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WhatsApp recently introduced new updates to its Privacy Policy, which has triggered discussions among all users and businesses. What will change for businesses? Can users still believe in the security of WhatsApp messaging? So many questions are hovering over the WhatsApp business market. So, we have brought to you this WhatsApp messaging guide for 2021, answering all the questions.
As a secure messaging platform, WhatsApp has become the most-used channel across the globe. It has also offered a unique communication environment for businesses. However, new WhatsApp privacy policy updates have raised questions and created confusion. Keeping that in mind, WhatsApp has now postponed the dates of new updates from 8th Feb to 15th May.
The platform is bringing changes to its standard terms of service for the use of WhatsApp Business for commercial purposes.
What are the WhatsApp Privacy Policy Changes?
Here are the new elements added to the WhatsApp Business Privacy Policy:
1. WhatsApp for Shopping
More and more businesses nowadays are using WhatsApp as an online store for conversational marketing and sales.
Hence, WhatsApp has come up with two new commercial services- Shopping Button and Cart. Customers can now explore your products in various options right on the chat platform. They can browse through carts and place their orders.
This new feature can help businesses easily manage orders and close sales faster than usual. They can fulfill customers’ purchasing demands on the WhatsApp Business account only.
Businesses with Instagram or Facebook Shops can also leverage them on WhatsApp. However, this feature is coming out at a slow pace and not available for Indian businesses as of now.
With new shopping features on WhatsApp, businesses can capture customers’ data and use it for a personalized experience and deliver intent-based ads on Instagram and Facebook.
Users will receive a message disclosing the collection of their information. However, there is no change in the policy related to Payments Data.
2. Facebook Hosting for WhatsApp Numbers
All BSPs/Business Solution Providers and WhatsApp Businesses will be able to choose to host their WhatsApp numbers via the hosting services of Facebook. This update has been introduced to ease the process of implementing WhatsApp for medium and even small-sized businesses.
Aligned with the standards, Facebook will gain the ability to use the processed messages for companies that choose its hosting service. It will do this as per your instructions or on your behalf.
In simple words, Facebook is not going to use the processed messages directly. Businesses can decide and opt-in for the same to start using messages for marketing objectives such as Facebook advertising.
A message on the WhatsApp chat label will appear with the privacy information, ensuring transparency regarding the end-to-end encryption of chats.
Through WhatsApp Privacy Policy, you can understand all about the types of information Facebook will collect and how it will be used.
What will Stay the Same as Before?
Here’s what will continue to be same as before in the new WhatsApp privacy policy:
1. Privacy of Personal Chats
The privacy and security of personal messages of users will remain the same. This includes all chats happening between users and groups. They will remain end-to-end encrypted as before.
Facebook will have no eyes on the personal calls or chats, so users can enjoy the same protected messaging environment on the platform.
Here’s an infographic shared by WhatsApp to clarify this:
Source: WhatsApp
2. User Experience
WhatsApp still wants you to use its Business API to ensure a high-quality user experience.
To ensure that, there are clear messaging guidelines shared by WhatsApp.
Messages WhatsApp allows:
a. Notification Messages
These are messages sent by a business to customers for better experiences such as order confirmations, invoices, delivery status, and more.
b. Support Messages
These are messages sent after a customer asks for support. So, customers are the initiators of these messages. For example, product purchase requests, refund or return requests, support queries, and more.
c. Verification
WhatsApp adds a 2-layer verification process to ensure better WhatsApp Business API security.
Messages WhatsApp doesn’t allow:
Template messaging for marketing or promotional purposes
Subscription-style messages such as newsletters or any other content
How to Use WhatsApp for Business in 2021
WhatsApp has made it safe for customers and businesses to interact with each other. With its Business API and Verified Business Accounts, customers feel confident while sharing their information. And these new policies will give more power to what this platform is known for. You just need to keep focusing on quality content, personalized assistance, and a satisfactory experience for customers.
So, here’s your messaging guide for 2021 aligned with the new WhatsApp Business Policy:
1. Get Your WhatsApp Business Account Verified
No better way to build trust among customers than getting your WhatsApp Business Account Verified with a ‘Green Badge’. You’ll get your WhatsApp Business API to scale up the ability to send automated messages from multiple devices. And the new policies let you use Facebook Hosting Services to onboard with WhatsApp faster.
At ORAI, we have experts to help small, medium, and large-sized businesses onboard with WhatsApp Business Verification process. Click here to ask your questions about WhatsApp Verification!
2. Enable its Full Potential with a WhatsApp Chatbot
Once you have your WhatsApp Business API, the next step is to automate its communication in order to stay available 24*7 for customer queries and inquiries.
So, you’ll need a WhatsApp chatbot. Not any random chatbot, but an AI-powered chatbot for WhatsApp to automate multiple kinds of communications and business processes like lead capturing, lead qualification, drip marketing, sales follow-ups, and more.
We’re a leading conversational AI platform creating AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot for industries like Automobile, E-Commerce, Real Estate, Healthcare, Education, Hospitality, Insurance, and more.
We can integrate our AI bot to all your digital channels and legacy systems with a single-line code. So, no hassle at all! Chat with us.
3. Use Data to Improve Customer Communication
Your AI bot can help you utilize the new data accessibility feature of WhatsApp. It can gather and understand how consumers connect with your brand and engage. So, you’ll know what and how consumers are purchasing.
This access to insightful information can benefit you in your marketing, sales, and support communications. You can provide better interactions based on every individual’s specific requirements. Hence, customers can experience a customized conversation designed only for their needs every time.
4. Run Personalized Ads on Facebook and Instagram
With the conversational intelligence of a WhatsApp chatbot, you can leverage customer data to impress them with personalized ads on Instagram and Facebook. In fact, you can create conversational Click-to-WhatsApp ads on these platforms to bring back the conversation to official chat. That way, your bot can capture leads, understand their needs, and help them make a purchase in a snap.
5. Engage with Customers in Real-Time
Even if you have a small or medium-sized business, it’s now within your power to engage with customers in real-time. You should use this to provide a greater quality of customer service by answering queries instantly. Your Artificial Intelligence Chatbot on WhatsApp will help your business exist beyond working hours. It will answer questions day and night with accurate, relevant responses to enhance customer satisfaction.
6. Allow Customers to Shop from WhatsApp
With WhatsApp Shopping options, you can turn your business into 100% conversational commerce. Use this feature to make online shopping more real. All digital channels can be connected to WhatsApp, where you can showcase your products, customers can ask their questions and place their orders right there.
It will save customers from the hassle of browsing your whole website or jumping from one channel to another to make a purchase. Hence, you will receive more conversions at a faster pace.
7. Make your Content Extremely Valuable
WhatsApp supports a wide range of elements, which you can use to improve your content quality. You can share richer content using videos, PDFs, images, and other content formats supported on WhatsApp. Even your drip messages and replies can become more engaging using GIFs, Emojis, Catalogues, and more.
However, it is important that you use these elements only to enhance the value of your content. Unnecessary elements will just make your content confusing for customers. So, follow a smart creative approach.
8. Send Valuable Reminders and Notifications
With WhatsApp Business Accounts, proactive communication is becoming more popular among businesses. Your customers will also admire personalized notifications and reminders from your business. These updates should assist them in leveraging your products and services to the fullest of their capabilities.
Get Your Business to WhatsApp with ORAI!
With our WhatsApp Business experts, you won’t have to worry about any policy updates. We keep an eye on the WhatsApp guidelines and help you attain your verified account faster.
More than that, you’ll get your very own AI-enabled WhatsApp Chatbot to automate your marketing, sales, and support.
Click here to chat with us and get started. Or, get yourself a FREE DEMO of our artificial intelligence chatbot.
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