Introduction
WhatsApp is an indispensable part of our lives. It is one of the most preferred channels for instant communication. According to Statista, the number of WhatsApp users in India will reach 795.67 million by 2025. We use WhatsApp for our personal and professional communication as well.
It is a versatile and user-friendly platform that connects your close ones and has allowed companies to reach their customers for sales, support, and marketing. Today, WhatsApp is an essential channel for maintaining constant communication with customers.
Seamless communication is difficult to maintain as businesses have scheduled working hours. Additionally, it is hard not to be forgetful to send a critical message on a busy day. So, what can we do?
The answer to such challenges is scheduling WhatsApp messages, which can organize and streamline communication. Typically, WhatsApp does not offer a scheduling option, but there are plenty of ways to overcome this challenge, which we will discuss in this article.
What are the benefits of scheduling WhatsApp messages?
Scheduling WhatsApp messages can offer several advantages from improving time management to boosting productivity. Let’s explore the top advantages:
1. Time Management
Avoid forgetting to message: By scheduling WhatsApp messages, you will never miss a birthday, anniversary, or important message again. For instance, you can plan a birthday message a week in advance and ensure it gets delivered at the right time. Consistent communication beyond working hours will allow you to build and nurture customer relationships.
Send at the right time: Frequently, our message inbox gets overcrowded with the number of messages we receive each day. There is a high chance that your message may get overlooked in this crowd. But sending a message at the right time will do the trick.
Leverage powerful analytics to estimate the right time for maximum visibility of your messages. Schedule messages when the recipient is most likely to read, analyzed by their previous read receipt records and user behavior.
2. Productivity
Automate tasks: Multitasking is extremely exhausting, even more challenging when you have critical deadlines for most of your tasks. By scheduling messages in advance, you take control of life as you have enough time to focus on other tasks. We can achieve a peaceful state of mind by organizing and planning our timetable. For example, automate client follow-ups or reminders during busy seasons.
Send messages during non-peak hours: It is not good to read a message or browse your phone, especially when you are at work. Companies should be mindful of avoiding disturbing recipients during busy times. For this, you should figure out the best time when your recipient is most likely to read your message by using powerful analytics.
3. Professionalism
Consistent communication: With technological advancements, user expectations for service and support are increasing exponentially. To meet their expectations, we must send them timely messages regarding products, services, delivery status, transactions, etc. It is ideal for businesses to schedule messages to ensure timely and consistent communication with their users.
Avoid errors: A hastily crafted message may send mistaken information to the users, which may not be best for your business. You can reduce the risk of typos or mistakes by scheduling messages in advance. As you plan your messages, you gain time at your hand to review the content and make the necessary changes if required.
Overall, scheduling WhatsApp messages can help you be more efficient, productive, and professional in your communication.
How to schedule WhatsApp messages on Android?
If you want to schedule WhatsApp messages on Android, there are two common methods: using the WhatsApp Business app or relying on third-party apps. While WhatsApp Business offers a basic feature to send automated replies through its Away Message feature, it doesn’t provide full scheduling options. Let’s go through the process of using WhatsApp Business, and then explore some third-party apps.
It may sound like a spoiler, but the WhatsApp Business app does not give you much flexibility to send customized messages through its Away message feature, but it is still useful to let your users know that you are out of business hours and will respond once back. It is courteous in professional communication.
Steps for Scheduling WhatsApp Messages with WhatsApp Business
1. Get the WhatsApp Business app for your operating system from the Google Play Store on your Android device.
2. Create a business profile in the app.
3. Go to more options › Business tools and ultimately › Away message.
4. Click on the button to turn On the Send away message.
5. When the pop-up appears, click the ‘Edit’ icon to change the message. Then click ok.
6. To set up an away message, you have the following choices;
Always send: This option helps you type a message each time you are messaged.
Custom schedule: In this type, you can send your message only at the appointed time.
Outside of business hours: This option permits you to relay your message only during off-working hours. For this function to run smoothly, you should program your business hours within the profile of your business account on Facebook.
7. Now, to select who among them should receive your messages, click on Recipients. As for recipient settings, you’ll receive four choices.
Everyone: This option helps reply to anyone who messages you when you have the Away Message option.
Everyone not in the address book: This option lets you send messages to customers for the first time or clients whose details are not in the address book.
Everyone except: With this setting, you can send meaningful messages to all customers, excluding those mentioned.
Only send to: This option lets you send your messages to specific contacts you want.
8. At this point, all the settings have to be retained by clicking save.
Actually, it is not so close to the message scheduling feature; it merely provides you with the tools to maintain customer communication even if they cannot get an answer from you. Effective use of this one gives your customers confidence that you have captured their message and will soon reply to them.
Conclusion
Scheduling WhatsApp messages is a valuable tool for managing your communication and ensuring timely delivery. By following the simple steps outlined in this guide, you can easily automate your messages and save time. Whether you want to send birthday wishes, reminders, or important announcements, scheduling WhatsApp messages can help you stay organized and connected.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there is no built-in feature for scheduling group messages, you can use third-party apps to achieve this.
Yes, you can edit and customize the message content before scheduling it.
Yes! Many scheduling apps allow you to set recurring messages for birthdays, anniversaries, or other events.
About the Author
Nisha Sneha
Nisha Sneha is a passionate content writer with 5 years of experience creating impactful content for SAAS products, new-age technologies, and software applications. Currently, she is contributing to Kenyt.AI by crafting engaging content for its readers. Creating captivating content that provides accurate information about the latest advancements in science and technology has been at the core of her creativity.
In addition to writing, she enjoys gardening, reading, and swimming as hobbies.