Ads that Click to WhatsApp (CTWA) /EN
Ads that click to WhatsApp offer a fast and convenient way to help your client reach audiences at scale, generate leads, enable discovery, drive sales, and build loyalty. By opening a conversation in WhatsApp, these ads let customers interact with the business, creating a powerful entry point that can help unlock the potential of the messaging experience.
Conversations are not charged when generated through an ad that clicks to WhatsApp. They are named "Free-Entry-Point Conversations" and hold a customer window that lasts for 72 hours.
Ads that Click to WhatsApp can be placed across Facebook and Instagram.
Issue impacting Ads that Click to WhatsApp in WhatsApp Cloud API
Meta has identified an issue that is impacting advertisers currently using WhatsApp Cloud API and choosing to optimize their ads that click to WhatsApp campaigns to “conversations”.
As a result, the “conversations” optimization option will be temporarily paused and "link clicks" optimization should be used instead. Please note that this is specific to a small subset of ads that click to WhatsApp campaigns – only certain optimizations for businesses running on Cloud API.
If your running campaign has been impacted, you should duplicate the campaign and edit the optimization objective to "Link Click".
To create ads that click to WhatsApp from Ads Manager:
- 1.
- 2.Choose Engagement as your objective.
- 3.Choose your campaign budget and click Next.
- 4.Under conversion location select messaging apps.
- 5.In the Messaging Apps section, select WhatsApp.
- 6.Under Ad type, select Click to message.
- 7.For ads using Engagement objective, in the Accounts section, go to WhatsApp and select the relevant WhatsApp number from the dropdown menu.
- 8.Choose your Audience, Placements, Budget, and Schedule and click Next.
- 9.Select your ad format and complete your ad setup.
- 10.Click + Create to create your flow. Click Save and finish when you've completed.
- 11.Click Publish to publish your ad.
When a customer clicks on an ad that clicks to WhatsApp, the WhatsApp chat thread opens with an autofill message “I saw this ad on Facebook”, which can seem very generic and unnatural.
Now, it is possible to customize the autofill message for Traffic & Engagement objectives, allowing businesses to set their own autofill message that can drive more conversations. Note that if you are already using icebreakers,
- 1.“I saw this ad on Facebook” message will not show up &
- 2.You will not be able to set up an autofill message. This is because Meta only allows the use of either autofill or icebreakers for an ad. (Customization can be done for the message as shown below: “Hello! Can I get more info on this?”)
Greeting Message (Icebreakers): The Greeting Message, also known as Icebreakers, is the first thing consumers encounter when they see an advertisement (refer to the screenshot below as an example: "Hi! Please let us know how we can help you"). This message serves as the initial point of contact with potential customers.
Autofill Message: Conversely, the Autofill Message is what appears when a consumer initiates a chat with a business in Whatsapp. It's the first message they see when they decide to connect.
We suggest that you consider your engagement strategy and choose between Icebreakers or Customized Autofill based on your specific needs and objectives. Either of these features can be a powerful tool for driving more meaningful conversations with consumers. The key is to select the one that aligns best with your business's goals and communication style
You can only set one auto-fill message per ad. It applies across placements. There is an 80-character limit.
You can customize the autofill message for Click to WhatsApp ad campaigns that use the Traffic and Engagement objectives directly from the Ads Manager.
Leverage ad tools to drive discovery and demand for your products.
Some suggestions for ad campaign optimizations are:
- Objective: The Messages campaign objective will default your ad optimization to drive more conversations and therefore more opportunity to convert to a transaction. If you are in EEA, India or Japan, link click optimization is available.
- Duration and budget: A campaign duration of seven or more days is recommended to achieve stable results and account for weekly fluctuations. Meta recommends a weekly budget of at least ~$20.
- Targeting: Use broad targeting with a 2-10 million audience size.
- Messaging experience: Make sure the messaging experience that a customer clicks into is delightful and optimized towards your end objective.
Ads should always be:
90% of searchers haven’t made up their mind about a brand before starting their search. That means there’s plenty of competition out there for businesses running digital ads. If a user types in a search for “best” or “highest-rated” (two of the most popular search terms for discovering products), your product is going to have to beat out all the other similar products that are also claiming this title.
Running a convincing digital ad can help entice users to choose your product, but ultimately the best way to help ensure that users convert is through a conversation with your business.
Messaging with a business not only helps potential customers form positive opinions of your brand, but it’s also a prime opportunity to help them discover new products. Your business can help interested users with specific criteria find exactly what they need by recommending products that fit those criteria, making the customer more likely to convert.
So, how exactly can you implement messaging across the customer journey? We’ll show you.
Your business can help generate more qualified leads from your digital ads by responding to opted-in users who want to learn more about your product or services with an engaging and helpful message. In addition, you can create rich experiences in-chat by sending an interested user images, videos, links, maps, and more, allowing them to learn about your product or brand.
Here’s an example: Your mobile services company runs a carousel ad for a new two-for-one phone deal. A user interested in the deal then clicks the ad, and initiates a conversation with your business saying they’d like to know more about the available colors. Your business takes advantage of this opportunity by responding immediately in-chat with images of the new phone in 3 different colors. Now you’ve engaged a high-intent lead.
Capturing interest to generate leads with messaging is just the start. You can actually help move sales as well.
Your business can create personalized shopping experiences with curated product lists that engage and motivate potential customers. Sharing product links and shopping cart links in-chat with potential customers can help motivate them to make the purchase and check out. By helping customers who click your ad to choose the product that’s right for them, your business takes more control over your funnel, ensuring that the customer gets the product they want, and you make the sale. In addition, allowing customers to opt-in to receive notifications about relevant products and recent orders can help forge closer relationships with your customer base by making sure they don’t miss out.
Let’s say your clothing company runs a video ad for a new leather tote bag. A customer clicks the “contact us” button on your ad and starts a conversation with your business to see if there are also cross-body bags available. Your business then sends a curated list of similar crossbody bags, helping the customer make a purchase decision and ensuring that this high-intent lead checks out.
Now that we’ve come to the end of the customer journey, you can help keep customers coming back by offering exclusive deals in-chat. You can help increase engagement and foster longer-lasting customer relationships by delighting them with media messages, interactive chat buttons, and personalized offers for products you know they’ll enjoy.
If your bank runs a digital ad for a new cash back credit card, you can send a message to previous customers who’ve opted-in, letting them know they get an exclusive promotion with a lower interest rate in the first 12 months. Your returning customer then sends a message saying they’re interested in learning more. Your bank can respond to their inquiry with a short video message explaining the promotion. The returning customer is now engaged and ready to sign up, and they click “get started”. You’ve now built loyalty with this customer by attracting them with exclusive deals and richer media.
It’s a hard truth that about 81% of all online shopping carts are abandoned. So, how can your business take back the sale and regain interest with customers?
Your business can revive the conversation with a personalized offer to help incentivize the customer’s purchase. By sending them a quick message with a reminder including free shipping when they add to cart, your business helps bring the potential customer back into the funnel.