Every channel serves a unique and specific purpose, so WhatsApp won’t replace your marketing on other channels. WhatsApp can (and should!) compliment your other marketing channels though. In some cases, depending on how you trigger or target your cross-channel journeys, adding WhatsApp could mean using less of another channel, which is okay! Your goal should be to optimize and evaluate your channel mix based on cost and expected return, and to look at your ROI for a given cross-channel campaign holistically. Yes, maybe you’ll drive less revenue from push when you target your high-value customers with a similar message on WhatsApp instead, but on the whole, you’ll likely drive stronger results. In fact, brands are seeing a significant lift in sessions, purchases, and LTV when using WhatsApp alongside other channels.
Here’s a quick reference of the cost/engagement profile of key out-of-product channels:
- WhatsApp: Higher cost; highest engagement. Ideal for important, 1:1 communications to your most valuable customers.
- Email: Lower cost; high engagement. Ideal for important, but more general communications to your broader audience.
- Push: Lower cost; lower engagement. Ideal for less critical, quick communications and updates.
