A Strategic Turning Point in Multi-Channel Accessibility

CONVERSATIONAL AI

Customer contact has now become as decisive a factor as the product or service itself. Where, how quickly, and how effortlessly it is accessed directly affects loyalty, satisfaction, and brand perception. While the diversity of digital channels offers institutions a significant advantage, customers do not adopt each channel equally. Preferences lean toward platforms that are naturally integrated into their daily lives and require minimal effort.

For exactly this reason, WhatsApp stands out as a strategically important channel in customer communication. With its widespread usage, speed, easy accessibility, and the ability to offer personalized interactions, it serves as a familiar and trusted point of contact for users, and as the most efficient way of direct communication for institutions.

With Meta’s latest update making user-initiated WhatsApp messages free of charge, this channel is taking on a more critical role in communication strategies. Now, it is not just about having a presence on WhatsApp; it’s about designing it correctly, integrating it with other touchpoints, and offering the customer an effortless experience.

As Meta’s official solution provider, in this article we discuss the opportunities this channel offers and how it should be structured for effective customer communication, based on the WhatsApp scenarios we have implemented across different industries.

Why Do Users Prefer WhatsApp?

User expectations are reshaping digital communication strategies. Today, users seek speed, accessibility, and low effort when reaching institutions. When these core expectations are considered, WhatsApp emerges as a standout channel.

As of 2025, WhatsApp’s monthly active users reached 2.78 billion. Research conducted in the same period reveals that 80% of users prefer messaging businesses directly over communicating via phone or email.

For institutions, WhatsApp’s widespread use not only redefines the potential volume of contact but also the expectation level of the customer experience. Users prefer to reach institutions directly through a familiar platform without facing any additional apps or procedural steps. This makes WhatsApp not only a low-threshold access channel but also one with high interaction potential.

This shift is not limited to channel diversity. It also means the simplification of the service experience, the streamlining of communication processes, and the repositioning of touchpoints. In this transformation, WhatsApp goes beyond being just the first contact point, becoming central to customer experience strategies.

According to Juniper Research, in 2023 alone, WhatsApp assistants saved 2.5 billion hours by resolving repetitive queries without the need for technical expertise. This created an estimated global cost advantage of around 11 billion USD.

This figure points not only to cost savings but also to a process in which the customer experience is being redesigned. For institutions, WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging channel; it is positioned as a point of contact completed with smart automation, fast service, guided experiences, and live support when necessary.

So, in what scenarios can you use WhatsApp in your business?

For companies that want to use the WhatsApp channel effectively at the corporate level, three main usage structures stand out: live support integration, AI-powered assistants, and bulk messaging. While these three models address different operational needs, they are united by a common goal: responding to user expectations quickly, consistently, and sustainably.

Human-Centered Communication with Live Support

In cases where direct human contact is important or the volume of messages remains relatively low, human-based communication becomes the primary choice. In this scenario, requests coming through WhatsApp are directed straight to customer representatives. No automation is used; the entire process is managed manually by representatives.

To support the user experience in this model, some basic functions can be activated:

  • Automatic notifications outside business hours

  • Short system messages responding to certain keywords

  • Notifications about queue length or waiting times

With this structure, institutions can maintain direct representative interaction while keeping the process organized, traceable, and reportable. CBOT’s live support infrastructure ensures that this approach is maintained without sacrificing operational efficiency.

Experience-Focused Interaction with AI-Powered Assistants

For handling high-volume, repetitive, or around-the-clock requests, AI-powered virtual assistants offer an effective solution. These systems go beyond predefined answers, analyzing the intent behind the user’s message, generating an appropriate response, and initiating or directing the transaction if necessary.

These assistants:

  • Focus on understanding what the user means, not just what they say

  • Can execute transactions by integrating with the institution’s systems (e.g., order status, balance inquiry, appointment cancellation)

  • Seamlessly transfer the user to the right representative when necessary

This allows institutions to manage large volumes of requests while providing a consistent, fast, and low-effort user experience.

Bulk Messaging

When communication needs to be instant and organized with large audiences rather than individual customers, bulk messaging becomes one of the most effective ways to use WhatsApp. Especially for campaign notifications, important announcements, or crisis alerts, this model gives institutions speed, consistency, and strong reach.

In this model, users are contacted directly within the scope of prior communication permissions. Messages can be personalized, segmented for targeted delivery, and tracked. Automation is actively used in this scenario, requiring no intervention from a representative.

Key functions in the bulk messaging scenario include:

  • Quickly sending campaign and discount announcements

  • Disseminating service updates and maintenance notices

  • Immediately informing users in emergencies or system disruptions

  • Sending personalized messages to specific participant lists

With CBOT’s advanced messaging infrastructure, this process becomes trackable, schedulable, and measurable in terms of response rates. This way, communication impact is not only delivered but also quantifiably assessed.

The Most Common Confusion: Difference Between WhatsApp Business and Business API

For institutions wanting to communicate with customers via WhatsApp, one of the first decision points is determining which solution best suits operational needs. At this point, two often-confused options emerge: WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API.

WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business is a solution designed to meet the basic communication needs of small businesses by enabling direct responses to a limited number of customers. Its simplicity makes it a quick starting point for businesses that want to manually manage one-on-one interactions.

However, as operational volume and corporate standards grow, it becomes restrictive. WhatsApp Business cannot meet needs such as user management, department-based routing, transaction automation, or internal system integration. Similarly, it does not offer the measurability and auditability required for corporate operations.

Therefore, for medium and large-scale institutions, WhatsApp Business is far from being a sustainable communication model. For consistent, trackable, and scalable communication processes, WhatsApp Business API should be preferred.

WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API is a corporate-level solution developed for medium and large-scale institutions to manage high-volume communications. It removes customer communication from manual processes and provides a communication infrastructure compatible with automation, multi-user management, and system integration.

As CBOT’s official solution partner, this is not just a technical integration point but a critical platform ensuring the sustainability of corporate communication strategies.

Core Capabilities of WhatsApp Business API for Institutions:

  • Multi-user management: Multiple representatives or teams can manage the WhatsApp channel simultaneously

  • Automation and AI support: CBOT’s AI-powered assistants can automate repetitive tasks

  • Live support integration: Users can be transferred to customer representatives when necessary, with full conversation history preserved

  • System integration: The API can work with CRM, ERP, call center, or complaint management systems

  • Reporting and auditing: Conversations can be monitored, performance analyzed, and processes measured

  • Secure infrastructure: Complies with Meta’s technical and operational standards, providing an official and sustainable communication setup

Best Practices for Increasing WhatsApp Engagement

WhatsApp enables institutions to establish direct and fast contact with customers, and when applied with the right strategy, it can create sustainable engagement. To increase engagement rates, the focus should be on simplifying the experience, delivering the right content at the right time, and making the entire process measurable.

  1. Proactive Communication Strategy
    Providing information before the customer requests it strengthens engagement. For example, sending a reminder for an upcoming delivery or notifying about an approaching event increases satisfaction and trust.

  2. Context-Aware Responses
    Instead of fixed responses, developing GenAI-supported systems that understand the context and generate the most appropriate reply makes communication more natural and smooth.

  3. Interactive Message Formats
    Advanced message formats offered by WhatsApp make it easier for users to respond and speed up processes:

    • Quick reply buttons for one-tap confirmation

    • Lists and catalogs for clear presentation of products or services

    • Visual and video content for informative and engaging communication

  4. Continuous Measurement and Improvement
    Regularly tracking metrics like response times, first contact resolution rates, and engagement percentages keeps communication strategies dynamic. CBOT’s analytics solutions provide real-time data to support optimization.

Will Regulations Be an Obstacle if I Want to Use WhatsApp?

WhatsApp Business API operates via Meta’s cloud infrastructure. While this offers high accessibility and speed, it raises considerations for institutions that handle sensitive data: what type of information should be shared over this channel.

If personal or sensitive data is processed in your operations, transmitting this information over WhatsApp may pose regulatory risks. However, general notifications or transaction status updates that do not contain personal information can be safely sent via this channel.

Ensuring Compliance with Regulations:

Avoid directly sharing sensitive data

Design content in accordance with data protection laws like KVKK and GDPR

Obtain user opt-in before sending messages

Keep processes logged and auditable

CBOT designs opt-in processes according to the institution’s needs from the project’s start, ensuring they meet both legal requirements and user experience goals.

Has Free User-Initiated Messaging Given the Green Light to Enterprises?

Meta’s latest update making user-initiated WhatsApp messages free has opened a significant window of opportunity for institutions. Now, the channel can be central to strategic communication plans not only due to its strong reach and user habits but also because of its cost advantage.

However, the elimination of cost does not mean the channel can be used without a plan. A poorly designed WhatsApp strategy may still yield low engagement or increase operational load despite high reach.

At CBOT, we leverage the free messaging advantage with proper scenario design, channel integration, and sustainable operational models. This ensures institutions benefit not just from cost savings but also from long-term customer satisfaction.

WhatsApp is no longer merely a part of personal communication; it has become a strategic customer experience platform for institutions. With Meta’s recent updates, cost advantage, strong reach, and user habits have made this channel even more central to business communication strategies.

However, success depends not on mere presence but on building a well-structured, regulation-compliant, and sustainable model. When scenarios like live support, AI-powered assistants, and bulk messaging are properly designed, they can meet user expectations in terms of speed, accessibility, and low effort.

At CBOT, with our sectoral experience and official solution provider status, we ensure institutions can make the most of WhatsApp securely. In every project, we treat legal compliance, data security, user experience, and operational efficiency as a unified whole.

In conclusion, WhatsApp is not just a communication channel for institutions; it is a strategic touchpoint that strengthens customer relationships, accelerates operational processes, and carries the brand into the future.