Structured Conversations and Enhanced Engagement: All you need to know about WhatsApp Flows

Over the last few years, WhatsApp has emerged as the most effective channel for marketing, commerce and support. The high volume of business messages flowing through the platform during the festive season is a testament to WhatsApp’s popularity.

But did you know you could make it more engaging for your customers, leading to a better experience, higher conversions and thus higher sales for your brand? Enter WhatsApp flows, a new kind of UX (user experience) which helps brands design rich, customizable experiences on WhatsApp.

In today’s fast paced digital world where businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to connect with their customers, WhatsApp Flows is a cool new way to offer a unique experience to your customers.

Let’s first understand what is WhatsApp Flows. The feature is better explained through this image-

As the name suggests, WhatsApp Flows allows brands to create different types of flows that help  customers complete things faster on WhatsApp. It gives brands more flexibility and functionality through customizable building blocks, so that they can offer the most relevant experiences to their customers.

A key advantage of Flows is that it prevents customers from bouncing off. It has often been seen that customers initially engage on WhatsApp but after a few messages, they stop responding. In other words, they bounce off. Sometimes, this happens because of links that take the user out of WhatsApp or lengthy message threads, resulting in high friction and an inconsistent user experience.

For example, say a customer gets a message about this very lucrative loyalty programme from their favorite food delivery app. There is a “sign up” button at the end of the message but when the customer clicks on it, he’s taken to a separate tab which does not load properly for some reason.

This spoils the experience for the customer leading to drop-off and thus a lost opportunity for the brand to add more members. But now brands can build forms for use cases such as sign ups, appointment bookings, lead generation, log in, account management flows, surveys etc right on WhatsApp.

Customers can interact with brands in a structured pattern, the way they would do on an app.  Flows takes the customer experience on WhatsApp several notches higher by enabling them to complete a process seamlessly and smoothly, almost like an app.

Flows can help brands elevate CX at every step of the consumer funnel. At the discovery stage brands could use it for lead generation via Click-to Chat Ads– a much better option compared to the static lead gen forms on websites.

Similarly, at the consideration stage, it could be used for appointment bookings or getting quotes for a product/service. At the purchase and service stage, brands could use it for getting order history and customer feedback.

While these are some of the initial use cases, there’s immense potential to bring different kinds of use cases through flows.

What can WhatsApp Flows do for you?

Let’s look at some examples-

1. Lead Generation

Brands can generate leads by creating a Flow that asks customers to provide their name and contact information in order to get an exclusive deal, download a white paper or receive a free consultation.

2. Customer service and feedback

WhatsApp Flows can also be used to offer support and collect customer feedback. For example, brands could create a Flow that asks customers to rate their satisfaction with your product or service after they have made a purchase. They could also use Flows to collect feedback on specific features or aspects of your business.

3. Appointment booking 

Brands can use Flows that allows customers to select a date and time for an appointment, and then provides them with a confirmation message. They could also use Flows to collect additional information from customers, such as their payment information or special requests.

4. Offer quotes 

Insurance companies can leverage WhatsApp Flows to streamline the process of providing insurance quotes to potential customers. By integrating a Flow into their WhatsApp Business account, insurance companies can guide customers through a series of structured steps, gathering relevant information and presenting personalized quotes based on their specific needs.

5. Subscription renewals 

By incorporating a Flow into their WhatsApp Business platform, brands can proactively reach out to customers nearing their subscription renewal date, reminding them of the upcoming renewal and providing easy-to-follow instructions for completing the process. This proactive approach can significantly reduce customer churn and increase retention rates, as customers appreciate the convenience and personalized attention.

In a nutshell, here are some benefits for brands that incorporate Flows on WhatsApp-

1. Improved Customer Experience
2. Increased Customer Engagement
3. Reduced Support costs
4. Increased sales and Conversions
5. Better customer retention
   

A real-world implementation by Gupshup

While WhatsApp Flows was launched in India recently, Gupshup is one of the few Meta partners globally to have launched a live case of Flows with redBus, the largest online bus ticketing company in the country.