The WhatsApp Business API has so far become one of the most chosen business solutions for customer communication among medium and large companies. Its many advanced features allow for a fast, efficient and personalized exchange with users to ensure the best customer experience.
Of all the tools incorporated into the WhatsApp Business API , the best option for improving customer support is certainly automatic messages or rather the famous message templates that help guide the user quickly and accurately.
If you want to integrate the WhatsApp Business API into your business and you want to know everything there is to know about this popular business messaging channel , you've found the right article for you. Here we will tell you what a template is, what are the requirements for its approval and how to use them to get the best results.
What are WhatsApp Business API templates?
Today media automation is essential for efficient and effective customer service. That's why many companies that deal with a high flow of daily conversations appreciate message templates that make automation the keyword.
These templates are standardized, verified and automated messages that are composed by default so that they can be sent to customers when a conversation starts or if the message is sent outside business hours . They therefore have a fundamental role in configuring chats with users to ensure a high level of proactivity, speed and autonomy.
It is also important to note that, thanks to the changes to internal policies promoted by Meta, starting from 2021 it is no longer necessary to send only transactional messages. In fact, with the WhatsApp Business API, companies can implement non-transactional templates , also distributing informative or promotional newsletters .
However, all the advantages offered by the templates, we must remember that, in order to use them, they must be previously authorized by WhatsApp and we will talk about this below.
Requirements and rules that must be met to send message templates
As mentioned above, to implement a message template in your company, they must be pre-authorized and meet two requirements:
- Respond to customer needs;
- Respect the rules of the messaging service established by Meta.
Likewise, for them to be authorized, they must meet several conditions, so it is essential to avoid some errors such as the one we are going to tell you about now:
- Do not add commercials or advertisements;
- Do not enter personal data of the user;
- Do not use offensive or threatening language;
- Do not violate the WhatsApp platform policy;
- Do not exceed 1,024 characters to offer accuracy in communication;
- Verify that there are no spelling, grammatical or technical formatting errors;
- Check, first of all, that the customer has given his consent to receive messages.
While, at first, it might turn out that there are many conditions set by Meta for using this feature, on the other hand, we have to emphasize that the goal of all this is to improve the customer experience as much as possible .
That's why we recommend that you avoid creating a template that might look like spam because it won't be authorized by the platform. Remember that templates were born to be useful to customers, therefore recurring advertising messages are classified as spam and quickly deleted.
However, it is also true that, earlier we said that, from 2021, it is possible to implement non-transactional models , i.e. with a promotional objective.
In this case, although WhatsApp has approved this category of messages, we must point out that, in order to send a template of this type, the user must have given permission to receive purchase or discount advice. In turn, if the submission is too frequent, there is a risk that it will be considered SPAM, so the balance is everything.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that in order to have communication with the customer it is necessary to wait for the user to start the conversation for the first time, so there will be a 24-hour service window within which the company can send messages . If no response is given within that time frame, your brand can initiate communication using templates only, so free text messages cannot be sent.
What are the accepted model categories?
Yes, on the one hand, certain requirements must be met to use message templates, on the other hand, we must tell you that there are certain categories of templates that WhatsApp accepts. However the categories can change over time, the ones we will present to you below are the most used.
- Problem resolution
They are used to be able to communicate to the customer that the company is experiencing a problem with a product or service purchased and to notify that the necessary precautions are being taken to resolve it as soon as possible.
- booking update
It may happen that a reservation is updated by changing the pre-established day and time first. That's why it is useful to use a template that can be sent to the customer to notify the update.
- ticket update
The same thing that happens with reservations can happen with tickets for a booked flight or train ticket. In this situation, the important thing is to communicate the updates to the passenger so that they can act accordingly.
- Notification
If you need to notify the user of any kind of information, the best channel is the WhatsApp Business API and its templates that allow you to have a message ready to be used with a click of a button in case you need to notify something as soon as possible.
- appointment update
After your client or patient requests an appointment, the best thing to do is send an automatic message confirming the appointment, the day, time and place highlighted. Furthermore, it is advisable to send the model again the day before the appointment to remind the user of the appointment or to verify that there are no last minute cancellations.
- shipping update
When a customer makes a purchase, what they want to know is the status of their order. To keep you informed and generate more confidence in the service provided, it is possible to create automated models that constantly notify the status of the order and estimate the day and time of delivery.
- Updating your account and personal finances
Another time we recommend using a template is when you are alerted to an update to your personal finances or accounts.
- payments update
Additionally, templates can be useful for confirming the purchase made to the customer. The only thing to do is send the pre-authorized template in which the recipient is informed that a purchase has been made in a specific store, with a specific amount and clarifying the day and time.
- transport update
On many occasions there may be changes in the timetables of the means of transport booked by the passengers. For this, it is necessary to notify the customer by sending a message notifying the update.
Sample templates for the WhatsApp Business API
It's time to introduce you to some template examples that you can use in your conversation with your customers or potential buyers.
- Welcome message
Hi, welcome to \! We are delighted that you have registered with us. If you have any general questions, feel free to send us a message. We remain attentive to any of your news.
- Notify the shipment of an order
Good news! Your order has just been shipped and is being delivered as soon as possible. {{1}} will deliver the parcel to your address on {{2}}. With this Track & Trace code you can follow your order to your doorstep {{3}}. We hope you enjoy your new product.
- Remember a pending appointment
You have successfully scheduled your health center appointment for \. Will be held at \. Send us a message if you have any questions. Until we meet again!
- Alert program changes
Your scheduled flight from \ to \ is currently delayed. Estimated departure time is \. We will inform you of any news.
- Report the problems encountered with the product or service purchased
We are currently having a problem with \. We will inform you as soon as it is resolved. Meanwhile, you can contact customer service if you have any questions.
Conclusion
More and more medium and large businesses are using message templates through the WhatsApp Business API. Considering that the WhatsApp app is one of the most used messaging applications in the world, it is no surprise that it is used as a communication channel by large companies.
Of all the tools offered, certainly one of the most important are the templates to improve and personalize your customer service while saving time and resources.