How To Create Facebook Ads That Click To WhatsApp: Step-by-Step Guide
With 2.7 billion users worldwide, there’s no denying the potential of Facebook. In this post, we’ll dive into how you can leverage its reach and add a WhatsApp button to your Facebook ads to take customers straight from Facebook to a conversation with you on WhatsApp.
Facebook has rightfully earned its nickname: the king of social media. As the parent company of other platforms including Instagram and WhatsApp, one of the best parts about advertising on Facebook is the seamless integration it offers with its entities.
This is particularly so with WhatsApp. Combining Facebook, the most popular social media network with WhatsApp, the most-used mobile messenger app (both by quite a margin, too), what you get is great business growth potential.
And since Facebook backpedaled on its decision to allow promoted content on WhatsApp following user backlash, the closest thing businesses have to creating ads on WhatsApp is driving ad traffic to it.
That’s exactly what we’re here to do today. If you’re looking to convert your Facebook ad traffic to conversations on WhatsApp, read on.
We’ll be detailing the steps needed for you to create ads and boost posts on Facebook that take users to initiate a WhatsApp chat with you.
Even though this is possible with both Facebook and Instagram ads, we will be focusing on Facebook in this article.
Connecting Facebook and WhatsApp Business
Before you actually get to creating ads on Facebook, you’ll first need a WhatsApp Business account.
There are two ways to go about this. You can either download the free WhatsApp Business app or get the WhatsApp Business API, the latter of which is only possible through an official WhatsApp Business Service Provider like WATI.
After you’ve set up your WhatsApp Business account, you need to connect the account to your Facebook business page. Here’s how.
Step 1: Head to Facebook Business Suite. Your business page should show up by default if you’re already logged in.
Step 2: On the left side column, click on More Tools → Page Settings.
Step 3: This will open up a settings page. Once you’re there, select WhatsApp on the column on the left.
Step 4: To connect your WhatsApp Business account, Facebook will send a code to your registered WhatsApp Business number. Select your country code, enter your WhatsApp Business number, and click on Send Code.
Step 5: Once you receive the code, input the code and click Confirm.
At this point, you will have successfully connected your WhatsApp and Facebook business accounts. But there is an additional step we recommend you to take.
Add a WhatsApp Button on Your Facebook Business Page
Immediately after you’ve entered your code, you’ll be prompted to add a WhatsApp button to your Facebook page. We highly suggest doing so to provide your customers with an additional channel through which they can reach you on WhatsApp.
Here’s how the button will look on your business page.
Customers can now go through your Facebook business page to reach you on WhatsApp. Clicking on it on their mobile devices opens up a direct, private chat with you on the WhatsApp app. If they’re on a computer, they will be directed to WhatsApp web.
Now that you’ve connected your WhatsApp Business account to your Facebook Business page, let’s take a look at how to create Facebook ads that click to WhatsApp.
How to Create Facebook Ads That Click To WhatsApp
There are two ways you can get Facebook users to click through to a WhatsApp chat with you:
- Boost an existing post on your Facebook page
- Create a new ad in the Facebook ads manager
We’ll take a look at how you can do both by adding a WhatsApp button to your Facebook posts and ads.
How To Add WhatsApp Button in Facebook Ads From Your Business Page
Step 1: Select an existing post you’ve published on your Facebook business page that you want to promote. It doesn’t matter when the post was published.
Alternatively, you can also create a brand new post, publish it, and then promote it.
Once you’ve decided on a post, click on its Boost Post button.
Step 2: This will bring up a pop up window with a number of options. Under Post Button on the left side menu, select Send WhatsApp Message.
What this does is add a call-to-action (CTA) to your post. You’ll be able to see a preview of your boosted post on the right.
Step 3: Build the rest of your ad by defining your ad audience (who your ad should target) and setting your ad duration (how long you want the ad to run for) and budget.
In general, Facebook’s advice is to leave the ad running for at least four days for better results.
Select the currency you’d like to pay in.
Step 4: When you’re satisfied with the ad parameters, click Boost. If you’ve yet to add a payment method, you will be prompted to do so at this point.
And you’re all set!
Wasn’t that easy? Once your ad has been approved and published, customers viewing your boosted post will be able to send you a WhatsApp message from the post itself.
How To Add WhatsApp Button in Facebook Ads From Ads Manager
Creating ads that click to WhatsApp through the Facebook ads manager is slightly more tedious because of the number of options there are available.
Facebook ads is a topic in and of itself and mastering it will require investing a lot of time and effort. In this section, we will only be diving into the steps that are relevant to creating the WhatsApp chat button on your Facebook ads.
Step 1: Head to Facebook ads manager.
Step 2: Under the Ads tab, click on the green Create button.
Step 3: Under Create New Campaign, select your objective. There are 11 possible objectives, which Facebook has organized into three categories: awareness, consideration, and conversion.
Note that only ads with the traffic, conversions, messages, reach, brand awareness, engagement, and video views objectives can direct users to WhatsApp.
Step 4: After choosing your objective, decide on your ad campaign budget and click Continue.
Step 5: The next step to creating a Facebook ad that clicks to WhatsApp will depend on the objective you’ve chosen.
If you’ve chosen the traffic, conversions, or messages objective, you’ll need to go under Ad Set on the column on the left and select WhatsApp. The layout for each of these options is slightly different. The screenshot below shows what it looks like with the traffic objective.
If you’ve selected the reach, brand awareness, engagement, or video views objective, go to Ad → Text & Links (or just Links if you’ve chosen the engagement objective) on the menu on the left.
Likewise, the layout for each may look a little different. The screenshot below reflects the process for the brand awareness objective.
In general, you’ll be required to add a website URL (a compulsory field), which will then allow you to add a call-to-action button.
Under Call to Action, select Send WhatsApp Message.
Step 6: Build the rest of your ad. You can either do this before or after adding the WhatsApp button on your Facebook ad.
Once you’re satisfied with your add, click Confirm.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up Facebook ads that allow customers to start a WhatsApp conversation with you with ease. Now sit back, relax, and wait for those messages to flow!
WATI is the proud product of parent company, Clare.AI. Clare.AI is a digital assistant startup offering an innovative online tool that combines the best of machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver the best award-winning customer communication experiences to its clients. Multinational enterprises and Fortune 500 companies including Cigna, Birdie, AXA, AIG, Bupa, Fidelity, and Everbright Sun Hung Kai have placed their trust in Clare.AI.
