Tips for Whatsapp as a marketing tool

MESSENGER WhatsApp recently surpassed the one-billion-user mark. Officially, the messaging app is ad-free. Nevertheless, WhatsApp can be used for commercial purposes.On February 2, 2016, the text messaging service Whatsapp announced a milestone: one billion users have installed the SMS alternative on their smartphone or tablet. 42 billion messages per day are sent via Whatsapp. Users also send 1.6 billion photos and 250 million videos every day, and the world's largest online network Facebook acquired Whatsapp in 2014. To this day, no advertising can be placed on the messenger; there is a "no ads policy". Nevertheless, there are a number of ways for companies to use Whatsapp as a marketing tool. A Post article lists four examples of successful commercial use of Whatsapp:1. outfittery offers outfit adviceThe curated shopping service Outfittery is offering its customers style advice via Messenger. The company sent its customers a number and access to the new service. They can ask the styling team questions via WhatsApp - for example about combination options or the right clothes for a particular occasion - and receive an answer immediately. Based on the phone number sent, the team has access to the customer's CRM data and therefore knows which style they prefer.2nd radio station launches song contestThe radio station "RedFM" invited its listeners to send their own songs to the station via WhatsApp and apply to become a "RedFM WhatsApp Star". The reward was a personal introduction on the radio station's website.3. eastern German universities conduct live chat via WhatsAppOver the course of seven days, student advisors from Studying in the Far East and campus specialists from eleven eastern German universities offered a live student information chat via WhatsApp. Interested parties were invited via the website to save the contact information on their smartphones and ask their questions about studying, applying and student life via the messenger service.4 SRF delivers voting news via WhatsAppSRF recently launched a News channel for national voteswhich can be subscribed to. To do this, users must save the SRF News cell phone number in their contacts and write an initial message. The article also lists six advantages of marketing via Whatsapp:- Customers can communicate personal concerns quickly and easily.- The prompt response to incoming inquiries via the personal channel strengthens the customer relationship.- The informal relationship between the company and the customer appeals to younger target groups in particular. The informal relationship between company and customer appeals to younger target groups in particular.- WhatsApp creates proximity and enables fast service - an important differentiating feature on the market.- The proximity to the customer also generates a high level of attention and a feeling of connection.- The appearance of the logo in the personal chats creates strong branding effects.Source: http://newsletter-directpoint.post.ch/de/newsletter/01-2016/12-whatsapp-werbefreie-zone-oder-marketing-chance.html