WhatsApp Marketing

Overview

Once your WhatsApp channel has been set up by the onboarding team, the next step is to get the right contacts opted in.

The usual order is:

Upload your customer list
Invite contacts to join the WhatsApp channel
Use the public join page for customers where you do not already have contact phone numbers

In ProConnect, customers are the business accounts you sell to. For most wholesalers, that means retailers, stores, or other trade customers.

Contacts are the people using WhatsApp on behalf of those customers. A contact is usually identified by their WhatsApp phone number and can be linked to a customer by customer number.

1. Upload customers

Start by uploading your customer list. This gives ProConnect the customer numbers that contacts can be linked to when they join the channel.

Customer numbers are also called customer references in ProConnect. They are usually the same customer number from your ERP, CRM, accounts system, or B2B Store.

The customer CSV uses:

REFERENCE: required customer reference or customer number
NAME: optional customer name, useful for identifying accounts in the admin panel
Any extra columns: optional customer attributes for segmentation

Customer references are not case-sensitive. If your onboarding team has configured a specific customer-number format, use that format.

Extra columns are saved against each customer and can be used later for segmentation. For example, you might upload a region, depot, price band, or store type. Segmentation is an advanced feature, so you do not need to define every segment before you start onboarding contacts.

2. Invite contacts

After customers are uploaded, invite contacts to the WhatsApp channel.

The quickest route is usually a bulk invite. This works best when you already have WhatsApp-capable phone numbers in your CRM, ERP, SMS list, email marketing platform, or another existing contact source.

The bulk invite CSV includes:

REFERENCE: the customer reference or customer number
PHONE: the contact's WhatsApp phone number

Each upload can include up to 250 contacts.

When you upload the file, ProConnect:

Creates or updates the contact
Links the contact to the matching customer reference where possible
Sends the configured WhatsApp invite template
Records the invite in the invite log

The invite log shows delivery, read, opt-in, opt-out, and customer-matching outcomes.

You can also send a single invite from the same area of the admin panel. Single invites are useful for ad hoc onboarding, but bulk invites are normally the best starting point.

The invite template is configured by your onboarding manager and can be adjusted to your requirements.

The standard template asks the contact to confirm whether they want to receive WhatsApp marketing messages. The usual buttons are:

YES, I’D LIKE TO OPT-IN
No Thanks, Stop

This invite is a consent request. The contact will not receive future WhatsApp marketing messages unless they choose the positive opt-in option.

If they opt in, they are added to the channel and receive a confirmation response. If they do nothing, they do not receive further marketing messages. If they choose the negative option, their opt-out is recorded.

Meta also requires businesses to follow WhatsApp opt-in requirements and respect opt-outs. See Meta's WhatsApp opt-in guidance for the platform policy background.

If you already hold explicit WhatsApp marketing consent, contact support; we can help onboard those contacts when the consent meets Meta policy, though the standard invite flow is preferred.

3. Use the join page

Some customers will not have a known WhatsApp phone number, or you may not know the right contact for every account. For those customers, use the public join page.

The join page is a self-invite route. A customer opens the page, enters their customer number if required, enters their WhatsApp phone number, and receives the same WhatsApp invite flow as a direct invite.

Your onboarding manager normally configures the join page URL. It is usually a stable /join/... link based on your channel name or campaign name.

You can share the join page link in:

Customer emails
Website pages
Email footers
Statements and account communications
Printed flyers
Trade counters and in-store displays
QR codes

The admin panel can show the join page link and QR code so it can be copied, shared, downloaded, or printed.

When promoting the join page, explain why customers should join. For example, you might promote exclusive offers, quicker deal updates, new product alerts, order reminders, or a preferred replacement for SMS or email marketing.

Recommended approach

For most wholesalers, the recommended setup is a customer-only channel.

That means contacts join with a customer number and are linked to the customer account they represent. This gives you better reporting, cleaner segmentation, and more useful context for future two-way messaging, enquiries, automations, and AI-assisted conversations.

Open or semi-open channels are possible, but they should be agreed during onboarding. If you are unsure, keep the channel restricted to known customers.

Best practices

Upload customers before inviting contacts.
Use customer references consistently across customer imports, bulk invites, and join-page instructions.
Use bulk invites when you already have phone numbers.
Use the join page and QR code when you do not have phone numbers.
Tell customers why joining the WhatsApp channel is useful.
Keep customer numbers attached wherever possible so segmentation and future messaging work well.