WhatsApp has revolutionized the way businesses are interacting with their prospects and customers. For marketers, a successful campaign on WhatsApp channel enables their business to help them connect to their contacts for promotions, product updates, sales, and after-purchase support services. To automate the entire process under user journeys, Zoho Marketing automation 2.0 has the provisions to send WhatsApp messages by creating one from scratch.

In this article, we'll delve into the nuances of creating a successful journey to send WhatsApp messages. Learn more about the prerequisites before you send a WhatsApp campaign.

This is how a journey with WhatsApp activity would look like

 WhatsApp Action 

This trigger starts a journey when a recipient performs an action on the WhatsApp message you've sent. 

To configure this:

1. Drag and drop the WhatsApp action trigger onto the journey builder.

2. Click the Edit icon.

3. Select either any message that contacts have received or a specific message or a journey message.

4. Select the action the contacts must have performed to enter the journey.

5. The WhatsApp actions that should have been performed are the following:

• Sent - The message was successfully sent from your end

• Delivered - The message was successfully delivered to the recipient's phone

• Failed - The message has failed to reach the recipient's phone

• Read - The recipient has read your message

• Any link clicked - When a recipient clicks any of the links shared in the WhatsApp message

• Specific link clicked - When a recipient clicks a specific link shared in the WhatsApp message

• Replied - When a recipient has replied to your message

• Quick Replied - When a recipient instantly responds with the pre-defined template message from the menu

• Matches keyword - A message is triggered when it matches a keyword.

6. Choose to allow existing contacts who have qualified for this journey already to enter again.

7. Click Save.

Note:

Matches Keyword - This can be activated when it finds the added keyword in the WhatsApp message replies. For e.g., if you add keyword offers, it'll try to match the WhatsApp message with the word offers, and try to trigger the new message.

1. Exact match - This is executed when a contact enters the exact phrase of specific words
2. Contains - This is executed when the contacts' entire message has the word. 
   

Check WhatsApp Activity  

To configure this:

1. Drag and drop the Check WhatsApp activity process onto the builder.

2. Click the Edit icon.

3. Select a specific WhatsApp message or a journey message that the contacts who will enter this component have already received.

4. Select the message actions the contacts should have performed to add the different branches.

5. Click Save.

 Send  WhatsApp Campaign

1. Drag and drop the Send WhatsApp action onto the builder.

2. Click the node to Create WhatsApp campaign.

3. Enter the campaign name and click Next.

4. Add sender details.

5. Click Add Content, select a template, and click Use Template.

6. Click Save and Exit.