Automated WhatsApp Welcome Journey

Overview

You can configure a journey to automatically send a WhatsApp message whenever a new contact is created. This can be achieved by setting up an automation workflow (journey) that triggers upon the creation of a new contact in the database.

How it Works

1. When a new user registers, the system detects this event and initiates the journey.

2. At the defined step, a personalized WhatsApp message, such as a welcome or introduction message, is automatically sent to the user's WhatsApp number. This ensures users are instantly engaged and receive timely communication without manual intervention.

3. Additional actions can be included in the journey, such as sending follow-up messages, exclusive updates, or reminders, based on the fan's interactions or preferences. This helps keep the fan engaged and nurtures their relationship with your organization from the moment they sign up.

Customize Your Message

You can configure specific keywords for opt-in (e.g., 'Start,' 'Yes'), opt-out (e.g., 'Stop,' 'No'), and help (e.g., 'Help') actions, along with customizable text-based responses. These default response messages can be tailored to align with the brand's tone and messaging strategy.

In many cases, the opt-in process can double as an onboarding experience for new contacts. For instance:

1. A user sends the designated opt-in keyword.

2. Their phone number is automatically captured and their WhatsApp opt-in status is updated.

3. Immediately after, they receive a pre-configured, personalized response. This allows for seamless engagement while reinforcing brand identity and providing important information upfront.

There are scenarios where the default text-based response may not fully meet business requirements, such as:

• Custom Multimedia Messaging: Enhance the experience by sending a personalized multimedia message—such as an artist's image or a recorded video—rather than just text.

• Varied Contact Creation Methods: Contact creation occurs through different channels (e.g., sign-up forms, third-party systems, or offline subscriptions), and the subscription process involves more than just the default opt-in keywords.

• Branded Keyword Subscriptions: When brands use memorable, custom keywords (e.g., 'Lets gooo' for one of our Customer Account) for engaging events like quizzes or special promotions. Here, the keyword allows users to participate and serves as the subscription trigger, extending beyond the typical opt-in terms.

• Comprehensive Onboarding Experience: When the goal is to offer a more holistic onboarding, sending multiple messages over several days to gradually introduce the new contact to the brand and its offerings.

Build Your Welcome Journey

Design a tailored welcome journey that sends automated WhatsApp messages upon contact creation using the instructions below:

1. Create a pre-approved template. Ensure that it is approved!

1. The journey would start with a Trigger block. Include at least one “Send WhatsApp” block.

1. The trigger will be “When a new contact is created”.

1. You can decide to have a Wait or “Decision Split” block before the action block. “Decision Split” could be used if you want to send the welcome message only to those contacts that have not signed up by sending WhatsApp keywords as they would anyways receive the keyword response. In such scenarios, we can add the condition to check if the “Original Source” was either Whatsapp or Chatbot, and exclude sending messages to such contacts

2. Select the approved template to send the desired WhatsApp message. If there was a variable in the template, make sure to specify the “Merge Tag” such as “First Name” to replace it.

1. Specify the End date/time and activate the journey.