01Two products with the same name
When someone says “we use WhatsApp for the business” they may mean two very different things. One is an app you install on your phone. The other is a platform with no app: it connects to your systems.
Choosing well saves a lot of trouble, because switching from one to the other isn't as simple as changing apps.
02The WhatsApp Business app
It's a free app, similar to ordinary WhatsApp, with tools for businesses: a profile with opening hours and address, a catalogue, quick replies, labels and away messages.
It's ideal when one person or a small team handles things by hand, from the phone and a few linked devices. For most small businesses it's enough, and it's the place to start.
03The platform: WhatsApp Business Platform
It's the official way to connect WhatsApp to software: your CRM, your booking system or a tool of your own. It isn't used from a phone app but from those systems, and it allows things the app can't do:
- sending automatic notifications, such as an appointment confirmation or an order status;
- several people handling the same number from one program;
- connecting conversations with the rest of your tools.
It has its rules and its costs: Meta charges for some types of messages, depending on their category and the recipient's country.
04The 24-hour window and templates
This is the rule that surprises people most. When a customer writes to you, a 24-hour window opens in which you can reply freely. Outside that window, or if you want to write first, you can only send a template approved by Meta.
A template is a message prepared in advance, with gaps for the details that change (“Hi {{1}}, your appointment is on {{2}}”). Each one has a category (marketing, utility or authentication) and Meta reviews it before allowing it to be used.
05Permission isn't optional
WhatsApp's policies require that the person you write to has given you permission to receive your messages, and that you can stop writing to them when they ask.
WhatsApp also monitors the quality of each number: if many people block or report your messages, it drops and can limit how many messages you can send. Writing only to people who want to hear from you isn't just the right thing: it's what keeps your number working.
On WhatsApp you're in someone's conversation. You come in with permission.
06When to move to the platform
These are the signs that you're outgrowing the app:
- you send lots of repeated notifications (appointments, orders, reminders) and write them by hand;
- several people need to handle the same number;
- you want WhatsApp to talk to your other tools.
If none of this applies to you, stick with the app. There's no need to complicate things before it's time.
07How we do it
To work with the official platform we've built our own tool, Big Plum Connect. Today, in its first version, it lets you create templates, follow their review and send only the approved ones. It doesn't store message content or recipients' numbers.
If you're thinking of using WhatsApp in your business and don't know which of the two options suits you, write to us and we'll look at it with you.
