Whatsapp Marketing: New Marketing Strategy

How many of you reading this post is without smartphone? I would like to know what is your popular and most used personal messenger! If was early 2000, I would presume Blackberry messenger is the most used personal messenger which topped the list of best personal messenger in smartphone. That was the time when word Smartphone would only mean Blackberry or HTC device. Rarely Microsoft Window found itself in few pockets. But such devices are often seen with either a business executive or top executive of any organisation. The aim was to make sure that vital assets of the company or organisation are in the boundaries of the corporate even off the work.

Now, the definition of smartphone was redefined. The Advent of Android OS has reached wide range of world population than expected. With Apple iPhone, Google Android devices vied for the market share, the then popular Blackberry Smartphones were sidelined by the corporate. The Apple and Google raced against each other to attract large user base. Being Open Source, Android gained popularity. Than being a premium device, Android catered to the need of budget smartphone specification which augmented the Android User than the competitors such as Apple, RIM, Windows, Symbian.

See also: Who uses Whatsapp Marketing?

But the penetration of Smartphones has brought the pleasure of personal messenger to all its users without any discrimination either they work for corporate or doing the homework. The smartphones have provided unlimited choice when comes to selecting software and service compared to the traditional cell phones which are limited to SMS, MMS and voice calls. The Technology has brought 3G, 4G which added value to messenger service unlike the conservative data packs of early 2000. 

Why Whatsapp so Popular?

If we have to install a most popular and well used messenger service into our smartphone, it would be 'Whatsapp'. The popularity was Whatsapp is well known among any smartphone user. Whoever don't have Whatsapp are frowned by their colleagues or business partners.  The very success of the Messenger Service is due its policy towards end-users. Whatsapp had policy not to display or provide with pop-ups to the end-user and to provide clean and neat intelligible interface unlike other free application available on the store which are supported by ads for revenue. 

Though, Whatsapp free service is limited to first year, it charges about $1 or so per year to avail the service for the subsequent year. Yet, users find no fault with the service. An application which understands requirements of end-user find its place in the podium of the market. To our surprise, many users are willing to pay advance subscription for the subsequent year use of the world's most popular Smartphone Messaging Service. It had surpassed many other messenger. Even Google's Hangout opined to have less popularity than Whatsapp when it comes to Smartphones.

Whatsapp Marketing: A New Way To Find Customers

For World's Most Popular Messenger, one must have register one's phone number with Whatsapp. Once done, we can start directly pinging our friends and family or the one who is in our contact list. The idea of Group messaging help us connect with friends and families. We can have light moment virtually through Internet without any hindrance. Whatsapp identify us using our phone numbers. So anyone who posses our phone number could contact us through the Whatsapp service. It will open for all whoever have your number and whatsapp installed on smartphone to contact you at their will. So do the marketing companies have started campaigns to market product through Whatsapp. 

Worst part is marketing companies which have previously collected large list of mined data regarding targeted users have now vast array of phone numbers at its disposal. With Whatsapp service and unlimited WiFi connection from Internet Service Providers (ISP), marketing through whatsapp is walk in the park. Either you like or not, they will be sending queue of messages. 

The traditional SMS marketing was limited by the telecom operators and controlled by the regulating agencies of the concerned country. But with Whatsapp which uses internet as the medium of communication is unregulated. If it to be regulated, it must be done either by Facebook or the Regulating Agencies of State. In this case, both are nonviable options as Facebook regulation would spark contention over privacy issues while state regulation will cause concerns over net neutrality.

Whatsapp policy was not to store messages that are through its servers. And it does not monitor activities of its users. With huge broadcast list, Ad companies send unlimited messages for small annual subscription fee.

Economical Marketing:

It is economical and innovative strategy to use Whatsapp to advertise business and product. Some really benefited from the marketing. With less than $2, you can make your product ad reach thousands of users. It is most viable than the SMS marketing. Whatsapp marketers charge pennies for 1000 messages while traditional SMS marketing could escalate cost. 

Moreover, Whatsapp is not limited by territorial boundary of state unlike SMS or MMS. This strategy was availed by email marketers which is a cheap option if one decides to market beyond one's own state boundary. So if your target is local or international audience, the charge for using the service remains same irrespective of the locality. 

The era of smartphone has brought world under single roof. Message across the seas are free and reliable considering the advancement of technology and abundant bandwidth under sea Fiber optic cables. For marketers, it is a boon. And with Whatsapp web, composing and drafting a marketing message make simple.

Drawbacks:

Though, Whatsapp is viable and economical marketing option for those experienced and new start-up Ad agency, it is not free from defects. With Facebook and founders of the Whatsapp have turned against advertisements, such ad free experience is taken away by these marketers. 

Blocking Ads in Whatsapp:  

Those unsolicited message if you find annoying, user have option to block those numbers from which such ads were sent by the Whatsapp marketers. As user don't have other known mechanism to stop ads being send from unknown numbers, it is a make shift solution to stop receiving ad messages from known advertisers phone number. Further, users can block any other numbers from which user receive messages.