How do I connect the WhatsApp API to my business?
We invite you to watch our full webinar here link.
We did this talk in our first webinar, given by our Engineering Manager. José Franco and our Commercial Executive Vanessa Chavarro.
Vanessa: Jose Why is it important to connect to WhatsApp?
José: I'm sharing some data from a study called the "Digital Global Overview Report," developed by two companies: Hootsuite and We are Social, which collect global information on social media usage and internet connectivity.
Fountain: Digital Global Overview Report 2021. We Are Social and Hootsuite
In Colombia, the total number of users connected to the internet from any device is 34 million. Nearly 95% of these users are accessing the internet via mobile devices, representing a very large potential customer base.
WhatsApp is in the top three most used social networks in Colombia, surpassing YouTube and Facebook.
Vanessa: That's why we find WhatsApp to be the most powerful channel for customer service that businesses can offer their customers today. It's the most important instant messaging app.
What are the different WhatsApp alternatives available now?
We know WhatsApp has a mobile app, and there are also different aspects to it. Tell us a little more about that.
José: I'd like to talk a little bit about the WhatsApp ecosystem. In that timeline, we're all familiar with the WhatsApp messaging app, which we've been using since 2009 and which almost everyone knows. It's for private users, and we're also familiar with the WhatsApp web app, which allows us to connect by scanning a QR code from our computer, and its more or less similar counterpart, the Windows desktop app.
Since 2018, following Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp (now Meta), it has been specifically geared toward businesses. In January 2018, WhatsApp released an alternative version, WhatsApp Business, for small and medium-sized businesses. It's also widely used today, but it actually still has very similar messaging features. You can even do the same thing you do with WhatsApp: scan the QR code and access WhatsApp Web.
Since 2018, Facebook decided to open up this messaging app a little more and release what we know as WhatsApp Business API, which was initially designed for large companies. We found ourselves like banks, insurers, large chains, they began to connect and to do so, a BSP was needed, which is a kind of service provider to connect.
Vanessa: We would call it an intermediary between Facebook and the final company.
José: This year, Facebook announced the new WhatsApp Cloud API, which is geared toward small and medium-sized businesses. These two latter APIs, the WhatsApp Business API and the WhatsApp Cloud API, have many similarities.
Vanessa: What is an API?
José: It's an intermediary that allows two software applications to share information with each other. For example: Let's say I have an application that has a database of my clients who have a balance, and I want a third party to send me the balance, and I'll send them a response with the balance that the client has with that specific balance. So, if I want to make those two different applications talk to each other, we'll need an intermediary (a bridge to share that information).
Vanessa: What can you do with an API? What is it used for?
José: In the case of outgoing messages, notifications, appointment reminders, etc., everything can be automatically managed without human intervention.
Vanessa: Differences between WhatsApp Business API alternatives?
José: This table shows the key differences between the WhatsApp Business API and the WhatsApp Business Cloud API.
Vanessa: What types of businesses can use the API?
José: Depending on the size (any company can use this API) and the sector.
Vanessa: What is the cost of using the APIs? Is it free?
José: It depends on the business model you choose. If you use the WhatsApp Business API BSP, you'll have two associated costs: one, the one Facebook charges through conversations, and two, the one charged by the intermediary, the BSP. There are several intermediaries that have been linked as BSPs to Facebook. BSP monetization is different.
And if it's through the WhatsApp Business API, you don't have to pay any intermediary; you can do it directly with Meta (it's free because you're saving on the BSP). After a thousand monthly conversations, Facebook will charge you per conversation.
The conversation is a 24-hour window of back-and-forth messaging between the business and the user. There are two types of conversations: one initiated by the user and one initiated by the business.
You can see the differentiated rates in this table (insert links to conversation-based prices and Facebook rates).
Vanessa: What is the best alternative for my business?
José: It all depends on the business, whether they need call center guidance on handling that flow of conversations, and what they want to do with the apps in this vast ecosystem that WhatsApp already has.
Vanessa: Can you use your existing number with that alternative?
José: If possible, these are some requirements:
- The number must be valid and owned by you.
- Include a country code and an area code.
- Be able to receive voice calls or SMS.
- Not being a short code.
- Not having been used before on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Vanessa: What restrictions are there on using the API?
José: There are two restrictions to keep in mind, one is message templates: The templates should be used to start a conversation initiated by the business, and the other is the message limits and quality ratingWhatsApp message limits restrict how you can use the platform. Your ability to use the platform depends on your business maintaining a good quality rating.
Remember, you can access the full webinar through this link, where users interacted with our speakers and you'll get more detailed information.
And if you're interested in a multi-agent WhatsApp solution, you can check out our iKono Chat platform.
Thank you so much!
#We invite you to read our blog post How to face the new work reality in your Contact Center»
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