WhatsApp marketing messages: How to build stronger customer connections with Meta’s new limits

Meta has introduced new limits to the number of marketing messages businesses can send to a customer. Find out how the right communication tools can turn these new limits into an opportunity instead of a threat for your business.

With more than 2.7 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has become a powerful tool for businesses. Even after evolving from a customer support channel to a dynamic conversational marketing tool, it continues to be perceived as a trusted channel due to high regulations for templated messages.

To maintain that perception, Meta has introduced new limits on the number of WhatsApp marketing messages businesses can send to customers in a specific time frame.

Let’s explore how to leverage this change to elevate your marketing strategy and build stronger customer connections.

What are WhatsApp marketing messages?

WhatsApp marketing messages are business-initiated conversations that customers have opted into and may include promotions and offers. This type of message is often used to drive incremental sales and achieve better ROI. They are one of the four categories of the WhatsApp Business Platform, along with utility, authentication, and service conversations.

With WhatsApp’s rich message types including media, buttons, carousels, and CTAs, proactive marketing messages can be used for highly personalized communication about new products or services, cart abandonment notifications, specialized offers, and more.

70%

of all WhatsApp interactions over the Infobip platform were marketing conversations in 2023

WhatsApp introduces new marketing message limits

Until recently, WhatsApp’s high regulations regarding messages that can be sent to customers didn’t limit the number of messages a customer could receive.

However, as of February 2024, Meta implemented a new set of advanced measurement mechanisms, limiting the number of marketing conversations a customer receives from any business in a specific time frame, and all other marketing messages beyond that limit will be blocked.

The new limit on the number of marketing messages businesses can send to customers in a specific time frame was rolled out in India in February 2024 and will soon be implemented globally.

New opportunities on the horizon: How message limits can help your business

Although these new limits may pose as a threat, they could actually serve as an opportunity for businesses to redefine their marketing goals and create high-quality relationships with customers. Here are a few ways the right technology and tools can help you leverage these new message limits to create a communications strategy that yields results:

Goal: Deliver time-sensitive marketing messages to a wider audience

If your goal is to reach your audience, an omnichannel approach is the perfect solution. Depending on the operational resources you have available, you can choose between two options:

Messages API: This robust solution integrates multiple messaging channels into a unified interface. Unlike using separate APIs for each channel, the Messages API empowers you to manage all your channels through one API while configuring failovers to alternative channels from our portfolio. You can also automate your messaging workflows, which reduces manual work and increases efficiency.
Infobip Reach: If additional development seems like too big of step, use an omnichannel communications platform with an automated failover solution that is optimized for delivery and cost. By enabling Infobip Reach, messages not delivered on one channel will automatically be routed to the next best channel. You can choose the channels yourself or leave the routing to our industry experts for the best results.

Goal: Create engaging, interactive experiences that nurture leads and increase sales

WhatsApp fosters two-way communication, allowing you to answer questions, address concerns, and guide customers through the buying journey in real-time.

Enable your customers to easily reach you with Click to WhatsApp ads on Facebook or Instagram and overcome Meta’s limitations. These ads lead customers to initiate conversations with your chatbot or live agent on WhatsApp.

Create personalized ads for your audience and show them you’re there for them at any step of the customer journey. This approach builds trust and loyalty, ultimately leading to higher conversions.

Using Click to WhatsApp ads as an entry point brings multiple benefits to your business. Besides making the conversation free for 72 hours, every part of the conversation is trackable, which makes your advertising and messaging reports finally come together. Your return on ad spend is no longer a secret with advanced analytics and sending conversion signals back to Meta.

How to use ads that click to WhatsApp

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Goal: Personalize messages and segment for conversions

Customers crave personalized experiences. By understanding their needs, you can craft targeted promotions that resonate, leading to higher conversion rates.

Integrating the WhatsApp Business Platform with a Customer Data Platform (CDP) would help you understand your customer preferences, purchase history, and behavior, leading to better data-driven decisions.

What is a customer data platform and why you need one?

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Power your WhatsApp communications strategy with the right technology

While WhatsApp’s marketing message limits present a new challenge, they also encourage businesses to adopt a more strategic and customer-centric approach. By prioritizing quality over quantity, embracing personalization, omnichannel communication, and creating engaging conversational experiences, you can build stronger customer connections and achieve your marketing goals.

Multiple opportunities are already here. Partnering with Infobip will give you expert insights in your local language, access to high-tech solutions, and the possibility to elevate your communication to new heights.