Now small businesses can connect with more customers on WhatsApp. Here’s how

WhatsApp has announced the ability for the more than 200 million users of the WhatsApp Business app to create Facebook and Instagram ads that click to WhatsApp without needing a Facebook account, as well as new ways to connect with customers more efficiently. 

Starting soon, WhatsApp will make it possible for the many small businesses across the world that run their entire operation on WhatsApp to create, purchase and publish a Facebook or Instagram ad directly within the WhatsApp Business app. That means no Facebook account required – all businesses need to get started is an email address and form of payment.

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When people click on an ad, it opens a chat on WhatsApp so they can ask questions, browse products and make a purchase. These ads are one of the most powerful ways to drive potential customers to message them on WhatsApp and this will open new opportunities for WhatsApp-only small businesses that need a simpler way to get started with advertising.

Once small businesses find new customers, it’s crucial that they have tools to connect with them quickly and easily at scale. “Starting soon we’ll begin testing a new feature within the WhatsApp Business app where small businesses will have the option to send personalised messages to their customers – like appointment reminders, birthday greetings or even updates on a holiday sale – in a faster and more efficient way,” Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, wrote in a blog.

Rather than having to manually send the same message to multiple customers, this new feature will give businesses the ability to send personal messages with the customer’s name and customizable call-to-action buttons to specific customer lists such as those with a select label (like “VIP customers” or “new customers”), schedule the day and time the messages are sent and then see what’s working.

This advanced, optional type of message will be offered for a fee in the WhatsApp Business app.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of local communities and we’re excited to hear how these new tools help them deepen customer relationships and grow their operations,” Mark Zuckerberg added.