WhatsApp for B2B prospecting: why we do not automate it
Ayoub Hammoudi, founder of Phantera · · 2 min read
When we added WhatsApp to Phantera, the first request was: “Send automatically to every number on the list.” We said no. Not out of caution on principle: because WhatsApp’s policy forbids it, and the penalty falls on your number.
What WhatsApp’s policy says
- A business may contact a person on WhatsApp only if that person has given it their consent (“opt-in”).
- Businesses must not spam people or take them by surprise.
- They must respect the wishes of people who block them, stop the conversation or opt out.
- Blocks and reports can limit the number of messages a business is allowed to send.
- In case of a breach, WhatsApp can limit or remove the business’s access to its products.
In other words, WhatsApp’s rule is stricter than French law on B2B email or texts: even a perfectly targeted message to a professional needs their prior consent. And a suspended account is a number that is no longer good for anything, for your prospects or your clients.
The two uses that work
- Let the prospect write first: a WhatsApp link in your email signature opens a conversation with you, with a prefilled message. They are the one who sends it.
- Send a personal message yourself, from your phone, to someone you already have an exchange with: a follow-up after an email they reacted to, for example.
How Phantera applies it
- The WhatsApp link in your signature is tracked: when a prospect opens it, you are notified.
- A WhatsApp step in a sequence is written by Phantera, then placed in your “To send” queue. You open it on your phone, WhatsApp opens with the text, and you are the one who taps Send.
- A daily cap limits the volume, and a lead who has replied or is marked “Do not contact” leaves the queue.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you send automated WhatsApp prospecting messages?
- Not to people who have not given their consent: the WhatsApp Business policy requires an opt-in before any contact, and WhatsApp can limit or remove access for the businesses that break it.
- How do you use WhatsApp for B2B prospecting without putting your number at risk?
- By letting the prospect write first, for example through a WhatsApp link in your signature, or by sending a personal message yourself to someone you already have an exchange with.
Try it with us for 30 days
A pilot set up with you: your ideal customer, your verified domain, a first campaign you review before it goes out.
Sources
Read next
- B2B multichannel sequence: email, LinkedIn, SMS and WhatsApp, in what order?How to combine email, LinkedIn, SMS and WhatsApp in a B2B prospecting sequence without harassing anyone: the role of each channel, the order that respects the prospect, and a two-week example.
- B2B SMS prospecting in France: legal, under three conditionsCan you text business contacts in France to prospect without their consent? What the CNIL says, the STOP opt-out, sending hours, and how Phantera sends these texts from your own account.
- B2B cold email in France: what the CNIL says, in plain EnglishDo you need a business contact’s consent to email them in France? What the CNIL allows in B2B, the three conditions to meet, and the case of generic addresses like contact@.
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