WhatsApp Marketing Playbook for All Festive & Special Occasions

Festivals and special occasions are more than just celebrations; they are a prime time for businesses to connect with their audience and drive sales. Leveraging WhatsApp during these periods enables businesses to engage directly with their customers in a personal and effective manner. From personalized greetings to exclusive festive offers, WhatsApp can be your go-to platform to stay top-of-mind during these high-traffic times.

Upcoming Major Festivals Around the World in 2024

Here is the list of major festivals from September to December 2024

Month	Festival	Date	Countries/Regions	Spending Categories
September	Mid-Autumn Festival	September 29, 2024	China, Vietnam, Taiwan	Mooncakes, lanterns, family gatherings, gifts
October	Diwali	October 31, 2024	India, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, global Hindu communities	Sweets, gifts, home decor, clothing, gold, electronics, fireworks
	Halloween	October 31, 2024	USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, parts of Europe	Costumes, candy, decorations, themed events
November	Thanksgiving	November 28, 2024	USA, Canada (October in Canada)	Food, travel, Black Friday sales, gifts
	Black Friday	November 29, 2024	Global	Electronics, fashion, home appliances, general retail sales
	Cyber Monday	December 2, 2024	Global	Online shopping, tech, fashion, digital goods
December	Hanukkah	December 25 – January 2, 2025	Jewish communities worldwide	Gifts, candles, decorations, food
	Christmas	December 25, 2024	Global	Gifts, decor, travel, food, entertainment
	Boxing Day	December 26, 2024	UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand	Retail sales, electronics, fashion, home items
	New Year’s Eve	December 31, 2024	Global	Parties, travel, food, drinks, fireworks

---

5 Reasons Why Businesses Should Focus on Festive and Special Occasions

Festive and special occasions offer unique opportunities for businesses to drive sales and strengthen customer relationships. Here are five key reasons why:

1. Increased Consumer Spending
   Festivals are peak spending times, with customers more willing to make purchases. By offering festive promotions and limited-time deals, businesses can capitalize on the surge in buying activity.
   
2. Emotional Engagement
   Festivals are tied to emotions and traditions, making customers more receptive to marketing that resonates with the festive spirit. Personalized greetings and offers during these times can strengthen customer loyalty.
   
3. Reconnecting with Existing Customers
   It’s easier and more cost-effective to sell to current customers. Sending festive WhatsApp messages, exclusive deals, or early access offers to your existing customer base can boost conversions and retention.
   
4. Creating Urgency
   Festive sales naturally create urgency, prompting customers to make quicker purchasing decisions. Limited-time offers or flash sales can drive faster conversions.
   
5. Boosting Brand Visibility
   Festive campaigns increase brand exposure and engagement. By aligning your business with seasonal themes, you can stay top-of-mind with customers and stand out from competitors during the holiday season.

---

Why Selling to Existing Customers is Easier

When the festive season approaches, many businesses scramble to acquire new customers. However, selling to your existing customers is not only easier but also far more effective. Here’s why:

1. Established Trust:
Your current customers have already purchased from you, meaning they trust your brand and know what to expect. This makes it significantly easier to convert them, especially when they are presented with relevant festive offers.

2. Reduced Marketing Spend:
Reaching new customers can be costly—think paid ads, lead generation tools, and lengthy sales cycles. However, marketing to existing customers, who are already familiar with your offerings, can be as simple as sending a personalized WhatsApp message. This reduces the cost per acquisition and maximizes ROI.

3. Higher Conversion Rates:
With existing customers, you eliminate the need to introduce your product or prove your credibility. They are already familiar with your offerings, meaning that personalized, festive WhatsApp messages have a higher chance of converting into sales.

4. Customer Loyalty:
Festivals are a time of goodwill, and reaching out to your existing customers with exclusive festive offers can enhance their loyalty. Rewarding your current customers with early access or special deals makes them feel appreciated and increases the chances of repeat business.

---

Why WhatsApp is More Relevant than Email & SMS

WhatsApp has rapidly become the preferred communication channel for businesses, surpassing traditional channels like email and SMS for several reasons:

1. Higher Engagement Rates:
WhatsApp boasts a 98% open rate and a much higher engagement rate than email and SMS. Customers are more likely to read and interact with WhatsApp messages, especially during festive seasons when inboxes are cluttered with promotional emails.

2. Instant & Direct Communication:
WhatsApp messages are delivered in real-time and are more likely to be read instantly compared to emails that can get buried under the pile. This immediacy makes WhatsApp perfect for time-sensitive festive campaigns, flash sales, and one-time offers.

3. Rich Multimedia Content:
WhatsApp supports a wide variety of media formats, including images, videos, voice messages, and PDFs. This allows businesses to send more engaging and visually appealing festive messages, unlike the text-heavy format of email and SMS.

4. Personalization:
WhatsApp allows you to send personalized messages, addressing your customers by name, sending birthday or anniversary greetings, and offering deals tailored to their past purchases. Personalized WhatsApp messages create stronger emotional connections compared to generic email or SMS campaigns.

---

Prepare and Segment Your Customer Base for Festive Campaigns

Preparing your customer base for a successful festive campaign is crucial for targeting the right audience and maximising engagement. Here’s how you can gather and segment your customer data from various sources:

1. CRM Data Export: Export the last 2-3 years of customer data from your CRM, focusing on those who have made purchases.
   
2. Excel/Google Sheets: Sort leads in your sheets by customer status, purchase frequency, or amount spent.
   
3. Payment Gateways: Export customer data from platforms like Razorpay, Paytm, PayPal, or Stripe, based on transaction history.
   
4. POS/Billing Software: Extract customer data, especially mobile numbers, from systems like Zoho Books, Tally ERP, or QuickBooks.
   
5. Facebook Lead Forms: Export leads from past Facebook campaigns for festive targeting.
   
6. Phone/WhatsApp Contacts: Export contacts from your phone or WhatsApp to Google Contacts, then into an Excel sheet.
   
7. Trade Shows: Digitize visiting cards from trade shows into a spreadsheet for targeting.
   
8. Cloud Telephony/IPBX: Export call logs from the past 2-3 years for follow-up and re-engagement.

---

Best Practices for Creating Effective WhatsApp Festive Marketing Content

1. Keep it Short and Clear: Ensure messages are concise, with the offer and CTA presented upfront. Avoid long paragraphs.
   
2. Personalize the Message: Address customers by name and tailor content based on their past interactions for better engagement.
   
3. Create Urgency: Use time-sensitive phrases like “Limited Time Offer” to prompt quick action.
   
4. Include Clear CTA Buttons: Make sure your call-to-action buttons are simple and actionable, such as “Shop Now” or “Claim Offer.”
   
5. Use Festive Themes: Incorporate festive greetings, emojis, and visuals to emotionally connect with your audience.

---

Consider WhatsApp Interactive Templates that Makes Your Offers Stand Out

WhatsApp Business API allows you to send interactive templates that can significantly improve engagement rates. Interactive templates come with buttons that allow customers to take immediate action, such as claiming a coupon, visiting your website, or chatting with customer support.

These interactive templates include:

• Call-to-Action Buttons: Make it easy for customers to respond instantly.
• Quick Replies: Allow customers to engage quickly with predefined options.
• Coupons & Discounts: Offer special festive deals that can be redeemed immediately.

Interactive templates ensure that your festive promotions stand out and give your customers a direct path to engagement and conversion.

---

Create Meta Ads with Click to WhatsApp (CTWA) Ads

If you’re planning paid promotions on Meta platforms, using Click to WhatsApp Ads (CTWA) is a smart strategy. With CTWA, you can showcase your products, services, or special offers, and the Call to Action directs users to start a conversation on WhatsApp instantly.

Key Advantages:

• Direct Engagement: Instantly engage potential customers through WhatsApp, driving conversations directly from the ad.
• No Extra Conversation Charges: For 72 hours, any conversation initiated by a customer through a CTWA ad is free of additional WhatsApp messaging charges. This means you only pay for the ad’s reach, not the conversations.
• Higher Conversion Rates: WhatsApp provides a personal touch, allowing businesses to build relationships quickly and close sales faster.

This approach helps reduce costs while maximizing customer interaction and engagement on a more direct, personal level.

---

All Set – Get Started with Picky Assist Broadcaster

Picky Assist Broadcaster is a game-changer for sending mass WhatsApp messages to your customers at the right time. With over 6 years of experience in WhatsApp campaigns and global brand collaborations, you can rely on us to deliver results.

Steps to Get Started

1. Login and Create WhatsApp Templates:
   
   • Sign in to your Picky Assist account.
   • Go to “Channels” and create WhatsApp templates for your festive promotions.
   • Once approved, proceed to the next step.
     
2. Engage Customers with Chatbots:
   
   • Navigate to the Flow Builder and create a chatbot using the approved template to engage customers in conversations.
   • Head to Broadcaster V2, create a new campaign, select your contact list or upload an Excel sheet, and map dynamic variables (e.g., name, offer details).
   • Select the Opt-out list which you need to consider not to send the messages
   • Send or schedule the campaign for later.
     
3. Broadcast Without Chatbot Engagement:
   
   • If you prefer to send a message without using a chatbot, go directly to Broadcaster V2, create a campaign, select the contact list, and send the approved template message or schedule it. Don’t forget to select the opt-out list which you need to consider the system should not send messages.
     
4. Configure Quick Reply Buttons:
   
   • If your WhatsApp template includes quick reply buttons, but you haven’t configured actions, use Picky Assist Smart Replies.
   • Add button text as “Question Variations” and input responses within Smart Replies.
   • To trigger further actions, choose from Smart Actions for seamless follow-up.

---

Leverage Picky Assist Unique Broadcaster Capabilities to Stand Out from the Competition

Picky Assist Broadcaster offers advanced features to help businesses maximize their WhatsApp marketing efforts and stand out:

1. Set Auto Follow-Up Actions:
   Automate follow-up messages using WhatsApp templates if a contact doesn’t engage with your campaign within a set number of hours or days. This ensures you can re-engage customers and get the best ROI from your campaigns.
2. Dynamic Timezone-Based Delivery:
   Use dynamic timezone delivery when your contacts are managed in Picky Assist CRM with timezone data. This ensures that your messages are sent at the optimal time for each customer, no matter where they are in the world.
3. Track URL & Button Clicks:
   Enable URL and button tracking to monitor who is clicking on links or buttons within your WhatsApp messages. Use this data to retarget interested customers with additional offers, increasing engagement and conversion.

If you are new customers then Create a Free Account to get started or Schedule a Meeting with our solution team