Send WhatsApp messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Collaborate on a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify Store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Broadcast messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Connect your chat apps in a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Content Marketing Lead
It’s safe to say that WhatsApp is becoming an essential messaging platform for many businesses as part of their communication strategy.
After all, it’s the most popular messaging app, so why wouldn’t businesses want to hop onto the platform to communicate with their customers?
That said, if you’re already using WhatsApp Business or are planning to transition from WhatsApp, you’re probably wondering: can multiple users manage one WhatsApp Business account?
Well… The answer is yes and no.
What does this even mean?
Well, there are certain limitations when it comes to having multiple users on WhatsApp Business, but this also depends on which way you’re using it: whether it’s using the WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API.
But fret not because in this article, we’ll dive into detail on how you can go about using WhatsApp Business with multiple users, its limitations, and a workaround.
Before we dive into the specifics, do note that using WhatsApp Business with multiple team members depends on whether you’re using the WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API.
And as we mentioned, each method has its own way of adding additional users, devices, and limitations.
For a deeper look into what the difference is between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API, we have an in-depth guide to WhatsApp Business API that you should check out!
The WhatsApp Business application is built with smaller companies in mind for their business communication needs. Hence, with lesser incoming messages, the app is meant to be accessed by a small group of people.
Before September 2021, the WhatsApp Business app could only be used on two devices. But under the new beta program, businesses can use the app on 5 devices — 1 phone and 4 additional devices — for each number.
This means you can only use the WhatsApp Business App on 1 phone, 2 computers, and 2 tablets, but you can’t use the WhatsApp Business App on 2 phones.
To use the WhatsApp Business App for multiple users, you’ll have to join the multi-device beta program. Here are the steps to apply:
After you’ve successfully joined the program, you can link other devices to the main phone that’s registered with WhatsApp Business.
WhatsApp Business is free and easy to use, with features such as WhatsApp broadcast, semi-automation for messages, and chat labels specific for business use.
This makes the business app suitable for small businesses and sole proprietors who don’t have a huge budget but still want to use WhatsApp to communicate with their customers.
Furthermore, if you have a small team and a small number of incoming messages, using the WhatsApp Business App for multiple reps will be sufficient.
Because WhatsApp Business was built for smaller businesses, the features might not be advanced enough to support your business if you’re growing rapidly.
There is also no ability to track the performance of your reps due to the lack of data and reporting available. The limited automation possibilities can become an issue in the long run when you start receiving more messages, which could then snowball into poor communication and customer support.
Intended for medium and large enterprises, WhatsApp Business API is capable of allowing you to work with multiple users.
You can assign messages to reps, collaborate internally, and help more customers in a quicker span of time. You can also configure WhatsApp chatbots to address common customer questions and requests.
Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp API offers more insight into your conversations so you know what your customers are asking, which rep handles the most chats, and more.
However, WhatsApp API has a messaging window of 24 hours. What this means is that if a customer contacts you, you only have 24 hours to respond to them and have an ongoing conversation. After this 24-hour window, you can only reply to that customer by sending message templates that are pre-approved by WhatsApp.
💡 Read more about WhatsApp’s templated messages and guidelines.
WhatsApp Business API gives businesses more flexibility into customer conversations.
If you’re a large business with a team of reps and a large number of incoming messages, WhatsApp API would be a good solution to handle all chat messages.
Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp Business API is not free. You’ll also require assistance from a third-party provider, or a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) to apply for an account and get approval from WhatsApp.
Furthermore, you’re limited by the 24-hour message window, which can be a hindrance and accumulate costs if you’re not careful.
There’s a way around such limitations, and that is by using a WhatsApp solution provider.
Using a WhatsApp solution provider gives you access to WhatsApp Business API and more — such as WhatsApp automation, a shared team inbox, and even multiple messaging platforms aside from WhatsApp.
How this works is that you’re using a third-party provider for your WhatsApp Business communication while still enjoying all the features from WhatsApp and the provider themselves.
For example, NovoChat, a chat marketing software, allows you to broadcast messages to all your customers without having WhatsApp pre-approve your template messages. In other words, NovoChat helps you bypass strict guidelines put in place by WhatsApp.
The software also offers a shared team inbox, allowing you to easily collaborate, assign, and resolve conversations with your team members.
Here’s how you can get started with a WhatsApp platform like NovoChat in 3 simple steps:
Essentially, you’re getting the most out of WhatsApp by using a WhatsApp BSP.
Remember, you get all the WhatsApp Business API features, the provider’s additional features, and depending on the provider, you might even be able to bypass some of WhatsApp’s guidelines.
You also get to work with multiple users, which can go up to 200 users (for NovoChat’s business plan), and work cohesively on a single dashboard.
Although many WhatsApp BSPs are affordable, you might be paying for features you don’t need, like a multi-channel widget or automation. This is when choosing the right BSP for your business need becomes very important.
We hope that this article has given you a clearer understanding of how you can use WhatsApp Business with multiple users.
So, which is the most suitable way to use WhatsApp Business?
As we always say, it depends on your business. If you’re a small business, using the WhatsApp Business App would be more than enough to support your business needs.
On the other hand, if you’re a medium to large business with a high influx of messages, using a WhatsApp BSP will be more effective in helping you manage your conversations. Give NovoChat a try and get started with our 7-day free trial!
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