With open rates around 98% and click-through rates above 30%, WhatsApp has been a real game changer for marketers. If you’re interested in adding the messaging app to your marketing mix, but are not quite sure where to start, we got you!

We’ve compiled six WhatsApp marketing examples to inspire you.

Why even use WhatsApp for marketing campaigns?

WhatsApp is the most used social media platform in the UK. As of 2024, 79% of British internet users are chatting on it. Most Brits also name WhatsApp as their favourite social media app (far ahead of Instagram and TikTok).

Given how wide-spread and popular WhatsApp is in the UK, it’s really a no-brainer that your business should also have a presence on your customer’s favourite communication channel.

If you have an international customer base, WhatsApp can also come in very handy. In countries like India or Brazil, WhatsApp is already ubiquitous and it’s much easier to send messages across borders with an internet-based app than SMS, for example.

Aside from its reach, WhatsApp also has a few unique features that make it particularly interesting for marketing.

Bulk messaging with individual targeting

With WhatsApp, you can easily set up bulk messaging campaigns and use one single message to reach thousands of users. You also set up WhatsApp marketing messages as templates that can be re-used, just like an email template that you recycle for your regular newsletter.

At the same time, there are built-in variables such as {{firstname}} or {{brandname}} that allow for easy customisation of each message.

And: None of these messages end up in a group chat. Instead, bulk marketing messages sent via WhatsApp land as individual messages in each user’s inbox. This means that when you send WhatsApp marketing messages, you’re starting personal, one-on-one chats with each subscriber.

High engagement

Given the conversion rates and the reduced costs on advertising, WhatsApp offers some of the best engagement rates. Here’s why.

WhatsApp. Cuts. Through.

WhatsApp notifications end up on a user’s lock screen, and there aren’t any spam folders or algorithms to stop your message from getting through.
That can also really boost brand awareness. Since the messaging app supports multimedia elements like images, GIFs, videos, links, emojis, and voice messages, WhatsApp marketing campaigns generate high engagement and provide a smoother customer experience.

Great ROI

Your brand also ends up in the same trusted environment as chats with friends and family, so it’s a great opportunity to engage with users on a personal level. And if you want to re-engage a customer, they’re only one WhatsApp message away. That’s a lot more cost-efficient than running ads on search engines or social media.

Plus, you can also use WhatsApp beyond marketing. Think customer support, appointment reminders, or even authentication messages – the possibilities are endless, and you get more value for the money spent.

WhatsApp marketing examples for gaining new customers

WhatsApp is an efficient tool when it comes to reaching new audiences, as the WhatsApp marketing examples from the following four companies show.

How the car e-platform instamotion went from users they couldn’t reach to a 19% response rate

Even though buying a used car online has become more common, it’s still not a spontaneous decision. Where people might hit “buy” on a t-shirt without thinking about it too much, spending thousands of pounds on a car requires more consideration and probably a chat with an expert.

Knowing one-on-one consultation is key to making a big purchase, the team at used car online platform instamotion wants to make sure their team is available for questions. That’s why they give interested users the option to leave their contact information, and then an expert gets back in touch with them to talk through the details.

But instamotion agents soon noticed that many times, they couldn’t reach that person via phone call. This resulted in lost leads and therefore lost sales for instamotion. Until they introduced WhatsApp.

When filling out their contact forms, users can now also opt in to receive a call or message on WhatsApp. In case the instamotion team can’t reach someone on the phone, they switch to WhatsApp. This has led to a 19% response rate from potential customers and boosted their sales with a mind-boggling 116% increase of conversions from vehicle inquiry to purchase!

H3: How news outlet BQ Prime doubled their readership

The financial news outlet BQ Prime has a very engaged, yet busy, readership. Most readers work in the fast-paced finance industry, so they’re interested in getting immediate updates that they can consume quickly and preferably on the go. That’s why BQ Prime tried out WhatsApp as a newsletter channel for stock market developments. Once they sign up for the newsletter, subscribers can select by typing a keyword what type of stock news they’re interested in and receive updates in real time.

With this, readers can get the information that’s most relevant for them immediately and on a channel they always have access to.

Since BQ Prime introduced this solution, WhatsApp has since become the newsletter channel with the highest click-rate and they’ve grown their WhatsApp subscriber list by 225,000 users.

H3: How the training organisation QA Ltd reaches more tradespeople

Finding skilled blue-collar workers in the UK has become increasingly difficult. Currently, there’s a record shortage of 166,000 trade workers, and research by retailer Kingfisher estimates that number could grow to 250,000 by 2030.

Not only is there a lack of young people that pursue trade careers, but it’s also difficult to reach the next generation of young candidates from GenZ through traditional means like website postings. Even if candidates fill out applications online, recruiters then face the next problem: trying to reach them on their phones. Aside from Gen Z’s “phone anxiety,” people simply tend to ignore or block calls from unknown numbers.

That’s where QA, the UK’s leading tech talent and training organisation, took to WhatsApp. When interested candidates apply for an open apprenticeship, they can also leave their WhatsApp contact. When QA calls them back, the users see an official WhatsApp business profile and know immediately where the call is coming from. No more ghosting!

With this approach, QA can reach more people and potentially help fill positions faster. This shows how powerful WhatsApp marketing can be even for special cases like recruiting.  

How the wholesaler METRO increases deal visibility with WhatsApp marketing

As a leading international food wholesaler, METRO operates wholesale stores, delivery services, networked customer management, and digital solutions for their B2B customers.

Traditionally, the European wholesaler sent out print brochures with their weekly deals. However, with a digital-first customer base, METRO decided to switch to a digital channel which 96% of the customers were already using: WhatsApp.

METRO set up a double opt-in solution to make sure only registered customers could sign up for the special deals and promoted the new channel through ads on its own platforms and QR codes. Now, subscribers get exclusive deals on WhatsApp.

In only six months, METRO gained more than 10,000 subscribers and averages click-through rates above 18%. Once customers sign up for the promotional messages, they also stick around. Only 0.3% of users unsubscribe, which shows how successful marketing campaigns can be if you meet your customers on the channels they love.

WhatsApp marketing examples for re-engaging customers

Once you’ve established a connection with someone on WhatsApp, you can easily re-engage them. As WhatsApp is used as a channel to keep in touch with loved ones, it has also proven successful for re-engagement campaigns. Check out how the following two companies use WhatsApp to keep customers coming back.

How Dr. SAM keeps existing customers engaged

For many online brands, it’s not easy to establish a close connection with customers they never meet in person. Keeping existing customers engaged is therefore a challenge. Two-way conversational channels like WhatsApp, however, offer a way to change that.   

Take Dr. SAM. The e-commerce platform offers a monthly subscription for pet owners. Through the service, subscribers can not only buy products for their pets, but also get personal consultations from qualified experts. As pet parents are very enthusiastic and caring, building close relationships with customers is key for Dr. SAM. After all, trust is pivotal when you deal with people’s pets.

 Dr. SAM took to WhatsApp to establish and grow long-lasting relationships with existing customers. They were already using WhatsApp as a customer service channel, which had helped them reduce churn by 50%. Encouraged by this success, Dr. SAM started sending special personalised deals to existing customers through WhatsApp. Customising messages with the names of the customers and their pets worked extremely well. With WhatsApp marketing messages, they achieved a 20 times higher click-through rate than with comparable email campaigns, and 30 times as many sales as via email.

WhatsApp also proved to be a great channel to keep customers engaged. 85% of customers that signed up for the initial WhatsApp promotion are still active users, which means that WhatsApp also delivers a great customer satisfaction.

How T1TAN improves customer loyalty with WhatsApp re-engagement campaigns

For smaller retailers, it’s always great to get new customers, as every sale counts. But how can you ensure that customers keep buying from you instead of switching to bigger, better-known brands? That’s exactly the question T1TAN was facing. T1TAN is a small manufacturing company that specialises in football gloves for goalkeepers. T1TAN set up a WhatsApp channel to keep in touch with customers and stand out from the competition.

Here, subscribers get regular updates around new products, but also tips on how to care for their gloves or helpful advice to improve their skills as goalies.

Soon, T1TAN noticed that these messages were conversation starters. Customers started answering these messages or reaching out with questions. As WhatsApp marketing messages initiate private chats rather than group chats, T1TAN could continue these conversations in more personal one-on-one chats.

This has helped T1TAN maintain a close relationship with their customer base. As a result, they see open rates of 60% for their WhatsApp campaigns, and they’ve doubled their customer retention rate.

How to get started with WhatsApp marketing?

Either as a standalone channel or as part of your omnichannel marketing strategy, WhatsApp can help you reach new target groups, gain customers, improve customer engagement, and even drive sales.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

• Always gather opt-ins before sending out marketing messages (and confirm it regularly!). It’s not only the law and a requirement to comply WhatsApp’s business terms, but you also want to make sure that people are really interested in hearing from your company.
• Make it easy for customers to opt out of the marketing messages. That’s how you ensure that your content gets to the right people and won’t be perceived as spam.
• Use an official WhatsApp solution that is secure and easy to use.

So, what’s the best way to get started? The simplest way is to use an out-of-the-box platform like Sinch MessageMedia. With this, you get access to a safe, 100% data-compliant WhatsApp marketing tool with all the features that you’ll need for scaling your WhatsApp marketing — including personalized bulk messaging and a centralized inbox that your entire team can access. No coding skills or special schooling needed. If you can use WhatsApp, you’re basically ready to roll.

If you’re already a Sinch MessageMedia customer, just log into your profile and select the “WhatsApp upgrade” button to unlock WhatsApp as a new marketing channel. Easy!

Not a customer yet? No worries because it’s just as easy. 😉 Simply reach out to our team, and we’ll help you get started right away.