Getting started with WhatsApp Business

Enterprise Nation and WhatsApp have joined forces to educate and support small businesses on the benefits of implementing and using technology, such as WhatsApp's free business app. 

This e-learning video is part of a free series designed to help small business owners connect with customers, showcase their product/service and respond to customer questions.

Getting started with WhatsApp Business

The WhatsApp Business app is designed and built purposely for small business owners. Learn how to start using the app to drive sales and build great relationships with your customers.

Find out more about Enterprise Nation and WhatsApp's partnership: WhatsApp Business app: How to manage customers and drive sales

Transcript

Hi. I'm Josh, and I work at WhatsApp. In this session, we're going to look at how to create your WhatsApp Business account.

We all might be in slightly different situations as WhatsApp users. You could be new to WhatsApp and not have an existing account already created for personal business. Or, if you have a work phone and want to add WhatsApp Business, so your work positions are not on your personal phone.

You might want to keep your WhatsApp for personal use and set up a new WhatsApp business account for work purposes using a business number or on the same phone, i.e. using a dual SIM phone or a landline.

Or you might want to be migrating your WhatsApp account to a WhatsApp Business account. So in this module, we'll walk through the steps for each scenario. Please follow along on your phone if you like.

If you are new to WhatsApp altogether, welcome to the WhatsApp experience. Or if you are setting up an additional phone for your business, the first step is simple. Download WhatsApp Business from the App Store.

WhatsApp Business is free to download. Once the download is complete, tap the WhatsApp Business icon on your home screen to open the app and follow the prompts.

Whatever approach you are taking, you will first need to review the terms of service when you download the app. You can also allow access to your contacts and teacher library.

When setting up, you'll enter your business phone number, whichever number you want to use to talk to your customers. Contacts can be added to the WhatsApp Business App from your phone's address book. You can also allow access to your phone's photos, videos, and files.

You can use both apps, WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Messenger. Many of us like to keep work and personal separate. That's why a lot of business owners keep WhatsApp Messenger for their private life and download the WhatsApp Business App and set it up for business purposes.

Bear in mind, you can use both apps, WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Messenger, as long as each app is linked to its own unique phone number. You can do so as long as you have two phone numbers.

You might need two phones for this purpose or a phone that allows for dual SIM, i.e., that allows for two SIM cards on the same phone, therefore allowing for two phone numbers on the same device.

It's not possible to have one phone number linked to both apps at the same time. There are a lot of benefits of this, especially if you have staff working on your business engagements on whether on whether on a phone or WhatsApp web.

If you sell your business at a later date, you can transfer your WhatsApp Business to the new owner. That would be more tricky if you have all your personal engagements included in your business app as well.

Other benefits of having work and business separated is that you can set up away messages for your work, but in your personal Messenger, just run as normal with family and friends.

When setting up, register your business phone number, whichever number you want to use to talk to customers.

If you have an existing WhatsApp Messenger account and have decided you want to migrate to WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Business will provide you with many tools and functionalities that will allow you to manage the communication with your clients and associates more efficiently.

The good news is moving from one app is easy. You can switch from WhatsApp Messenger to WhatsApp Business and carry on using your same number and keeping all your conversations.

For this, there is four simple steps you need to follow that will take care of migrating all of your conversations and information as you make the switch.

In the next few slides, we will look into these four simple steps. Four simple steps. Bear in mind, if you wish to start using WhatsApp Business but wish to keep using WhatsApp Messenger for your personal communications, you can do so as long as you have two phone numbers. You might need two phones for this purpose or a phone that allows dual SIM.

The first step before transferring a WhatsApp Messenger account into a WhatsApp Business is to create a backup of your existing WhatsApp Messenger account. We recommend that you make a manual backup before proceeding. If you do not back up, some contacts and conversation could be lost. Please note that your chat history can't be migrated back to WhatsApp Messenger if you decide to stop using WhatsApp Business.

In order to create a backup, follow these simple steps. Open WhatsApp Messenger. On Android, tap more settings, the three dots, then tap settings. From settings, tap chats, then chat backup, then backup or backup now.

Once your backup is complete, you're ready to move on to the next step. For iOS, tap settings, and from settings, tap chats, and then chat backup, then backup or backup now. Bear in mind, it's not possible to have one phone number linked to both apps at the same time.

If you choose to migrate into WhatsApp Business by using the same number, these above mentioned processes will help you with all of your contacts and conversations immediately.

You can use both apps, WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Messenger, as long as each app is linked to its own unique phone number.

WhatsApp Business is free to download and can be found in your app store. Once download is complete, tap the WhatsApp Business icon on your home screen to open the app and follow the prompts. Read and review the WhatsApp Business terms of service and privacy policy, and tap agree to continue to accept the terms.

Now it's time to register your business phone number, whichever number you want to use to talk to customers.

WhatsApp Business automatically identifies the number you're using in WhatsApp Messenger. If you wish to continue with this number, tap the option with your business number. If you wish to register a new number, tap the option use a different number and follow these steps.

Select your country from the drop down list to add your country code, then enter your phone number in the international phone number format.

Tap done or next, then tap OK to receive your six digit registration code via SMS or phone call. If you're verifying through a landline, tap call me to request a phone call to receive your verification code. Bear in mind, you can only verify a phone number that you own. You can either use a mobile phone or a land fixed number. To complete your registration, enter your six digit code.

If you've chosen to continue with the number you're using on WhatsApp Messenger, you can transfer all your data. Move your WhatsApp Messenger account to the WhatsApp Business App in just a few steps. The transfer will begin automatically.

Keep the WhatsApp Business App open and your phone turned on until the account transfer process is completed.

While the transfer happens, you might be prompted to restore from your backup. Tap continue or restore, then tap next if prompted.

To move your chat history and media, WhatsApp Business will ask for permission to access your photos, media, and files. Allow access to your phone's photos, videos, and files.

Contacts can also be added to the WhatsApp Business App from your phone's address.

If you need to change your number, WhatsApp has got you covered. There is a built in feature that allows you to change your number without losing any data, whether you're changing numbers with a new SIM card or on your old phone or new phone altogether.

This is the change number feature, and in the next slides, we'll have an in-depth look into it. Changing your phone number in WhatsApp with the change number functionality will transfer all your account information. This includes your profile photo, name, about, individual chats, group chats and settings from your old phone to your new phone. All you need to do is go to settings and access the change number feature.

On your current phone, before changing your phone number, make sure your old phone number is currently registered on WhatsApp. You can find your registered phone number in 'settings' and then 'account'.

Insert the new SIM card with a new phone number into your phone. Open WhatsApp and on Android tap 'more options', the three dots, settings, account, change number, and then next. On iOS, tap settings, account, change number.

Enter your old phone number in the first field and your new phone number in the second field, both in full international format. Tap next.

On a new phone, you can also switch to a new phone number and retain all your data. Before changing numbers, make sure your new phone number can receive an SMS or phone calls and has an active cellular connection. If you want to transfer your chat history, you'll need to create a backup of your of your account on your old phone number prior to changing.

Then follow the steps to change number. After changing your phone number on your old phone, install WhatsApp on your new phone. Register your new phone number following the prompts. Finally, restore your backup.

Since your old phone number will not since your old WhatsApp number will no longer be active, it's important to inform your contacts. With the built in notify contacts functionality, you have more control on who to notify. On the following screen, you'll have options for this. WhatsApp can send automatic notifications.

You can choose to notify all contacts, contacts I have chats with, or custom. If you select custom, you'll need to search for or select the contacts you want to notify, then tap the check mark. Your group chats will be notified regardless of whether you choose to notify your contacts. A silent message will appear in the group.

You'll then be asked to verify your new phone number. Follow the prompts to complete the process.

After using the change number feature, the account associated with your old phone number will be deleted. Bear in mind, it will no longer appear in other WhatsApp contacts. If someone sends you a message to your old number, even though it's through an existing chat history, it will not be delivered to you.

WhatsApp treats privacy and security as a top priority and is committed to user safety. WhatsApp strives to minimise data collection. All a person needs is a phone number to get started on WhatsApp. Every feature is designed from the ground up with security and privacy in mind.

End to end encryption. Your messages sent to businesses using the WhatsApp Business App are end to end encrypted. When end to end encrypted, your messages, photos, videos, voice notes, documents, safe subways, and calls are secured from falling into the wrong hands.

End to end encryption ensures only you and the person you're communicating with can read or listen to what is sent and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp.

This is because with end to end encryption, the encryption and decryption of messages sent and received on WhatsApp occurs entirely on your device.

Your messages are secured with a cryptographic lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them. In addition, the keys change with every single message that's sent. All of this happens automatically. No need to turn on any special settings to secure your messages.

Once the message is received, it will be subject to the business's own privacy practices. The business may designate a number of employees or even other vendors to process and respond to the message. You can always contact the business to learn more about its privacy practices.

Two step verification is an optional feature that adds more security to your account. To enable two step verification, on Android, open WhatsApp, tap more option, the three dots, settings, account, two step verification, and then enable. On iPhone, open WhatsApp, settings, account, two step verification, enable.

Upon enabling this feature, you'll be asked to create a six digit PIN number. You have a two step verification enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp will be asked to accompany will be asked to be accompanied by the six digit PIN that you created using this feature.

To help, remember your PIN. WhatsApp will prompt you periodically to enter your PIN. You can also optionally enter your email address. This email address will allow WhatsApp to send you a link via email to disable two step verification in case you ever forget your six digit PIN and also to help safeguard your account.

We recommend you provide an accurate email address so that you're not logged out of your account if you forget your PIN. If you have two step verification enabled, your number will not be permitted to reverify WhatsApp within seven days of last using a WhatsApp without your PIN.

So make sure you download the correct WhatsApp Business App. Make sure you decide whether you are migrating your account using two numbers and two apps or setting up WhatsApp Business on a dedicated business phone.

Follow the clear steps for migration if you're moving from WhatsApp Messenger to WhatsApp Business. Set up a PIN to protect your account using a two step verification process.

To learn more about the WhatsApp Business App, visit whatsapp.com/business. Thank you.

Find more WhatsApp Business e-learning

• Why is WhatsApp Business so powerful?

• Creating engaging content

• Building your engagement plan

• Using broadcasting messages

• Sharing short links and QR codes