Discover how WhatsApp and its pre-approved message templates may support the development and strengthen consumer relationships as the fashion industry pushes further into the digital sphere.
The epidemic and ensuing lockdowns have severely hampered the high-street sales of fashion labels, inspiring the industry to adopt digital channels as more and more consumers opt to explore and make their purchasing decisions online.
It’s a strategy that is effective, and pioneers like Tailorman, a specialist in fitted clothing, Threads, and e-commerce behemoth Zalando were already thriving in this field before the epidemic even started.
By implementing “clienteling 2.0,” these astute businesses give customers customized, scalable customer experiences directly on their cellphones. Virtual assistants might be human or automated.
Communications between customers and fashion firms, including the world’s most popular chat app, WhatsApp, are now increasingly performed on messaging platforms. This includes personal consultations, order fulfillment, loyalty programmes, and customer feedback.
WhatsApp message template:
To start a dialogue with your consumers, you may develop a personalized WhatsApp message template. If your clients have previously chosen to receive messages from you through WhatsApp, templates can be delivered to them. WhatsApp must first authorize them.
You may apply your templates to as many clients as you’d like when WhatsApp authorizes them.
A message template, for instance, is a payment confirmation message that can be modified with the name of the clients and the amount they have paid. It may appear as follows:
Thank you for your payment of $2 for a total of 3 bags, Hello “1”. The delivery date is scheduled on April 4.
Customer discussions are started using message templates. Unlike other message kinds, message templates are the only message types that can be delivered to clients who have not yet started a conversation with you or who have not sent you a message during the previous 24 hours in a discussion thread.
Before sending message templates to clients, they need to be authorized. Additionally, based on client feedback, templates could be automatically deactivated.
A message template that has been disabled cannot be used to contact consumers once again until it has received a higher quality grade or no longer contravenes our standards governing business and commerce.
The following item on your to-do list after applying for the WhatsApp API and activating your phone number(s) is figuring out how to make WhatsApp message templates. These templates are, after all, the key component of your WhatsApp-driven development strategy.
They are crucial to the success of your WhatsApp campaigns because they determine how frequently and how joyfully your WhatsApp members interact with your chatbot.
In this post, you will understand the principles and best practices of WhatsApp template message production so you can proceed to construct a solid growth plan.
Types of Messages in the WhatsApp API:
Let’s take a deeper look at what a WhatsApp message template is and all the restrictions and privileges that set it apart from the other messages you can send using the WhatsApp API before we dig into the simple yet oddly difficult process of creating templates.
Using WhatsApp API Client integration, you can essentially send two sorts of messages to your prospects and customers:
- Messaging in Sessions
- High-Order Message Structure (HSM)
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Messaging in Sessions
Reactive messages, or session messages, are written in reaction to a consumer query. They are known as “session messages” on WhatsApp since they can only be sent within the 24-hour customer care window.
In other words, WhatsApp is giving you a free 24-hour window to answer the question.
Session messages are exempt from strict formatting and content guidelines since they are part of a private dialogue between you and your customer.
Text messages, animated gifs, pictures, videos, and even voice communications may all be sent.
Please be cautious! The 24-hour timeframe begins when you send a message in response if the user starts the discussion by sending you an unsolicited message.
Please be careful! The 24-hour timeframe begins when you send a message in response if the user starts the discussion by sending you an unsolicited message.
The 24-hour service window has begun ticking from the moment you send the notice if the user messages you in response to one of your template message notifications.
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High Order Message Structure:
The well-known WhatsApp marketing messages templates (HSMs) that you have heard so much about. They are the sole means by which WhatsApp is making money off of the API.
There are 5 essential HSM concepts that you should understand.
As follows:
- Reliable & Proactive (common notifications businesses may want to send to users automatically)
- Highly Structured (the moniker is accurate; they must adhere to very tight structural standards)
- Depending on Approval (before they go live, the templates need to be submitted to and pre-approved by WhatsApp)
- Requires User Opt-In (although there is no limit to the number of HSM you can send at once, you can only send them to users who previously agreed to be contacted)
Final thought:
You need WhatsApp message templates if you want to start a dialogue with your consumers outside of the 24-hour customer care window. To suit your demands, they might be in a variety of formats, including lists, respond buttons, and product messaging.
They may only be sent to consumers if they have chosen to receive messages from you and must first be authorized by WhatsApp. Create WhatsApp message templates using a third-party app or bulk SMS service provider, then submit them to WhatsApp for approval.
Once approved, you may send automatic notifications, proactive messages, and broadcasts to your consumers from the mailbox of a third party using your templates.
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