The WhatsApp opportunity for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

If you're a marketing leader at an enterprise brand and considering adding WhatsApp as a marketing channel, here's a look into the influence WhatsApp could have on your Black Friday activities.

Why start with WhatsApp before black friday 2024?

Working with our customers through a few Black Friday Cyber Mondays, our Success team has seen that BFCM can be a great opportunity to start out with your WhatsApp marketing efforts. Here are the core indicators that led them to this belief:

• Higher numbers of WhatsApp opt-ins: Customers are primed for deals and may be more likely to opt in to your marketing communications during BFCM than other times of the year  
• Additional revenue: Having additional marketing channels can bring you additional sales, especially during BFCM – our revenue per recipient (RPR)* during Black Week 2023 was 35% higher compared to other times of year (as seen from an analysis of 228 brands active on the charles platform during BFCM peak season 2023)
• Holidays sales boost: Those who enjoyed your Black Friday promotions may be more likely to engage with your brand during the holiday season
• Competitive differentiation: WhatsApp for Business is still relatively new in Europe and may help you stand out from other brands and create a unique, improved customer experience
• Zero-party customer data: WhatsApp’s unique interactivity enables the collection of valuable customer information that can inform future campaigns

*Total revenue generated by WhatsApp/no. of WhatsApp recipients

Impact of Black Friday on channel KPIs

WhatsApp is showing significant growth as a marketing channel for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) mega sales.

Analysis of 228 brands active on the charles platform during BFCM peak season 2023 

BFCM 2024 looks set to gain further momentum in WhatsApp

All indicators point to Black Friday being even bigger in WhatsApp this year than ever before. 

• Subscriber bases are higher – some European brands now have over 100K WhatsApp subscribers
  

Analysis of WhatsApp subscribers serviced by the charles platform, August 23 – August 24

• Increased adoption of WhatsApp as a marketing channel – WhatsApp Business app downloads worldwide have risen steadily, tripling in the last few years
• Innovative new product features and technical possibilities – such as WhatsApp Carousels and click-to-WhatsApp ads
• Stronger integrations – many WhatsApp platforms now integrate with more CDP/CRM and service platforms, like Emarsys, Klaviyo and Zendesk

"By the end of 2019, we estimate there were just under 1,000 companies using the WhatsApp Business API – 0.05% of the available medium and large enterprises worldwide.

Mobilesquared expects this number to rise to 2.5% of the available medium and large enterprises by the end of 2024, representing a total of almost 55,000 organisations, a growth of over 55x."

Mobile Economic Forum

Source: MEF

How WhatsApp supports the entire customer journey

BFCM is now about forging long-term relationships with customers, not just driving short-term sales. WhatsApp is an ideal channel to facilitate this goal – as it can be used across the entire journey from awareness to post-purchase engagement.

There are WhatsApp use cases to match every step of the customer journey. To learn more, get a free copy of our WhatsApp BFCM Playbook. 

• At the awareness stage, WhatsApp offers brands a direct line to their audience. With almost 3 billion users globally, WhatsApp can offer high visibility, with customers reporting open rates of up to 85% and even 90% – exceeding other channels like email, with average open rates in eCommerce of 29.8%. Brands can share personalized product recommendations, exclusive discounts and event invitations directly to customers' phones, driving initial engagement and brand discovery​​.
  
• During the consideration phase, WhatsApp's conversational nature allows brands to address customer inquiries quickly and personally, turning leads into customers. Customers can engage in real-time chats with brands, seeking advice on products or services, which can increase the likelihood of conversion. WhatsApp automation is also commonly employed here, made possible by the WhatsApp Business API, with brands producing product finders and tailored recommendations delivered through automated, interactive WhatsApp flows.
  
• In the post-purchase and retention stages, WhatsApp can improve long-term customer engagement. Brands can use WhatsApp to provide order updates, offer post-purchase support or invite feedback through surveys, reinforcing customer satisfaction and loyalty. As a retention channel, WhatsApp performs well, with loyal customers often opting to receive future updates and offers, keeping them connected to the brand​.

Brand story: DERTOUR

Ilhan Pektas, eCommerce manager at German travel specialist, DERTOUR, says of its plans for WhatsApp marketing on Black Friday:

For the first time, we are integrating WhatsApp into our Black Friday campaign to give our customers early access to extremely limited travel deals. These one-of-a-kind offers are usually gone in a flash.

With WhatsApp, we create immediate urgency, allowing our customers to secure the best deals before they are completely gone.

WhatsApp has completely changed the game for us, especially when it comes to fast, direct customer communication.

During our NFL and Darts World Championship package sales, where we bundled exclusive tickets and hotel offers, we were able to generate targeted leads and reach them at exactly the right moment. This gave our customers the chance to secure the best tickets early, before they sold out.

This strategy of combining urgency with immediate, personalized contact via WhatsApp has taken our sales processes to the next level.

Ilhan Pektas, eCommerce Manager

See more customer stories.

Read more

For practical advice on how a WhatsApp channel can be implemented within a marketing team for Black Friday, see our WhatsApp marketing strategy. Go to PLAN, CONVERT and RETAIN articles to explore each one in more depth, with examples, best practice advice and customers stories:

Get the free playbook

Download the full WhatsApp BFCM playbook for a shareable, printable version:

Don't have a WhatsApp marketing platform yet? You'll need one to start using the WhatsApp Business API and start messaging your customers. Get in touch with us now.

Talk to charles

We recommend you add WhatsApp to your omnichannel BFCM strategy soon, so you can make the most of Black Friday engagement and momentum.

Speak to charles and we'll help you find the best use cases for your brand, how to test WhatsApp for your business and give you an overview of the costs involved.