WhatsApp is the shiny new object, the object of everyone’s (every business at least!) desire.
What started off as a simple, uncomplicated method of communication between 2 people has expanded into a business model, where one of the parties is now a business, communicating with their customers for various reasons.
WhatsApp, over the years, has branched out to very distinct types of accounts, that serve very different purposes and meet different needs. Based on who you are, and what you do, you have probably worked with at least 2 different types of accounts.
When we work with our clients, there is always a confusion about what to do, which account to get and how to set it up. In an endeavour to settle this once and for all, I will be creating a series of posts, aiming to cover the most sought out queries around WhatsApp.
- What is the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business Platform Accounts?
- WhatsApp Business Account - Who should use this and how to set it up?
- WhatsApp Business Platform - Who should use this and how to set this up?
- Business Account Set up
- Get a number
- Verify your account
- Get OBA
- Templates - different types, how to create and time is taken for approval etc.
- Account quality Rating and limits and how to overcome
- Pricing
- When to use Webhooks from
- what are BSPs? How do they help in this process.
Since there are multiple types of accounts, it is first crucial to know what exactly each account can and cannot do, in order to decide which one works best for your requirements.
Difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business Platform Accounts
WhatsApp, at its core, is a messaging or communication app, that helps you have a 2-way communication between minimum 2 parties
Based on the audience that the different versions of the app cater to, WhatsApp can be broken up into two major categories.
- WhatsApp for Personal use
- This is the WhatsApp we all use to keep in touch with friends and Family, the original app.
- This is free to install and use from the App Store, does not need any documentation or KYC to set up, just a functional mobile number and you are good to go!
- WhatsApp for Business
- WhatsApp for Business, as its name suggests, is used as an Official Account, that represents a business and acts as a channel that they use to communicate with the end customers or clients.
- WhatsApp for businesses has a verification process that every business has to undergo via Facebook to validate authenticity.
- Businesses would have to pay to use some versions of the application.
- Certain features like catalogues, quick replies and templates are available to make the communication process easier and streamlined.
- Data privacy policies and code of conduct are strict and monitored with Business Accounts.
For the sake of understanding better, the Business aspect of WhatsApp can be further broken down into two:
- WhatsApp for Business
- WhatsApp Business Platform
WhatsApp initially came up with WhatsApp for Business. This was a great success as well since Whatsapp is so common and used so often, that it made it easy to reach out to brands as easily as a ping away. Over the years, it became apparent that the solution was a big hit for businesses, giving them an extremely convenient way to communicate with their customers. With this, the WhatsApp Business Platform was initiated, to help bigger businesses meet their communication needs on the same platform.
To get a clear understanding of what the difference between these 2 services is, let’s have a quick comparison on their features.
Based on the features and capabilities, it is very clear that WhatsApp for Business is designed for smaller companies, while WhatsApp Business Platform is aimed to cater to the needs of enterprise and larger organizations and a bigger scale.
Some benefits for brands that use Whatsapp as a tool to scale their business.
- Ability to leverage the already highly popular brand
- Reach users anywhere, anytime, geography no bar
- Personalizations add to a pleasant experience
- Secure, transparent and GRPR-complaint
- Diverse and interactive forms of content
- Supports dialogues
- Multichannel abilities rolled into one (can be marketing + support)
- Automate responses
- Leverage engagement metrics to fine-tune marketing campaigns
We have a lot more on Whatsapp coming up in the next few blogs.
Until then, comment below and let us know your experience with Whatsapp Business.
