Gone are the days when a good ad needed to convince the customer to click, open a website, fill out a form and only then wait for a salesperson to contact them. Today, it only takes two taps on the screen to start negotiating, literally.
With the rise of ads featuring the “Click to WhatsApp” button, or simply “Click to WhatsApp”, the most used messaging channel in Brazil has become a direct bridge between desire and purchase. Instead of redirecting the consumer to a page full of forms, clicking on a campaign on Instagram or Facebook already starts a direct conversation with the brand on WhatsApp. It’s fast, simple and highly effective.
“Companies of all sizes are discovering a new shortcut to connect with their consumers, shortening the purchasing journey and transforming the green messenger into the new sales counter of the Brazilian internet. It’s like opening the store door with a click. The customer is there, calling you. It’s up to you to know how to serve them,” summarizes Alberto Filho, CEO of Poli Digital, a company from Goiás that specializes in automating service channels for SMEs.
Here’s how it works: when users see an ad on Instagram or Facebook, they click on it and, instead of being taken to a traditional landing page, they are taken directly to a WhatsApp conversation with the brand. And the impact is real. According to Opinion Box, three out of ten Brazilians expect a response on WhatsApp within five minutes. HubSpot goes even further: responding to a lead within five minutes can increase the chances of conversion by up to 5 times.
“This simplicity completely transforms the consumer journey. You eliminate friction, humanize the experience and speed up the sale closing,” summarizes Alberto Filho.
In practice, the impact is measurable. During the pandemic, Espaçolaser implemented Click to WhatsApp ads and, in three months, recorded a 396% increase in conversion via WhatsApp and a 137% increase in revenue on the channel. The Reserva brand reported a significant improvement in ROI by integrating personalized messages, although the exact percentage was not publicly disclosed.
However, to handle the high volume of interactions that come in the wake of this type of campaign, more than just willpower is needed: “Automation, integrated catalogs, payment links, and re-engagement tools are essential to ensure fluidity in service and continuity in the journey,” explains Filho. “WhatsApp allows you to do pre-sales, sales, and post-sales, all on the same channel.” However, it is important to highlight that these automations, CRM, payment systems, and the use of Meta’s Conversions API are only possible through a specialized platform, such as Poli, which operates via the Official WhatsApp API provided by Meta to BSPs (authorized partners).
Furthermore, with Meta’s Conversion API, already integrated into Poli’s platform, it is possible to connect what happens on WhatsApp with Facebook’s ad dashboard. In other words: if the sale happens after the click, the system identifies it, sends the information to Meta and optimizes campaigns based on real results, including offline. This advanced integration can only be achieved thanks to the use of the Official WhatsApp API, made available exclusively to authorized partners like Poli.
“What was once just a messaging app has become a sales, customer service, CRM and after-sales channel. With opening rates much higher than those of email and SMS, WhatsApp has established itself as the preferred channel for Brazilian consumers, and the most efficient for those who want to sell more,” says the CEO of Poli Digital. He also emphasizes that all this efficiency and automation are only possible thanks to the use of the Official WhatsApp API, which allows complete and secure integration via specialized platforms such as Poli.
For Alberto Filho, the secret lies in the strategy: “It’s not just about putting a button. You need to understand how this channel integrates into the entire journey. Test, measure, adjust. And, above all, be present where the customer already is.” He reinforces: “Because, at the end of the day, selling today is about this: responding quickly, speaking correctly and being available at the right time, with just one click.”
