How to launch a WhatsApp newsletter: a step-by-step guide to your first broadcast

Newsletters are no longer limited to email. A growing number of businesses use WhatsApp as a direct channel and practical marketing tool — and with good reason. Messages in WhatsApp are often opened and read quickly, giving businesses a better chance of earning attention, prompting a response and strengthening customer relationships.

But how does a WhatsApp newsletter work? Which tools do you need, can you start for free, and what should you get right from the outset?

This guide shows you how to build your own WhatsApp newsletter in a few practical steps, what to consider from a legal perspective, and how to measure the campaign with an analytics tool such as Trackboxx..

What is a WhatsApp newsletter, and who is it for?

A WhatsApp newsletter is a recurring message, or sequence of messages, sent to a list of subscribers. Unlike a conventional email newsletter, it arrives directly in the subscriber’s messaging app, without a spam folder or crowded inbox competing for attention.

The format is particularly useful for:

• small local businesses sharing weekly offers or events,
• creators distributing new content,
• online shops promoting campaigns or featured products,
• clubs, communities and educational organisations sharing updates.

✅ Checklist: what you need before you start

Before sending the first message, prepare:

• ✅ WhatsApp Business App (free for Android and iOS)
• ✅ a dedicated business phone or number for this channel
• ✅ a GDPR-compliant opt-in process (explained below)
• ✅ an initial group of interested customers, fans or members
• ✅ a clear idea of what you will send and how often

Can you start for free, or do you need specialist software?

The good news is that you can start immediately without additional softwareby using the free WhatsApp Business App .

It lets you create broadcast lists and send the same message to several recipients at once while each person receives it as an individual messageand cannot see who else is on the list.

Limitations:

• A maximum of 256 recipients per broadcast list
• Messages are delivered onlywhen the recipient has saved your business number
• There is no built-in A/B testing or detailed campaign analytics

Paid tools for greater scale and automation:
If you want to automate or grow the programme, providers include:

• 360dialog (an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider)
• ChatWerk (aimed at SMEs)
• Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) with WhatsApp integration
• ManyChat, Landbot, Twilio for automation and conversational funnels

Depending on the provider, these tools can offer:

• segmented subscriber lists
• opt-in forms with double opt-in
• campaign reporting
• CRM and e-commerce integrations

How to launch your first broadcast campaign

Follow these seven steps:

1. Set up a business account

• Install the WhatsApp Business app
• Create a business profile with your logo, description and opening hours

2. Collect GDPR-compliant opt-ins

• Invite people through your website, social media, a QR code or an offline touchpoint
• Be explicit about what the number will be used for
• For example: ‘Send START to +49 XXX to receive our offers through WhatsApp.’

3. Record and save each contact

• Only a person who has also saved your numberwill receive the broadcast.
• Add the contact to the relevant broadcast list in WhatsApp

4. Plan the content

• What will you send?
• How often? A useful starting point is no more than once a week
• What will the recipient gain from it?

5. Write the first message

• Keep it short, clear and personable
• Use an emoji or link when it genuinely helps
• Example: You would like to know how often the link to your contact form is clicked on your website.
  ? New this week: vegan truffle pizza. Available until Sunday — pre-order here ? [Link]

6. Send the broadcast

• Choose the list
• Check and send the message

7. Review the response

• Who replies?
• Which topics and offers resonate?
• Use the feedback to improve the next send

How do you measure the results?

One of the most common questions is: How can I tell whether the newsletter is worthwhile?

There are two main approaches:

➤ A) Track links with UTM parameters

When you share a link to your shop or blog, add UTM parameters such as ?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_campaign=summer_offer.
An analytics tool such as Trackboxx, Google Analytics or Matomo can then show:

• which campaign generated the visit,
• how many people clicked,
• and what they did next, such as purchasing or registering.

➤ B) Record conversions that happen in the chat

Many valuable actions happen without a website , including:

• product enquiries,
• pre-orders,
• Appointments

This is a form of zero-click commerce: the customer stays in the chat and still converts. Record these outcomes manually or in your CRM using tags, counters or an API integration.

WhatsApp newsletters and email: competitors or complements?

A common question is: Should I use WhatsApp, email, or both? The short answer: they serve similar goals but work very differently from a technical, psychological and strategic perspective.

The most important differences are:

Figures and sources cited in the original article:

• e-mailHubSpot reported an average email open rate of 20.94 %, with results varying by sector.
• WhatsAppMessengerPeople, 360dialog and ChatWerk report WhatsApp open rates of 80–95% , sometimes higher for small, locally relevant lists.
  

Which channel should you use?

WhatsApp is not a replacement for emailbut a complementary channel: WhatsApp is particularly strong for direct conversations, high engagement and personal messages.

Email remains better suited to long-form content, documents, rich visual design, B2B communication and managing larger lists.

Best practice: Many businesses use email for the main newsletter and add WhatsApp for timely reminders or early access — for example, a short message about a new offer for VIPs, early bookers or local customers.

Conclusion: start simply, then scale with purpose

Launching a WhatsApp newsletter in 2025 is not technically difficult. You can begin with the free WhatsApp Business app and no specialist knowledge. The priorities are to send relevant messages, respect the audience’s attention and build genuine relationships..

Businesses that want more can use the API, automation, chatbots and analytics tools such as Trackboxx to access the capabilities they needto turn a simple broadcast list into a measurable marketing channel.

In a world of algorithms, zero-click searches and AI summaries, WhatsApp remains one of the few places where your message can reach a customer directly and prompt a response.