WhatsApp Business: Sharing short links and QR codes

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.

Sharing short links and QR codes

The WhatsApp Business app is all about great customer engagement. Learn more about short links and QR codes and how they can help you connect 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 Ellie from WhatsApp. And today we're going to talk about two ways in which you can create easy access for customers to get in touch with you. Let's take a look at what short links and QR codes are and how they can help you connect with your customers using the WhatsApp Business app.

So what are short links and QR codes?

Short links are essentially like any other URL links, except they're specifically built to open a conversation. QR codes are barcodes that contain short links. QR stands for quick response and mobile phones can read them quickly and easily. Some key benefits of using both are the great advantage about short links and QR codes is that they allow your customers to reach you in an easier and quicker way.

With both QR codes and short links, you can send new and existing customers a link they can use to start a WhatsApp chat with you. A customer doesn't need to have your full number and doesn't have to manually copy across to their phones. They only need a simple tap to open a conversation with you. This makes short links and QR codes really efficient.

When customers click your short link or scan your QR code, they're taken straight into a conversation with your business. It opens a WhatsApp chat where you can have a pre-written message like an ice breaker. Both you and your customers can edit this message before the conversation started. Think of it as a digital front door to your WhatsApp business account.

Short links and QR codes are easy to create. We'll show you how in the next slide. They're also really easy to share. Short links and QR codes can be easily shared on a conversation, on your website, your Facebook page, Instagram and almost every other marketing tool.

Let's go through some of these features in detail. A short link for your business is automatically generated when you create an account on the WhatsApp Business App. Short links are an improved solution to starting conversations through WhatsApp. With a short link, your customers can contact you with a simple tap and it increases your likelihood of being shared.

To access your short link on Android, open the WhatsApp Business app. Tap more options and tap business tools. Tap short link to view the auto-generated link. To access your short link on an iPhone, Go to WhatsApp Business, tap settings and tap business tools.

Once you tap short link, it'll be displayed under your business name. You can share your short link with your customers and they can then use it to start a chat with you. Once you've accessed the short link, you can tap the green link icon if you wish to copy the short link and paste it somewhere else, tap the share icon if you wish to directly send this link over to your customers. Anyone who has access to the link will now be able to message you.

Tap the slider to set a message template for customers to use when they open the short link, or tap the edit icon to create and edit your default message.

A suggestion of how to structure your message. Start with a short greeting and then include an inquiry or a call to action. Sharing your short link with customers will allow them to contact you just by tapping it.

And it also increases your likelihood of being shared. Existing customers who have it can send it across to friends and family. And this will potentially increase your customer base. If you have a website or a Facebook page, you also have the option of including your short link there.

Copy your short link and paste on your website or other Facebook pages. Remember that if a customer clicks on the link, the pre-determined message you built will appear to your customers. So it's a good idea to have this pre-determined message start with a greeting and then included inquiry or a call to action. We'll cover more about linking accounts in another module.

You can also create your own customised short link with a few simple steps. Use the URL on screen and add a phone number in international format. Don't forget to double-check your country code. Don't include any zeros, brackets or dashes when adding the phone number in the international format.

You can turn your short links into QR codes for even better shareability. You can generate a QR code that your customers can scan to easily contact you directly in WhatsApp. By sharing a QR code, you make it even easier for your customers to discover your business. Existing and new customers can send you a message on WhatsApp by scanning your business account's QR code.

If you're using the WhatsApp Business app, you can generate a QR code in no time at all. Share your QR code by WhatsApp, on email or by displaying it on your storefront, on your packaging, on your receipts or any other surfaces. Let's see how.

How to create a QR code on WhatsApp Business

To create a QR code, follow these steps.

Open WhatsApp Business, tap more options, tap business tools. Then tap short link. Tap QR code for your QR code to appear. You can share the QR code for your business account by text or by email, or download and print the QR code to display at your physical storefront.

This way passers-by can easily scan it to get in touch with you. Consider these tips we've gathered for a better engagement with your QR code.

• Contrast. If you want to print your WhatsApp QR code, make sure it prints with high contrast. This means the image should be black and white, not grey and white. With high contrast, they're better recognised and scanned by phones. If you decide to edit the appearance of your QR code, keep it black on a white background or use darker colours on a white background. QR codes on black backgrounds may not scan as easily.

• Aspect ratio. Preserve a one-to-one aspect ratio. This means a perfect square. Maintain the QR code's aspect ratio if you print and resize it. So don't stretch its length or width independently, keep it as a square when you resize.

• Scanning distance. Your QR code should not be smaller than one square inch. Consider the distance between the QR code and the people scanning it. Always assume a one to 10 size to distance ratio. So if the code size is one inch, people can be up to 10 inches away from the code when they scan it. Make sure you also have enough padding or white space around the QR code so it can be scanned easily.

• And remember to always test. Scan your printed QR code yourself to make sure that it works. If you're using a pre-written message, include some good context to start the conversation.

Let's see how Colorix has been using their short link and QR code to engage with customers. Colorix has created a pre-written message to go with their short link that encourages customers to initiate a conversation with them.

By sending this link, existing customers can easily share it with friends and family, potentially increasing Colorix's customer base. Colorix doesn't have a store but they have a branded van in which they commute to the homes of their customers. It's a colourful van with the brand's name and logo large and visible, but they've also printed the QR code and displayed on their van. It's a great idea to encourage passes by or customers to scan it.

They've also printed the QR code on their receipts. For Colorix this a free and easy way to market their services.

So a quick recap of what we've learned today. With QR codes and short links you can send new and existing customers a link they can use to start a WhatsApp chat with you.

It's a quick and easy way to take exiting all new customers straight into a conversation with your business. Both short links and QR codes can be shared in a conversation on your website, your Facebook page, Instagram, and almost every other marketing tool. And you can turn your short links into QR codes for even better shareability. You can also print your QR code and display it anywhere you can think of.

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?

• Getting started with WhatsApp Business

• Creating engaging content

• Building an engagement plan

• Using broadcasting messages