Leveraging WhatsApp for Business: A Game-Changer for the Channel

Why it matters: WhatsApp for Business is limiting omnichannel support, and channel partners can close the gap with Voiceflex OmniChat, automation, CRM, GDPR and

Rebekah Carter

WhatsApp for Business channel opportunity

The world of communication has changed. New generations are entering the landscape, shaping expectations for customer support, and internal business interactions. Messaging has emerged as a popular and convenient way to connect, particularly through free channels like WhatsApp.

Worldwide, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging channel, with more than 2 billion monthly active users sending over 100 billion messages each day. Despite this, companies are struggling to embed WhatsApp into their communication strategies.

Even WhatsApp for Business has limitations, with basic automation options, issues with data protection, integrations, and collaboration. This represents an incredible opportunity for channel partners to step in, and elevate their customers’ omnichannel communications strategies.

Paul Taylor, CCO at Voiceflex says, “The demand for efficient and reliable communication channels has never been greater, and WhatsApp offers unparalleled reach and engagement. With our OmniChat solution, we empower businesses to seamlessly integrate WhatsApp into their communication strategy, ensuring they can connect with customers anywhere, at any time.

This isn't just about keeping up with trends; it's about delivering a superior customer experience that drives loyalty and growth."

Why Demand for WhatsApp is Growing

Increasingly, both employees and customers are looking for ways to communicate using the apps they feel most comfortable with. In fact, one in three customers say that they would prefer to communicate with companies using messaging or WhatsApp, instead of traditional phone calls.

Some studies even suggest other messaging methods (such as SMS) will become less popular in the years ahead. One report suggests that while A2P SMS accounted for over 98% of business messaging traffic in 2020, the rise of WhatsApp will reduce this number to 24.7% by 2027.

WhatsApp gives organizations an exceptional opportunity to connect consistently with customers through the world’s most popular messaging app. What’s more, it’s one of the best ways to elevate engagement. Around 80% of WhatsApp messages are read within the first 5 minutes.

WhatsApp enables access to diverse, unique communication methods, supporting lists, CTAs, links, images, video attachments, and more. Plus, companies can even leverage automation to deliver service to customers 24/7 and even offer proactive support.

The Opportunity for Channel Partners

Most companies are aware that if they want to delight and retain customers in the modern world, and effectively align their teams, they need an omnichannel approach to communication. Unfortunately, most organizations can only take a limited approach to their omnichannel strategy.

Frequently, companies overlook WhatsApp as a messaging channel, because they either don’t know how to embed the Business API into their communications, or they struggle with the solution’s limitations. As mentioned above, WhatsApp for Business still struggles with basic solutions for automation, limited Data Protection, and poor solutions for internal collaboration.

Channel partners, however, can leverage dedicated WhatsApp Business Platform solutions that eliminate these risks. Offerings like Voiceflex OmniChat give channel partners access to an innovative portfolio of features, from Team Access from a single log-in, to chatbot creation tools, integrations with existing systems, voice capabilities, and more.

The benefits for channel partners include:

Extended Reach and Customer Experience

Delivering WhatsApp as part of your omnichannel communication solution gives you an opportunity to extend the reach of your offering to a wider range of companies, worldwide. As a global solution, available in over 180 countries, and 60 languages, WhatsApp unlocks unlimited reach.

It also ensures channel partners can give their end customers the tools they need to connect with customers anywhere, at any time, on the platform they use most. Companies can leverage real-time chat to engage with customers quickly, deliver personalized and engaging experience with multimedia rich messaging, and provide consistent convenience for their target audience.

Seamless Integration and Alignment

One of the major challenges of relying exclusively on WhatsApp Business for companies, is that integration options are generally limited. Organizations don’t want to have to use separate channels for different communications, creating data silos and complexity.

With a dedicated solution, channel partners can streamline the integration process, allowing companies to connect WhatsApp to their existing phone system, ensuring leads and opportunities aren’t lost, and empowering connections to CRM solutions.

Greater Value Through Automation

Automation has emerged as one of the most valuable resources for businesses looking to accomplish more with less in a dynamic environment. With a dedicated WhatsApp solution, channel partners can empower companies to go beyond the basic automation options offered by WhatsApp. They can allow them to prequalify leads with unique workflows, automatically route enquiries to the right team, and easily manage requests out of hours.

Solutions like OmniChat even support the creation of programmable chatbots that can automate customer interactions, proactively send notifications to customers, and keep team members aligned. They can even offer access to dedicated templates that streamline consistent communications.

Preserved Security and Compliance

A common reason companies fail to adopt WhatsApp for communications (both internally and externally), is that it can create issues with compliance. Regulators even fined Wall Street firms $549 million in 2023 for using WhatsApp incorrectly.

Channel partners can eliminate these concerns, giving companies access to end-to-end encryption, GDPR-ready solutions, and advanced analytics and reports that can minimize risks. They can ensure businesses maintain the records they need to stay compliant, protect sensitive data, and avoid fines, while enabling effortless conversations with customers.

Empowered Teams

Today’s companies don’t just need to enhance their approach to customer experience to stay competitive, they also need to ensure they’re consistently empowering teams to work collaboratively. With a dedicated WhatsApp solution, channel partners can synergize teams.

They can offer access to a centralized solution and shared inboxes for increased visibility, empower sales and service teams to track historical chats and work together on complex tasks, and minimize the gaps between workers.

Unlocking the Power of WhatsApp in the Channel

Providing access to an engaging, rich, and persistent conversational messaging tool like WhatsApp gives channel partners a unique way to differentiate their offering in today’s world. It’s an opportunity to address the current concerns and goals of businesses in the evolving messaging landscape.

However, simply embracing WhatsApp’s business API may not be enough on its own. To deliver the biggest benefits, preserve compliance, and capture the trust of customers, channel partners need a comprehensive solution for success.

Voiceflex, with its dedicated OmniChat offering, gives channel partners access to a comprehensive toolkit for messaging enablement. The all-in-one solution includes access to dedicated business profiles, convenient messaging tools with quick replies and labels, and integrations for a range of critical tools. Plus, it enables partners to constantly enhance the value they offer their customers, with access to programmable chatbots, advanced analytics and reporting, and template managers.

With OmniChat, channel partners can finally empower companies to take full advantage of the potential of WhatsApp, without unnecessary risks.

Paul Taylor, CCO at Voiceflex says, "We understand the challenges businesses face in adopting new communication tools. Our WhatsApp Business Platform, OmniChat, not only provides the features needed to leverage WhatsApp effectively but also addresses critical issues like security and compliance.

By partnering with us, channel partners can offer their customers a comprehensive, secure, and highly engaging communication solution that stands out in the competitive landscape."

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