WhatsApp is quickly becoming one of the best messaging platforms for customer communication. Naturally, being the most adopted messaging app on the planet, nearing 3 billion monthly active users, is one of the key reasons for its growing popularity among businesses. But that’s not the reason behind its success. 

As mentioned in another blog article on the rise of WhatsApp Led Growth (WLG), the messaging app is winning businesses over, not only because of its local penetration but also because of WhatsApp’s ever-more robust API platform and its openness towards messaging payment integration. Moreover, according to our WLG 2023 Report, WhatsApp users are open to businesses using the channel for both support (60%) and marketing (40%).

So, based on these numbers, you have also jumped on the WhatsApp train. You have defined your use case and successfully applied to the Business API. You’ve had your notification message templates approved and also possibly built your WhatsApp chatbot. The next step is to find reliable ways to grow your audience and successfully build your WhatsApp lead generation strategy. 

To help you get started, we have compiled a list of different ideas — from organic social media posts, going over website entry points, to traditional advertising — you can leverage to loop people into your WhatsApp-led growth tailored content and find more leads for your business. 

Strategic Considerations on Growing Your Audience for WhatsApp Lead Generation

WhatsApp is quite strict about its opt-in requirements. Hence, to protect the end users, the messaging app obliges you to make the WhatsApp channel opt-in very clear. There must be no doubt about what the consumer is signing up for. 

Your WhatsApp entry points must be straightforward and self-explanatory. While that doesn’t put a cap on the many creative ways you can draw attention to your presence on the messaging app, the basic marketing rules apply.

You need a strategy! 

So, before anything, review your marketing, commerce, customer care, and loyalty requirements, as they will be the critical factors in determining where and how you place entry points.

Ask yourself: 

• What behavior do you want to encourage? Consider what it is you want your leads to do. For example, do you wish to generate pre-purchase product-focused engagement? Then, create a CTWA campaign and entry points next to product pages. 
• Where should you place entry points? There are plenty of online and offline places and spaces across the customer journey to build awareness of your WhatsApp channel. Answering the first question will help you narrow it down a bit, as will your budget and timing. 
• Should you use deep links? Consider your use case. In some cases, deep links can be beneficial. For example, deep links automatically trigger a pre-populated message rather than simply opening a WhatsApp thread. They can also provide leads with more context and focus on a specific topic related to the specific entry point.

Before we get into specifics, if you’re already familiar with the Landbot builder, you can check out this video from our longer WhatsApp Chatbot Building Course on how to get WhatsApp Subscribers: 

‍

WhatsApp Channel Audience Organic Entry Points: Social Media

Let's kick off this list with organic tactics to draw attention to your WhatsApp marketing and other types of innitiatives. While paid campaigns might undoubtedly come in handy in some cases, everyone can benefit from well-placed, naturally-integrated entry points that work for your specific use case.

Naturally, there are the (in)famous social media. It is quite a straightforward go-to space for organic promotion, especially if you have a solid following already. 

Check out some of the WhatsApp discovery placement ideas below. 

Permanent Click-to-Chat Link

One of WhatsApp's most prominent discovery points is a permanent link placement in your social media account's bio description. When tapped or clicked, the link will open up a WhatsApp conversation without unnecessary roadblocks. 

The advantage here is that the placement is permanent and won’t get lost in your feed or stream of stories!

Organic Posts

Another great way to attract attention to your WhatsApp channel is by using an organic post. 

The type of content you share on that post can be an image, a video, or a carousel, or even just a link with a preview if you’re posting on LinkedIn or Twitter. On most social media platforms, the link to opt-in for your WhatsApp channel included in the post will be clickable:

This is the case on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. However, Instagram feed posts cannot contain clickable links, so you’ll need to point users to either a link in your bio or share the post in a story and add a link sticker they can click on. Alternatively, you can include a QR code in the post’s visual asset that users can scan with their phone while browsing through social media on their computers. 

It’s important to keep in mind that organic posts have a relatively short visibility span, so make sure to invest in other organic social media strategies to build your WhatsApp audience. 

Cover Image

Similar to having a click-to-WhatsApp link in your social media profile, another option that is always there — as opposed to organic posts — is the cover image certain platforms allow you to have on your page. 

Such is the case for LinkedIn, X, and Facebook. 

Although this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include a link to opt-in to your channel, adding a QR code to this banner image is an extra entry point for leads to join your WhatsApp channel.

WhatsApp Channel Audience Organic Entry Points: Your Website

Your website is another great space, in addition to your social media, to raise awareness about your WhatsApp channel and use it as part of your lead generation strategy. Let’s see how. 

Home Page

Depending on your goal, a good space to promote your channel is right on your home page using the same formats mentioned above — CTA with a link and QR code — plus your WhatsApp Business phone number. 

Placing a link to the WhatsApp channel on your home page is ideal if you want leads to actively contact you, for example, to learn more about your products. 

It’s important to remember that offering information upfront regarding what users can expect from contacting you using WhatsApp is vital to drive opt-ins. For instance, you can:

• Let them know about the topics you’ll cover in your channel and what content types and formats they can expect to receive;
• Add screenshots of the WhatsApp experience so users know what to expect and how the experience will translate visually. 

Contact Page

A further natural entry point is your website's Contact page, given it's relevant to your use case. 

You can easily highlight WhatsApp as one of your contact channels by sharing your WhatsApp number, QR code, or a deep link. 

The design and manner in which you promote it will have an impact on engagement. 

The easier it is to find an entry point to WhatsApp on your website, the easier it will be to start a conversation. Keep in mind the basics: 

• Tapping a link or scanning a QR code is faster and easier than manually typing in a phone number;
• The more prominent the placement, the more likely that people will choose WhatsApp to engage with your business.

Dedicated WhatsApp Channel Page

Additionally to your home and contact page, you can create a dedicated page for your WhatsApp channel where you provide leads with all the context mentioned above. 

Take our Ungated Conversations — the name of our WhatsApp channel — page. In it, you’ll find an introductory video to the channel, a breakdown of the topics covered, and several CTAs along the page (buttons and QR codes) that make it easier for users to sign up.

Website Header, Footer, or Floating Element 

Next on the list is a clickable WhatsApp logo. You can feature it in your website header or footer or add it as a floating element in the corner of the screen. 

Placing a floating WhatsApp icon makes it extremely easy for visitors to opt-in to your WhatsApp channel if they are interested in learning more about your business. 

The downside of this scenario is that the users don't have immediate context as to what they can expect from the conversation. To balance it out, you must kick start the chat with a solid welcome message that clearly explains what they can achieve using this channel.

Conversation Starter Button 

Finally, there is the conversation starter button. 

The concept is similar to the floating element, though the button allows you to be creative with the CSS and add more information and clarity to the UX that the floating element lacks. 

Also, you can experiment more with the placement and test various page positions over time to determine which one drives the most traffic.

WhatsApp Channel Audience Paid Entry Points

We have seen different approaches to organically growing your audience for WhatsApp lead generation. Even though no paid campaign can ever substitute that well-placed organic CTA, it can be a great push when you are getting started or simply launching a seasonal campaign. 

Click-to-WhatsApp Ads

Social media platforms aren’t only useful as organic entry points to your WhatsApp business channel. They’re also a prolific place to run paid campaigns for your WhatsApp lead generation strategy. 

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all part of the Meta ecosystem, so you can easily personalize your ads on those platforms with a click-to-WhatsApp CTA.

This approach is the perfect strategy if your goal is to use WhatsApp for sales and reach and capture new leads and potential new customers within your desired target group.

Paid ads allow for refined targeting, while the “Send Message” CTA removes friction points by taking the engaged leads straight from the ad to the WhatsApp conversation. Remember that for the ad to bring value to both your business and your potential customers, the WhatsApp conversation needs to have a definite purpose. For example, the WhatsApp bot can ask the lead a series of qualifying questions to offer a personalized product recommendation or a custom discount.  

Whether to focus on Instagram or Facebook should depend on your audience's preferences and behavior patterns. 

However, the Meta ecosystem isn’t the only place to run paid social media campaigns for WhatsApp lead generation. You can also explore paid click-to-WhatsApp options on Linkedin or X. 

Influencer Social Media Posts 

One more paid option on social media to attract attention to your WhatsApp channel is influencers. 

Influencer marketing is still, well, influential and should not be underestimated. 

Having a trusted influencer promote and recommend your WhatsApp channel can drive significant traffic and engagement. 

On the other hand, influencer marketing, although paid, is, in the context of social media, an organic share. Hence, such a post has relatively short feed visibility and can be quickly pushed down by newer posts. To ensure you are making an impact, focus on influencers with truly relevant and highly engaged following rather than simply a large one. 

Traditional Advertising

Whatsapp-led growth and communication might be relatively new to businesses, but you can easily use the most traditional advertising techniques to get the message across, drive engagement to your channel, and effectively use WhatsApp for lead generation. 

Here are a few ideas!

Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising 

Your WhatsApp phone number or a unique QR code can make an appearance on billboards, posters, flyers, or other OOH ads.

It is one of the more costly options, but the exposure is worth it. Plus, it turns a traditionally passive ad, such as a billboard, into an active entry engagement point to your WhatsApp channel. 

Search Engine Ads

We can’t talk about traditional advertising and forgo search engine ads. And yes, they have been on the scene long enough to be considered “traditional.”

You can use your SERP know-how to drive traffic to WhatsApp conversations instead of landing pages, whether to generate leads, nurture prospects, or offer customer support. 

PR

Last but not least, let’s not forget about good old PR and news mentions. 

The advantage here is having the space to explain the scope of your WhatsApp services and their benefits in detail. The exposé can feature screenshots of the WhatsApp experience and offer quotes from top executives that will act as influential trust factors.

How to Build a WhatsApp Chatbot for Lead Generation

At this point, if you’re interested in growing your WhatsApp audience so that you can take full advantage of WhatsApp for lead generation, you probably already know how to and have built a lead generation WhatsApp chatbot. 

But if you landed on this article first, let me point you to content that will guide you in creating your first WhatsApp chatbot.

If you are interested in a written tutorial, you can check out this WhatsApp chatbot creation blog article.

If you’re more of a visual learner, you can take our WhatsApp Chatbot Building course in the Landbot Academy. 

Start Growing Your WhatsApp Audience Today!

This is our short list of organic and paid WhatsApp entry points to help you start growing your WhatsApp audience and improving your WhatsApp lead generation strategy. 

I have no doubt there are many more strategies and tactics that will rock the world of digital marketing in the future. Yet, for now, this list provides a solid foundation to drive leads and to engage with and discover the benefits of WhatsApp business communication. 

And, of course, I couldn’t finish this article without prompting you:

If you want to get regular updates from Landbot, feel free to subscribe to our Ungated Conversations WhatsApp channel.