WhatsApp and Email Marketing With AI for Small Businesses

For many Indian small businesses, WhatsApp is the main sales channel. Customers ask prices, place orders and send payment screenshots there. Email still matters for some businesses, especially B2B. AI can help you write messages that are short, useful and welcome, instead of the forwards everyone ignores.

Set up WhatsApp Business properly

The free WhatsApp Business app has features many owners never use. Ask the AI to walk you through each one, but confirm in the app, since menus change:

Business profile: address, hours, website, description
Catalogue: products with photos and prices (use lesson 3 for the text)
Greeting message: sent automatically to new chats
Away message: for when you are closed
Quick replies: saved answers for common questions, typed with a shortcut like /price
Labels: organise chats as New order, Pending payment, Delivered

Write your standard messages once

I run [BUSINESS]. Write WhatsApp Business messages, each under 50 words,
friendly, in [English/Hinglish]:
1. Greeting message for new chats, with our hours and a link to our catalogue
2. Away message
3. Quick replies for: price list, delivery areas and charges, payment
   options, order confirmation, order dispatched, thank you after delivery
Use our details: [hours, areas, charges, payment options].

Check every detail, then save them as quick replies. You will save time on every chat.

Messages customers welcome

The rule for promotional messages: useful, short, occasional, permission-based.

Write a WhatsApp broadcast message announcing [new product / festival
offer / restock] to customers who have bought from us before.
Under 60 words. One clear benefit, the price or offer, the end date and
how to order. Include a line: "Reply STOP if you don't want these updates."

Good reasons to message:

A new product or restock that regular customers asked for
A genuine festival offer
Order updates and helpful reminders (for example, "your monthly order is due")

Poor reasons: daily "good morning" forwards, the same offer every week, or messages to people who never bought or asked.

WhatsApp broadcast lists only reach people who have saved your number in their phone. That is a built-in form of permission. Respect it, and remove people who ask.
Sending too many unwanted messages can get your number reported and restricted by WhatsApp.
Commercial SMS in India is regulated by TRAI and requires registration (DLT) through your telecom provider. Do not send promotional SMS from a personal number.
For email newsletters, only email people who signed up, and always include an unsubscribe link. Email marketing services handle this for you.

Emails that get opened

Write a monthly email newsletter for our customers. Brief: [paste].
Include: a subject line under 45 characters (give 5 options), one useful
tip related to our products, one product highlight, one customer story
[details], and one call to action. Under 200 words. Friendly, not salesy.

Test two subject lines on small groups if your email tool allows it, and keep the one that gets more opens.

Handling enquiries faster

Paste a customer's question (without their number) and ask for a reply:

A customer asked: "[question]". Our details: [facts]. Write a short,
friendly WhatsApp reply that answers clearly and moves them towards
ordering. Under 50 words.

Over time, the best replies become new quick replies.

Practice task

Set up or update your WhatsApp Business profile, greeting, away message and at least five quick replies using AI drafts. Write one broadcast message for a genuine reason this month and send it only to customers who have bought before.

Key takeaways

Use WhatsApp Business features: profile, catalogue, greeting, quick replies and labels.
Promotional messages should be useful, short, occasional and permission-based.
Respect consent rules: broadcast lists, opt-outs, DLT for SMS, unsubscribe links in email.
Turn your best AI-drafted replies into quick replies.