Mastering WhatsApp Marketing with AI Sensy:

WhatsApp has evolved beyond a personal messaging app to become a potent marketing channel. Leveraging the WhatsApp Business API is key to unlocking its full potential, enabling businesses to automate communication, send bulk messages, and provide next-level customer service. This comprehensive guide, based on the functionalities of a Business Solution Provider (BSP) like AiSensy, breaks down the process of setting up, scaling, and optimizing your WhatsApp marketing strategy.

🔑 Starting with WhatsApp Business API

The core prerequisite for advanced WhatsApp marketing, including bulk messaging and chatbots, is the WhatsApp Business API. This is an enterprise solution, not the free WhatsApp Business app.

Key Requirements to Get Started

WhatsApp Business API: You must use the API, which you get through an authorized BSP like AiSensy.
Verified Facebook Business Manager: Your Meta Business Manager account must be verified.
New Phone Number: Use a new phone number that is not already registered on the standard WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app.
Display Name: The display name should be verified.
Pricing:
- Platform Pricing: A monthly subscription amount is paid to the BSP (e.g., AiSensy) for using their platform.
- WhatsApp Conversation Pricing: WhatsApp charges are based on conversations, which is a 24-hour session. These can be Business-Initiated (started by the business using a template) or User-Initiated (started by a customer’s free-form message), with user-initiated conversations generally being cheaper.

Step-by-Step API Setup (via AiSensy/Meta Business Manager)

The process starts with setting up your Facebook Developer account and linking it to your Meta Business Manager.

Sign Up: Sign up with your chosen BSP (e.g., AiSensy).
Create a Facebook Developer Account/App:
- Sign up with Google.
- Create a new app (select “Business” as the type).
- Add WhatsApp as a product to the app.
Connect Business Manager: Select your verified Business Manager Account. If it’s not verified, you may need to complete the verification process.
Create WhatsApp Business Profile:
- Choose to Create New (account and profile).
- Enter basic business details: Business Account Name, WhatsApp Display Name, Time Zone, Business Category, and a Website (optional but recommended).
Verify Phone Number: Enter the new number you wish to use for the API. It must not be on any other WhatsApp app. You will receive an OTP (One-Time Password) to verify the number.
Ready to Chat: Once verified, your WhatsApp Business API is live. Initially, you have a limited quota of conversations (e.g., 1,000 Business-Initiated or Customer-Initiated conversations/messages).

📈 Scaling WhatsApp Broadcast Campaigns

The true power of the API lies in Broadcasting messages, which requires approved message templates and careful management of your messaging limit tiers.

1. Template Message Approval

All Business-Initiated Messages (broadcasts) must use a pre-approved template message.

Step	Detail
Manage Templates	Navigate to the template management section in your BSP dashboard. You can use pre-built templates or create a new template.
Select Category	For broadcast messages, the category is typically Marketing. Other categories include Utility and Authentication.
Define Template	Give the template a name (for internal reference) and select the language (e.g., English).
Template Type	Select the type: Text, Image, Video, or File (to send along with the text).
Craft Message	Write your message using Dynamic Parameters (e.g., `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`). These act as placeholders for personalized values like a customer’s name, start date, or order details. Sample values must be provided for approval.
Add Footer	A footer (e.g., “Enter STOP to Unsubscribe”) is recommended for opt-out management.
Interactive Actions	Add a Call to Action (CTA) button (e.g., `URL` for a landing page or `Phone Number`) or Quick Replies. Click Tracking can be enabled on CTAs (often available in pro plans) for better analytics.
Submit	Submit the template for approval. Templates are generally approved within seconds but can take up to 24 hours.

2. Managing Contacts and Segmentation

Before broadcasting, you need an audience list.

Import Contacts: Contacts can be imported using a CSV format containing Name, Mobile Number (with country code, e.g., +91), and other details.
Tags and Sources: It is very important to assign Tags (e.g., ‘Hot,’ ‘Poll,’ ‘Webinar Testing Prospects’) and Sources to your contacts. This allows for segmentation and targeted broadcasting.
Dynamic Addition: Contacts who organically message your WhatsApp number will be automatically added to the platform’s contact list.

3. Understanding and Increasing Broadcast Quota Tiers

The number of unique users you can broadcast to in a 24-hour period is governed by your Messaging Tier.

Tier	Daily Limit (Unique Users)	Progression Requirement (from previous tier)
Tier 1	1,000	Initial limit or after reaching 1,000 users in 30 days from Trial.
Tier 2	10,000	Send messages to at least 500 unique users within a consistent duration of 7 days (limit increases on the 8th day).
Tier 3	100,000	Send messages to at least 5,000 unique users within a consistent duration of 7 days.
Tier 4	Unlimited	Continuously meet the high threshold for Tier 3.

Key: To upgrade, you need to send high-quality messages and utilize at least half of your current tier’s limit over a 7-day period.

4. Launching a Broadcast Campaign

Launch Campaign: Select the Broadcast Campaign option (not CSV Broadcast or API Campaign).
Define Audience: Select your audience using Attributes (like Tags and Sources) to apply segmentation and filters (e.g., send only to contacts with the ‘Poll’ tag). You can also use Opt-In and Block options.
Select Template: Choose the pre-approved template.
Map Parameters: Dynamically replace the numbered parameters ({{1}}, {{2}}) in your template with values like First Name, Order Amount, or Static Values (e.g., “June”). Use a Fallback Value (e.g., “Hi Student,” “Candidate”) in case the dynamic value fails to populate.
Media Upload: If your template supports an image/video, upload the media file.
Schedule/Send: Schedule the campaign for a later time/date or Send Now. You can also send a Test message to check the appearance.

📊 Campaign Analytics and Remarketing

Broadcasting is only the first step. Analyzing campaign performance is crucial for optimization and remarketing.

Analyzing Campaign Metrics

The analytics dashboard provides key metrics:

Sent/Delivered: Number of messages sent and successfully delivered.
Read: Percentage of recipients who opened the message.
Click: Percentage of recipients who clicked the Call to Action button (if click tracking is enabled).
Failure Rate: Percentage of messages that failed to send.

Smart Segmentation for Remarketing

Analytics allow for Smart Segmentation based on user interaction:

Interaction-Based: Users who READ the message BUT DID NOT CLICK the link.
Reply-Based: Users who REPLIED or DID NOT REPLY to the message.

Remarketing Strategy:

Analyze: Identify a segment (e.g., “Message Read and Not Clicked” – the audience who showed interest but did not convert).
Select Audience: Use the smart segmentation filter to select this specific audience.
Create New Template: Draft and get a new, specific template approved (e.g., a “Webinar Reminder” with a new offer). Avoid sending the exact same message.
Launch Retargeting Campaign: Launch a new broadcast campaign to this segmented audience using the new template. This focus on the user’s journey improves the Conversion Rate.

🤖 Deploying WhatsApp Chatbots

Chatbots automate the conversation flow, providing instant replies and collecting data.

Initiating the Chatbot Flow

A flow defines the conversation path. It can be triggered by three primary intents:

Keywords: Triggered when a user messages a specific keyword (e.g., “Demo Class”) to the WhatsApp number.
Template Interaction: Triggered when a user interacts with a Button or CTA in a previously sent broadcast message/template.
Click-to-WhatsApp Ads: Triggered when a user clicks on a Facebook/Instagram Ad that redirects them to WhatsApp. The Ad Account must be connected to the BSP platform.

Building the Conversation Flow

The flow is built using various Cards and actions:

Message + Buttons: The first card typically includes a welcome message (with a dynamic HI {{FIRST NAME}}) and multiple choice buttons (e.g., “Know About ABC Coaching,” “Courses Available,” “Talk to Counselor”).
Media + Buttons: Allows sending an Image, Video, or File along with the text and buttons.
List Message: Presents a list of options (e.g., different course names) for the user to select from.

Data Capture and Intervention

Capture Attributes: When a user interacts with a specific option (e.g., a course name), internal Attributes (e.g., Course: 14 Days IELTS) are set on their contact number. This allows for future filtering and segmentation based on specific interests.
Capture Input: Use Question Cards to capture user input, such as a Preferred Start Date or an Email Address. This data can also be stored as an Attribute.
Add Tags: Based on the interaction, an Additional Tag can be assigned to the contact number for easier segmentation later.
Request Intervention: The “Talk to Counselor” button should trigger a Request Intervention action. This sends a notification to a human agent on the Live Chat dashboard, allowing them to take over the conversation from the bot.

🛍️ E-commerce Automation

The API allows for automated, event-driven messaging based on e-commerce store activities (WooCommerce or Shopify).

Setup and Configuration

Store Setup (Shopify/WooCommerce):
- Connect your e-commerce platform by entering the store URL, Access Token, and API Secret Key (found in the store settings/admin panel).
Checkout Setup: Select your payment gateway (e.g., Razorpay) for accurate event tracking.
Setup Messages: Review and Enable pre-built templates for common e-commerce events (e.g., Order Confirmation, Order Cancelled, COD Confirmation, Abandoned Cart). These templates are then ready to be used in Flows.

Automated E-commerce Flows

Flows automate messages based on store events:

Abandoned Cart Flow:
- Set up multiple messages (e.g., one at 30 minutes, one at 1 day, one at 3 days).
- Select the relevant template (e.g., with a coupon offer) and enable the flow.
Confirmation Flow (COD):
- COD Order Confirmation messages are crucial to reduce RTO (Return to Origin).
- The message often includes dynamic parameters for the order amount and product name, with buttons to CONFIRM or DISCARD the order.
- Further flows can be built to handle the user’s CONFIRM or DISCARD reply.
Order Flow (Prepaid/Confirmed): Automatically sends an Order Confirmation message immediately after a prepaid order or a confirmed COD order.

✅ Achieving the WhatsApp Official Green Tick

The Official Green Tick provides instant credibility and trust. It is only obtainable through the WhatsApp Business API.

Prerequisites for Green Tick Application

Requirement	Detail
API Account	Active WhatsApp Business API account.
Business Verification	Verified Meta Business Manager account.
Notability	Your brand must be notable and well-known. This is assessed by:
	a) Appearing in the Top 1 to 3 Google Search Results for your company/brand name.
	b) Having Organic Media Articles (unpaid news coverage) on online news media platforms (minimum 3 to 5 recommended).
	c) A large following on social media (over 10,000 followers is recommended).

Important: Meeting these prerequisites does not guarantee the Green Tick, as the final decision rests entirely with WhatsApp/Meta.
Process: Your BSP (e.g., AiSensy) or Tech Team will submit the application on your behalf. The response typically arrives within 7 to 10 days. If rejected, you must wait 30 days before reapplying.

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