Messenger marketing
On average, over 80% of the population in Germany use WhatsApp regularly. Other services such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram and Signal are significantly less popular. A messenger marketing revolution was predicted back in the 2010s due to the high prevalence and frequency of use of WhatsApp – but it has yet to materialize. The reasons for this are likely to be: Some functions (such as the Whatsapp newsletter) are quite expensive, most services only grant companies limited access and user interest in advertising messages in messengers appears to be limited.
When it comes to Whatsapp marketing, a distinction must first be made between the “normal” Whatsapp app, which can only be used by private users, and the Whatsapp business app , which is also free. The latter is suitable for small businesses and has a similar look and feel to the “normal” Whatsapp app. It can be used in parallel on up to five smartphones or in the desktop version. The app can also be linked to a landline number and additional company information can be entered, a product catalog can be created and automated responses (e.g. out-of-office messages) can be set up. Companies that want to send a Whatsapp newsletter or attach particular importance to data protection compliance require a paid Whatsapp Business API, which differs from Whatsapp Business in other respects.
Whatsapp offers three possible uses for companies:
- Whatsapp newsletters: Whatsapp newsletters are displayed like “normal” messages and open rates are over 90 percent. They can be used to draw subscribers’ attention to offers and to interact with them. The prerequisite for this is to become a Whatsapp “Solution Partner” or to use a service such as Superchat or Sinch Engage (whose packages start at around 60 euros per month). The cost of sending a Whatsapp newsletter is around 11 cents per user and message, which is quite high. Users can react to the newsletter posts and reply to the company (not publicly). Urlaubsguru, Rewe and Aldi Süd, for example, offer such Whatsapp newsletters.
Sending marketing messages via the “Broadcast” function in the free Whatsapp business app is not permitted under data protection law and also violates the service’s usage guidelines. - Whatsapp channel and status: Posts from a Whatsapp channel can be called up under the “News” menu item – so they do not appear as a message like a Whatsapp newsletter. Accordingly, the open rates are significantly lower. Another difference is that Whatsapp channels do not offer users a reply function, so you cannot write back or call the company. However, a channel can be set up and operated free of charge. Companies such as Porsche, Urlaubspiraten and the drugstore DM operate Whatsapp channels, as do many news media, influencers and soccer clubs.
For small companies, the Whatsapp status function in the (also free) Whatsapp Business app can be an alternative to a Whatsapp channel. They correspond to the “normal” status updates that most Whatsapp users are familiar with from their private contacts. In order to see these status messages, customers must have saved the company’s phone number. - Customer service via Whatsapp: Rossmann, Adidas and DHL Express use Whatsapp for customer service. Even small companies can reach their customers via WhatsApp using the free WhatsApp Business app. For legal reasons, the conversation must be initiated by the customer and no marketing messages may be sent by the company (status messages with marketing content are permitted, however).
5 tips for email marketing
Building up an email distribution list takes time, but is worth it. Although warnings are rare, existing customers may not be added to the newsletter mailing list without being asked. A so-called double opt-in procedure is required: Interested parties must enter their e-mail address in the registration form on the website and confirm their registration in a second step. If a newsletter is requested in the same way (e.g. via a handwritten list entry), the registration must also be confirmed by the recipient by e-mail.
1st Newsletter: Do you need a newsletter tool?
To make a long story short: yes! In principle, you can send a newsletter via a “normal” email inbox, put the recipients in the BCC field or write personalized serial emails using a combination of Outlook and Word, but this is not advisable for several reasons. Firstly, manually maintaining the distribution list is not only annoying, but also legally problematic, as recipients must be able to unsubscribe from the newsletter easily and at any time – ideally via an unsubscribe link. Secondly, there is a risk with such mass emails that the newsletter will end up in the spam folder – in the worst case not only the newsletter, but also other emails sent from this address or domain. Thirdly, there are often display errors – especially if the newsletter contains images (which it absolutely should). It is therefore always advisable to use a newsletter tool for email marketing.
2nd provider check: Which newsletter tool is the best?
You can find a large number of newsletter tool tests online, all of which basically have the same result: It depends on what you need and where your priorities lie. Small craft businesses in particular will rarely use the full range of functions of the services, which is why in most cases they should be satisfied with almost any newsletter tool. Those who want a German provider can use Cleverreach or Rapidmail, for example, while Brevo or Mailchimp could be a good choice for those who don’t. Most services are free of charge up to a certain number of recipients and with limited functionality.
3. design: What does a good newsletter look like?
Similar to a website, a newsletter should also be responsive, i.e. it should be displayed just as well on a smartphone as on a desktop PC. Overall, the design should be in line with the company’s corporate design, for example using the same colors and fonts as on the website. Images are also recommended to make the recipient want to continue reading. Last but not least, the newsletter should be well structured and not too long.
4. content: How should a newsletter be structured?
The headline should already indicate the topic of the newsletter and give the recipient a reason to open it. It doesn’t always have to be discounts, interesting facts (e.g. “What you should know about carpentry”), tips (e.g. “5 things you should consider when converting your loft”) or news (e.g. “Introducing our new master craftsman Max”) can also be suitable topics. The newsletter itself should be kept as short as possible and ideally have a clear focus in terms of content. If several topics are included, they should not be dealt with in too much detail, but only touched on in a teaser text and provided with a link (e.g. to the article on the website). When selling products, it is also important to place a call to action (e.g. “Order now and receive a 20% discount”). Last but not least, there are legal requirements: For example, the newsletter must contain an unsubscribe option and an imprint link.
5. analysis: How can the newsletter be optimized?
To check whether a newsletter was successful, you should analyze it and draw conclusions for the next one. The delivery rate indicates the percentage of recipients who received the newsletter. If possible, it should be 100 percent. The open rate is usually significantly lower. A value of 20 to 25 percent can be considered good here. The click rate, i.e. the number of people who have followed a call to action and clicked on a link in the newsletter, is even lower. As a rule of thumb, if it is permanently below three percent, there is a need for optimization. Even with good open rates, however, it is advisable to carry out A/B tests from time to time. This involves splitting the recipient list, sending the newsletter in two different versions, then analyzing the results and drawing conclusions for future newsletters.
