WhatsApp has just made a bold move by announcing a reduction in the price of its utility messages by an unprecedented 67%. This price reduction not only makes WhatsApp cheaper but also extremely superior as an alternative to traditional SMS services for transactional alerts being sent by businesses. With this price drop, WhatsApp is paving the way for what could possibly be the final nail in the usage of SMS, which has already been suffering from declining popularity. So, why are so many businesses choosing WhatsApp over SMS today? Let’s break this down in simple terms.
Why Businesses Are Choosing WhatsApp Over SMS for Customer Communication?
Affordable Communication
The cost factor is the reason businesses are shifting to WhatsApp nowadays. On par with affordable communication options, WhatsApp offers significant value. Unlike SMS, which charges for each 160-character message that one sends, WhatsApp allows a business to have a conversation with their customer, which is valid for 24 hours. This means you can send multiple messages, including images, videos, and documents, all within one session, without worrying about racking up charges. For businesses that need to send frequent updates or alerts, this can lead to significant savings.
Conversational Marketing
One-way marketing is outdated. WhatsApp lets businesses have real-time conversations with their customers. This is called conversational marketing. Visualize sending your customers a personalized offer and getting back their feedback or questions-what are they thinking-instantly. This level of interaction wasn’t possible with SMS, which is one-way in nature. With WhatsApp, businesses can be much closer to customers and end-users, resulting in higher satisfaction and, thus, better sales.
Global Reach
WhatsApp has a huge user base, currently with 2.78 billion active users in total around the world. That gives businesses reach on a global scale-something quite impossible with SMS. Be it India, the United States, or any other part of the world, WhatsApp can connect you with your customer in just a snap. In other words, such global accessibility proves to be a game-changer for businesses operating in multiple countries or looking to expand their presence beyond local marketplaces.
Personalized Customer Interactions
WhatsApp personalizes marketing, arguably, more than any tool ever created. A business can send pre-set messages that are personalized for every individual in terms of consumption patterns. It could be a birthday message, an offer based on previous purchases, or a reminder of some sort for an upcoming event. In such a way, the customers are made to feel special and valued.
Unparalleled Open Rates
WhatsApp has an exemplary open rate. 98% of the messages going through WhatsApp get opened, meaning your customers are very likely to view messages coming from you via WhatsApp. While SMS is considerable behind WhatsApp in terms of open rate, email marketing is way behind. That means the assurance of knowing that when a WhatsApp message is sent, it reaches its target audience. Higher open rates mean more engagement and, hence, better results for your business.
Competitive Advantage
Small businesses that, up until today, could not afford to communicate like large enterprises now can. This pricing change is leveling the playing field, which in turn enables better customer service and efficiency in communication.
Why Your Business Needs WhatsApp Business API?
With these advantages, WhatsApp is no doubt the future of business communication. So, how does your business get started? That’s where the WhatsApp Business API comes in-it lets you integrate WhatsApp with your existing systems to automate and streamline communication. Whether confirmation of orders, appointment reminders, or responses toward customer support, WhatsApp’s Business API makes it seamless and efficient.
WhatsApp is the Future
Finally, WhatsApp manages to drastically cut its price while offering unparalleled features; hence, any businessperson would want to switch over to them for communication with customers. As more and more businesses start switching over, SMS will perhaps further decline in trend and keep being pushed into obscurity.
Do not fall behind in business. Step into the future of communication with WhatsApp Business API and take the interaction with your customers to another dimension.
Ready to make the switch to WhatsApp Business API? Contact us today to learn how we can help you integrate this powerful tool into your business. Start engaging your customers in a more meaningful way and watch your business grow!
