In today's digital age, instant messaging has become an integral part of our daily lives. Two out of three people said they prefer to shop from a business they can message. One platform that has revolutionized the way we communicate is WhatsApp. According to Business of Apps, WhatsApp is the leading mobile messaging app globally, enabling businesses the power to connect with customers personally, at scale through messaging. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, WhatsApp has emerged as one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide with 2.8 billion users in 2023.

WhatsApp has recently rolled out new features: WhatsApp Flows, that allows users to swiftly develop and deploy native, task-centric workflows on WhatsApp. In addition to this new feature, WhatsApp continues to support WhatsApp Templates which allow users to send structured messages to specific audiences. Let's delve deeper into WhatsApp Flows and WhatsApp Templates to understand their functionality and how they enhance user interactions on the platform.

Before that, let's first explore WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API before diving into WhatsApp Flows and Templates.

WhatsApp Business App is tailored for businesses and provides valuable features such as away messages, quick replies for efficient customer interactions, and conversation labels for better organization. However, it does have certain limitations, particularly for medium to large enterprises aiming to expand and enhance customer communication. For example, the broadcast feature is limited to 256 contacts, only one business account can be used per device, it lacks comprehensive FAQs, and its limited integration capabilities may hinder the efficiency of business operations and customer data management.

WhatsApp Business Platform differs from WhatsApp Business App, functioning as a backend system that allows businesses to manage and automate their conversations on WhatsApp. It enables larger businesses to integrate their systems, such as CRM and marketing platforms, with WhatsApp API. Specifically designed for growing and large businesses, WhatsApp Business Platform offers advanced features including WhatsApp chatbot integration, unlimited broadcasts, and the ability to send various notifications such as shipping updates, order statuses, and requests for feedback or product reviews. These features make it an indispensable tool for businesses that need to communicate efficiently with a large customer base. Both WhatsApp Flows and WhatsApp Templates are features of WhatsApp Business Platform to provide automated and interactive experiences.

One of the advantages of WhatsApp Flows is that it automates the response process by eliminating the need for manual typing and significantly reducing response times. In contrast to the manual method, which is prone to delays and mistakes, WhatsApp Flows ensures prompt and accurate responses to customer inquiries. By leveraging predefined workflows and templates, businesses can streamline communication, enhance productivity, and maintain consistency across interactions.

Through WhatsApp Flows, businesses are able to specify, modify, and personalize messages featuring dynamic interactions, offering customers a more organized approach to communication. It can be utilized for any situation where structured communication is more in line with customer preferences, including appointment scheduling, product exploration, customer feedback collection, and the creation of new sales leads. WhatsApp Flows offer a method for constructing organized interactions tailored for business messaging.

WhatsApp Templates are pre-approved message formats used for sending out specific types of communication to customers. Without WhatsApp templates, it’s not possible to send bulk messages or notifications to customers on WhatsApp. WhatsApp Templates ensure that messages adhere to WhatsApp’s guidelines and are sent in a structured format. They are essential for reaching customers who haven't interacted with your business before, as WhatsApp requires that initial interactions be initiated by the user. This feature is particularly useful for sending out important updates, reminders, or confirmations to a large number of customers.

Hatten Hotel Melaka

Hatten Hotel Melaka, a client in the hospitality sector, has partnered with us to develop a cutting-edge WhatsApp chatbot using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to handle hotel reservations and FAQs. Our chatbot has allowed customers to easily check room availability through an interactive search function and seamlessly directs them to the booking site for scheduling.

With the introduction of WhatsApp Flows, the Hatten Hotel Melaka chatbot now offers customers the ability to select multiple options during interactions, enhancing flexibility and personalization. This feature enables customers to choose from various preferences, resulting in a more customized and engaging experience. Additionally, the improved user segmentation allows for more targeted marketing strategies, making communications more relevant and effective.

Hatten Hotel Melaka has also successfully leveraged WhatsApp Templates to enhance engagement through broadcast messages. With WhatsApp Templates, Hatten Hotel Melaka effortlessly promotes their products by sending timely broadcast messages about ongoing promotions. This approach allows customers to receive instant replies with detailed information on the latest offers, resulting in a remarkable 76% open rate and highly effective lead generation.

PSB Academy Singapore

Another example of success comes from PSB Academy, one of our clients. PSB Academy’s WhatsApp chatbot manages numerous consumer inquiries daily, providing fast and accurate responses. This swift response capability not only boosts user satisfaction but also enhances overall results. Additionally, the chatbot facilitates feedback collection and internal surveys, providing valuable insights and satisfaction ratings. Since implementing the WhatsApp chatbot, PSB Academy has experienced a boost in customer satisfaction. Currently, 81% of users have rated the chatbot’s performance with four stars or higher, indicating a significant enhancement in customer satisfaction on the chatbot.

PSB Academy leverages customer behavior data to send targeted webinar invitations to nursing students using WhatsApp Templates. WhatsApp Templates allow PSB Academy to include text, CTA buttons, videos, URLs, or images in their broadcasts. This flexibility ensures that their invitations are not only informative but also visually appealing and interactive, enhancing the likelihood of engagement from the recipients. They are also able to track key metrics such as delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, enabling data-driven decision-making.

M1 Singapore

M1 Singapore demonstrated the powerful impact of WhatsApp Templates in enhancing their marketing campaign's effectiveness. By broadcasting exclusive mobile plan offers through these templates, M1 Singapore achieved impressive results, with 39% of chat respondents showing interest in the new plans.

The campaigns are beyond simply generating interest; M1 Singapore also sends pre-order reminders using WhatsApp Templates, which played a key role in driving conversions. This approach led to a 6% conversion rate, as customers completed pre-order forms for the new mobile plans. By seamlessly integrating reminders and offering an intuitive user experience, M1 Singapore effectively transitioned customers from interest to action, highlighting the effectiveness of WhatsApp Templates in driving engagement and delivering measurable outcomes.

Both WhatsApp Flows and WhatsApp Templates can be utilised to significantly enhance your communication strategies. Templates facilitate efficient broadcast messaging, while Flows provide a more interactive user experience.

With AiChat WhatsApp chatbot, you can build an AI chatbot to accomplish a variety of tasks with your customers, including FAQ chatbot, lead generation, reservation or appointment booking, quiz, broadcast message, customer support and feedback and many more. In other words, WhatsApp chatbot allows for 24/7 customer support. WhatsApp chatbot offers scalability, allowing businesses to handle high volumes of messages effortlessly without compromising quality in order to create more user-friendly, engaging, and efficient customer interactions or increase engagement. Plan and design are important components in the process of implementing an AI chatbot. The best chatbot is simple, clear, and produces a seamless customer experience.

Ready to take your WhatsApp conversations to the next level with the latest features? Let AiChat help you unlock the full potential. Connect with AiChat today!