Once you've built a template that contains the content, design, and images you want your users to receive in a WhatsApp message, you can schedule or send the message in a campaign. This article explains how to set up and launch WhatsApp campaigns.
WhatsApp campaigns differ from other message mediums because WhatsApp facilitates instant, rather than asynchronous, messaging. Because of this, Meta imposes some sending restrictions that you should consider as you implement this messaging channel.
Your business can only initiate conversations with users through an approved message template (see Managing WhatsApp Template Approvals). Users can initiate conversations with your business at any time.
NOTE
To add WhatsApp Messaging to your Iterable account, talk to your customer success manager.
# In this article
# Required permissions
To send WhatsApp campaigns, you'll need the Manage and Launch permission for your project for the WhatsApp message medium.
# Sending standalone campaigns
You can schedule and send a blast or triggered standalone WhatsApp campaign from the Campaigns page. To do this, go to Messaging > Campaigns, and click + New Campaign. Select WhatsApp, then configure your campaign details.
You can also send standalone WhatsApp campaigns using Iterable's API.
To learn more about sending campaigns, see Sending or Scheduling a Blast Campaign and Activating a Triggered Campaign.
# Sending journey campaigns
The WhatsApp tile sends a specified WhatsApp campaign to users who pass through the tile, allowing you to automatically deliver WhatsApp messages to eligible recipients at just the right time.
# Setting up a WhatsApp tile
Open or create a journey, and go into Draft mode to edit the journey’s tiles.
Drag a WhatsApp tile onto the canvas, and place it at the desired point in the journey flow.
Double-click the WhatsApp tile to edit its settings.
Give the campaign a name.
Select the WhatsApp template you want to use for the campaign.
# Adding users to a journey when they reply to a WhatsApp campaign
The Event Occurs entry source in the Start tile lets you specify two WhatsApp-related events: WhatsApp Reply and WhatsApp Click. With these events, you can automatically add users to a journey as soon as they reply to or click a link in a WhatsApp campaign.
# Messaging limits
Meta imposes limits on how many business-initiated WhatsApp messages your brand can send in a rolling 24-hour period. (There is no limit for user-initiated conversations.) A WhatsApp business portfolio is initially able to send 250 business-initiated messages per 24 hours, but you can increase this limit by maintaining a high quality rating for your business’s phone number(s) and getting verified.
To learn more about messaging limits, phone number quality ratings, and how to increase your portfolio's limit, see WhatsApp Quality Ratings and Messaging Limits.
# Frequency capping
To prevent users from receiving too many marketing messages from various brands,
Meta recently implemented frequency capping. Under these new rules, users can
only receive marketing WhatsApp messages from a limited number of businesses
during a rolling seven-day period. (Messages are delivered on a first-come,
first-served basis.) When a user’s frequency cap is reached, any additional
WhatsApp messages they’re sent during the frequency cap time frame aren’t
delivered, and a whatsAppBounce event is logged on their Iterable user profile.
# Want to learn more?
For more information about some of the topics in this article, check out these Iterable resources. Iterable Academy is open to everyone — you don't need to be an Iterable customer!
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