Just when you thought you had a handle on the different types of WhatsApp messages, Facebook changed the rules of the game. Not to worry. In this post, we'll review everything you need to know about messaging with the WhatsApp Business API -- including a summary of what's new.
The two main types of WhatsApp messages are customer care messages and notifications.
Customer care messages, or session messages, are responses to customer-initiated conversations. You have 24 hours to respond to a customer-initiated message at no cost.
Customer care messages do not need to follow a template and can include media attachments. You also do not need to get customers to opt-in before replying to their messages.
To recap, customer care messages:
Notifications are business-initiated, templated messages that can be sent at any time. Before sending a notification, you must get customer opt-in.
When sending notifications, you pay per delivered message. Messages are priced based on how many notifications businesses send within each market. Usually, you will pay progressively lower prices as message volume increases.
To recap, notifications are:
Next, it's important to understand what types of WhatsApp notifications you can send through the API. Again, these notifications are templated messages that WhatsApp reviews to ensure they do not violate its policies.
Transactional messages
Prior to June 2021, business-initiated notifications were required to be transactional; promotional messages were not permitted. WhatsApp only supported 10 transactional message categories:
Transactional message categories:
Promotional messages
WhatsApp allows businesses to send non-transactional notifications -- including promotional messages.
Non-transaction message categories:
WhatsApp notification templates are customizable. You use text, graphics, multimedia, buttons, and more. This is a big part of what differentiates WhatsApp as a customer communication platform.
WhatsApp recently simplified its opt-in policy. There are now 3 main requirements when collecting consent from customers:
Customers are in control of their messaging experiences; they can block or report your business account at any time. So, regardless of the types of WhatsApp messages you send, you'll want them to be expected, relevant, and timely.
Because your customers opt-in to receive messages from you, they should not be surprised to hear from you. Always be clear about what types of messages your customers are opting in to receive, and give them instructions on how they can opt-out.
Today’s customers expect a personalized experience. The messages you send through WhatsApp should be based on recent purchases or engagement with your business. They should also clearly outline any next steps required.
People should receive your messages when they are relevant. Sending messages too frequently will lead to frustrated customers and opt-outs.
If you're a medium or large-sized company, you'll want to use the WhatsApp Business API to send different types of WhatsApp messages. The WhatsApp Business API makes it easy to send outbound notifications, personalize messages, and interact with customers in real time.
The API also helps you integrate WhatsApp's features with the rest of your tools or software stack. You can request access to the WhatsApp Business API through an Official Business Solution Provider.