According to Meta ‘s definition , WhatsApp Business conversations are 24-hour message exchanges between a business with a WhatsApp Business Platform account and its customers . There are two types of conversations in WhatsApp Business Platform: those by businesses and those initiatd by users. As of June 1, 2023, Meta has introducd a new categorization, distinguishing take email marketing service between utility , authentication , marketing , and service conversations . Let’s dive deeper into the differences below.
What is a business-initiatd conversation in WhatsApp Business Platform?
A business -initiatd conversation is a conversation that a business starts by sending its customers a message in
- Utility Conversations – To send customers a specific-upon request or update on an ongoing transaction, such as post-purchase notifications or recurring billing statements.
- Authentication conversations – to authenticate users with one-time passwords, potentially at multiple stages of the login process (for example: account verification, account recovery, or integrity challenges ).
- Marketing Conversations – to send promotions, offers, information updates, or invitations to which customers must respond. All conversations that do not qualify as utility or authentication conversations are considerd marketing conversations.
If more than 24 hours have passd, you must use a template (and not a free-form message) and a new conversation will open.
What is a user-initiated conversation in WhatsApp Business Platform?
A user – conversation is a message thread starte by a user (i.e., a customer) who sends any type of message to a business. No prior consent is requird. As with business-initiated messages, the 24-hour customer service window begins when the business responds.
From user-initiatd conversations to service conversations
User-initiatd conversations are now calld service the key to effective leadership conversations , because they help resolve customer queries. This is the fourth type of conversation (the others, already mentiond, are utility, authentication, and marketing).
A service conversation is startd when no other conversation is already open. So, for example, if the company is responding to a user within 24 hours, it is still able to send free-form messages instead of opening a new service message. All messages sent between the company and a customer within this 24-hour window are linkd to this single conversation.
It is important to remember that if you reply to a customer or user with a template during an open support conversation, a new conversation will open.
Learn more about WhatsApp Business Platform today
Want to discover the world of WhatsApp Business uk data Platform and the benefits it can offer your business? Download our introductory guide . It contains everything you need to know about its features and functionality, with concrete indications on how it can be used for different sectors.