If you are here that means you are struggling with keeping your customers informed or engaged. You want to send them messages that will have the most impact, like sending a promotional message or marketing messages on WhatsApp or wishing them on a certain occasion (birthdays, anniversaries).
Scheduling your WhatsApp messages will solve this issue. WhatsApp is used by more than 2 billion across the globe. And is one of the most used messaging platforms in India.
As a business, using WhatsApp messages to capture the attention of your customers/prospects will help you in many ways:
They will take it seriously as the other mediums are less used by individuals and are often considered spam.
You have a higher possibility of getting your messages seen and responded to on WhatsApp than on other messaging platforms.
You get insights to make calculative decisions to see what is working for you and what is not. This way you can iterate to make your strategies more refined and fruitful for your business.
But there is one problem, WhatsApp doesn’t provide a feature to schedule messages. Neither on normal WhatsApp Messenger nor on WhatsApp Business App. There is only one official way to do it and that is to get WhatsApp Cloud API.
You might’ve heard about using a third-party app to schedule WhatsApp messages.
It might seem like a quick solution, but there are some serious issues that you need to consider. While these apps are popular for their ease of use, they come with reliability and security concerns.
The use of 3rd party apps available in the market to schedule messages on WhatsApp is not recommended. Let’s see the various issues you might face if you start to use 3rd party apps to schedule WhatsApp messages.
Why using 3rd party Apps not the Right Choice for you to schedule WhatsApp messages?
When you went to Google and searched for “How to Schedule Messages on WhatsApp,” before coming here. You must have seen a lot of results, telling you ways to schedule messages on WhatsApp.
Most of them tell you to download a third-party app for scheduling WhatsApp messages on Android/iPhone or WhatsApp Web. But what they don’t tell you is that these third-party apps are not officially provided by Meta or WhatsApp.
These apps will get your number blocked by WhatsApp, which will affect your business a lot.
When a number gets banned by WhatsApp, you can never use it again on WhatsApp. Not on any other device, or web. Nothing it’s just completely blocked.
So you need to make sure that whatever you use for scheduling messages on WhatsApp is official so that your number doesn’t get blocked and your brand image remains intact.
The official way you can schedule WhatsApp messages is WhatsApp Cloud API by Meta. Let’s see in detail what cloud API is and how it can help you with scheduling WhatsApp messages and more.
The Official Tool to Schedule Messages on WhatsApp: WhatsApp Cloud API
The best way to schedule messages on WhatsApp for you is to use WhatsApp Cloud API. But what is API?
WhatsApp API- The WhatsApp Cloud API created by Meta, is a tool for businesses to engage and message customers on WhatsApp. It helps with sending bulk marketing and promotional messages to customers officially, scheduling WhatsApp messages, and automating tasks like sending WhatsApp reminders for appointments or answering customer/prospect questions.
It also makes it easier to organize conversations and get useful customer information whenever required.
You cannot use it just like a simple WhatsApp messenger. To use WhatsApp Cloud API you need to get an official API provider like TeleCRM (India’s Best WhatsApp CRM and Telecalling software).
TeleCRM will not just help you with scheduling messages on WhatsApp but with other important aspects of your business, like Lead management, Telecalling, bulk messaging, WhatsApp Chatbot, OTP on WhatsApp and so much more.
With API, you are not just limited to scheduling WhatsApp messages, but a complete WhatsApp Automation.
But let’s focus now on how to schedule messages on WhatsApp, the reason you came here, let’s guide you through the step-by-step process to schedule WhatsApp messages on TeleCRM:
Scheduling WhatsApp Messages with WhatsApp Cloud API on TeleCRM
The first step is to create a Facebook Business Manager Account, For that you need to follow the following steps,
Go to business.facebook.com/overview and sign in with your Facebook business account (If you don’t have one you can create a new one or just use your Facebook ID to log in if you want to)
Click on Create account.
Enter a name for your business, your name and work email address, and click Next.
Enter your business details and click Submit.
Your Facebook business account is created.
Now you have to create a WhatsApp Cloud API account, for that, you need to register your mobile number on Cloud API.
But before going for sign up, there are some pre-requisites that you need,
A phone number with which you can apply for WhatsApp API (You need a number that has never been used on WhatsApp before i.e. a New Number).
You need a Business GSTIN to verify (For Indian Businesses).
A business name.
A verified Facebook Business Manager ID. You should set up a Facebook page for your business to get this ID.
A debit/Credit Card for Payment.
Once you have these details, you can sign up for the business account.
Here’s the step-by-step process for signing up for a WhatsApp cloud API account.
Open developers.facebook.com.
Go to My Apps and click on Create App.
Select app type as business and click next.
Fill out the details and click Create App.
Select WhatsApp from add products.
Now scroll down and click on the add phone number.
Fill out the details about the WhatsApp business account (this is what will be visible to the users).
Enter a phone number and verify with OTP.
Now you have to create a template in Whatsapp Manager and submit it for approval (takes up to 24 hours for approval) from Meta.
Once you have received approval from Meta for your template, all you have to do is sync your templates in TeleCRM. To do that follow these steps.
Head Over to Templates in TeleCRM
Open the TeleCRM application on your browser: app.telecrm.in
In the TeleCRM Dashboard, click on the Integrations tab on the left side of the screen
Once in the Integrations Tab, Scroll down to the bottom and click on “Activate Now” in front of WhatsApp Cloud API.
By clicking on Activate now, you’ll see the number you have registered with Cloud API, Click on that, then you’ll see the configuration, templates, lists, etc. Click on templates and you will have access to all the approved templates in this section.
Heading over to the template section is important because you need to confirm that your latest has been synced with the TeleCRM app and you are ready to schedule them.
Head Over To Schedules in TeleCRM.
Now go back to the TeleCRM Dashboard by clicking on the TeleCRM logo on the top left corner of the screen.
Now click on the Schedules as shown in the image below.
In the schedule section, click on “Create New Schedule”. A pop-up window will open and you can enter the schedule name accordingly.
A new window will appear. It will give you access to the desired actions you want to take with scheduling your messages. See the image below.
The First section: In this section, you can schedule the date and time at which you want the message to go out.
The Second Section: Here you can filter and select the leads you want to message.
The Third Section: Now you just have the select the template you want to send and hit the publish button on the top right corner.
That’s it your message is scheduled and good to go at the time you want, making the RIGHT IMPACT at the RIGHT TIME.
Note: You can even create personal automation according to your requirements for scheduling messages.
Best Use Cases for Scheduling WhatsApp Messages
Now that you have started using TeleCRM to Schedule WhatsApp messages for your business. You should know the best use cases for it and how you can use it to its full potential
Appointment Reminders:
You can schedule WhatsApp messages for appointment reminders. It is valuable in almost every business sector. It not only helps in reducing no-shows but also ensures appointments run smoothly.
Example IT Industry: A software company wants to send reminders to its prospects about the upcoming demo session:
"Hey, Aryan! Your demo session is scheduled for tomorrow at 4 p.m. Don't miss it"Birthday Greetings:
Sending scheduled birthday wishes is a simple way to build personal connections with customers. You can even send them a special offer on their special day to build relations with customers.
Example (Hospitality): A hotel schedules a birthday greeting for a guest staying with them:
"Happy Birthday, Sarah! We hope you have a wonderful day at Tranquil Waters Hotel."Event Invitations:
You can schedule WhatsApp messages for event invitations. They are ideal for planning gatherings, conferences, or special occasions.
Example (Tech Industry): A tech conference organizer schedules invitations to registered attendees:
"Join us at TechConnect 2023 on June 15th. Your access link is ready!"Product Promotions:
One of the most important uses of scheduling messages is to send messages out to your customers or prospects, promoting upcoming new products/services about your business. These multiple messages usually contain discounts or info on upcoming products/features in software.
These promotional messages on WhatsApp have the most impact as you can schedule them and then completely forget and focus on the big day.
Example (Retail): An online fashion store schedules a promotion for a new collection:
"Introducing our Summer Collection! Get 15% off on all new arrivals for the next 48 hours."Time Zone Considerations:
Another important use case of scheduling is to set them for different time zones to target different countries where you have your business running.
Consideration of time zones is crucial for businesses with a global audience to reach customers at the most convenient times.
Example (Travel Industry): An airline schedules flight booking reminders for international travelers:
"Book your flight to Paris now. Best deals available from 9 AM to 5 PM GMT."Customer Follow-ups:
Follow-ups are important, most of the sales come from follow-ups. The best way is to schedule WhatsApp messages and connect with prospects to convert them into customers.
Example (Automotive): An auto dealership schedules a follow-up for a car purchase:
"Hi {{Rahul}}, we hope you're having a good day! This message to check whether your are still considering the {{sedan}} you saw last week at our showroom. If you have any queries or concerns feel free to reach out to me.
I'll be more than happy to clear all your doubts and tell you the best options for financing the car"For more templates refer to 5 Killer WhatsApp Follow-up Messages After a Sales Call
Conclusion
In conclusion, scheduling WhatsApp messages through a reliable and official platform like WhatsApp Cloud API on TeleCRM proves to be just the thing you were looking for to scale your business. It addresses the common struggle of keeping customers engaged and informed.
You can send your desired WhatsApp message to your customers whenever you want. Scheduling messages ensures your communications are timely and well-received. The alternative of using third-party apps might seem tempting but comes with serious drawbacks, including potential blocks from WhatsApp.
The step-by-step guide on creating a Facebook Business Manager account, setting up WhatsApp Cloud API, and utilizing TeleCRM for scheduling ensures a seamless and secure process. This official method not only prevents number blocks but also opens doors to comprehensive insights for refining your business strategies and scaling your business.
As a business you can optimize various use cases, from appointment reminders to product promotions, ensuring a strategic and impactful approach to customer engagement.
So, make the most of WhatsApp Cloud API with TeleCRM to schedule messages, connect with your audience, and enhance your business’s overall effectiveness.
Book a demo today of TeleCRM and completely change the way you use WhatsApp and GROW your business.
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