Looking inside our phone we find so many applications, different from each other and each with a very specific function, but all united by a common purpose, that of simplifying everyday life. One of them in particular, we almost certainly find it installed on all devices. WhatsApp is that platform that has revolutionized the way we communicate with people: whether it is our friends, family or partner, the way we interact is now the same. The ease and speed with which this application works has allowed us to shorten distances, and to reach anyone we want instantly with a simple message.
So why not also use these advantages in communications betweencustomers and our business?
This is what HubSpot has been working onin recent months, a platform that offers scalable solutions for marketing, sales and customer service, with a completely free CRM at its core.
From this idea comes the integration of WhatsApp for HubSpot through a platform that allows you to communicate intelligently with your customers, keeping track of all conversations in one place in an omnichannel perspective .
How does it work?
Thanks to this new integration you will be able to connect your WhatsApp Business account to an agile and intelligent tool available to all the compentents of your team. All messages sent to your number will be automatically placed within the message inbox. To activate the new feature make sure you have a verified Meta Business Manager for your WhatsApp Business account so you can engage in more than 50 conversations per day.
Here is what you need once you have completed this step:
- Official name of your company and your name on the WhatsApp display;
- URL of your company's website;
- Company email;
- Admin permission for your Meta Business Manager Account;
- Access to the business phone number from which you want to send messages. Be careful though, the number you want to connect must be able to receive voice calls and must not be part of Interactive Voice Response (or must have it disabled at least for the period of use).
Once you have completed these steps, you will need to connect your number to HubSpot and you are done. Also remember that each WhatsApp Business Account allows you to associate up to 25 phone numbers and that each one can only be associated with one messaging app.
HubSpot will allow your team to have access to all customer conversations securely, enriching them with context, keeping track of all past messages, and allowing you to deliver the best customer experience possible.
Do you already have a WhatsApp Business account?
In this case, the transition will be even easier:
- Within your HubSpot account, click on Settings in the main navigation bar
- On the left side of the menu bar, click Mailbox
- Click Connect to a channel
- Select WhatsApp
- Click Continue with WhatsApp.
- In the pop-up window, log in to your Facebook account and click Continue as ( company name)
- Click Start
- Read the conditions and permissions HubSpot needs to connect and click Continue.
- Select an existing Meta Business Account to connect to your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Select your WhatsApp Business Account to associate and click Continue
At this point, HubSpot will guide you through a 3-step process to confirm the successful connection.
WhatsApp Business app vs. WhatsApp Business Platform
You have probably already had a chance to use WhatsApp Business App, the classic version of the tool offered by Meta. The Business version of WhatsApp integrates a whole range of specific functions, and is accessible both from the phone and from the WhatsApp website. In addition to the services already present in the consumer App the Business part allows you to enter:
- Business profile complete with information such as website, address and type of business
- Quick replies that save you time by avoiding typing the same message over and over again
- Automatic messages, both welcome and for when they write to you outside of business hours
- Labels (tags) that will help you organize your chats easily
- Product Catalog, so your customers will be able to see your products complete with description, pictures and price directly from WhatsApp.
- Messages Broadcasts, thanks to this feature you will be able to send messages to a limited list of contacts (256 people max).
This version of WhatsApp is suitable for micro-businesses that do not have a high volume of messages and do not need to optimally manage their conversations. It represents the best solution for you if:
- Only one person manages communications with customers
- You want to send broadcast messages to some of your contacts
- You want to have the ability to call your customers
- You don't need to connect WhatsApp to CRM or eCommerce software
- You don't need to use multiple phones at the same time
If you saw yourself in the items listed above then the WhatsApp Business app is the one for you. But read on to find out how to take your customer communications to the next level!
WhatsApp Business Platform, on the other hand, is the very latest way to access WhatsApp features and has been leveraged by HubSpot for its integration. Unlike the WhatsApp Business app, it does not have its own interface or app, but relies on software that adds lots of advanced tools. Among the many features this system supports, compared to those of the classic Business app, are:
- Collaborative messaging boxes for teams- There are no limits on mailbox access, multiple members can connect at the same time and access all information in real time by collaborating on the same chats.
- Complex automations-Precisely because of the nature of the WhatsApp Business Platform the opportunities are limitless, you can create simple automated responses directly from HubSpot, join more elaborate WhatsApp chatbots to answer frequently asked questions to be sent before an operator answers, purchase confirmation messages, and more.
- Interactive messages - An often-overlooked feature of this platform is the ability to be able to send complex messages containing various types of media, all at once, and even buttons that customers can click on. It will be much easier to get interaction this way than to ask them to write an entire message.
- Tags, data personalization, and more.
HubSpot-WhatsApp integration via the Business Platform is suitable for both small to medium-sized businesses and large companies with a fairly large volume of messages. In particular, this platform is a great solution if:
- WhatsApp is your main channel of communication with customers;
- You have a team of more than one person;
- You want to send promotional messages\campagne marketing ;
- You want to integrate WhatsApp to your CRM software to have all your messages in one place or to other platforms such as ecommerce to benefit from all the data you have on a contact;
- You want to access chats from multiple devices, either from your phone or desktop;
- You want to include features to improve the work of the team (notifications, assigning tasks etc...).
If the features listed so far reflect the functions you are looking for then the HubSpot-WhatsApp integration is the perfect tool for you!
What are the costs of HubSpot-Whatsapp integration and WhatsApp Business Platform?
There is no additional cost of WhatsApp integration within HubSpot, but we need to clarify a fundamental concept regarding conversations with customers.
The conversation can be of two types:
- Customer-initiated (free): in this case, the company responds to a customer's question within the 24-hour window.
- Initiatedby yourcompany (paid): the chat is initiated by the company, which must send a template message.
- ADV access point (free): a final type of chat is one with a free access point. All chats initiated by the customer using call-to-action buttons on WhatsApp, Facebook ads last 72 hours and are not charged.
You then pay only each time you initiate a single conversation, which includes all messages delivered in a 24-hour session. Within this time window the two parties can exchange messages unlimitedly with a single charge based on the user's country code.
From June 1, 2023, new conversation categories for messages sent by your company will also be in effect, with new prices. The types of messages sent to the company will be divided into:
- Utility conversations (€0.0347 per conversation): aimed at responding to a customer request or changing a specific transaction that is already in progress.
Example "Payment received! We hope you like the concert!"
- Authentication conversations (€0.0313 per conversation): allow you to authenticate users via single-use access codes to verify a login attempt. The Hubspot-WhatsApp platform in order to protect your data and that of your customers has adopted more effective and secure authentication models than others, which is why messages cannot have multimedia content or exceed 15 characters.
Example "1 is your verification code. This code expires in 15 minutes."
- Marketing conversations (€0.0572 per conversation): include all those messages containing promotions, information and offers. This last category is the most flexible and allows you to initiate communications related to your company or brand.
Example "Thank you for your order. Your feedback is important. Click here."
In addition to these types of messages, there is one last category, which is service conversations: in this case, the customer will initiate the conversation with you to get an answer on a specific question.
Thanks to the connection between the HubSpot and WhatsApp platforms you will be able to manage all your contacts securely, conveniently and quickly from one place with all the context data and history of conversations, from any channel, initiated by the contact.
If HubSpot-WhatsApp integration is the solution you seek for your business then power2Cloud is your best ally. Our team of multi-certified experts will guide you through setting up the two tools and connecting them in an easy, fast and guaranteed process based on many other installations in similar contexts and companies to yours. We are ready to solve any challenge: what are you waiting for? Fill out the form and request more information