and CRM tools, though they also offer solutions designed for WhatsApp campaigns.

Create WhatsApp campaigns directly within Brevo before sharing them with your customers. These campaigns have a 1,024 character limit, but can use videos and emojis. Any replies are managed through the Brevo app.

Brevo also offers some automation potential on WhatsApp if you connect it to existing Brevo workflows. This includes creating messaging workflows based on individual customer journeys.

Getting started with Sprout Social’s WhatsApp integration

If you’re ready to start using Sprout Social as your WhatsApp marketing software of choice, here’s how to get started.

WhatsApp is just one of many Sprout Social integrations that users can access through the platform. Follow these step-by-step instructions to link WhatsApp to your Sprout account:

1. Don’t have a Sprout account? No problem, sign up for a free trial using your business email (free for 30 days; no credit card required at sign up).
2. In Sprout, navigate to Connect a Profile.
3. Select the Group you want your WhatsApp to be connected to in the dropdown menu, then click Connect a Profile beneath the WhatsApp logo.
4. Read through the information about preparing your credentials carefully, then select Yes, all set.
5. Agree to WhatsApp’s terms, then select Continue to Create PIN.
6. If you’re using a new phone number, enter a 6-digit PIN. You can also add the PIN with a WhatsApp number you’ve used in the past.
7. Click Go to Facebook and follow Facebook’s three-step authorisation process.
8. Navigate back to Sprout and your profile should be connected.

Find out more information on how to update your WhatsApp profile, photograph and other details, once connected.

You’ll need to create a new WhatsApp Business account with a new phone number to connect it to Sprout. If you already have a WhatsApp Business account or a phone number connected to WhatsApp, first disconnect it by following the instructions on this page.

This WhatsApp functionality is also available as part of Sprout’s 30-day free trial.

If you’ve not tried Sprout or WhatsApp marketing before, sign up today.