27 April 2022

What Is A Click To WhatsApp Ad and How To Get Started

Want to use WhatsApp ads to market your business but don’t know where to start? This guide will tell you all that you need to know about click to WhatsApp ads!

Nicole Garrison

Reading time: 5 minutes

As a business, making it easy for your customers to reach you means they’ll be more willing to start a conversation and directly communicate with you.

In fact, Facebook found that 40% of customers are more likely to buy from a business if they could message them.

That said, many businesses are using WhatsApp to market their business and bridge the communication gap between the organization and its customers. This has led to the rise of click to WhatsApp ads, which send customers straight to a WhatsApp conversation instead of a landing page.

Let’s dive deeper into what exactly a click to WhatsApp ad is and how you can get started! 👇👇👇

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What is a click to WhatsApp ad?

Click-to-WhatsApp ads refer to ads you can create on your Facebook or Instagram business account. These ads have the ‘Send Message’ button that opens a conversation directly in WhatsApp once the customer clicks them.

An example of a Facebook click to WhatsApp ad. Source: TechCrunch

This uses the same technology as click-to-call or click-to-text.

These click to WhatsApp ads are powerful for their simplicity and the ease of access to information. Furthermore, you reduce any distractions along the way as your customers are sent directly to your WhatsApp chat instead of bouncing off to a landing page.

How to get started

Before you start working on your Facebook or Instagram ads, you need first to set up a WhatsApp business account. That means you have to:

Download the WhatsApp Business app, which is different from the regular WhatsApp app
Connect this new account with your Facebook business page
Make sure you’re the Admin of the Facebook page
Make sure your Instagram business account is linked to your Facebook page

The WhatsApp Business app will allow you to insert the name of your business and add a profile image to showcase what you do.

Next, go to your Facebook Business page to connect the two accounts. You can do this in 4 simple steps:

Go to Settings
Find “WhatsApp” on the lefts side of the screen
Choose your country code
Insert the phone number of your WhatsApp business account

Once you finish this process, you’ll be ready to start creating the click-to-WhatsApp ads.

How to create a click to WhatsApp ad

Now that your account’s all set up, you can start ad creation. Assuming you’ve created Facebook ads before, we won’t be focusing on the general details of ad creation on this platform.

So, to create your first click-to-WhatsApp ad, you’ll need to:

Open the add Ad Center of your business page
Choose ‘Create’
Select the campaign goal to be ‘Messages’
Go to the ‘Messaging Apps’ section and choose WhatsApp
Then, enter the phone number of your WhatsApp Business account

The rest of the process goes the same as with any other ad. You choose your target audience, budget, ad duration, ad format, and schedule it for publishing.

Choose the button label for your click to WhatsApp ad

The settings will also allow you to choose the button label or the message you want people to click to take them to your WhatsApp conversation.

Once you publish your ad, you’ll be ready to start directing messages to WhatsApp.

Tips to get more people to click on your WhatsApp ad

1. Choose a popular ad format

Your ad needs to draw attention amidst all the digital noise. But, social media is flooded with eye-appealing content, flashy images, and non-stop entertainment. So, what can you do to stand out?

Aside from preparing awesome content), choose a popular ad format to ensure your ad doesn’t get lost in the crowd. These include:

Images with bright colors or an element that stands out
Short videos
GIFs
Carousels

The visuals you create will dominate the ad and tell your audience what you’re trying to say.

2. Send a clear message

Nobody’s going to click the ‘Send WhatsApp Message’ button if they’re not sure what the point of your ad is. Your ad needs to deliver a clear message and invite people to do something that will be valuable to them.

So, when designing your ad, think of the main message you’re delivering and the value you can provide. For example:

You’ve just launched a new product and you’re offering a free trial or sample for the first 200 applicants
You’re offering a lifetime deal and it’s expiring soon
You’re offering a limited edition product

If you get the message right and focus your ad solely on it — you’ll get the attention of your target audience. You’ll give them a solid reason to click that button and initiate a chat with you.

3. Design the right CTA

A call-to-action (CTA) is the most essential piece of the puzzle that puts the whole image together. If you don’t get it right, all your efforts are in vain.

So, think twice before you write and publish your CTA. We suggest you follow these steps:

Ensure that it is short and easy to understand
Use terms that create scarcity and urgency (e.g. ‘Call now before it’s gone’, ‘Get your lifetime deal now’, etc)
Ensure that it sounds friendly instead of imperative
Remind the people what’s in it for them

If you’re having trouble coming up with a good CTA, you can consider hiring an essay writer to design this primary message. You can then conduct A/B testing to see which CTA drives the most clicks to WhatsApp.