WhatsApp Monetization: How to Monetize One of the Best Sources
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WhatsApp is the third-most popular social media app in the world, with more than 2 billion monthly active users. In terms of usage, it’s actually the top “pure” messaging platform out there. And its massive reach has transformed it into a must-have resource for publishers across all industries.
As with other popular messaging channels, users are extremely engaged when using WhatsApp.
However, establishing a high ROI is not only about reaching the right audiences. You also have to promote your site and learn to generate many clicks consistently.
Ready to learn the secrets of monetizing WhatsApp? Here’s everything you need to know.
About WhatsApp Traffic
Why is WhatsApp such a great traffic source?
There are many reasons why WhatsApp users are nice targets, and it goes beyond the fact that there are 2 billion of them. These include:
- WhatsApp is one of the only apps downloaded five billion times on both Android and iOS devices
- The countries that registered the most WhatsApp use are India, Brazil, Indonesia, and the United States
- It’s estimated that 50% of users employ WhatsApp on a daily basis, 78% on a weekly basis, and 91% use the app every single month
- The application is available in 180 countries
- Around 39% of users prefer using WhatsApp as their communication channel with businesses and websites
- Marketing communications have an open rate of 17% in WhatsApp
How to Monetize WhatsApp Traffic: Ideas and Strategies
Now that we’ve covered the reasons why WhatsApp is a great traffic source, let’s dive into the strategies you can use to boost your bottom line.
Promoting Your Site
If you have a website that you want to monetize through traditional formats like OnClick, Interstitial, Push, and Vignette, the flow should look like this:
1. Encourage your web subscriber to your WhatsApp community.
2. Create materials from the site that showcase your content and promote dialogue in your group:
- Sports Sites: Publish surveys about the performance of the day and polls that ask people about the top players in a league, then redirect them to your article about the same topic.
- Entertainment Site: Ask users what content topic they’d like to see on your page and tell them that you will decide based on the group poll, then send users to one of your quizzes.
- Anime Site: Tell users to rank their favorite live-action series that come from anime and then redirect them to your own article with your own ranking.
- Blog: Create article previews specifically for WhatsApp by using a conversational tone and include a preview of your latest article; repeat this once per week.
Using a SmartLink
SmartLinks are similar to conventional formats.
The difference is that traditional website ads are placed on your website, while SmartLinks published in available inventory redirect users to the best offers chosen automatically by an algorithm.
So, the flow looks the same, with the difference being that you will share a SmartLink instead of your website pages links. As a result, users will see ultra-targeted ads in the landing pages or pre-landers. In a nutshell, you don’t even need a website for this but use any traffic source you have!!
Additionally, you can boost engagement by taking steps like:
- Create a fun test or quiz that entertains your audience
- Reward users with gifts and freebies
- Place SmartLinks in your form CTA buttons
Product Catalogs
WhatsApp also allows you to open business accounts and create a product catalog. This means that you can use this feature to create a convenient listing that’s visible directly through the app.
If you set up a store (you can mirror your e-commerce if you have one), then you can generate revenue directly through the messaging app’s marketplace.
App Extensions
Lastly, you can create app extensions like this publisher and monetize the traffic you generate through this add-on.
Simply put, you create an extension, share it in your WhatsApp group, and even combine it with Push Notifications to make extra money. Here is a case study about it:
Additionally, you can boost your profits by more than 50% if you try out Monetag’s AI MultiTag feature.
Possible Pitfalls: What Should You Avoid?
Keep in mind that participating in a WhatsApp group that’s engaged doesn’t mean that your job is done.
As a matter of fact, once you hit this stage, you need to be careful not to make mistakes that might annoy your audience.
Here are some pitfalls you’ll want to avoid when launching WhatsApp campaigns.
- Avoid spamming the group with your SmartLinks: this may lead to the admin banning you!
- Don’t send unwanted direct messages: this may also lead to you getting banned from the whole app.
- Never mislead your audience: don’t claim that your SmartLink is for a particular offer or type of content, as users are redirected to the most relevant ad in real-time.
- Try not to include weird characters in your links: don’t include unusual characters, as these may lead to a suspicious link label.
To Sum Up
Already one of the top messaging apps across the world, WhatsApp gives you a chance to generate traffic, boost engagement, and reduce churn through one simple solution.
Not only this but as we’ve covered in prior case studies, it’s possible to make thousands of dollars within a few weeks using WhatsApp.
In this article, we presented the case of an affiliate that made more than $8,000 in 16 days using WhatsApp — and this was in India, which has proven to be an extremely profitable market.
Is WhatsApp a great traffic source for you? There’s only one way to find out!
