You are probably wondering if your customers still care about your long emails, or if you should just switch to running WhatsApp campaigns. In this blog, we aim to settle the WhatsApp vs email marketing debate with practical reasoning and data.
Throughout this blog, we will,
- Examine the WhatsApp vs email marketing pros and cons
- Dive deep into comparing campaigns with WhatsApp and email marketing
- Create a decision framework for choosing between WhatsApp and email for product promotions
By the end of this blog, you will learn how channel choice impacts ROI and engagement. Following that, you will be able to choose the right platform for your marketing campaign.
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What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is sending targeted messages directly to your customers’ inboxes in order to promote your products or engage with your customers.
Since the direct messaging in customer communication has taken center stage, e-commerce email marketing has been solid and undefeated.
Currently, it’s a $7.5 billion industry. Hence, scalability is email’s biggest advantage.
You can send thousands of messages with one click. Irrespective of whether you have 100 email subscribers or 10,000, it’s equally easy to reach.
Email personalization strategies have also played a role in making your messages feel personal and drive better results.
Emails are specifically used in campaigns like Welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned cart recovery emails, Seasonal promotions, etc.
However, email marketing challenges are real.
There are spam filters that block even legitimate emails. As a result, open rates are affected.
Subsequently, there is the rise of other more convenient communication channels like WhatsApp or SMS marketing that make customer communication easy.
Thus, this has sparked the need for an email Vs WhatsApp marketing comparison.
Let’s understand marketing using WhatsApp more.
What is WhatsApp Marketing?
WhatsApp marketing uses the most popular messaging app, WhatsApp, to reach customers for their promotional campaigns.
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp marketing for e-commerce is not only fast-growing but also fast result-driving.
The WhatsApp Business API allows you to send automated marketing messages, broadcasts, and integrate with any existing systems.
Moreover, WhatsApp is best when it comes to instant communication. In addition, customers can also ask questions and get immediate responses. Thus, it creates a more personal shopping experience.
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean email has lost all its charm. Let us dig deeper to understand both of these marketing platforms.
WhatsApp vs Email Marketing: A Strategic Feature Comparison
Let’s discuss the features of WhatsApp marketing vs. email marketing for an informed comparison.
1. Delivery Rates and Reachability
WhatsApp vs email marketing statistics reveal a very steep difference.
WhatsApp messages are delivered 9 out of 10 times, while emails struggle to come any closer to this number.
Some of the specific email deliverability issues include:
- Spam folder placement
- Bounced emails
- ISP blocking
WhatsApp messages land directly in your customer’s chat list. Therefore, you get easy and direct access.
2. Open and Response Rates
The WhatsApp open rate is 98%, resulting in 45-60% response rates.
However, email open rate usually stays between 20-25%. Thus, even their click-through rates die down below 3%.
This huge difference is because people check WhatsApp constantly throughout the day. However, email feels more formal and less urgent.
No one says anything urgent in emails anymore. Hence, users don’t mind letting the emails unopened for days together.
3. Personalization and Targeting
Honestly, both platforms excel at personalization, but in different ways.
Email personalization strategies include:
- Dynamic content based on purchase history
- Email list segmentation by demographics
- Behavioral triggers and automation
WhatsApp’s customer engagement strategy focuses on:
- One-on-one conversations
- Urgency-based offers
- Real-time support and recommendations
4. Automation and Scalability
Email marketing automation is solid, albeit sophisticated. Hence, you can create complex workflows to nurture leads over weeks or months.
WhatsApp automation tools are newer but have great potential. For example, with WhatsApp broadcast messages, you can reach many customers simultaneously.
Furthermore, WhatsApp marketing automation tools can support chatbots, quick replies, and scheduled messages.
5. Analytics and Performance Tracking
Email platforms offer detailed analytics dashboards. You can track email marketing KPIs like open rates, clicks, conversions, and revenue attribution.
WhatsApp analytics are more basic but improving. You can see message delivery, read receipts, and basic engagement metrics.
Either way, you will require third-party tools for comprehensive tracking for both email and WhatsApp marketing.
If you have not been able to make up your mind on WhatsApp Vs email marketing, then read further to know their pros and cons.
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Pros and Cons of WhatsApp Marketing Vs Email Marketing
Pros of WhatsApp Marketing
- Instant delivery as messages appear immediately in your customer’s chat list.
- 98% open rate, as everyone who receives your message will see it.
- Rich media support, as you can send images, videos, documents, and voice messages effortlessly.
- Conversational experience through two-way communication that feels natural and builds relationships.
- The impact of WhatsApp marketing on e-commerce sales is often immediate due to real-time engagement.
Cons of WhatsApp Marketing
WhatsApp marketing isn’t perfect. So, here are the drawbacks:
- Limited broadcast reach, as you can only broadcast to 256 contacts at once.
- Informal tone is mandatory, but this casual nature might not suit all business types.
- No native advertising, unlike email. Hence, there’s no built-in promotional format.
- WhatsApp marketing compliance rules are strict, and violating them can get your account banned.
Pros of Email Marketing
Email marketing has stood the test for the following reasons:
- Unlimited scalability and so you can send millions of emails without restrictions.
- Sophisticated automation that supports complex workflows and sequences.
- Cost-effective due to low cost per send, especially when you want to scale.
- Rich HTML support to create beautiful designs, layouts, and email newsletter design options.
- Email vs WhatsApp for customer retention strategies often favors email for long-term nurturing.
Cons of Email Marketing
Here are some email weaknesses:
- Low Engagement as open rates continue declining year over year.
- Spam filter challenges prevent your messages from reaching the inbox.
- Mobile unfriendly, as many email elements don’t load on smartphones or simply look poor.
- Declining trust, as people are skeptical of promotional emails. Specifically, many have started using emails for phishing attacks.
Related Reading: Discover the spam words to avoid in emails from our blog: Spam Words to Avoid in your emails.
Cost, Compliance, and Tools Comparison: WhatsApp Vs Email
When deciding between WhatsApp Vs email marketing, it’s important to evaluate the differences in cost, compliance requirements, and automation tools.
These differences, consequently, will impact your marketing strategies,
1. Platform Costs and Setup Overhead
Marketing with WhatsApp vs email costs vary a lot.
Firstly, email marketing automation is often low-cost or free to begin with.
Some email marketing software offers free tiers that include basic automation and list management features. Moreover, these plans typically support 500 – 1,000 contacts and a few thousand monthly sends.
By contrast, WhatsApp marketing via the Business API has higher entry barriers. Consequently, it requires business verification, integration, and approval from Meta.
Sometimes, your WhatsApp marketing cost might also be dampened by the number of conversations (Meta charges per conversation/session).
Additionally, features like automation, chatbots, and CRM integrations will cost more.
Subsequently, costs also vary based on template types, message volume, and geography.
Hence, if choosing between WhatsApp and email for product promotions depends on budget constraints, then email is the best choice.
2. Compliance with Data Privacy Laws
Ideally, both platforms must comply with GDPR, CCPA, PECR, and other privacy laws.
In addition, WhatsApp marketing compliance requirements include:
- Must obtain explicit opt-in from users before sending messages.
- Promotional messages must be sent within a 24-hour session window, unless using approved message templates.
- Every campaign must include clear opt-out options.
- Violations can result in message delivery restrictions or account bans by Meta.
Email marketing compliance and best practices are
- Use double opt-in for optimized lists and verified consent.
- Always include unsubscribe links in every message.
- Set up proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to avoid spam filters.
- Avoid deceptive subject lines and irrelevant content.
Email compliance only needs a few steps to adhere to. However, WhatsApp requires a deeper understanding of Meta’s Business Policy. Thus, it is more complex to manage legally.
Related Reading: Learn how to perform double opt-in from our blog: 7 Best Double Opt-in Email Examples + Best Practices.
3. Best Tools for Automation
The success of email and WhatsApp marketing depends on how good you are at running automated campaigns.
Hence, you must be able to scale without compromising personalization without constant manual effort.
Even though many marketing tools work well for emails and WhatsApp individually, it is only wise to choose an omnichannel marketing partner like Retainful. Thus, you can use the best features of different channels to drive your business forward.
Marketing with WhatsApp Vs Email: Which Works Best for You?
To choose whether marketing with WhatsApp is better than email is not a simple one-word answer.
The right approach would be to analyze and understand which platform is better for your campaign objective.
Use Cases by Funnel Stage
Email vs WhatsApp marketing serves best at different funnel stages
For example,
- Awareness Stage: Email newsletters build brand awareness over time.
- Engagement Stage: WhatsApp provides help with instant customer support and engagement.
- Conversion Stage: Emails can recover lost sales effectively. When it comes to abandoned carts, WhatsApp shows better conversion.
- Retention Stage: WhatsApp lets you form an emotional customer connection when it comes to customer support. However, for lead nurturing, emails are better.
Audience Segmentation by Channel Preference
You already know that not all customers prefer the same communication method.
Email list segmentation might favour:
- Older customers
- B2B customers
WhatsApp segmentation will favour:
- Younger audiences
- Mobile-first users
Email vs WhatsApp for customer retention strategies depends on your audience demographics and their preference.
Note: Email is the only form of direct customer communication in places where WhatsApp is not available.
Related Reading: Learn how to segment the audience based on behaviour from our blog What is Behavioral Segmentation?
When to Combine Both WhatsApp and Email
A hybrid approach often works best when you work at multiple touchpoints.
Email marketing campaign strategy for top-of-funnel awareness and WhatsApp for bottom-funnel conversions.
For example, here are some hybrid WhatsApp and email marketing strategies:
- Email onboarding sequences + WhatsApp order updates
- Email newsletters + WhatsApp flash sales
- Email product education + WhatsApp customer support
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Conclusion
WhatsApp vs email marketing isn’t a competition. You don’t have to choose one over the other. Instead, you can understand when each works best.
Firstly, understand your audience preferences. Then test both channels and measure results. Finally, you can decide which is best for your specific business.
Further Reading
- Email Marketing Funnel: How to Create + Examples
- AI Email Marketing: How to Boost Your Campaigns with AI
- Word of Mouth Marketing: Strategies that Work
- Difference Between Segmentation and Personalization
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a hybrid approach by using WhatsApp and email together can work best for most e-commerce stores. Hence, use email for awareness and nurturing, and WhatsApp for immediate engagement and conversions.
Fashion, food delivery, electronics, and local services are the industries that see the highest engagement using WhatsApp. Moreover, any business that wants mobile-first customers will perform well on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has a higher engagement rate (98% vs 20% open rates), but email offers better scalability. Therefore, choosing which is better depends on your goals and audience.
No, WhatsApp and emails serve different purposes in the customer journey. WhatsApp is good at real-time engagement, while email is best for long-form content.
With WhatsApp marketing, you can get up to 98% open rate. However, with email marketing, the average open rate is only 25%.
Firstly, collect feedback from your audience to decide if they like WhatsApp or email for marketing messages. Furthermore, you can analyze engagement metrics and test both channels.
Some platforms like Retainful and Klaviyo offer both WhatsApp and email marketing campaigns. Thus, you don’t need two separate tools.
Using WhatsApp for abandoned cart recovery drives 3 – 5x better conversion. Hence, they are better for cart recovery. However, email sequences work better for long-term nurturing.
Avoid sending the same promotional messages at the same time on WhatsApp and email. As it may result in fatigue. Therefore, span the messages 2-4 hours apart and use different content for each channel.
Run A/B tests with similar audiences to test which WhatsApp or email converts better for your products. Additionally, track conversion rates and ROI. Thus, you can find the higher-performing channel.
