WhatsApp evolved tremendously from a personal messaging app to a marketing automation phenomenon. Today businesses must tap into the vast audience of WhatsApp and use its automated messaging feature to improve customer interactions. If you want to learn how to automate WhatsApp messages, you are in the right place because we give you all the deets today.
So, sit back and read to learn about setting up automated messages.
WhatsApp Automated Messages
WhatsApp automated messages are a part of the WhatsApp Business API chatbot feature that automates message flows and conversations. The goal is to reach your shoppers and answer their concerns when you are unavailable or the business hours are over. This way, your customers don’t have to wait for hours and lose interest; they can get an automated reply asking them to wait for the agent to get back to them. This helps brands interact with their customers at scale and improve their satisfaction levels.
While you can get automated messages on WhatsApp Business app for free, it only caters to a limited audience and is ideal for small businesses. For more extensive needs, you need WhatsApp Business API; to use that, you need an automation tool like Trengo. It sets you up in no time and helps handle everyday queries by your customers.
Why Use Automated Messages on WhatsApp?
What business does not want to access over 2 billion users? WhatsApp reigns supreme as the global messaging app, so your brand must be where your customers are active. WhatsApp automation helps businesses thrive by automating conversations, significantly reducing response times, giving quick interactions, and even guiding shoppers to buy something quickly.
The platform has come a long way from offering file sharing and messaging because, nowadays, businesses are actively generating leads and growing their brand. Connecting with your customers when they need you is critical for a profitable engagement; you want to take advantage of that chance.
How to Automate Messages in WhatsApp
Time to discuss how to automate WhatsApp messages. There are two ways to execute this: with the WhatsApp Business app and WhatsApp Business API; we will get into both and give you step-by-step instructions.
How to Automate Messages in WhatsApp Business
In the official WhatsApp Business app, the platform gives you a quick auto-reply feature that can make things easier in tackling interactions. You can set up ‘away messages’ for after business hours or when you are not available. This way, your customers will still engage with your brand without human intervention, which can help build trust in your brand.
WhatsApp Business gives three ways to automate messages:
- Always
- Out-of-business hours
- At certain times
The app only lets you set up automated messages for after-hours if you have business hours defined in the profile. Your customers can see these hours when they view your profile, and it is up to you to send messages to specific people in the audience.
Setting up
Tap the three vertical dots at the top right corner of the WhatsApp application.
Go to ‘Settings’, ‘Business Settings’, and hit ‘Away message’.
You can turn on the ‘Send away message’ button, fill in whatever you wish to say and then select your schedule.
Lastly, choose the recipients to whom you want to send the message; voila, you are done.
How to Make Automated Messages on WhatsApp Business API with Trengo
Need your entire team to be active on WhatsApp? Then WhatsApp API is the answer for you. The primary WhatsApp Business is only usable by one agent on a single device simultaneously. Therefore, bigger businesses managing their WhatsApp need more options. Since the API has no interface, you need an automation tool to get things going.
We opt for Trengo, for it is an indispensable tool that can do it all. It allows various options and customizations to enhance the customer journey. Let’s guide you on setting up automated messages with Trengo.
The platform allows automation for instances like:
- Ongoing business hours
- After business hours
- On certain days (holidays, weekends, etc.)
As Trengo enables handling all interactions in one spot, you can utilize one message for your other channels to keep things consistent across all platforms. You can check out their demo to begin today!
Setting Up
Click Settings>Automation>Auto replies and tap the green + sign to begin.
Then pick WhatsApp as your preferred channel and decide when to send the message.
Type in your message for the customers, hit ‘save’, and you are all set.
What to Write in Automated Messages on WhatsApp?
You learned how to automate messages on WhatsApp, but you need to figure out what to write to make the most of this feature. To write your message, the main goal is to set realistic expectations of when you will be available to provide support. Customers prefer knowing precisely when they can expect some response from you rather than hanging in the middle. Moreover, honesty and transparency matter, so never bite off more than you can chew.
If you know the team is struggling with the volume of messages, then there is no harm in explaining that to your customers. Make sure to write naturally and don’t sound generic. Keep things short, sweet and, most importantly, friendly.
Conclusion
WhatsApp revolutionized automation, so if you are still pondering using WhatsApp automated messages, then this is your sign to get into action. Make the right choices for your brand’s long-term success.