A great number of eCommerce companies have started to see the benefits of using WhatsApp for marketing, sales, and customer support. WhatsApp has great potential for conducting business, but companies have mostly restricted their usage to sending promotions and messages around their ongoing sales, events, and offers.
What about other formats of promotions on WhatsApp that have equal potential? To utilize the platform to the maximum you need to do more than just simple promotions. Newsletters are exceptional, in that way, to nurture an audience that may not be purchase-ready at that moment.
In this lesson, we will look into newsletters and their importance in WhatsApp marketing.
What Are eCommerce Newsletters?
Newsletters are a form of communication used by businesses in marketing to engage customers by sharing relevant and useful information with their audiences, be it prospects (subscribers) or existing customers.
Businesses periodically send out newsletters, that might contain promotions or other engaging content, directly into the customer’s inbox. Your newsletters and their content can be designed in a way that they can do a better job at driving traffic and conversion.
Why is a Newsletter Important for eCommerce Businesses?
Newsletters have always been a popular marketing strategy and there are some great reasons for this. The following reasons will show why newsletters are important and beneficial in eCommerce marketing-
– Newsletters are easily customizable, affordable, and accessible. This makes it a very practical marketing communication tool.
– They pave the way for potential growth. With the option to craft and send targeted newsletters, you can promote your products and offers in the customer’s own inbox. As direct as this is, the chances of sales and growth significantly increase.
– Improves brand awareness. You can share and spread information about your brand to expand awareness, popularize your brand and establish yourself as a trustworthy and legit business.
Traditionally marketers have used channels like email to send out newsletters. But there has been a decrease in open rates and click-through rates on emails, due to how these often lead to cluttering customer inboxes. Thus, there is an evident need for alternative channels that can utilize the newsletter format. And this is exactly the role that WhatsApp can fill in.
Why Use WhatsApp for your eCommerce Newsletters?
WhatsApp is one of the biggest messenger apps in the world. This is why businesses have a lot to gain by considering WhatsApp for their promotions as it is a platform where most customers will definitely be. WhatsApp marketing has great potential owing to its simple and conversational quality. These statistics speak for themselves on why WhatsApp newsletter is an ideal candidate for the eCommerce industry.
– WhatsApp has almost 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, as of 2022.
– An average WhatsApp user opens the app 23-25 times a day.
– Over 100 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp daily.
– WhatsApp messages have an impressive average open rate of 98%, compared to 22% for emails.
– WhatsApp has an average click-through rate of 45-60%.
What Can You Include in Your WhatsApp eCommerce Newsletters?
Now that you know why WhatsApp is an ideal channel for eCommerce newsletters, you should start by knowing what needs to go into your newsletters.
Current Sale Information:
Sales events are one of the best ways to expand your customer base and sell more within a short period of time. Promote your sales events through your WhatsApp newsletter, and include clear and appealing info on the specifics of the sale. With better open rates, your major sale stands a greater chance of reaching customers and pulling in prospects. Take a look at these examples-
“Hi, Mike. Good News! Great Diwali Sales are coming up! 30-50% Off on your favorite products!”
“Hello there! You will be glad to know our Summer Sales are live! Up to 60% off site-wide!”
Discounts and Deals:
Similar to special sales events, discounts and offers are crucial marketing strategies for any eCommerce business. You can use your newsletters to tempt your customers towards purchase by promoting discounts, offers and special deals.
“Hey there! Need some love? Here is a 35% Discount coupon just for you. Have a great day!”
“Hello, Max. Get your favorite products with a 30% discount site-wide! Offer valid till midnight!”
New Launches:
Some of your customers want to keep up with everything that’s latest and new. Whenever a new product or a new collection is launched you should include that in your newsletter so it can reach your prospective buyers.
“New products just dropped in! Check out our latest collection of eyeliners!”
“Hello, Raj! New kicks just dropped. Go check out our latest collection of Sneakers that shouts Awesome!”
“Exciting news! We can’t wait for you to check out the brand-new, top-of-the-line Fujifilm XT5 mirrorless digital camera!”
Items Back in Stock:
Sometimes customers might be unable to buy a product due to it running out of stock. Such customers will appreciate a quick reminder about their product coming back in stock. You can do this with your WhatsApp eCommerce newsletter, saving a sale that might have become lost otherwise.
“Hello, Tony! The White Relaxed-Fit Hoodie you wanted is back in stock! Get to it right away!”
“Hi there, Ezekiel. New copies of A Song of Ice and Fire are available now. Grab yours now!”
Blogs, Videos, Lookbooks, etc:
Sharing simple promotions alone in your newsletters will come out as repetitive and desperate. You need to provide content that is relevant and valuable to customers. You could share lookbooks on products, pdfs of how-to guides, informative blogs and videos etc on your newsletters to make them more than just plain promotional newsletters.
“Hello, Roy! Trouble setting up your new television? This video will guide you step-by-step, in assembling your own personal home theater!”
“Hi, Ben! Still, pondering over the right wedding suit? Maybe this lookbook will help you decide!”
Customer Testimonials:
There is nothing customers trust quite like the testimonials of others like them. This is why sharing customer reviews, social proof and testimonials in newsletters will have such a great effect on improving sales.
“Hey, Carl! 57 Customers have rated {PRODUCT} 5 stars! Go check it out!”
“Hello, Vineet! Looking to buy a smartphone. Check out these insightful product reviews on the latest models from customers who have used them.”
Media Mentions:
Whenever a celebrity endorses your product or a popular magazine mentions your brand, you can share this news with your audiences, communicating that your brand is becoming popular and trending.
“Good morning! Have you heard what The Wedding Week had to say about our latest Bridal Collection? Go check out the full article!”
“We are going Mainstream! Man. United star defender Harry Maguire adores our premium workout gear!”
Examples of Businesses Using WhatsApp Newsletters
Set Up Your WhatsApp eCommerce Newsletters!
Newsletters on WhatsApp are a great way to expand your business and seamlessly engage customers. But for it to work its magic, it should reach customer inboxes regularly and consistently. This is why you need automation and proper scheduling when sending out newsletters.
This is where you need a good WhatsApp Business API solution provider like Interakt.
Book a demo for Interakt today!
