How do I run Twitter ads to WhatsApp?

WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms globally, with over 2 billion monthly active users. For businesses, advertising on WhatsApp provides tremendous opportunities to engage directly with customers.

But WhatsApp does not have its own advertising platform yet. This is where Twitter’s powerful advertising capabilities can help. Clever marketers are using Twitter ads to drive traffic to WhatsApp for further engagement.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore step-by-step how you can effectively run Twitter ads to WhatsApp leads, build your WhatsApp audience, and drive greater results from your marketing budget.

Benefits of Driving Twitter Traffic to WhatsApp

Here are some of the main advantages of using Twitter ads to funnel users to your WhatsApp business account or chat:

1. Tap into Massive WhatsApp Audience

With over 1 billion daily active WhatsApp users, running Twitter ads to this engaged messaging audience allows you to tap into a huge market.

2. Lower Cost than Paid Ads on Other Platforms

WhatsApp does not yet have a native ad model. Twitter ads are very affordably priced through an auction model, making access to the WhatsApp audience cost-effective.

3. Drive High Intent Leads to WhatsApp

People clicking your Twitter ad have shown clear intent to engage further. You can qualify leads and move conversations to WhatsApp for higher conversions.

4. Personalized Messaging Drives Loyalty & Sales

The personalized, direct messaging experience on WhatsApp builds stronger customer relationships, satisfaction, and sales conversions.

5. Retargeting Current Customers on Twitter

You can remind existing customers on Twitter to message you on WhatsApp for exclusive deals, re-engage lapsed users, and drive repeat sales.

6. Metrics for Analyzing WhatsApp Traffic Source

Twitter Ads Manager provides detailed analytics on your ad performance and WhatsApp clicks/leads generated, helping optimize your campaigns.

Now that the major benefits are clear, let us look at how to structure your Twitter ad campaigns to effectively drive WhatsApp traffic and leads.

Also read: Best Places to Learn Twitter Ads Manager Training in 2023

Step-by-Step Guide to Promote Your WhatsApp Account

Follow these steps to run successful Twitter ad campaigns pointing to your WhatsApp business profile or chat:

1. Set Up Your WhatsApp Business Profile

• Sign up for a WhatsApp Business Account tied to an existing business phone number.
• Fill out your business profile completely – add your business name, description, profile photo, categories, address, and contact details.
• This helps people understand your business and motivates clicks.

2. Create a Dedicated WhatsApp CTA Tweet

• Draft a tweet that includes a clear call to action for people to message your business on WhatsApp.
• For example: “Message us on WhatsApp at [your WhatsApp business number] for [offer or exclusive deal]”
• Add visuals, tagline, and branding elements to make the tweet engaging.

3. Use WhatsApp Click to Chat Links

• Generate a WhatsApp click-to-chat link tied to your business number from the WhatsApp Business Profile section.
• Integrate this link in the tweet text or in the attached visuals. Clicking this will open WhatsApp and pre-fill your business chat.

4. Promote Your WhatsApp CTA Tweet

• Promote this tweet containing your WhatsApp message CTA and click-to-chat link using Twitter Ads.
• Choose campaign objectives as “Website clicks” or “Tweet engagement”.

5. Target Relevant Twitter Audiences

• Use Twitter’s detailed targeting capabilities to show your promoted tweet to relevant audiences likely to message you on WhatsApp.
• Target by keywords, interests, behaviors, demographics, etc. aligned to your business.

6. Track Performance in Twitter Ads Manager

• Check campaign analytics for impressions, engagement rate, and most importantly, click-through rate – this indicates how many clicked your WhatsApp link.
• Tweak targeting and improve tweet content to increase WhatsApp click-through rate.

7. Retarget Engaged Users

• Create additional campaigns to retarget people who engaged with your tweet, clicked your WhatsApp link, or visited your Twitter profile.
• This allows you to re-engage qualified leads already interested in your business for higher conversions.

Executing these steps systematically will enable you to effectively promote your WhatsApp business account using Twitter ads and achieve a greater return on your ad spend.

Now let’s look at some creative best practices further to enhance your ad performance for WhatsApp lead generation.

Best Practices for Creative Optimization

Follow these creative optimization tips when designing your ads to drive WhatsApp clicks and traffic:

1. Highlight Exclusive WhatsApp Offer or Deal

• Showcase an exclusive discount, flash sale, early access pass, or special gift available only to customers who engage on WhatsApp.
• This provides a strong incentive for people to click your WhatsApp link.

2. Use Attention-Grabbing Visuals

• Include bright, eye-catching images or videos in your ad creative. Stock photos relevant to your business also work well.
• Visuals boost engagement and click significantly compared to text-only ads.

3. Inform Users of Key Business Details

• Educate users upfront on useful details like your business name, product catalog, contact number, and address.
• This builds familiarity and trust, increasing messaging likelihood.

4. Clearly Communicate Steps to Engage

• Spell out the simple steps for users to message you on WhatsApp clearly in your copy – Click the link, open WhatsApp, and start chatting.
• Remove any ambiguity about how to engage.

5. Leverage FOMO with Countdown Timers

• For time-sensitive offers, use countdown timers built into the ad creative to trigger fear of missing out and urgency.
• But ensure adequate time is provided, like 3+ days, so users don’t feel unduly rushed.

6. Localize Ads for Target Countries

• Customize ad language, offers, contact numbers, etc. to resonate in specific target countries. This boosts relevance and conversions.

7. Split Test Ad Elements

• Try multiple versions of ad creative with different images, captions, call-to-actions, etc. and determine the optimal mix through split testing.

By incorporating these creative best practices into your WhatsApp ads, you can make your promoted tweets more compelling and maximize user clicks to your WhatsApp account.

Next, let’s explore some strategic tips for targeting your ads effectively to reach the right audiences.

Strategic Tips for Twitter Ad Targeting

When running Twitter ads to funnel users to WhatsApp, follow these targeting strategies for better results:

1. Limit Geographic Targeting

• Only target countries where WhatsApp has very high penetration vs other messaging apps.
• For most brands, focus ads on India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Nigeria, etc. with 80%+ WhatsApp usage.

2. Leverage Interest Targeting

• Identify Twitter audiences with an interest in your products, services, or business category and engage them.
• Get interest-targeting ideas from your existing customers’ common interests.

3. Target Based on Twitter Activity

• Reach users who are actively tweeting or searching about topics related to your business.
• Twitter’s powerful algorithms help find these relevant users at scale.

4. Custom Audiences from Website Visitors

• Target website visitors of your business or others in your industry who are likely prospects.
• Website conversion data can provide additional targeting signals.

5. Follower Targeting

• Target followers of competitors and industry leaders on Twitter to access an interested audience.
• Follow their followers or people they follow for sequenced targeting.

6. Retarget Engaged Users

• Create additional campaigns targeting people who engaged with your earlier ads or content.
• This focuses spending on those who already demonstrated interest in your business.

7. Optimize for Conversion Events

• Track ad conversions to WhatsApp clicks or messages. Then optimize targeting to get more events & lower cost per conversion.

Implementing these smart targeting strategies will help you get your WhatsApp ads in front of many more relevant, high-intent users on Twitter within your budget.

Now that we have covered creative and targeting best practices, let’s look at some effective ad formats to consider…

Top Ad Formats for Driving WhatsApp Leads

Here are some recommended ad formats to consider on Twitter for promoting your WhatsApp business effectively:

Promoted Tweets

• Promoted Tweets that natively showcase your WhatsApp CTA perform very well.
• You can pin them to the top of timelines to sustain exposure.

Website Cards

• Website Cards allow embedding a clickable WhatsApp link directly alongside images/videos and ad text within the ad unit.
• This makes the WhatsApp click-through very visible.

Poll Cards

• Poll Cards can ask an engaging question like “Looking for the best pizza deals?” and then lead to your WhatsApp link promising exclusive coupons.
• This ad format builds curiosity and intent.

Lead Generation Cards

• You can collect contact lead info like phone/email via Lead Gen Cards and then message those leads on WhatsApp for a higher conversion probability.

App Install Cards

• For users without WhatsApp, App Install Cards help them download it before clicking your chat link.
• This expands your target audience’s reach.

Direct Message Ads

• You can send Direct Message ads to targeted users, including a CTA to message you back directly for high-intent conversations.

Testing different ad formats quantitatively will reveal which ones deliver the most WhatsApp conversions for your specific business.

Now that we have covered various aspects of running effective Twitter ads on WhatsApp, let’s look at…

WhatsApp Ads Policies to Keep in Mind

When directing Twitter ads to WhatsApp, you must comply with WhatsApp’s policies for commercial messaging:

• User Consent: Only message users who have explicitly consented to be contacted on WhatsApp. Do not randomly message people without permission.
• Clear Opt-Out: Provide a clear, easy way for users to opt out of any further messages if they wish. Honor all opt-out requests promptly.
• Respect Frequency Limits: Follow WhatsApp’s limits on how frequently you can message users to avoid spamming. Typically 1-2 messages per week is permitted.
• Transparent Identification: Properly identify yourself upfront in each message thread and provide valid contact details and address on request.
• Relevant Content: Only send users content explicitly relevant and useful to them based on their confirmed interests and preferences. Avoid promotional blasts.
• Be Helpful & Prompt: Respond promptly to user questions with helpful information. Do not ignore or send automated replies. Build relationships.
• Comply with Local Laws: Respect all local laws for digital advertising and commercial messaging based on user location.

Adhering to these policies will keep your WhatsApp messaging compliant and prevent penalties or restrictions from WhatsApp.

Next, let’s address some common questions about this strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about running Twitter ads on WhatsApp:

Summary of Key Points

• WhatsApp’s over 2 billion user base presents a major advertising opportunity, which clever marketers can tap using Twitter’s ads platform in the absence of native WhatsApp ads.
• Benefits include accessing a massive audience, lower costs than other platforms, getting high-intent leads, enabling personalized messaging for sales, and retargeting existing customers.
• Steps include setting up a WhatsApp Business Profile, creating a dedicated CTA tweet, adding a WhatsApp click-to-chat link, promoting the tweet using Twitter ads, targeting relevant audiences, and tracking performance.
• Optimization best practices cover offering exclusive deals, using visuals, informing users, clearly communicating engagement steps, using FOMOtriggers, localizing ads, and split testing.
• Targeting strategies recommended are limiting to high WhatsApp penetration countries, leveraging interest and activity targeting, using custom audiences from sites and followers, and optimizing for conversion events.
• Recommended ad formats are Promoted Tweets, Website Cards, Poll Cards, Lead Gen Cards, and Direct Message ads.
• When messaging users on WhatsApp, comply with WhatsApp’s policies around consent, opt-out, frequency, identification, relevancy, helpfulness, and local laws.
• Common queries around legality, costs, tracking, business accounts, and integrations have also been answered.

By implementing the blueprint provided in this comprehensive guide, you can now create effective marketing campaigns on Twitter to drive relevant leads and conversions to your WhatsApp business account successfully.