Gone are the days when a good advertisement 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, just two taps on the screen are enough to start negotiating, literally.
With the rise of ads featuring the "Click to WhatsApp" button, Brazil's most used messaging channel has transformed into a direct bridge between desire and purchase. Instead of redirecting the consumer to a page full of forms, clicking on an Instagram or Facebook campaign initiates 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 buying 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 answer,” summarizes Alberto Filho, CEO of Poli Digital, a company from Goiás specializing in the automation of customer service channels for SMEs.
Here's how it works: when a user sees an ad on Instagram or Facebook, they click and, instead of being taken to a traditional landing page, are led 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 5 minutes can increase the chances of conversion by up to 21 times.
“This simplicity completely transforms the consumer journey. You eliminate friction, humanize the experience, and accelerate the closing of the sale,” summarizes Alberto Filho.
In practice, the impact is measurable. During the pandemic, Espaçolaser implemented Click to WhatsApp ads and, within three months, recorded a 396% increase in conversions via WhatsApp and a 137% increase in revenue from the channel. The Reserva brand also reported a significant improvement in ROI by integrating personalized messages, although the exact percentage was not publicly disclosed.
But to handle the high volume of interactions that come with this type of campaign, more than just willpower is needed: “Automation, integrated catalogs, payment links, and re-engagement tools are fundamental to ensuring smooth customer service and continuity in the journey,” explains Filho. “WhatsApp allows you to do pre-sales, sales, and post-sales, all in 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 the Meta Conversions API, already integrated into the Poli platform, it's possible to connect what happens on WhatsApp with the Facebook ads panel. In other words: if a sale occurs after a click, the system identifies it, sends the information to Meta, and optimizes campaigns based on real results, including offline data. This advanced integration is only possible thanks to the use of the official WhatsApp API, available exclusively to authorized partners like Poli.
“What was once just a messaging app has become a sales channel, customer service hub, CRM, and after-sales service. With open rates far exceeding 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 emphasizes that all this efficiency and automation are only possible thanks to the use of the official WhatsApp API, which allows for complete and secure integration via specialized platforms like Poli.
For Alberto Filho, the secret lies in the strategy: “It’s not just about putting a button. You need to understand how that channel integrates into the entire journey. Test, measure, adjust. And, above all, be present where the customer already is.” He reinforces: “Because, in the end, selling today is about this: responding quickly, speaking correctly, and being available at the exact moment, with just one click.”
