How My Kid’s Early Morning Cartoon Inspired Me to Boost My WhatsApp Presence

I remember this one early Saturday morning when my kid was watching a Looney Tunes cartoon in the living room. As I got closer, I couldn’t help but laugh at the classic gag troupe where Bugs Bunny masterfully outsmarted a befuddled Elmer Fudd. To top it off, you get to hear his famous catchphrase “What’s up, doc?” I tell you, it never goes old.

Seeing their timeless back-and-forth play out so vividly, it struck me how Bugs Bunny was able to deliver his sly brand of humor and unique personality directly to my child. That got me thinking - why can’t businesses harness that same direct connection with their audience through online platforms, like WhatsApp?

Brands, with effectively optimized WhatsApp, will have the opportunity to share their messaging, personality, and offerings in an authentic, one-on-one way. It’s a chance to build strong personal bonds, build trust, and keep your brand top-of-mind, all through private messaging and even chatbots.

Explore the Landscape

We all use WhatsApp daily, right?

If you’re going to ask me, I would say that it’s all part of my digital footprint. I’m not saying that I can’t live without it but I do communicate with family, friends, and colleagues daily. More importantly, I also get to reach out to promising leads, and potential clients, and answer key customer inquiries and concerns.

After all, it’s the most used instant messaging app in Indonesia with 91% of users aged 16 to 64 years old using the platform every month with 35% of them saying it’s their favorite platform.?

Did you know that an average Indonesian alone uses this platform for 29 hours and 6 minutes every day per month?

Sure, there might be some data privacy concerns with parent company Meta changing its privacy policy by not allowing users to opt out of data sharing.

We can’t deny how important it is. I can’t even imagine what the business landscape would be like without it in 2024 and beyond.

If you’re going to think to ask small and medium enterprises (SMEs), they still find the platform as an essential marketing tool. Here are some reasons why:

• Many SMEs have embraced digitalization in recent years with the government estimating over 30 million SMEs digitized.
• WhatsApp has offered digital business training to over 4,500 SMEs around the country.
• Facebook Indonesia aims to increase its reach to over 60 million SMEs out of 143 million total users in the country.

Think about it, taking away WhatsApp in your business processes means that you have to choose data protection and privacy rights over everyone’s livelihood. It’s tough for SMEs and we can’t blame users either when a survey has shown that the three most important smartphone push notifications are: WhatsApp, email, and SMS in that particular order.

In fact, communication and negotiation are part of the core Indonesian psyche and that’s one way users can overcome the limitations of apps. If you’re not familiar with our culture, we live in a "local but open and connected" society where there's a greater emphasis on interpersonal relationships through communication.

Should You Embrace It?

Pondering about that Eureka moment, have you ever pictured your brand as Bugs Bunny? Well, imagine yourself in his shoes and think about how embracing a unique personality and charm can captivate your audience. It won’t be possible without WhatsApp.

It’s not just a messaging app, it’s a powerful tool that you need to take advantage of. In today's world of on-demand services, users want to get what they want in an instant like Roadrunner running as fast as Willie Coyote. Having said that, we believe that being responsive is the key to getting people’s attention. That’s why we embraced WhatsApp Business by creating a profile just for Swarna alone. We think of it as a direct line of communication to our brand so that we can respond to leads and clients on a real-time basis.

As mentioned above, I have managed to pick up some interesting insights that you may want to do on WhatsApp:

• Share important updates with customers, i.e. order confirmations, shipment updates, and appointment availability.
• Run personalized marketing strategies by driving upsell and cross-sell, re-engaging to reduce cart abandonments and hyper-relevant promotions.
• Connect with potential customers like never before by letting these conversations drive favorable business outcomes and build long-term relationships.
• Build a friction-free buyer experience making it easier to browse products or place an order.
• Increase efficiency of customer care and support through automated conversational flows, smart routing, and CRM and market automation platform integration.
• Create unique interactive conversation experiences that engage and convert.

Let’s Boost Your Presence

Now that you have a clear understanding of how things work, let me spill the beans on how to give your brand’s WhatsApp presence a turbo boost. Let’s be as nimble, witty, and resourceful as Bugs Bunny as we navigate the digital landscape.

Here are some golden nuggets of inspiration:

?? Business Profile as a Digital Storefront: Build a snazzy profile complete with your business name, a catchy description, and all the contact information your customers could ever need.

?? Master the Art of Quick Replies: When you communicate, make it short, simple, and memorable. Be lighting-fast with your responses just like Marvin the Martian’s laser gun. Equip yourself with quick replies to swiftly tackle common customer queries from opening hours to pricing.

?? Set Up Automated Messages: Welcome your customers with open arms, even when you’re away from your phone. Set up automated messages to ensure that no inquiry goes unanswered, ever.

?? Broadcast your Brand Message: You don’t need a loudspeaker but you need to broadcast your brand message on WhatsApp by sending bulk messages about promotions and product or service updates. That way, you can increase your brand reach, visibility, and awareness.

??? Showcase Your Catalog: Just like Bugs, he has an arsenal of tricks on his sleeve, and you should too! Showcase your goods and services in a catalog format, making it a breeze for customers to browse and buy directly. No more asking for “What’s up, doc?” all the time!

?? Stay Organized with Labels: You can’t keep up with everything if you don’t organize your chats with labels. Whether it’s sales, support, or billing, categorize your conversations with labels as colorful as carrots for swift and efficient management.

?? Share Short Links: Don’t fall into a deep rabbit hole, leave breadcrumbs for your customers by sharing short links to guide them seamlessly to your WhatsApp inbox. Make it effortless for them to reach out and start a conversation.

??? Go Desktop with Web: Don’t be tied down to your phone - embrace the freedom of WhatsApp on the web. Respond to customer inquiries with ease, all from the comfort of your desktop!

?? Create your Community: Build your group to connect with your most loyal customers. Share updates, provide loyalty programs, offer exclusive deals, and foster a sense of community around your brand.

?? Make It Interesting: Whether you’re sharing a brand new product or promotional campaign, people beyond your target audience would end up ignoring your WhatsApp messages if these don’t catch their attention. Let’s face it, you can’t expect people to open messages from unknown contacts. Consider what kind of content you want to share by making sure that it’s relatable to your target audience.

?? Customer Retention is Essential: Satisfied and loyal customers are more likely to continue doing business with you. This is why it is so important to maintain a good relationship with them at all times.

One Last Thing…

Just before you go, there is one crucial aspect you just can’t overlook - the importance of data privacy and security.

While WhatsApp offers unparalleled opportunities for direct engagement and customer relationship building, you must prioritize the security of your customer’s personal information. There have to be transparent privacy policies, secure data handling practices, and clear consent protocols in place.

Always remember that your customers are entrusting you with their private communication channels. Betraying that trust, even inadvertently, can have devastating consequences for your brand’s reputation and customer loyalty.

At the end of the day, optimizing your WhatsApp Business page can be a game-changer, allowing you to forge deep, personal connections with your audience, provide exceptional customer service, and unlock new growth opportunities.

That’s all folks!

My team at Swarna will work closely with you to craft a tailored strategy that aligns with your unique business goals. From profile optimization to targeted campaigns, we'll ensure your brand stands out and forges deep connections with your customers.

Find out more about our fascinating market insights at The Marketician now!