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Comparing the 3 different WhatsApp Accounts
The three different types of WhatsApp accounts are viewed as three separate tools aimed at different users. However, it’s important to choose the right type of WhatsApp account for your business size and needs. Let’s go over the three options so you can choose the best option for you.
Personal WhatsApp
The regular WhatsApp Messenger app is freely accessible on both Android and iOS and was made for personal communication. Like other messaging apps, it offers one-to-one chats, group chats, audio and video calls as well. The personal WhatsApp account can’t offer much for business owners as they need more scalable options.
WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business is a separate free-to-use app with a different logo and is specifically made for businesses. It provides the most basic communication tools for micro and small businesses such as one-to-one chats and group chats. While the WhatsApp Business account can operate on the same phone, it needs to be tied to a separate phone number. It is usually recommended to use a dual SIM card to manage both personal WhatsApp and Business accounts to keep contact lists separate for compliance purposes.
The WhatsApp Business account can add an image, operating hours, a website, and physical address to their profile to represent their business. WhatsApp offers many business tools to streamline and manage conversations such as QR codes which are used to help initiate a direct chat with their business.
Broadcasts are mass text message campaigns that can be sent to a large number of customers and can be a great marketing supplement when used right. However, broadcasts are limited to 256 contacts at a time, and there’s another catch – the recipients must be manually selected from the contacts list and they must have the business’s phone number saved to receive the broadcast. Otherwise, the company can send out an unlimited number of messages to those 256 contacts.
There are three kinds of automated messages available to speed up your conversations – Greeting messages, Away messages, and Quick replies. Utilize saved answers to serve as automated responses to inquiries outside of working hours.
WhatsApp Business API
WhatsApp Business API gives access to the full range of WhatsApp marketing tools and is aimed at mid-large sized enterprises. Unlike WhatsApp Business, the API offers unlimited users and devices under one account which allows for more effective customer support and messenger marketing.
WhatsApp Business API imports customer contacts from the CRM where the company’s opt-in lists are stored. Businesses can choose to broadcast messages as a supplement to email marketing. The broadcasts can be customized using WhatsApp’s approved template, and the good news is that with the API, the broadcast can be sent to as many contacts as you want and the recipients don’t have to be saved contacts to receive the message.
To create the API account, WhatsApp requires the company to provide certain information to be verified via a WhatsApp partner and a separate application for the Green Tick that will appear next to the business name in conversations which adds legitimacy in the eyes of customers. Customers can use the self-serve service and directly pay with their credit card if they already have the WhatsApp Business API Green Tick verification from Meta.
At a glance: WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business API
The API Pricing
The first 1,000 WhatsApp conversations monthly come at no charge. After that, each 24-hour-long session will be charged as one unit and the rates will depend on the recipient’s code.
There are two types of conversation charges for WhatsApp Business API.
- User Initiated Conversations (UIC): Whenever a business replies to a user within the 24-hour customer service window, the message initiates a UIC.
- Business Initiated Conversations (BIC): A conversation that is initiated by a business means sending a user a message outside the 24-hour customer service window. These messages will require a pre-approved template from WhatsApp.
Key Functionalities by integrating WhatsApp Business API with imBee
Work with imBee and WhatsApp Business API to fulfill customer support, order updates, and marketing campaigns. Fulfill more complex marketing, sales and customer service needs with the following distinctive imBee features.
Singular Account for Multiple Agents
- All agents message customers from one account to avoid miscommunication and prevent future sales leakage.
Team Collaboration
- Link internal departments to your external customers with the Internal Team Chat.
Systematically Track and Assign Customer Cases
- Agents based on specifications, from routing tickets to designated agents to the next available representative.
Incorporate Automation
- Use keyword detectors to trigger chat dialogues to improve efficiency.
Database Segmentation
- Provide personal user experience with imBee’s Customer Profile feature or integrate with leading CRMs such as Salesforce or Hubspot.
Customizable Broadcast
- Utilize pre-set templates for creating promotional campaigns or broadcasts.
Increase Conversion
- Turn leads into closed deals by sharing coupon QR codes within a conversation or provide a demo through VoIP.
Productivity Analytics
- The customizable dashboard can provide insight to better allocate resources and eliminate productivity bottlenecks.
Data Governance
- Export and save chat history for customized reporting and reviews. All conversations are backed up automatically.
Compliance
- The imBee platform is certified with ISO 27001 and grants access through IP Whitelisting and multi-factor authentication factors such as 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) to verify user logins.
The imBee platform brings in WhatsApp Business API to serve any industry of any size and for every purpose. To take a closer look at how different businesses from various industries are driving success with instant messengers, get in touch with our for a bespoke demo.
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