Create an Approvable WhatsApp Template That Restarts Your Customer Interaction

If you’re here, you probably already know about WhatsApp’s 24-hour messaging window and that it does not allow you to message customers whenever you want. The good news is that you can still contact them by sending a template message. Is that as easy as it sounds? No. Will it get easier once we clear it up and give you a few examples? Definitely.

In this post, we will talk about WhatsApp template types and benefits, unveil a few tips on making a template that will get approved, and show you how to create one with SendPulse, so hang in there.

What is a WhatsApp template, and what’s in it for you?

A WhatsApp template is a pre-made and WhatsApp-approved message businesses use to contact their customers once the 24-hour messaging window ends. These messages are exclusively non-promotional, meaning that you cannot send newsletters, sales or discount campaigns, product launch updates, and anything that has a marketing undertone to it.

Although a standard WhatsApp business message template only allows transactional content, it is a great chance to reignite a user’s interest and restart a conversation in some cases. Another perk these messages present is the possibility to reach those who have not been in touch with your company before. Say, you can send an account or order update to such customers to try and interact with them.

Let us give you an example of a WhatsApp message template so that you can get the hang of what you should be aiming for:

WhatsApp enables you to include buttons in your template messages, which opens more avenues in terms of getting more customers to interact with you. They can easily click on your message buttons in case they have a question or issue for you to resolve.

What are the WhatsApp message template types?

Here, we will give you the lowdown on various WhatsApp template types and where they can be used. We will use SendPulse’s WhatsApp chatbot builder to show you some examples, but you can add these templates using any other platform.

Auto-reply

This WhatsApp business message template is a popular way to respond to customers outside of working hours and let them know that you received their message.

You can use this WhatsApp message template type to mention that a company representative will be with a customer shortly if they messaged you during working hours. If not, assure them you received their message and will get back to them.

Account update

Leverage this WhatsApp template message whenever there are certain changes to customers’ accounts, including registration, trial expiration, account suspension or deletion, etc.

Using this WhatsApp business message template is crucial, as your customers may not always be aware of their account updates and blame it on your lousy service. And who is going to take the heat for that? That’s right, your customer service reps. Hence, make sure that your customers are looped in on all the recent account updates to avoid misunderstandings.

Read our post on common customer service challenges to be able to handle them right away.

Payment update

This Whatsapp text message template is perfect when you need to inform a customer about a successful or failed payment, mention the time you received their payment, or provide updates regarding refunds.

Adopt this Whatsapp text message template type to keep your users current on any updates regarding their payments. You can also add the “Retry payment” or “Update payment info” buttons in case you are informing a customer about their failed payment to speed things up.

Personal finance update

This one is for banks, insurance companies, credit unions, brokerage or mortgage firms, and any kinds of financial institutions that opt-in for serving their clients online.

Creating your own WhatsApp template for personal finance updates is an excellent idea if you want to be able to provide info on account balance, transaction limits, and other related details to customers quickly.

Reservation update

This WhatsApp business message template will be your helper if you own a restaurant or hotel and need visitors to book a reservation before welcoming them.

Apart from automating your reservation process itself, you can also send your customers pre-made reservation confirmations, share additional details, remind them when they need to check in, and add any related info if necessary.

Go over our travel industry chatbot tips and practices to generate and convert more leads.

Appointment update

Need to send an appointment confirmation or ask to reschedule it? This WhatsApp business message template will come in handy whenever you need to keep your customers in the loop on possible changes to their appointments.

Implementing a reservation update template is especially effective if your clients have the possibility to book an appointment without having to call. This WhatsApp template would be an excellent addition to your chatbot, as people who don’t like calling when scheduling appointments would likely prefer to receive updates via text messages as well.

If you are in the healthcare industry, check out these healthcare chatbot use cases and examples to create your own and reduce no-shows.

Shipping update

Customers usually like to monitor their orders and be updated on their current statuses, where they are at the moment, and when they will arrive, especially if we’re talking about international orders. Enter: WhatsApp shipping update templates.

With this WhatsApp template message, you can allow customers to track their orders and shipment statuses to make sure there are no delays and their packages are delivered on time.

Issue resolution

Consider adopting this WhatsApp message template when there are certain issues on your end and you need to warn customers that you are trying to get them resolved.

Another use case here is to leverage this template to ensure your customers that the issue is already resolved and they can use your services as usual.

Transportation update

This WhatsApp template is mainly oriented at transportation businesses like taxi services, airplane companies, car rentals, and so on, so you might want to keep an eye on it if you are in the industry.

Share tickets, inform about delayed flights, cancel or confirm a ride, and give directions to your customers. With this WhatsApp template message, you can automatically provide all the necessary info to your clients.

Ticket update

Make sure your customers receive support without having to wait too long and get all of their issues and questions resolved by sending them a WhatsApp message template for ticket updates.

You can offer additional support via this WhatsApp business message template, ask a customer if your agents have helped them, and (obviously) update a ticket status.

Need some fresh ideas on how to use WhatsApp for customer service? Look no further than our blog post!

Alert update

The alert update category embraces any crucial info or changes you need your customers to be aware of. Other than that, all your updates that don’t fit in other WhatsApp template types belong here.

For example, you can use this Whatsapp text message template to warn customers that their ordered product is out of stock, thank them for registration, or provide any other important info.

Tips before you start creating your WhatsApp template

To ensure that your WhatsApp template message gets approved, allowing you to contact your customer outside the 24-hour messaging window, you need to stand by certain formatting and content rules.

Here are the dos for your WhatsApp template message:

• stick to non-promotional and transactional content;
• put only lowercase Latin characters, numbers, and underscores instead of spaces in your template name;
• use double curly brackets as your placeholders, e.g., {{1}}, {{2}};
• make sure your template content fits the category you chose;
• choose short and descriptive template names, e.g., registration_notification, shipping_delay, successful_payment;
• proofread your message carefully to avoid spelling mistakes or incorrect formatting, such as one curly bracket instead of two;
• add links with domains that belong to your company.

Still, there is also a fair share of things you need to steer clear of when trying to get your WhatsApp template message approved, and these don’ts are as follows:

• don’t use any kind of threatening content in your templates;
• don’t try to collect data via your templates (feedback requests don’t count);
• don’t promote contests, quizzes, or any prize-winning activities;
• don’t put special characters or spaces into your template name;
• don’t exceed the body character limit (1024 characters);
• don’t add tabs or four spaces in a row to your template body;
• don’t include any words with promotional connotations;
• don’t shorten your button URLs;
• don’t put special characters as your variable parameters.

Our list of don’ts here is also a list of possible reasons why your Whatsapp text message template may be rejected. The most common ones, however, are promotional messages, poor formatting, and abusive content.

Check out WhatsApp Business Policy, Commerce Policy, and Facebook Message Template Guidelines to ensure that your template messages comply with all the regulations.

How to create a template in WhatsApp using SendPulse

Creating your own WhatsApp message template really cannot be any easier. You can, of course, use any other platform, but we will use SendPulse as an example to show you how it works.

Step #1 Log in to your account, and select your chatbot

Go to the “Chatbots” tab, and choose your WhatsApp chatbot. Then switch to the “Templates” section, and click “Add template” to create your Whatsapp text message template.

Step #2 Add your template content

Here, you need to add your template name and body, choose your category and language, and include buttons, attachments, and a signature if necessary.

Remember to follow the rules we talked about in the previous section — when it comes to whether your WhatsApp template will be approved or rejected, they are the ones that seal the deal.

If you need a more detailed step-by-step guide on how to create a WhatsApp template using SendPulse, go to our Knowledge Base.

Step #3 Submit your template

Once you’re all set and have figured out how to create a template in WhatsApp, you can submit your template by clicking “Save” and wait for it to get approved. If all is well, WhatsApp will approve your templates in 2-3 days, but it will not necessarily take this long. For example, the templates we used as examples for you in this post were approved almost immediately.

Do not get discouraged too soon if your WhatsApp template gets rejected. Go over it, analyze what went wrong, and single out the exact reasons why you were declined. Next time you submit a template, keep your fails and findings in mind. It may seem like there are lots of rules at first, but once you get a hang of the pattern, it will get a lot easier.

Start creating your own WhatsApp templates

And that’s how it’s done. Start experimenting with your WhatsApp templates, incorporate your brand personality, and use the examples we have provided for the best results. You can take your WhatsApp communication to the next level by integrating with WhatsApp Business API via SendPulse.

We are an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, and we offer a lot more than WhatsApp Messenger or WhatsApp Business App do — manage your WhatsApp campaigns from multiple devices, send bulk and triggered messages, invite your team members to your account, and enjoy a multitude of integration possibilities.