BFCM WhatsApp strategy [PART 2/3]: HOW TO CONVERT

Once you have WhatsApp subscribers, how do you ensure conversions from Black Friday campaigns? Ilke Baysal, Head of Customer Success shares her knowledge.

The WhatsApp strategy we advise customers to adopt for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) consists of three steps:

1. Plan: lay the right foundations for future WhatsApp success
2. Convert: make sales during your Black Friday campaigns
3. Retain: keep reengaging customers long after Black Friday is over

Here we look at number 2: HOW TO CONVERT.

Introduction

We find that brands can see increased interactions with customers coming up to the big day but customers don’t really switch into purchase mode until the day itself.

The most successful brands recognize this, launching their best campaigns and sharpest offers on Black Friday itself, optimizing quickly for Cyber Monday, then moving on to the next event.

Many of our customers include one crucial component as part of their WhatsApp strategy: early access to sales events.

This was the most broadly used tactic amongst our customers and can generate excellent results.

Key steps

These are three areas of focus for brands looking to maximize conversions in WhatsApp during Black Friday:

1. Segment audiences

Campaign efficiency is all about sending relevant messages to those that are most likely interested. This should keep you conversions high and costs low. Often it is about sending the right message, to the right person, at the right moment.

Segmentation cheatsheet for BFCM in WhatsApp: this ensures relevant campaigns reach the right people to maximize conversions

2. Send targeted campaigns and reminders

Here's how to send targeted campaigns that feel relevant to your audience:

• Choose segment: Loyalty member customers receive pre-access to BFCM deals, before the rest of audience is informed about them
• Choose offer: For example, 20% discount provided as the only big sales promotion for a limited time period
• Choose frequency: 1-4 messages depending on whether subscribers bought or not

3. Track, test and optimize

Track

You'll need metrics to track the success of WhatsApp sales efforts and marketing campaigns. Your platform should report on these. Work with your provider to make sure all BFCM campaigns are tracked and optimized for performance.

Why?

• To optimize campaigns: the generated results are needed for A/B tests, the results of which will provide you with an improved setup for Q4
• To save costs: looking into attribution can help you tweak your setup to make it more efficient

• To make sure you have a working setup: so you won’t be caught up in technical issues during peak season

How?

• Google Analytics/UTM tracking: Integrate with your Google Analytics account. Set up any shortlinking feature to track link clicks and automatically add UTM parameters
• Discount codes: Use unique discount codes in your campaigns for reliable revenue attribution. Use separate codes for WhatsApp.
• Profile-based attribution: Get insights on campaign interaction and purchases by matching WhatsApp numbers to email addresses. Providers like charles provide configuration options like attribution window.
  

TEST and Optimize

Adjust your campaigns based on your learnings. A/B testing is key, testing one element of your WhatsApp campaign and observing which performs best. Consider optimizing campaigns over the weekend, ready for Cyber Monday, based on Black Friday learnings.

Why?

• Be more accurate: A/B testing helps you make informed decisions rather than relying on assumptions – identifying the winning strategy for your BFCM campaigns
• Improve conversion rates: Small changes can impact conversion rates
• Understand audience preferences: This helps to gain insights into what resonates with your audience

How?

• Identify goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve with your A/B test, for example higher open rates, increased click-through rates, better engagement
• Choose metrics: Decide on the key performance indicators (KPIs) you'll use to measure success, such as response rates, click-through rates and conversion rates
• Segment audience: Divide your audience into two or more random, but similar, groups to ensure unbiased results
• Adopt best practices: Use the insights gained from your tests to optimize future campaigns – and continuously test and refine different elements
  
• Develop variants: Create different versions of your WhatsApp message. This could involve variations in:
  • Message content: Test different wording, length or calls-to-action (CTAs)
  • Timing: Send messages at different times of day or days of the week
    
  • Format: Experiment with text only vs. media (images or videos)
    
  • Offer: discount amount (5% vs 10% for example), free shipping, different products

Try testing messages with and without images and videos to see what performs better for your brand. WhatsApp messages should be crisp, clear, energetic and use minimal emojis. 

A note on WhatsApp KPIS

Our customers use several KPIs to measure WhatsApp performance. Here are 2 that are key to understanding the success of your BFCM WhatsApp campaigns.

Brand example: leevje

See how our customer Leevje converted customers successfully using WhatsApp and charles:

Read on

See the other parts of our 3-part strategy for BFCM in WhatsApp:

Download the full WhatsApp BFCM playbook for a shareable, printable guide to our 3-step strategy:

Talk to charles

Partner with charles to find out how WhatsApp can add value to your Black Friday efforts. We're an approved WhatsApp Business Solution Partner and specialize in WhatsApp marketing within the European consumer landscape.

Talk to charles to find out how to get started and learn how to use this opportunity to build your WhatsApp audience – and retain them long-term.