Transforming digitally is one of the predispositions with the most demand by companies, and instant messaging platforms today have become a necessity, both in our daily lives and in our work lives, which is why there are currently countless web pages and applications that offer this class of services.
However, the world has taken special interest in , which, in fact, at the beginning of 2020 was called the leader in instant messaging Worldwide. And this has been earned hard, since after his success in 2015 with in 2017 it launched to the market aimed at improving the quality of customer service for small businesses and individual professionals.
However, this platform was not intended for large corporations, which is why they decided to provide these large companies with a WhatsApp Business API. Here we will explain everything related to this API and what are its most relevant advantages to apply it to your company.
What is WhatsApp Business API and what is this tool for?
First of all, it is important that you be clear that this API (Application Programming Interface) is designed so that medium and large companies can integrate all the tools they require and automate daily tasks (mass notifications, customer service, chatbots, etc.) in the WhatsApp platform and thus improve communications with their customers, through worldwide, in an easy and simple way.
Thanks to this WhatsApp Business API, companies will be able to integrate all the normal WhatsApp functions into their customer service systemsand even more important is that will not be limited to a single mobile phonesince all the people who are in charge of the communications section will be able to use the same WhatsApp telephone number, be it for customer service, picking up orders by courier, taking care of incidents, among many other possibilities.
What are the functions and features that you can use from the WhatsApp Business API?
Among the most notable functions and characteristics that will help these large corporations to develop, we can point out:
- Integration of the service within their CMR: Which is quite favorable for communications with their clients, since they will be able to centralize the customer service and thus achieve that several people attend them simultaneously.
- Distribution of relevant information: Companies will be able to publicize the most important news related to their services in the form of mass notifications to their customers.
- Remote Service: Each member of the company will be able to work from their computers, but each user will receive messages directly on their mobile phone.
- : So that responses can be automated to improve communications between customers and companies.
- Alert system for natural disasters
- Mass sending of offers
- Personalized chats to buy
Really the possibilities are endless in everything that is about this API, the limit is in the imagination of the programmers and in the budget of the company.
Learn step by step how to use the WhatsApp Business API from scratch like an expert
The Whatsapp Business API service is still in beta phase Therefore, access to it is still somewhat limited, therefore the information on the request or activation of this service is quite scarce.
You must bear in mind that your company must meet some requirements that will influence your eligibility, these are:
- The size of your company: This service is only intended for medium and large companies that are well established. If you own a small or independent business, you will always have the option of using the WhatsApp Business application.
- Industry: The industrial sector in which you have your services is a decisive factor for WhatsApp’s selection process. Firms with significant advantages are those in real estate, financial services, education, wholesale, and telecommunications. On the contrary, companies based on political organizations, independent software providers, gambling and betting, adult entertainment, weapons, tobacco, alcohol and even health and supplement companies are not taken into account by WhatsApp.
If you consider that you are within these standards that WhatsApp requires, then we will explain how to activate the WhatsApp Business API:
Choose the way to request the application
You can choose two ways to request the API:
- Sign up directly: Although it is an option offered by WhatsApp, it is generally not very effective, it usually has a low chance of success, unless your company has somehow good relations with WhatsApp or Facebook, or is internationally recognized.
- Using a Solution Provider: If you do this step by working with a solution provider, your chances of being approved increase considerably and you will do this process much faster. To choose a solution provider you must enter the directory of providers that WhatsApp offers you, since these are the providers that are qualified and meet all the conditions of service.
Provide your basic information
If you decide that the best option is to hire a solution provider, the next thing you should do is submit your company information and the purpose for which you will use the services of this API:
- Name
- Website (URL)
- industrial sector
- Region in which you will offer the WhatsApp service
- Country of company headquarters
- Channel of the desired use
- Usage volume prediction (number of messages per day)
- Promotion period (When you will launch the service)
It is important to clarify that WhatsApp takes at least 2 weeks to approve the company.
Once they have approved your brand, continue with the following steps:
activate your number
You may use a phone number that you have used before for WhatsApp either register a new number. However, if it is new, you will need to register it first in WhatsApp Business.
And then you will provide the following information:
- Phone number that you have registered in WhatsApp Business.
- Identification of the Business Manager of clients on Facebook.
- Name that you have associated with your WhatsApp account.
- Region where you are using the services.
Once the phone number you provided is activated, you will not have access to user messages from your mobile. The conversations will be hosted on a virtual servercalled Docker, that is, you can manage them from a control panel or in the system of the solution provider you contracted. It is important to clarify that there is the possibility of using more than one phone number, but each number requires an independent server or Docker.
HMS template configuration
you shall configure the design of messaging templates, which are proactive messages sent to users after they have opted in to receive notifications. These messages must be text only and must offer real value to the customer. The approval of your templates it takes 2 to 3 days.
Get the green check next to your WhatsApp Business account
when you are awarded the green badge is because you have become an officially verified company by WhatsApp, and to obtain it you must meet two essential requirements: Be an internationally recognized brand and send more than 500 messages a day.
List of the best applications for teamwork alternatives to WhatsApp Business
If after all this entry you are still not convinced to use WhatsApp Business, then we leave you with a small list of similar tools that you can use to meet the needs of your company and your customers.
Let’s see next:
Telegram
Has been considered to be WhatsApp’s only competition for many yearsToday it has more than 120 million users around the world. It’s a two-way customer service channel, characterized by versatility, privacy and immediacy.
Among its most notable advantages from the business point of view we can signal that it is free and API with public domainits channels offer possibilities for one-way communication, marketing campaigns, advertising and segmentation, it offers 24/7 customer service and immediate feedback.
Wire
Developed by Janus Friis, co-founder of Skype, Wire, is an application of secure messaging with end-to-end encryption which has a version for companies called Teams Wire. Apart from offering secure messaging, calls and file sharing, this service also allows its users to have different accounts with different names and profile photos for work and personal contacts.
Also, allows company administrators to add and remove people, assign rules to their users and invite certain individuals to specific chats. It can be used on both computers and mobile devices. The everyday user can use the service for free, the business version is a premium version that costs €5 per month.
lines
Developed in Japan in 2013, it currently provides small and medium-sized companies with a tool that will allow them to take advantage of its platform to have a direct conversation with your customers and consumers, this app is called Line.
It’s available for both Android and iOS, and while the service is free, Line is charging users for having a specific ID $24 the first year and $12 the next. In addition, free management accounts will only be able to send 1,000 messages per month, while those brands that require more will be able to pay €50 per month to obtain 50,000 messages.
signal
Formerly called TextSecure, Signal, an application from social and business communication completely free that is available for both computers and mobile devices. It is an application that offers text messaging (SMS/MSM), instant messaging, voice messaging, file sharing, and video calls.
So far, nothing different from other companies, but what makes Signal a true WhatsApp Business alternative is that this application is focused on offering maximum privacy in your messaging, since it has end-to-end encryption and is a .
aggity.com
It is a company that, although it was born in Spain, currently also has a presence in other European countries and even in Latin America. In recent years it has become very popular among companies and businesses by positioning itself as a complete and secure platform in terms of data protection, covering areas such as industry 4.0, digital marketing, business management and human resources.
This application includes instant messaging, video calls, voice messages, and chatbots for access…
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