WhatsApp is a multi-data format instant messaging application which facilitates conversation between people and among groups of people via the Internet.
Messages can be sent in text, image, audio or video formats to the targets. Instant messaging apps are helping users to save money on their interactions because it is cheaper than SMS. WhatsApp has over 450million users globally, with one million new accounts created every month.
I was extremely excited when Jan Koum, Co-founder and CEO of WhatsApp, commended Ghana as a major creative-user country during the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, last week. He was astounded that WhatsApp was being used by lecturers to hold discussions with students while the students also used it to compare notes among themselves. I know a lecturer in Ashesi University who uses it for his class discussions. However, WhatsApp can also be used for business in so many creative ways. But you must first set up an account.
Setting up WhatsApp Account
• Check your mobile phone compatibility: Make sure your mobile is Internet-enabled and able to have WhatsApp installed on it. Smart phones have app stores where you can download and install hundreds of applications on them. WhatsApp is compatible with iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia, Android, Symbian and Windows phones. If your phone is compatible then you are ready to go.
• Download and Install WhatsApp: Go to their website (www.whatsapp.com) or you can go through your phone’s app store and search for WhatsApp with its green and round ‘speech bubble’ icon with a white phone handle. Click on “Install” to install directly to your phone. Make sure you have enough Internet data to download the application or better still use WiFi connectivity.
• Create your profile: After installation, you must add details to your WhatsApp profile. You need profile picture, name and status. Use your logo or a contact person’s image as profile picture with a corresponding profile name. Write a brief description of what you do, running promotion, discount deals, products on sale or contact details, as status.
• Find Other Users: All the contacts using WhatsApp will be shown in your WhatsApp app contacts. Any new contact you add will show within WhatsApp and you will know whether they are already using it or not.
• Invite others: Invite those who are not on WhatsApp via a mail, Message (SMS message) or Twitter. They will be sent the mail and Tweet via the Internet. But you will be charged local SMS rate if you choose the Message option. Your target contact will receive SMS instructing them to download WhatsApp via a URL or web link.
• Have A Simple Strategy: Congrats, if you have set up your WhatsApp account. You need to develop a simple strategy to manage it. Your strategy can be for customer engagement, marketing and sales, advertising or promotions. You must have clear objectives you want to achieve with the setting up of the WhatsApp account.
• Publicise your Contact: All your brand items or corporate identities (call card, business cards, complimentary cards, letterheads, TShirts, etc) must have your WhatsApp contact. You can have a poster designed just for your WhatsApp account displayed in your shop, premises or on vehicles. It can also be on your website or social media accounts.
Creative ways to use WhatsApp
• Customer Engagement: Since customers are the life of any business, engaging them is crucial to the profitability of the business. Have your key or influential customers’ contacts on your WhatsApp so you can interact with them frequently and when they want to engage with you. You can initiate the conversation by sending a simple “Hello” to your contacts and they will respond. Be creative with your conversation.
• Call Centre: Use your WhatsApp as a Call Centre for your business or organization. Existing or new customers can make enquiries or give feedback using your contact any time they have an issue with your products or services. You can control it by giving the days of the week and time anyone can contact you on WhatsApp.
• Advertising: WhatsApp is one of the best digital media channels you can use to send structured messages to a group of people or individuals. Your graphic/print advert must be simple and less cluttered if you want to send it via WhatsApp for easy reading. You can also send your radio or TV advert.
• Promotions: Is it discount deals or new arrival of products? You can notify your customers by sending the information in text, audio or image formats. You can change your status into your promotion copy (text) or change profile picture with promo image.
• Project Management: A department of your company or business can create a project group on WhatsApp so they can interact and keep everyone in the loop concerning the project being managed. Contents and contacts can be shared within the group in real time.
• Market Research: You can organise surveys and focused group discussions with your employees, customers, suppliers, or target market segments in real time. You can choose the group members, get their contacts and set up the group. Alert them of the time you will start the discussion by sending them a text of what will be discussed so they can prepare.
• Campaigns: Run simple campaigns on WhatsApp. You can give away some products or coupons. You can let them send images of them using your products or anywhere they find your vehicle or billboards. This helps you to acquire the contacts of your target market as well.
Conclusion
WhatsApp is fast becoming a great communication application which businesses and individuals can creatively and innovatively use. New features to enable voice calls and video chats will be added to increase the user experience. It will require you to also be innovative about how to use these features.
The writer is a technology consultant, social media strategist, advertiser & speaker
Twitter.com/@maxihere
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