How to Schedule Messages on WhatsApp? Tips & Best Practices

WhatsApp Marketing has become a great source to generate leads, focus on customer engagement, utilizing the customer data, in optimum way to sale more. The latest features of WhatsApp allows brands to create channel, so just as Instagram, people can follow you there.

It is easy and convenient in compared to other social media marketing. Majority of the mobile phone users, have WhatsApp installed. Hence you have a wider number of audience. Businesses often ask how to schedule messages on WhatsApp to stay consistent and connect with customers at the right time. Scheduling messages on WhatsApp can be done smoothly.

It is beneficial for business as it creates your brand identity. WhatsApp is easy to access hence customers can easily open and even share your own messages on whatsapp web front. Plus you can use certain images too with the help of WhtasApp marketing tools.

Why Schedule & Automate WhatsApp Messages?

To send Schedule WhatsApp messages is essential for businesses to communicate, engage and align processes. It helps in executing marketing campaigns by sending promotional messages, promotional offers, reminders, or updates.

This reduces manual effort and human errors so that important things are not missed. By automating appointment reminders, follow-ups or greetings, a great customer journey is given.

This is beneficial for engaging customers across different time zones or during off-hours. It enables businesses to remain responsive and professional around the clock.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Schedule Messages on WhatsApp

Scheduling via the WhatsApp Business App

• Open the WhatsApp Business app on your Android or iPhone and log into your WhatsApp account.
• Navigate to Settings and select Business Tools.
• Tap on Away Message and toggle the “Send Away Message” option to ON.
• Write your message in the text field and click OK.

Choose a scheduling option:

• Always Send: Sends the message at all times.
• Custom Schedule: Set specific dates and times for the message.
• Outside Business Hours: Automatically sends messages during non-operational hours.
• Select recipients (specific contacts or all customers) and tap Save to finalize the schedule.

2. Setting Up Automated Responses (“Away Messages” & “Greeting Messages”)

The WhatsApp Business app allows you to automate responses for better customer engagement:

• Go to Settings > Business Tools in the app.

For Away Messages:

• Enable “Send Away Message.”
• Write a custom message (e.g., “We’re currently unavailable but will get back to you soon”).
• Set it to send during non-business hours or at specific times.

For Greeting Messages:

• Enable “Send Greeting Message.”
• Create a WhatsApp welcome message for new customers or first-time interactions (e.g., “Welcome! How can we assist you today?”).

3. Using CRM to Schedule WhatsApp messages:

• Use the CRM to group your audience by factors like purchase history, location, or engagement level.
• Design pre-approved WhatsApp message templates directly within the CRM. These templates can include text, images, videos, or PDFs.
• In the CRM dashboard, select the “Schedule Message” option.
• Choose the recipient(s) from your segmented contact list and set the date and time for delivery.
• Set up automated workflows in the CRM. This will send follow-up messages if there’s no reply to the first message.
• You can even send bulk WhatsApp messages easily for different segment.

WhatsApp Business API

This API has features that make scheduling messages easier and more effective.

For example: Businesses can set up automatic workflows to send follow-up messages if there’s no reply to the first one.

It also supports multimedia, allowing businesses to send images, videos, as well as PDFs in their scheduled messages.

Best Practices for Scheduling Messages on WhatsApp

1. Say ‘Yes’ to Automation

Automation has changed the way we see marketing and of course its impact is visible in WhatsApp marketing too. Emails have low opening rate because it’s time consuming for a customer to check emails.

You can automate payment schedule send reminders on the last day of a subscription or send weekly meeting update to teams. I personally have like this because I use WhatsApp more than Email. I am more active here. Hence it becomes easy for me to just open the message and read it.

With tools like CrmOne or WhatsApp Business API, businesses can set up recurring schedules effortlessly. To utilize scheduling features effectively, you need to open WhatsApp Web in Google Chrome.

When you automate WhatsApp message it also reduces the risk of human error, such as forgetting to send a message or sending it at the wrong time.

Note: A study revealed that businesses using automated scheduling tools saw a 30% improvement in operational efficiency.

Whether it’s sending festival greetings to customers or notifying them about stock availability, automation is just the right way to do it.

2. Segment Your Audience

If you want to deliver personalized and relevant messages then audience segmentation is really important. You can segment them based on various factors such as behavior, purchase history, etc.

For example, a clothing brand might send early access sale notifications to VIP customers while sending general sale updates to others.

Personalized messaging can increase response rates by 80% compared to generic messages. 

WhatsApp integration with CRM allows you to create custom recipient lists for targeted communication, so that each segment receives just the kind of message they want.

Instead of sending all customers a generic promotion, you can schedule product recommendations based on their past purchases or preferences.

3. Use “Ask Me Before Sending” Feature

This features is helpful, actually it’s a saviour! It provides an extra layer of control over your scheduled messages. It lets users review and approve messages before they are sent out.

Hence, you can send accurate messages without errors, and it also allows last-minute changes if needed. You can even delete scheduled WhatsApp messages using specific scheduler apps or APIs.

Consider a scenario, that you want to send a scheduled promotional message that contains outdated pricing or incorrect details, the sender can catch and correct it before it goes out.

If there are major mistakes in the first schedule a message, then you can cancel or reschedule messages if the circumstances change. Every message is aligned with current business goals and customer expectations.

4. Use Multimedia- It calls for creativity!

Using elements like images, videos, or PDFs in a scheduled time in WhatsApp messages boosts engagement levels.

Crafting a desired WhatsApp message that includes multimedia elements is crucial for better engagement.

Visual content captures attention faster than text alone and helps convey complex information.

For example, a restaurant could schedule a menu PDF for dinner reservations, or a real estate agent could send property walkthrough videos.

Statistics show that multimedia messages have an 80% higher open rate compared to plain text messages.

Scheduling tools like WhatsApp Business API allow users to attach multimedia files easily while setting up their campaigns.

Multimedia also adds a professional touch to your communication and makes it more memorable.

5. Optimize for Time Zones

WhatsApp is a global medium to reach a wider audience. But you have to be cautious while scheduling the messages. Time Zones should be considered!

Sending messages at the wrong times, like late at night, can lower engagement rates and upset customers.

E-commerce businesses often send cart reminders during the busiest shopping times in the customer’s time zone to increase sales.

By considering time zones, you show you care about your customers’ convenience, which can lead to better interactions.

Sending messages when customers are most likely to engage helps improve results and boosts engagement.

6. Integrate Scheduling with Business Hours

Using automation in WhatsApp has many benefits. One such is you can schedule messages by aligning the timing with your business hours to ensure timely responses and maintain professionalism.

You can set ‘Away messages’ during non-operational hours to inform customers when they can expect a reply or direct them to FAQs. Now AI can play a significant role in this. It will store the message, take note for it, even have a conversation with the customer in humanized way.

This practice enhances customer satisfaction by setting clear expectations about response times. Businesses using this strategy report a 25% reduction in customer complaints related to delayed responses.

Integrating scheduling with business hours also allows for proactive communication. Sending reminders about upcoming appointments during working hours ensures customers are well-informed without causing inconvenience during off-hours.

Tips to Master WhatsApp Marketing:

1. Craft Concise and Clear Messages

Don’t include everything in the message! Stay within the character limits. Make sure that the messages are to the point rather then including multiple messages or multi-topics at once.

Aim to convey your main message within the first few lines to capture the attention quickly. It improves readability and enhances engagement.

Concise messages have a 40% higher response rate compared to longer, more complex ones. The focus on clarity will help you reduce the risk of miscommunication. The audience can understand your message easily.

2. Use Dynamic Elements for Personalization

The reason why I emphasize brands to focus more on personalization. Because you sale more when you connect emotionally with the customers.

Elements like names, dates, or specific product details can make your messages more effective.

Personalization makes recipients feel valued and increases engagement.

Instead of sending a generic reminder about a sale, you could say, “Hi [Customer Name], don’t miss out on our exclusive 20% off sale on [Product Name] starting tomorrow!”

By using dynamic fields that are available in many scheduling tools or CRM software, you can automate this personalization process without additional effort.

3. Monitor Engagement and Adjust Strategies

Once you schedule your WhatsApp messages on android now, keep an eye on how they perform and engage.

Keep track of key indicators such as open rates, response rates, and click-through rates.

Many scheduling tools and CRM systems have analytics features. These help you see how well your messages are doing.

You can identify patterns and trends in customer behavior. If you see that messages sent at a certain time get more interaction, you can adjust your future schedule to match that timing.

Benefits of Scheduling WhatsApp Messages

1. Smooth Communication

It allows businesses to save time by automating reminders, follow-ups, or greetings through the WhatsApp schedule message feature. So important messages are sent at the right time.

Scheduling eliminates the risk of forgetting important communications, so workflow is maintained.

2. Higher Engagement Rates

Automation will lead to you to send messages to customers when they are most likely to be active, so it will improve the engagement rates.

Note: Sending messages during peak hours can lead to a 50% higher response rate compared to randomly timed messages.

eCommerce business can schedule cart reminders easily. So during evening hours when customers are more likely to shop online, it can send a message.

So, the messages are acted upon, which leads to higher conversions and customer satisfaction.

3. Consistency in Customer Interactions

Scheduling messages helps in keeping communication steady with customers. This is important for building trust and strong relationships.

Sending updates, reminders or personal messages on time makes customers feel valued. It helps them connect more with your brand.

This approach makes customers happier and builds loyalty. They are more likely to return to a business that meets their needs and expectations regularly.

Conclusion:

To easily increase your revenue and improve ROI, it’s really important to know how to schedule messages on WhatsApp. By integrating WhatsApp with CRM tools, you can automate the process, saving time and resources. It helps in reaching customers at the right moment.

Always keep the customer demands at the center. Don’t sell them your products; rather, have an interaction with them, understand what they want, and then talk about how you can help them. This builds up customer loyalty.

Get started for Free

Start for free today. Boost your sales by clicking the Get Started button. With CrmOne, you can manage leads, sales, and customer service all in one place.

Try it free