Whatsapp Marketing : A New Force To Reckon With

By Prateek Malpani

WhatsApp is not just another cool app on your smartphone; it’s the new way to communicate – “just WhatsApp me”! Like the way Xerox made us forget the word “photo copy”, WhatsApp is set to knock out “text” and “SMS”.

Look at the general behaviour of students and pretty much anyone around us. Still, need more evidence that WhatsApp is here to stay? Check these statistics:

1. As of March 2015, WhatsApp has 700 million global users.
2. India alone has 70 million users on WhatsApp
3. Indians spend 3 Hours 18 minutes every day on their smartphones
4. 44% of the app usage is on messaging apps
5. WhatsApp is the top android and iOS app in India

WhatsApp has easily replaced traditional SMS and will soon replace calling as we move towards improved internet and smartphone penetration. WhatsApp is being used as the preferred method for communication so much so that it is slowly becoming part of business cards and email signatures.

Now, let’s consider our target audience which are aspirants looking to pursue their higher education after 12^th. In the age group of 16 – 25, these are millennials by definition. According to a recent study by Genesis Burson Marsteller on Trends for Indian Youth 2015, among other things that an average Indian youth aspires for, the major ones are:

1. The lust for NOW – The Indian youth is increasingly suffering from shorter attention spans and the need to free themselves from any obligation. They want things quick, easy and fast, especially in the day and age of 2015 internet.
2. The need to be CONNECTED – The Indian youth is more than willing to connect, collaborate and create. They want to be known and considered important.
3. The want to be OMNI-TECH – The Indian youth is getting tech-savvy by the day. Be it downloading apps, playing games, ordering cabs, shopping online or searching for colleges. Everything starts and ends with online and this want is only increasing. They are impressed by the superpowers of being online which empowers them with transparency, instant information and unlimited choices.
4. The desire for INFORMATION – The Indian youth suffers far less from information overload than from the fear of missing out on it (popularly called FOMO). They want more relevant, timely and contextual information.

Now that we have understood the power of WhatsApp and the inherent consumer need/insight of our target audience, let’s see how marketers can marry both these to bring a powerful product that will be useful for aspirants and education brands.

Imagine that you’re a top b-school with top-notch faculty. You want to reach out to students but not through the traditional mass media vehicles that everyone does. You want to be useful for the students and cater to their needs. You come to a neutral platform like Shiksha which has a lot of students registering on its website to get correct, timely information. We organise a WhatsApp session for you on a topic which says “How to prepare for CAT in the last 30 days?” or “What should you look at before deciding your B-School”. In this way, your top-notch faculty gives useful information to students at the right time, connect and engage with them on something more than a superficial level. And you do all of this on a platform they are extremely comfortable with. A platform that doesn’t bind or restrict them and gives them the freedom to talk to you the way they want to.

A lot of brands have already started using WhatsApp for their marketing efforts. However, instead of sending a push spammy marketing message, this is a much better way to connect with your target audience and make a long-lasting impression.

Want to learn more about how you can implement a successful WhatsApp marketing plan for your institute. Contact us on sales@shiksha.com

[first published on July 20, 2015]