Although leading social platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram still have a large market share, they are saturated with competition since they have been around for a while. But there is one platfor Azerbaijan Phone Numbers that started out as a messaging app for people to communicate with each other but transformed into a global marketing channel for businesses. You guessed it, it’s WhatsApp.
It has grown to such an extent that in mid-2023, WhatsApp was the most downloaded mobile messaging and chat app with a market share of 42%, leaving behind Messenger (20%), and Telegram (34%.)
Even though WhatsApp marketing is becoming a common approach to reach out to people over mobile devices, how can a business build a complete customer base using WhatsApp?
You can do this by using the Community feature introduced by WhatsApp in November of last year. WhatsApp Communities are a novel way to foster a sense of belonging and interactions among your target market.
So, in this ultimate guide, I will provide you with a complete picture of what this WhatsApp Community feature is and how you can use it to bring your audience closer to not just your business but also to each other. I will also go over the different types of communities you can create, the benefits they offer, and the best practices to manage them. With that said, let’s jump into it!
What is a Community in WhatsApp?
“Communities like neighborhoods, parents at a school, and workplaces can now connect multiple groups together under one umbrella to organize group conversations on WhatsApp.”
WhatsApp started as a mobile app designed specifically for providing no-cost messaging service to its users. But now it has become more than just a chatting app.
With the Communities functionality of WhatsApp, you have the capability to manage and gather all of your different WhatsApp groups in a single place known as a Community. You can create a maximum of 100 groups and have a total of 2,000 users per community.
Within a community, whenever a new user joins your community, they automatically join the Announcement group as well. Here, you can send one-way messages to every person about company updates or recent news. Not just that, the community members can find and ask to join relevant groups based on their interests.
In a way, Communities are similar to forums, where different groups exist for discussing a particular subject for users to join and have conversions with each other. A WhatsApp Community has its profile picture, a brief description, and a unique link for you to invite people to your community.
An example of a WhatsApp Community.
Creating a community is a great way to improve sales engagement as WhatsApp offers many advanced features, such as 35-people voice and video calls, large-size file sharing for files bigger than 2 GB, emojis, reactions, and surveys to gather feedback or ask for a suggestion from members.
Different types of WhatsApp communities
WhatsApp Communities can vary widely in their purpose and structure. You should have a clear business goal to create a community (more on this later.)
Although the primary function of a community is to provide a space for your audience to interact with one another, you can strategically invite members to particular groups based on your needs. With that said, below are some of the types of communities you can create:
Customer support communities
WhatsApp is an excellent platform to offer answers to your buyers’ issues. Since it connects you straight to your customers, your customers don’t have to fill out a form or submit a ticket to get in touch with your support staff.
Customer support communities on WhatsApp serve as a dynamic platform for you to provide personalized assistance to your customers. These communities are dedicated spaces where your buyers can seek help, ask questions, and get quick solutions from you and fellow customers. This way, members of the community can benefit from shared experiences and solutions provided by others who might have encountered similar issues.
Moreover, peer-to-peer interaction within the community can enhance customer engagement, building stronger relationships between you and your buyers and also allowing you to adopt a customer-centric approach in your sales processes.
Interest-based communities
Interest-based communities revolve around shared hobbies or pursuits, making them a powerful tool for you to connect with your target market on a deeper level. These communities usually include individuals who are passionate about a particular subject and if your business’s products or services suit the requirements of a target group, you can use WhatsApp Communities to build a die-hard community.
For example, if you run a business centered around fitness, you can create communities for fitness enthusiasts. Members of your community can take part in daily workout challenges and share their achievements.
Having a community full of your potential allows you to easily market your products or services. Also, you can gain insights into fitness trends and learn more about the preferences of individual members for choosing an appropriate sales engagement model.
