WhatsApp Broadcast Guide 2026: Master Broadcast Lists & Messaging

Key Characteristics of Broadcast Lists

• One-to-many messaging - Send one message that reaches multiple recipients
• Private delivery - Recipients see it as a personal message from you, not a group
• No group visibility - Recipients can't see other people on the broadcast list
• Individual replies - When someone replies, only you see it (not other recipients)
• Requires saved contacts - Recipients must have your number saved to receive broadcasts
• 256 contact limit - Maximum 256 contacts per broadcast list

Adding contacts to existing list:

• Open the broadcast list
• Tap "Broadcast list info" (top)
• Tap "Edit recipients"
• Add or remove contacts
• Tap "Done"

Deleting a broadcast list:

• Long-press the broadcast list in your chats
• Tap "Delete" or the trash icon
• Confirm deletion

Note: Deleting a broadcast list doesn't delete past messages sent through it.

Keep Messages Valuable

• Provide exclusive offers or information not available elsewhere
• Share actionable tips and useful content
• Announce genuinely important updates
• Don't spam with constant promotions

Optimal Frequency:

• Maximum: 2-3 broadcasts per week
• Ideal: 1-2 broadcasts per week
• Minimum: At least 2 broadcasts per month to stay top-of-mind

Warning: Sending more than 5 broadcasts per week increases opt-out/block rates by 300%

Writing Effective Broadcast Messages:

✅ Good Example:

🎉 FLASH SALE: 24 Hours Only!

Hi! Get 40% OFF everything in store!

✨ Use code: FLASH40
⏰ Ends: Tonight 11:59 PM
🛍️ Shop now: [link]

Reply STOP to opt out

❌ Bad Example:

hey we have a sale happening now with some discounts on various products in our store you should check it out when you get a chance theres lots of good deals available click here to see more [link]

Key Formatting Rules:

• Start with attention-grabbing emoji (1-2 max)
• Use bold for key information (*text* for bold)
• Keep paragraphs short (1-2 sentences max)
• Use line breaks for readability
• Include clear call-to-action
• Add opt-out instruction at the end

Create Multiple Broadcast Lists by Segment:

By Customer Type:

• VIP Customers - Best customers, exclusive offers (15-20% discount)
• Regular Customers - Standard promotions (10% discount)
• New Customers - Welcome offers, onboarding content
• Inactive Customers - Win-back campaigns (20% discount to return)

By Interest/Product Category:

• Customers who bought Product A → Related product promotions
• Customers interested in Category B → New arrivals in that category

By Geography:

• City/region-specific promotions
• Local event invitations
• Delivery area announcements

Impact: Segmented broadcasts see 45% higher engagement than generic blasts

Message Types & Performance:

Message Type	Engagement Rate	Best Use Case
Text Only	Baseline (100%)	Quick updates, simple announcements
Image	140% of text	Product showcases, visual promotions
Video	180% of text	Product demos, tutorials, stories
Document/PDF	120% of text	Catalogs, menus, guides, invoices
Voice Message	110% of text	Personal updates, announcements (use sparingly)

Recommendations:

• Use images for promotional offers (product + discount badge)
• Keep videos under 30 seconds (attention span limit)
• Optimize image file size (<500 KB for fast delivery)
• Add captions to images/videos (text reinforces message)

Problem: Only 20-40% of customers save business numbers by default

Solution: Active strategies to increase save rate to 60-80%

Tactics that work:

At Purchase/Signup:

• "Save this number to get order updates on WhatsApp"
• "Add us to contacts for exclusive WhatsApp-only deals"
• Show step-by-step instructions (with screenshots)

Incentive-Based:

• "Save our number and reply with ORDER to get 10% off your next purchase"
• "WhatsApp-only flash sales - save our number to be notified"
• "Early access to new products for contacts who save our number"

In First Message:

• "Please save this number as [Your Business Name] to receive our messages"
• "Add us to contacts - takes 10 seconds and ensures you don't miss important updates"

Result: Save rate increases from 30% to 70% with persistent prompting

Problem: Broadcasts are one-way; hard to gauge interest

Solution: Include engagement triggers that encourage replies

Effective triggers:

🔥 Flash Sale Alert!

40% off everything - today only!

Reply with your favorite product category to see personalized deals:

👗 Fashion
💄 Beauty
📱 Electronics
🏠 Home & Living

Other engagement tactics:

• Polls: "Reply A for Option A, B for Option B"
• Contests: "First 10 to reply WIN get a free gift"
• Quizzes: "Guess the product from this close-up image!"
• Feedback: "Rate your recent purchase: 1-5 stars"

Impact: Broadcasts with engagement triggers see 3-5x more replies

Strategy: Send broadcast, then personalized follow-ups based on engagement

Day 1: Send broadcast announcement

"🎉 New Product Launch! Check out our latest collection: [link]"

Day 3: Follow up with non-openers (send to entire list again)

"In case you missed it - our new collection is here! Limited stock available: [link]"

Day 5: Final reminder with urgency

"Last chance! New collection selling fast. Only 48 hours left: [link]"

Manually follow up: Personally message anyone who replied with questions

Result: 3-message sequence increases total engagement by 60% vs single broadcast

1. Unique Links per Broadcast

Use UTM parameters or URL shorteners to track clicks:

• Original: https://yourstore.com/sale
• Trackable: https://yourstore.com/sale?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_campaign=jan_broadcast
• Or use Bitly, TinyURL with click tracking enabled

Track: Clicks, conversions from each broadcast campaign

2. Unique Discount Codes

• Create broadcast-specific codes: WHATSAPP15, JAN2026, BROADCAST20
• Track how many times each code is used
• Calculate revenue attributed to that broadcast

3. Reply Rate Monitoring

• Count how many recipients replied to your broadcast
• Track manually in a spreadsheet
• Benchmark: 5-15% reply rate is normal for broadcasts

4. Sales Attribution

• Track orders in 24-48 hours after broadcast
• Ask customers "How did you hear about this sale?"
• Compare to non-broadcast days