Unleash the Power of Communication: Comparing WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp has come a long way from being a simple instant messaging app to a robust communication platform for businesses. With over 2 billion active users worldwide, it's no wonder that businesses have started leveraging the platform for customer communication. However, with the introduction of WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API, it can get confusing for businesses to understand which one to use and how they differ from each other. In this blog, we will compare and understand WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API and help you determine which one is best for your business.

Understanding the differences between WhatsApp Basic, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp BusinessAPI is essential if you want to utilise WhatsApp for marketing. hey are three distinct tools meant for various users.

According to Statista data from 2021, WhatsApp is the most widely used chat app in the worldwith 2 billion monthly active users. Can companies use WhatsApp, then? Yes, they may use it, and they ought to utilise it.

Why? Because WhatsApp is a fantastic platform for marketing campaigns, transactional messages, and customer service. It enables direct communication with your audience through their mobile devices. Compared to emails, people areconsiderably more likely to open a chat message right away.

Additionally, WhatsApp offers a variety of messaging options to supplement your marketing plan, including multimedia messages, product catalogues, interactive messages with fast buttons, and QR codes for multi-channel reach.

To be effective, your WhatsApp account must be the appropriate type for the scope and requirements of your company. Let's review the three choices so you can decide which is best for you.

1. WhatsApp Messenger
2. WhatsApp Business
3. WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a cross-platform instant messaging app that allows users to send text messages, voice messages, photos, and videos to other WhatsApp users. It was launched in 2009 and quickly gained popularity, especially in countries like India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Today, WhatsApp is used by over 2 billion users worldwide to communicate with friends and family.

WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business is a separate app designed specifically for small businesses to communicate with their customers. It provides a suite of tools to help businesses manage their chats, automate responses, and organize contacts. With WhatsApp Business, businesses can easily respond to customer inquiries, send promotions and updates, and handle customer support inquiries.

WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API is a paid service for large enterprises to reach their customers via WhatsApp. It provides a secure and scalable solution for businesses to send and receive messages from their customers. The API provides businesses with access to all the features of WhatsApp Business and more, including the ability to send messages to customers in bulk, automate responses, and send multimedia messages.

Comparing WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API

1. PurposeWhatsApp is for personal use, WhatsApp Business is for small businesses, and WhatsApp Business API is for large enterprises.
2. FeaturesWhatsApp is a basic instant messaging app with limited features. WhatsApp Business provides additional features like automated responses and contact organization. WhatsApp Business API provides the most comprehensive set of features, including the ability to send messages in bulk, automate responses, and send multimedia messages.
3. CostWhatsApp is free to use, WhatsApp Business is free to download, but some features may incur additional charges. WhatsApp Business API is a paid service with pricing based on the number of messages sent and received.
4. User ExperienceWhatsApp is user-friendly and easy to use. WhatsApp Business provides a similar user experience with added features for businesses. WhatsApp Business API is designed for large enterprises and may require technical expertise to use.
5. ScalabilityWhatsApp is suitable for personal use and small groups. WhatsApp Business can handle a moderate volume of customer interactions, but for large enterprises, WhatsApp Business API is the best option for scalability.

Features of theWhatsApp Business API

Client access

The API offers limitless users and devicesunder a single account, unlike WhatsApp Business. Customer service and messenger marketing are greatly enhanced by this.

Creating an account

You cannot immediately use WhatsApp's APIfunctions after signing up for it. To get your account verified, you must apply for one through a WhatsApp partner and provide information about your company.

Additionally, you can apply again for a green check mark to show up next to your company name in chats. In the eyes of your audience, it increases legitimacy.

Contact management

The way contacts are handled differs significantly between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API. Your opt-inlists are imported using the API from the CRM or another marketing platform.

Users can provide their consent to WhatsApp marketing in one of two ways: by sending a message to the company account first, or by checking a box on a signup form that specifically asks them about WhatsApp. The API cannot be used to message contacts who did not give their authorization to be reached via WhatsApp. This safeguards the app user experience for the customer.

Types of messages you can send via WhatsApp API

First off, it's crucial to remember that the API does not support audio or video calls. Additionally, just as with the WhatsApp Company app, you can showcase your brand in a business profile.Overall, email marketing can be replaced (or supplemented) with the API as amessaging medium.

What distinguishes WhatsApp Business from WhatsAppBusiness API, then?

Message sessions:-

Someone opens a chat window with your business account (a customer, lead, or contact). The chat will expire if you don'trespond within 24 hours. If the other person replies to your message, the 24-hour clock starts over. These are WhatsApp session messages. Giving the consumer power over communication is the objective; if they decide to stop chatting with you, that's it.

Sending outmessages:-

To prevent recipients from receiving spam, broadcast messages must adhere to the template rules and must first haveWhatsApp's approval before being sent. The good news is that, unlike WhatsApp Business, you can broadcast over the API to as many contacts as you'd like without them needing to save your phone number.

However, the interactive messages are a true game-changer. Messages with quick reply buttons attached can be sent. The recipient only needs to touch on the option they like, and it will be added back to the discussion so you can keep up the conversation.

WhatsApp groups:-

You can make and administer group chats usingthe WhatsApp Business API, but you are unable to join them. Additionally, contacts cannot just be added to a group; they must be invited to join via aunique message. All of this is done to shield users from spam and unsolicited messages.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, businesses should choose WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp Business API based on their communication needs. For small businesses with a limited number of customer interactions, WhatsApp Business is a good choice. For large enterprises with high volume customer interactions, WhatsApp Business API is the best option for scalability and robust features. Ultimately, the choice depends on the size of the business, the volume of customer interactions, and the level of technical expertise required to use the platform.

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