With over 2 billion users, according to official data, WhatsApp is one of the leading messaging apps in Brazil and worldwide. Although its primary function is messaging between people, Meta, the app’s developer, continually adds new tools and ways to communicate, such as the Status feature.
In 2023, the U.S. company launched another one of these tools, WhatsApp Channels, in over 150 countries, including Brazil. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder, was one of the first to inaugurate this new feature and create a channel where he shares news about Meta.
A few months later, various organizations and personalities followed Mark’s lead and created their own channels, including Conmebol Libertadores, the Ministry of Finance, Netflix, The New York Times, Shakira, and many others.
Continue reading to learn more about WhatsApp Channels and how to use this new way to communicate with your audience in your business.
What Are WhatsApp Channels and How Do They Work?
WhatsApp Channels are a one-way communication tool where organizations, personalities, and ordinary people can send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to their channel followers simply and quickly.
These channels are designed for one-way communication, meaning only channel admins can send messages. However, followers can interact with the content through emoji reactions.
Channels have no follower limits, allowing easy and direct communication with a large portion of your audience without restrictions. Admins can configure settings regarding who can follow the channel and whether they want it to be discoverable in the directory or make it more exclusive, visible only to followers with an invitation link.
The new WhatsApp tool also includes other settings to ensure the privacy of admins and participants. Channels do not display phone numbers, names, or photos of their members and admins, and only store message history for a maximum of 30 days. Additionally, it is possible to block screenshots and message forwarding from the channel, ensuring even more privacy.
However, if admins want to create a public channel, they can bypass some of these privacy settings and take advantage of the enhanced directory, which makes it easier for users to find channels based on their country and preferences. It is possible to view new, active, and popular channels.
In summary, channels are an interesting tool for organizations to send messages to a large group of customers at once, simplifying mass communication. However, unlike traditional chats, channels do not have automation features, such as WhatsApp chatbots or automatic messages for customers.
Who Can Create Channels?
Anyone can create a WhatsApp channel and start communicating with a large audience quickly and easily, but the main channels are typically from companies, personalities, and organizations.
Companies like Conmebol Libertadores and the Ministry of Finance already use channels to communicate directly with their followers, sharing news, updates, and relevant information. Personalities like Shakira also use channels to connect with their fans, offering a direct and efficient way to share exclusive content.
This feature is especially useful for companies that want to keep their customers informed about news, promotions, and events. With the ease of creating and managing channels, any business can leverage this tool to improve its communication and engagement with the audience.
How to Promote WhatsApp Channels
WhatsApp Channels have an enhanced directory, making it easier for users to find channels of interest in the Channels menu of the messaging app. Besides this organic promotion, channels can also be promoted through invitation links, which can be shared via email, social media, and other messaging apps.
To maximize your channel’s reach, it’s essential to promote the invitation link across all your company’s communication channels. Social media, newsletters, and even email signatures can be excellent places to share your channel link. Additionally, creating content that encourages your followers to share the channel with their contacts can further increase visibility.
Running specific marketing campaigns to promote the channel can also be effective. Offering exclusive content, promotions, or discounts to channel followers can encourage more people to subscribe. The more engagement the channel receives, the greater its impact on the company’s communication strategies.
How to Create Channels?
Creating WhatsApp Channels is very simple. The first step is to have the updated messaging app on your phone or computer. For businesses, it is necessary to use the WhatsApp Business app.
Within the app, go to the “Updates” tab where channels are displayed, and tap the three dots in the corner of the screen to find the “Create channel” option. Depending on the device, this option may appear as a plus sign (+) next to the word “Channels”.
Select this option, click “Continue” on the screen that appears with details about channels, and then start configuring your WhatsApp Channel with a name, description, and photo.
Once created, the next step is to customize the channel according to your company’s identity. Choosing a relevant profile photo, writing a clear and concise description, and setting privacy settings are crucial steps to ensure the channel meets the company’s objectives.
After creation and customization, it’s time to start posting content. Initially, it’s important to send welcome messages to new followers, explaining the purpose of the channel and the type of content that will be shared. Maintaining a regular posting schedule is essential to keep followers engaged.
Benefits of Having a WhatsApp Channel for Your Business
WhatsApp is one of the most accessed apps by Brazilians, but before channels, its use by companies was centered around customer service. However, with this new tool, it’s possible to use it in various other ways, communicating and engaging with your audience on a massive and simplified scale.
With features similar to Telegram, channels allow sending information, alerts, content of interest that complements a content marketing strategy, polls for feedback to better understand your audience’s behavior, and much more.
All this can be very useful to increase your audience’s engagement and the reach of your communications, also facilitating customer loyalty and retention.
Additionally, unlike WhatsApp groups, for example, channels offer more privacy for admins and followers since their information, such as names, numbers, and photos, is not displayed.
Channels also enable more efficient and direct communication with customers. The ability to send mass messages without the need to respond individually to each user saves time and resources. This efficiency can translate into faster and more satisfactory service for customers, strengthening their relationship with the company.
What to Post on WhatsApp Channels?
After creating your channel, it’s important to have a consistent flow of messages to keep followers engaged and interested in your content. Here are some examples of content to post on WhatsApp Channels:
- Exclusive Promotions and Coupons: A good strategy to retain customers and increase their interest in your channels is to use them to share exclusive promotions and coupons for followers. Besides engagement, this practice can make followers feel exclusive and special, solidifying their role as brand promoters.
- Content of Interest: Another interesting way to use WhatsApp Channels is to share content of interest to the audience, such as product demonstrations or solutions, rich content on a topic of interest, e-books, videos, new blog or website posts, and more.
- Exclusive Product Launches: Exclusive product and service launches are also an interesting way to use WhatsApp Channels and increase follower loyalty. Just like exclusive promotions, early launches on channels reward followers who keep up with the messages, increasing engagement and strengthening the customer-company relationship.
- Social Proof and Case Studies: Sharing social proof and success stories is a great way to increase conversion rates among the customers following your company’s channels, showing the applications and results of your services or products.
- Polls for Feedback and Audience Research: The poll feature in WhatsApp Channels is a powerful tool for collecting feedback and conducting research directly with your target audience, providing valuable insights to guide more effective strategies.
- General Information on FAQs and Common Problem Resolutions: You can also use channels to answer frequently asked questions about your services or products and communicate resolutions to common issues, such as bug fixes or server instability, for example.
WhatsApp Channels are a powerful tool for businesses looking to improve communication with their customers. With the ability to send messages to a large number of followers efficiently and personally, companies can achieve new levels of engagement and loyalty.
By integrating channels with other tools, such as customer service chatbots, businesses can create a complete and integrated customer service experience. Nexloo offers all these features in a single platform, helping companies maximize the potential of their WhatsApp Channels and achieve even better results.
Want to learn more about how Nexloo can help your company leverage WhatsApp Channels and other communication tools? Try a free 7-day trial now and discover all the benefits of a complete and integrated omnichannel platform. Don’t miss this opportunity!
