With almost three billion active users in 180 countries worldwide, WhatsApp has solidified its position as the world’s most popular messaging app.
For businesses, WhatsApp is a powerful method of reaching customers where they already are and through the medium they prefer. According to Reuters, 70% of customers feel more connected to companies they can message. However, using WhatsApp for customer service, sales and marketing requires an investment in the right technology.
That’s where Amazon Web Services (AWS) comes in – leveraging its unique partnership with WhatsApp to combine the power of the world’s top messaging platform with a robust cloud infrastructure and unique technologies. With AWS and WhatsApp, businesses can boost accessibility and reach, deliver seamless omnichannel experiences and embrace the power of AI for automated conversations – all without compromising on security and compliance.
Here’s how AWS and Meta / WhatsApp are working together to help businesses embrace a new age of customer communications.
The Rise of WhatsApp for Customer Communication
Messaging apps, particularly WhatsApp, have become a cornerstone of customer communication in the modern world. More than 82% of customers say they expect an immediate response to routine inquiries. They’re increasingly turning to asynchronous platforms like WhatsApp for fast-paced convenient service which they can come and go from as they please (unlike webchat which requires them to stay online).
With it’s convenient API, and integration with AWS technologies, WhatsApp empowers companies to access numerous benefits, including:
- Supporting customers where they already are: Users across all age groups already use WhatsApp to interact with companies. Around 175 million users send messages to WhatsApp business accounts every day, looking for support or guidance.
- Enabling asynchronous service: Customers can initiate conversations and respond at their own pace, whether minutes or hours later, without losing continuity. This flexibility is especially valuable for people who don’t have time for real-time interactions, enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Reaching customers anywhere: For global businesses, WhatsApp’s asynchronous messaging ensures that time zone differences are no longer a barrier. Conversations can continue seamlessly even when customers and agents are in different regions. WhatsApp also uses Wi-Fi – meaning customers can communicate whenever they are online, rather than incurring costs on their cellular plan.
- Rich media support: WhatsApp supports multimedia content such as images, videos, voice notes and product carousels. This capability transforms the way businesses address customer inquiries. Customers can share screenshots or videos to illustrate problems, while agents can respond with visual guides or tutorials, boosting first-time resolution rates.
- Enabling automation with chatbots: Gartner predicts that chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for 25% of organizations by 2027. With WhatsApp and AWS, companies can integrate AI-driven chatbots into their service strategy.
Transforming Customer Engagement with Amazon Connect
Unlocking all the benefits WhatsApp offers for customer engagement starts with the right technology. Companies don’t just need an easy way to access and use the WhatsApp API – they need a solution that allows them to take advantage of all the features of the world’s most popular messaging channel, while adhering to strict privacy and compliance standards.
Amazon Connect is an AI-powered application that provides one seamless experience for your contact center customers and users. It’s comprised of a full suite of features across communication channels.
Amazon Connect for WhatsApp Business messaging gives businesses a convenient and secure way to integrate WhatsApp into their omnichannel communication strategy. Amazon Connect for WhatsApp Business messaging enables:
1. Seamless Omnichannel Integration
With Amazon Connect, businesses can integrate WhatsApp messaging alongside voice, chat, SMS, email and other channels into a single unified solution. Amazon Connect for WhatsApp Business Messaging lets customers initiate conversations effortlessly.
Businesses can embed WhatsApp-enabled phone numbers, chat buttons or QR codes on websites and apps, providing a direct line of communication. This reduces call volumes and redirects inquiries to chat – significantly lowering operational costs while enhancing customer convenience. Amazon Connect for WhatsApp Business messaging uses the same configuration, routing, analytics and agent experience as voice, email, chat, SMS, video & web calling and tasks in Amazon Connect, making it easy for businesses to deliver seamless omnichannel customer experiences.
2. Enhanced Messaging Experiences
With rich messaging capabilities such as inline images and videos, list messages, and unique quick replies, companies can deliver personalized engaging experiences throughout the customer journey.
Whether they’re checking order statuses or scheduling appointments, customers can enjoy relevant, visually engaging interactions. This helps to enhance customer experiences and improve conversion rates for businesses.
Case Study
Localiza&Co is a Brazilian-based mobility company. It has the largest mobility network in South America and is present in seven countries, with more than 638,000 vehicles in the fleet and 924 physical locations.
“We receive thousands of service calls, with a large volume of requests coming in via WhatsApp, which represents the vast majority of our interactions with customers and external partners within the telematics area. Amazon Connect for WhatsApp Business messaging and Amazon Connect Email will be fundamental to boosting our service structure. We expect to see an improvement in resolution times and cost savings by centralizing our communication channels within Amazon Connect. It will also allow us to leverage AI capabilities to innovate new experiences for our customers, which is key to supporting the projected scale in the coming years,” said André Petenussi, CTO at Localiza&Co.
Transitioning to WhatsApp for End-User Messaging with AWS
AWS is now introducing even more impressive ways for businesses to unlock the advantages of WhatsApp for customer communications. In October 2024, the tech giant announced the release of AWS End User Messaging Social, allowing developers to create rich, interactive messaging experiences on the messaging platform.
With this release, developers can now use WhatsApp alongside push notifications and SMS messaging as part of their overall communication strategy. They can develop full omnichannel experiences that ensure they can reach customers on the channels they prefer.
AWS End User Messaging supports application-to-person (A2P) messaging at scale globally. Developers can use the solution for a wide variety of messaging strategies.
They can send customers one-time passcodes for signups, account notifications, delivery updates, appointment reminders and personalized promotions. Simultaneously, they can leverage the benefits of the secure and scalable AWS cloud infrastructure, minimizing risk at a time when around 73% of consumers say they’re more concerned about data privacy than ever before.
Developers can rely on AWS’s trusted security, support and management capabilities to safeguard customer data while maintaining compliance with global standards.
AWS End User Messaging Social ensures developers can build secure, scalable and impactful communication strategies, leveraging the global ubiquity of WhatsApp to engage customers effectively, without compromising on flexibility or compliance.
Shaping the Future of Business Messaging
By bridging real-time communication with operational efficiency, businesses can deliver personalized and proactive customer experiences at scale. WhatsApp is more than just a messaging tool – with its AWS integration, businesses are setting stage for a more connected and responsive future.
Find out more by watching this video.
