How do you build a WhatsApp audience in B2B?

b2b.store’s advice for channel growth based on insight from the leading B2B brands we’ve worked with

A big part of setting up any new company WhatsApp channel is building a large audience of B2B users to send messages to.

Whether they are current or prospective customers, members or users of a particular service, getting a significant group of people to quickly join your channel and engage with messages is key.

The easiest way to do this is to add people to the channel, but this depends on the size of a business’s database of numbers to begin. If already on file (and with the correct GDPR permissions), phone numbers can be added quickly, otherwise different routes to market can be established, such as promoting through links or QR codes on emails, in-person or on marketing materials.

From a messaging standpoint, the first move is to send a welcome/onboarding message so people understand what to expect from your channel – but they often come with their own unique challenges because it’s crucial to make the best first impression.

What makes a good onboarding plan?

Warming up an audience is always advised before adding them to your new WhatsApp channel, so they can expect it to happen. Otherwise, if a customer is added without any prior warning, they may think it’s spam and immediately leave before you’ve had chance to send a message.

Those initial messages need to be quickly understandable and outline the benefit for someone to be part of your channel. People will often give only seconds of their time to unknown messages, so making sure they grasp what it’s all about is crucial.

Based on our experience working with major B2B brands and the data from their onboarding strategies, the best plan to follow is:

1. Communicate with your audience to let them know a new company WhatsApp channel is about to be launched
2. Send the first welcome message on a Tuesday between 2pm and 3pm
3. A friendly, straightforward message delivers 8% stronger first-hour and day-one reads than more functional introductions
4. Follow up with a second message within 24 hours while attention is high
5. For open-invite lists where customers have to join the channel themselves instead of being automatically added, use a two-step warm-up, with an initial welcome followed by a value teaser before the first promo.

Get more WhatsApp Business API tips tailored for the B2B market in our exclusive WhatsApp in B2B Insight Guide.