Digital
WhatsApp Broadcast Campaigns vs. Click-to-WhatsApp Ads: Understanding the Crucial Differences and Choosing the Right Strategy
Mumbai: Rapid technological developments have changed the ways products and services are being marketed to the target audience. Digitalisation is far ahead of what was anticipated, and it has forged the need for businesses to rapidly adapt decisive marketing strategies to stay abreast of changing consumer preferences. As a result, adapting new marketing methods and constantly adjusting them to optimise them has become the norm for modern-day marketers.
In this context, WhatsApp broadcast campaigns and click-to-WhatsApp ads (CTWA) have emerged as two peculiar strategies. These strategies are gaining ground as India has over 487 million WhatsApp users, which makes it a leading country in the world, according to Statista. However, in order to pounce on this opportunity, marketers need a comprehensive strategy.
Often used as interchangeable terms, both WhatsApp broadcast campaigns and CTWA methods are distinct in terms of objectives, features, and purposes. Therefore, knowing the main differences will help marketers adapt the right strategies according to their requirements. Let us delve deep into the core differences and provide a guide to choosing the right strategy.
WhatsApp Broadcast campaigns
A WhatsApp broadcast campaign is intended to inform, engage, support, and update users about a brand’s products or services. It is a result-driven medium for customer-facing teams that can reach out to their TG in an efficient manner. WhatsApp campaigns are gradually gaining prominence over mass messaging and email campaigns. Despite being relatively new in the digital landscape, they have proven to be highly engaging. As a result, businesses are increasingly utilising WhatsApp to effectively connect with their existing user base and achieve successful outreach. This method can be leveraged by marketers for the following business purposes:
Customer engagement: WhatsApp can be leveraged to engage customers in an efficient manner with personalised messages, greetings, and more. It allows for real-time communication that engages customers in an efficient manner.
Customer retargeting: This campaign offers a valuable opportunity for effectively retarget users. When users encounter challenges in the middle of their purchase journey, persuasive strategies can be employed through WhatsApp, leveraging its high engagement and widespread usage, to guide and support them through the process.
Customer support: WhatsApp makes it easier for customers to reach out to their favourite brands for any product or service-related information, query, or technical assistance. The brands are able to provide timely responses, which in turn fosters a positive customer experience.
Initiating surveys: TGs can be targeted with tailored surveys, which could help brands delve deep into customer preferences.
Order updates: The customers can be updated with the details of their respective orders, such as delivery time, confirmation status, ETA of the product, and more, on WhatsApp.
Automation and Chatbots: Limited number of customer queries can be handled manually, however, in a bid to cater to large volumes, businesses require integration automation and Chatbots with WhatsApp. The method improvises response time and resolves repetitive queries automatically, enhancing customer satisfaction. However, in case of a complex issues, help of human support representative can also be taken.
Click to WhatsApp Ads (CTWA)
Click to WhatsApp Ads, or CTWA, are types of advertisements that enable users to connect with their businesses on WhatsApp when prospects click on the ads that appear on social media. After clicking on the call to action (CTA) button on advertisements, the users get redirected to WhatsApp, where they can start a conversation with the brand. In this regard, CTWA can be leveraged for the following functions:
Lead generation: Click-to-WhatsApp Ads provide businesses with a powerful lead generation solution that uses high engagement and personalised communication to encourage more conversions. Additionally, it may be used to create leads by either referring users to a lead generation form or gathering their information during the discussion. This capacity of the businesses to provide personalised experiences enables them to raise the probability of conversions while also giving users a sense of value and importance.
E-Commerce: CTWA in e-commerce facilitate seamless customer communication, real-time support, and personalised interactions. Since they enable targeted marketing, they enhance overall customer engagement and drive higher conversions.
Instant engagement and response: In a bid to have an edge in the fast-paced digital world, brands need to be speedy with their approach. In this context, CTWA can be utilised to engage with leads instantly. Brands can leverage the real-time nature of WhatsApp in order to provide product information, customer support, and more. With swift responses, they will be able to engage prospective customers who are interested in the brand’s products and services.
Monitor key metrics: Similar to any advertisement strategy, CTWA allows brands to view measurable results. Analytics can be used to gain insights about customer preferences in terms of clicks, conversions, conversations, and more. The procured data can then be utilised by the brands to optimise their campaigns.
Unlocking the power of WhatsApp: Choosing the winning strategy
In a bid to choose the right strategy on WhatsApp, the marketers must segregate their requirements and define the nature of their businesses. Furthermore, for maximum benefits, brands can follow these four key considerations: goal, budget, audience, and messaging.
Goal: Goals are a crucial part of your marketing strategy as they provide the course for what must take place in order for your product or service to succeed on the market. Therefore, goals must be well defined in order to determine the best WhatsApp strategy. For instance, WhatsApp Campaigns are an ideal choice if a firm wants to develop a personal relationship with customers and offer direct customer service. However, CTWA is more appropriate if a company wishes to increase lead generation or reach out to new customers.
Budget: A brand can better connect marketing tactics with business goals by creating a budget plan and allocating funds to those marketing initiatives that will yield the highest return on investment (ROI). In this regard, WhatsApp marketing may offer a more affordable method of reaching out to current customers. Conversely, CTWA entails increased advertising expenses. However, as it can aid in lead creation and brand exposure, this tactic generally produces more effective results.
Audience: Segregating audiences on the basis of requirements is a crucial process for a brand that wants to effectively leverage a WhatsApp strategy. For instance, WhatsApp campaigns are an effective choice if the customers are already engaged with the brand. On the other hand, CTWA is effective in reaching new users and prospects.
Messaging: CTWA requires compelling and crisp ad copy that will encourage users to click on the ad and engage with the brand. And WhatsApp campaigns allow for personalised messaging, which sustains the relationship with existing customers.
All things considered
Reaching out to customers via messaging applications is a growing marketing tactic, as direct engagement with the customer base is becoming incredibly vital. This places marketing with WhatsApp at the nexus of marketing and customer service, providing new channels for firms to interact with both current and potential customers. In this context, WhatsApp campaigns and Click to WhatsApp ads are two distinct methods that can help brands reach their designated goals. However, in a bid to choose the right strategy, businesses must analyse their goals, budget, audience, and messaging to garner better results and ROI.
The author of this article is ETML COO & founder Amitek Sinha.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
