All You Need to Know About WhatsApp Marketing

Discover how WhatsApp Marketing helps businesses boost engagement, conversions, and retention. Learn benefits, strategies, and how to set it up on Yournotify.

Since its acquisition by Meta (formerly Facebook) for $22 billion in 2014, WhatsApp has grown to become the most widely used instant messaging app globally, with an estimated 3 billion active daily users.

In Nigeria alone, over 51 million people use WhatsApp, meaning that one in every four active mobile lines in the country is engaging on the platform. This makes Nigeria one of the top 10 WhatsApp-using countries in the world.

Yet, the use of WhatsApp as a marketing tool for brands to reach new customers and engage existing ones through personalised messaging has not been fully explored by many African businesses.

But before diving into how smart brands use WhatsApp to acquire and retain customers, it is important to clearly define what WhatsApp Marketing is.

What Is WhatsApp Marketing?

WhatsApp Marketing is simply the use of WhatsApp as a marketing tool to promote a brand, its products, or its services, and to leverage the platform’s features to build strategic customer relationships.

But not all promotional communication on WhatsApp qualifies as WhatsApp Marketing.

Examples of what should not be considered WhatsApp Marketing:

• Random broadcast messages sent from a personal WhatsApp number to people who did not opt in.
• Forwarded promotional messages that are not personalized and do not follow WhatsApp’s business communication rules.

Real WhatsApp Marketing typically involves using the platform’s WhatsApp Business API, which allows businesses to send personalised, automated, and tailored messages to hundreds or even thousands of customers—for sales, customer support, notifications, updates, and relationship building.

What Businesses Can Use WhatsApp Marketing?

The simple answer is all businesses across all sectors—as long as their customers are on WhatsApp.

However, here are some sectors that benefit significantly from WhatsApp Marketing and why it’s incredibly crucial for them:

Fintech Services: Can use WhatsApp to send instant transaction alerts, onboarding messages, support responses, and personalized financial tips.

Retail and E-commerce: Can update customers on orders, share product catalogues, provide customer service, and recover abandoned carts.

Banking and Finance: Can deliver secure notifications, authenticate transactions, and offer quick customer assistance.

Logistics and Transportation: Can send real-time tracking updates, delivery confirmations, and driver communication.

Betting and iGaming: Can share odds updates, promotional offers, and account notifications safely and instantly.

Healthcare and Wellness: Can send appointment reminders, lab results notifications, and wellness tips.

Media and Entertainment: Can broadcast content updates, event reminders, and personalised fan engagement messages.

Also Read: 10 Best Marketing Automation Tools for Enterprise Businesses in 2025

Reasons Why You Need to Consider WhatsApp Marketing

Customers today are everywhere — on Email, SMS, WhatsApp, mobile apps, and social platforms — and businesses must double down on multiple channels to reach them consistently. When you try logging into a platform like Flutterwave, for example, you often receive three notifications at once (Email, SMS, and WhatsApp).

That’s intentional!

Brands now understand that customer attention is fragmented, and being present on only one channel is no longer enough.

Below are the major reasons why WhatsApp should be a key part of your multi-channel customer engagement strategy:

1. Multi-Channel Presence 

   WhatsApp Marketing helps businesses ensure they don’t rely solely on one communication channel. By combining WhatsApp with Email and SMS, brands increase their chances of being seen, improve trust through multiple touchpoints, and deliver a seamless experience regardless of where the customer chooses to engage.

2. Two-Way Messaging

WhatsApp offers true conversational, two-way messaging that helps brands build trust faster and ultimately close more sales. Because messages feel personal, the interactive experience improves engagement and supports all other measurable marketing outcomes.

2. Higher Chances for Your Message to Be Read

WhatsApp doesn’t just deliver your messages—it ensures they are seen. With a 98% open rate, customers are more likely to read your campaigns instantly and engage with them.

3. Better Conversion of Leads

Thanks to its 98% open rate and conversational structure, people are more likely to take action—leading to a much higher conversion rate than other channels.

According to Meta, messaging channels like WhatsApp deliver a 58% increase in leads, and 56% of marketers now use business messaging solutions.

4. Stronger Retention of Acquired Leads

WhatsApp’s conversational design makes it significantly easier to keep customers coming back.

Recent research shows:

• WhatsApp drives 42% higher 6-month retention than other channels.
• Customers who receive WhatsApp messages are 190% more likely to make a purchase compared to receiving the same message through other channels.

How to Get Started With WhatsApp Marketing Using Yournotify

Here’s a quick guide to setting up WhatsApp Marketing on Yournotify:

1. Log in to Yournotify and request your WhatsApp Sender ID.
2. Our team will verify and activate your number.
3. Join a quick onboarding demo and launch your WhatsApp campaigns.

WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging app—it has become one of the most powerful communication channels for businesses that want to reach customers instantly, personally, and at scale. With unbeatable open rates, higher conversions, and stronger customer retention, WhatsApp Marketing gives brands an opportunity to engage audiences in the exact place they spend most of their digital lives. 

African businesses that embrace this channel early will not only strengthen customer relationships but also gain a competitive edge in a market where attention is increasingly scarce.

If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of WhatsApp Marketing, Yournotify provides everything you need to get started—simple setup, instant delivery, and tools to automate your engagement at scale.

Sign up today and start driving real conversations, real engagement, and real growth for your business.