How to Create Ads That Click to WhatsApp- Make Every Click Count

The chase for effective customer engagement strategies lags behind traditional digital marketing and has not delivered the real-time personalization relationships consumers expect today. Now imagine if ad clicks were real dialogue - not just footfall - instead of ad clicks. This is what Click to WhatsApp ads promise: Turning ad impressions into one-on-one conversations that build trust, answer questions instantly and accelerate conversions.

Such is the promise of Click to WhatsApp ads - a dynamic and increasingly important tool that turns your advertising on Facebook and Instagram into direct channels for personal communication via WhatsApp. This is about more than getting more clicks; this is about building relationships. It's about making real connections, offering real-time solutions and converting conversions with an efficiency that traditional advertising cann't match.

This is a comprehensive guide to Click to WhatsApp ads - the benefits, the setup process - and advanced strategies to get the most out of your investment. Unlock a new level of customer engagement & improve your marketing.

Bid Amount:This represents the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a specific action, such as a click (CPC), impression (CPM), or conversion, aligning with your chosen campaign objective. A higher bid can increase the likelihood of your ad being shown to your target audience.

Budget & Budget Type:now, select the budget type. You can choose either Daily Budget or Lifetime Budget. In this case, I selected the Daily Budget.

Optimization Goal:Determine what action you want Meta to optimize for:

Conversations:Focuses on driving users to initiate a chat on WhatsApp, aiming for meaningful interactions.
Impressions:Prioritizes maximizing the number of times your ad is shown to users, ideal for brand awareness.

Select Page for Ad Campaign:Choose the Facebook page where you want to run the ad.
Important Note:So your WhatsApp Cloud API number must be linked with your chosen Facebook page for Click to WhatsApp ads to work. With this linkMeta can send ad clicks to a designated WhatsApp chat thread. Without that connection, users may experience errors or be wrongly redirected which will slow down ad performance and prevent accurate tracking and optimization within Meta Ads Manager.

Start Time - End Time:Set the precise start date and time for your ad to go live, and an end date and time for the campaign to conclude.

Status:Ensure the ad set status is set to 'Active'.

Target Audience Settings:This section allows you to define who sees your ad, ensuring your message reaches the most relevant audience.

Target Country Type:Select'Country'to target a single nation.Choose'Group of Countries'to target multiple countries. After selecting the type, a box will appear for you to select your preferred countries or groups of countries.

Tags (Optional):Tags are customizable labels you can apply to your ad campaigns, ad sets, or individual ads. They are valuable for:

Organization: Easily filtering and searching for specific campaigns within Ads Manager.
Tracking: Categorizing campaigns by product, marketing objective, funnel stage, or the team responsible.
Reporting & Management: Streamlining reporting and facilitating bulk editing operations.

Audience (Optional -Custom Audience): Your Custom Audience consists of people who have viewed your business before. That includes website visitors, app users, customer lists or anyone who saw your Facebook or Instagram content. With a Custom Audience you can:
Retarget: Show ads to existing customers and warm leads.

Exclude: You can block ads from appearing to certain groups - like existing customers for a new customer acquisition campaign for example. Optional but powerful - Custom Audiences. Click Next.

Step 3: Create Ad Creative

The Ad Creative page is where you design the visual and textual elements of your ad, shaping how it appears to your target audience.



Ad Header:Provide a compelling header for your ad. This is often the first text users see, so make it attention-grabbing and relevant.

Primary Text Message:Craft the main body of your ad copy. This should clearly convey your message, highlight benefits, and encourage action.Ad

Description:Add a concise description that provides further context or details about your offer.Upload Image:Select an engaging and high-quality image that will visually represent your ad. The image is a critical component in capturing user attention.

Welcome Message Type:This setting determines the initial experience users have when they click your ad and open the WhatsApp chat.Welcome with

Autofill Message:This option gives a pre-set text message greeting to users. You can also add an optional CTA URL button below this message to take users to another webpage.

Welcome with Ice Breaker:Activating this means "icebreaker" messages or questions appear in the chat window. They start a conversation and take users through a predetermined bot flow. You can use four different icebreaker messages/questions.

Configuring the Icebreaker in WhatsApp Business Manager & Bot Flow

Suppose you enable the ice breaker option for responding to a customer after they click the ad. Meta controls WhatsApp's default icebreaker automation presenting quick question buttons to users. This must be enabled in your WhatsApp Business Manager.

Access WhatsApp Manager:From your BotSailor dashboard, go to 'Connect Account' in the WhatsApp section. Scroll down to find your business account ID and click 'Manage'. This will take you to your WhatsApp Business Manager page.

Navigate to Phone Numbers:On the left-side menu, scroll to the middle and click 'Phone Numbers'.

Access Settings:On the Phone Numbers page, click the 'settings' icon next to your WhatsApp number.

Configure Automations:From the top bar, click 'Automations'. Here you will find the option for 'Icebreakers'.

Edit Icebreakers:Click 'Edit' and add your icebreaker messages or questions as per your need. You can set up a maximum of four icebreaker options.

Add Ice Breaker Questions, as per your need. Click 'Save' and exit the WhatsApp Business Manager page. Your initial icebreaker setup from WhatsApp Business Manager is now complete.

Creating Bot Flows for Icebreaker Questions in BotSailor

Create corresponding bot flows in BotSailor for each icebreaker question to make them interactive.

Define Keywords:For each icebreaker question you set in WhatsApp Business Manager, create a new bot flow in BotSailor.

Set as Exact Match:Use the icebreaker question as the keyword for your bot flow - exact match! And then every time that customer clicks that icebreaker the bot flow will start.

Design Your Flow:The rest of the bot flow should follow your preferred conversational path. And that includes any replies the bot makes to your questions, any subsequent questions that you want the bot to take (like provide information or gather data, or call a live agent). You control what goes into your bot flows and how it progresses.

Testing Your Bot Flow

Before you publish your ad, test your bot flow to make sure everything works ok. Start a test conversation by clicking your ad preview or by messaging your WhatsApp number. Confirm the icebreakers appear in the chat window and the bot flow that follows is set up correctly upon user interaction.

Step 4: Create Ad & Publish

Let’s start off where we left. This is the final step to finalize and publish your ad.

Status:Set the ad status to 'Active'.

Click 'Next', then 'Finish'.Your ad campaign is now set up!

Ad Campaign Monitoring and Management

With your icebreaker set up and your ad campaign configured, your ad will run on the specified day and time. Track its performance & control your campaign on the BotSailor dashboard.

Ad Preview:From the ad details page, you can view your ad preview across various placements:

Mobile Feed Standard
Desktop Feed Standard
Instagram Standard
Right Column Standard

Ad Report Sync:You can sync your ad reports to view comprehensive performance data.

Performance Metrics:Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess your ad's effectiveness, including:

• Clicks: The number of times users clicked on your ad.

• Impressions: The total number of times your ad was displayed.

• Campaign Management: You retain full control to edit or delete your ad campaign as needed, allowing for ongoing optimization.

• Spend: The total amount of money spent on the campaign.

• Reach: The number of unique users who saw your ad.

• CPM (Cost Per Mille/Thousand Impressions): The cost of 1,000 ad impressions.

• CPC (Cost Per Click): The average cost you pay for each click on your ad.

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of people who saw your ad and clicked on it.

Learn about BotSailor's Appointment Booking System.Read all social posting related articles.

To learn How to Run Click to WhatsApp Ads & Create Meta Ads with Replies, refer to this video tutorial below-

FAQs

What are Click to WhatsApp ads?
Click to WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads with a call-to-action button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business when clicked.

Where do Click to WhatsApp ads appear?
These ads can appear on Facebook and Instagram, including News Feed, Stories, and Marketplace.

How do Click to WhatsApp ads benefit my business?
They enable direct, real-time communication with potential customers, helping boost engagement, answer queries instantly, and improve conversion rates.

Do I need a WhatsApp Business account to run these ads?
Yes, you need a verifiedWhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API)number connected to your Facebook page.

Can I run Click to WhatsApp ads without a website?
Yes, these ads are designed to drive conversations directly in WhatsApp, so a website is not required.

How are Click to WhatsApp ads charged?
You’re charged based on ad impressions or clicks (depending on your optimization goal), not per WhatsApp conversation.

What’s the difference between user-initiated and business-initiated conversations?
User-initiated: When a user starts the chat by clicking your ad.
Business-initiated: When your business sends the first message outside the 24-hour window.

Can I use rich media in the WhatsApp conversation?
Yes, you can share images, videos, files, and links in the chat to enrich the user experience.

What are Ice Breaker questions on WhatsApp?
They are quick, tappable FAQs shown at the start of a conversation to help users express their intent, making it easier to qualify leads.

How do I set up a Click to WhatsApp ad in BotSailor?
Use BotSailor’s “Click Ads” feature in the WhatsApp menu. It guides you through campaign creation, targeting, creatives, and chatbot setup.

Can I integrate a chatbot with Click to WhatsApp ads?
Yes, you can use a bot flow to automatically respond when users click your ad and start chatting, streamlining lead capture or customer support.

What kind of businesses should use Click to WhatsApp ads?
All types — from eCommerce and services to local stores and B2B — especially those that benefit from real-time customer interaction.

Can I track ad performance?
Yes. Meta provides analytics like reach, clicks, engagement, and conversions. You can also use Facebook Pixel, Conversions API, or Offline Events.

Is there a minimum budget for running these ads?
There's no strict minimum, but a competitive daily or lifetime budget is recommended to achieve meaningful results based on your bid strategy.

Are Click to WhatsApp ads available globally?
Yes, but your WhatsApp Business number must be available to receive messages in the regions you target, and Meta's ad policies must be followed.