News：On Thursday, Meta CEO Zuckerberg grandly introduced the WhatsApp Cloud API at a company dialogue news event and said that the cloud interface will be fully open.
So the question is, what does the full opening of WhatsApp Cloud API mean, and what does it mean for our cross-border global expansion merchants? Below, SocialEpoch explains it one by one for you:
What does the full opening of WhatsApp Cloud API mean?
According to WhatsApp’s official statement, this matter has to start with the business connection between customers and enterprises. From the phone at the beginning, to Email, Chat, and SMS later to today's Messaging (online instant messaging), business connections also need to change. On the other hand, using instant messaging tools such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, this kind of non-commercial communication among relatives and friends is simple, direct, efficient and convenient. These tools have changed people's lifestyles, and more and more people, especially young people, are accustomed to communicating in such efficient and convenient ways.
Now, business connections also need this kind of efficient and convenient empowerment, and WhatsApp Cloud API is the solution. Of course, Meta's cloud interface must not stop at WhatsApp, but also Messenger, Instagram, etc., but in Zuckerberg's speech, more mention was made of the WhatsApp cloud interface, which may be related to the current WhatsApp monthly activity compared to the latter two's absolute advantage.
With such a WhatsApp Cloud API, companies can naturally do secondary development on this basis and create a service scenario similar to the domestic WeChat applet. For example, consumers can complete the entire process from product browsing and selection to instant communication with customer service to payment and transaction without leaving WhatsApp.In this way, the satisfaction and service experience can be significantly improved on the consumer side, and the feedback speed on the enterprise side will be faster and order transactions will be easier to facilitate. There is no doubt about its advantageous value.
official case
Uber India realizes the entire operation process of hailing a taxi within WhatsApp
Through the connection with WhatsApp Cloud API and secondary development, Uber users in India do not need to download the official APP. They only need to complete the entire process from registration, booking to obtaining receipts in WhatsApp, which is very easy and convenient. (Is this very similar to the domestic WeChat applet?)
Uber CEO Khosrowshahi said that one-third of new users in India complete service transactions through WhatsApp. In the future, they will further expand the scope of WhatsApp subscription services from markets such as Delhi to Brazil.
In short, with the full opening of WhatsApp Cloud API, overseas merchants will also have an ecological scenario similar to the domestic WeChat applet in the future. With it, customer experience will be better, service efficiency will be higher, and business operations will also reduce costs and increase efficiency.
What does WhatsApp Cloud API mean for enterprise merchants?
As mentioned above, this cloud interface will create an ecological scene similar to a mini program, which will naturally bring many benefits to merchants. They will have the opportunity to deeply interact with customers and provide instant services, and achieve the purpose of selling goods on WhatsApp.
For cross-border merchants, Meta officially announced social e-commerce and owned-channel operations based on WhatsApp. From cross-border sales to Amazon to independent stations,The fourth cross-border component - social e-commercewill move more and more to the center of the stage. This has also laid the foundation for many companies to implement DTC brand marketing.
But when it comes to WhatsApp Cloud API, many people will definitely think of WhatsApp Business API. At present, we can roughly compare the two to the difference between personal accounts and official accounts. In the future, WhatsApp merchants may need the collaboration and complementary advantages of the two.
The prerequisite for taking advantage of this good opportunity is to add customers to your WhatsApp account. Everything starts with a WhatsApp conversation with each customer.
What is the significance of Meta’s official move?
Profit is the eternal pursuit of every enterprise. I believe that Meta’s official full opening of WhatsApp Cloud API is also based on the future growth value and potential of Business Message.
And when we return to the domestic marketing market, they all say that owned-channel marketing is a hot word, so we have every reason to believe that WeChat is the firepower to heat up this word. Based on WeChat friends, Moments, communities, public accounts, video accounts and mini programs, from online to offline or combining online and offline, countless businesses have achieved this and a huge ecosystem has been established. What is inseparable behind the scenes is the owned channel system based on the countless merchants carried by WeChat.
The same is true for overseas countries. Such a potential undertaking will eventually be driven by a giant. The overseas owned-channel marketing promoted by giants will become a historic turning point. Enterprise merchants who seize this opportunity will have their own monetization model for owned-channel operations based on a similar ecosystem. All this seems like a mini program in 2017.
Finally, to advertise in front of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we have built a full-link solution based on WhatsApp owned-channel marketing as the core, owned channel global expansion and find SocialEpoch!
