The time has passed when a good ad needed to convince the customer to click, open a website, fill out a form, and then wait for a salesperson’s contact. Today, just two taps on the screen are enough to start negotiating, literally.
With the rise of ads with the ‘Click to WhatsApp’ button, or simply ‘Click to WhatsApp,’ the most used messaging channel in Brazil has turned 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 already 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 turning the green messenger into the new sales counter of Brazilian internet. It’s like opening the store door with one 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 Goiás-based company specialized in automating customer service channels for SMEs.
It works like this: when seeing an ad on Instagram or Facebook, the user clicks and instead of being taken to a traditional landing page, is directly led to a conversation on WhatsApp with the brand. And the impact is real. According to Opinion Box, three in ten Brazilians expect a response on WhatsApp within five minutes. HubSpot goes further: responding to a lead within 5 minutes can increase conversion rates by up to 21 times.
“This simplicity completely transforms the consumer’s journey. You eliminate friction, humanize the experience, and speed up the sales 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 WhatsApp conversion and a 137% increase in revenue through the channel. 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 with this type of campaign, more than just willingness is required: “Automation, integrated catalogs, payment links, and reengagement tools are essential to ensure smooth customer service and continuity in the journey,” explains Filho. “WhatsApp allows you to do pre-sale, sale, and after-sales, all in the same channel.” It is important to note that these automations, CRM, payment systems, and the use of Meta’s Conversations API are only possible through a specialized platform like Poli, which operates via the Official WhatsApp API provided by Meta to BSPs (authorized partners).
Additionally, with Meta’s Conversations API already integrated into Poli’s platform, it is possible to connect what happens on WhatsApp with Facebook’s ad panel. In other words: if the sale happens after clicking, the system identifies it, sends the information to Meta, and optimizes campaigns based on real results, even offline. This advanced integration can only be done thanks to the use of the Official WhatsApp API, exclusively provided to authorized partners like Poli.
“What used to be just a messaging app has become a sales channel, customer service, CRM, and post-sale. With much higher opening rates than 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. And 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 like Poli.
For Alberto Filho, the secret lies in the strategy: “It’s not just about putting a button. It is necessary to understand how this channel integrates into the entire journey. Test, measure, adjust. And above all, be present where the customer already is.” He emphasizes: “Because, ultimately, selling today is about this: responding quickly, speaking correctly, and being available at the right moment, with just one click.”
