How to Send Promotional Messages

Promotional messages are a core part of using the WhatsApp Business Platform for marketing. When done correctly, they can drive significant sales and customer loyalty. This guide covers the end-to-end process of sending a successful promotional campaign with LeadClose.

Step 1: Get Customer Opt-In

This is the most important rule. You must have explicit permission (an opt-in) from a customer before sending them a promotional message. Sending unsolicited marketing messages is the fastest way to get your number blocked and lower your quality rating.

• Refer to the "Guide to Collecting WhatsApp Opt-ins" for detailed strategies on how to get this permission.

Step 2: Create a Marketing Template

All promotional messages must be sent using a pre-approved message template.

1. Navigate to Templates and click "Create New Template".
2. Category: You must select Marketing.
3. Content: Craft a clear, engaging message. Use variables like {{1}} for personalization.
4. Call-to-Action (CTA): Include clear CTA buttons, like "Shop Now" (Visit Website) or "Get Code" (Copy Offer Code).
5. Opt-Out: Your template must include a way for users to opt out. The easiest way is to add a Quick Reply button that says "Stop Promotions" or include text like "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in your footer.
6. Submit for Review: Submit your template to Meta for approval.

[VIDEO_TUTORIAL: A short video showing the creation of a marketing template, with a focus on adding variables and an opt-out button.]

Step 3: Build Your Target Segment

Don't send the same promotion to everyone. Use segments to target the right audience.

1. Go to the Customers page.
2. Use the filters to find your target group. For example:
   • Tags | contains | VIP
   • Last Purchase Date | less than | (a date 90 days ago)
3. Click "Create Segment from Filter" and save it as a Dynamic Segment so it stays up-to-date.

Step 4: Create and Send the Campaign

1. Navigate to Campaigns and create a new campaign.
2. Select your approved Marketing Template and your target Segment.
3. Map any variables in your template to the corresponding customer data fields (e.g., map {{1}} to Name).
4. Schedule the campaign, using the Intelligent Scheduler for the best results, or send it immediately.

[SCREENSHOT: The campaign creation screen, showing a Marketing template and a "VIP Customers" segment selected.]

FAQs

Q: Can I send a promotional message without a template? A: No. Any proactive, business-initiated message must use an approved template. You can only send free-form messages when replying to a customer within the 24-hour service window.

Q: My marketing template was rejected. Why? A: The most common reasons are: not including an opt-out option, using overly "spammy" language, or trying to put it in the "Utility" category. Refer to the "Troubleshooting Template Rejections" guide for more details.

Q: What's a good open rate for a promotional campaign? A: WhatsApp open rates are generally very high, often exceeding 80-90%. A "good" rate depends on your industry and audience, but if you see rates below 70%, it might be a sign that your audience is not engaged or your opt-ins are low quality.