Getting started with WhatsApp Marketing doesn't have to be complicated.
With Samvad, you can connect your WhatsApp account, create approved WhatsApp message templates, send campaigns to your contacts, and track how your campaigns perform — all from one place.
In this quick-start guide, we'll walk you through the basic setup process and show you how to go from a fresh Samvad account to sending your first WhatsApp campaign.
What you'll need
Before getting started, you'll need:
- A Samvad account
- An activated WhatsApp account
- Access to Meta during the WhatsApp setup process
- At least one approved WhatsApp template before sending a campaign
Let's get started.
Step 1: Set Up Your WhatsApp Account
The first step is to connect your WhatsApp account with Samvad.
From your Samvad dashboard, click Add next to WhatsApp Accounts.
You'll then be taken through the Meta connection process. Click Continue with Meta and follow the on-screen steps to provide the required business details.
Choose your phone number
During the setup, you can add an existing phone number to use with Samvad. However, the number must not already be registered on WhatsApp.
For this tutorial, we use a display name and Meta provides a temporary phone number for the setup.
Once the process is completed, your WhatsApp account will be connected to Samvad.
One important step remains: make sure you add a payment method on Meta using the option provided during setup. This is required to send messages going forward.
Watch the setup tutorial
Step 2: Create Your First WhatsApp Template
Once your WhatsApp account is connected, the next step is to create a message template.
Templates are the messages you'll use when sending campaigns through WhatsApp.
From the Samvad sidebar, go to Templates and click Create Template.
Start by giving your template a name.
Choose a template category
Meta provides three types of WhatsApp templates:
- Marketing — for promotional messages
- Utility — for updates and transactional communication
- Authentication — for OTPs, verification codes, and similar messages
For a promotional campaign, you'll generally use a Marketing template.
Add your message content
Depending on your requirements, you can add a header to your template.
The header can contain:
- Text
- Image
- Video
- Document
Documents can include files such as PDFs, Word documents, or Excel files, while images and videos can be uploaded in their respective formats.
You can then add the main message in the Body.
Use variables to personalize messages
Samvad allows you to add variables to your message, such as:
{{1}}
These variables can later be mapped to contact data when you send your campaign.
For example, you could use a variable for a customer's name:
Hello {{1}}, we have something special for you!
The numbering of variables is important because you'll need to map each variable to the appropriate contact data when creating your campaign.
Make sure the required data is available for your contacts if you're using custom variables.
Add a footer
The footer can be used for additional information, such as giving users an option to unsubscribe.
For example, you can tell users that they can send STOP to unsubscribe.
Samvad automatically handles this process: when someone sends "STOP", they are automatically unsubscribed, so you don't have to manage this manually.
Add buttons
You can also add buttons to your template.
The available button types demonstrated in the tutorial include:
- Quick Reply
- Call to Action URL
- Call to Action Phone
- Copy Code
For the example campaign, we use a Quick Reply and a URL button.
Once your template is configured, you'll need to provide sample values for any variables and submit the template for review.
Meta reviews the template before it can be used. The tutorial notes that initial review can take around 24 hours.
Watch the template tutorial
Step 3: Send Your First WhatsApp Campaign
Once you have an activated WhatsApp account and at least one approved template, you're ready to send a campaign.
From the Samvad sidebar, click Campaigns.
You can also click the New Campaign button for quicker access.
Choose your recipients
The first step is deciding who should receive your campaign.
You can either:
- Send the campaign to all your contacts
- Select one or more tags and send it only to those contacts
Using tags allows you to target specific groups of contacts.
For example, you could create a campaign specifically for contacts belonging to a particular customer segment.
Select your template
Next, you'll see your list of approved WhatsApp templates.
Select the template you want to use and continue.
If your template contains custom variables, you'll need to map those variables to the relevant contact data.
For example, if your template contains a variable for the customer's name, map it to the Name field in your contacts.
Send or schedule the campaign
On the final step, give your campaign a name.
You can then choose when you want the campaign to be sent.
You can either set a specific date and time or leave it empty to send the campaign immediately.
Once everything looks good, click Schedule.
And that's it — your campaign is on its way.
Step 4: Check Your Campaign Report
After your campaign has completed, Samvad gives you a detailed view of what happened.
You can check your campaign statistics to see how many contacts were successfully sent the message and how many failed.
For example, in the tutorial, the campaign was sent to 12 tagged contacts. Seven contacts received the message while five failed.
The campaign report also provides percentages and a recipient-level view of the results.
Understand failed messages
The recipient report can help you understand which contacts were unsuccessful.
The tutorial also demonstrates a scenario where a newer WhatsApp account is subject to limitations from Meta. Some messages may be blocked while the account is still new.
As the account develops a regular sending history, these limitations can improve over time.
Retarget specific recipients
One useful feature in the campaign report is the ability to tag recipients based on their campaign status.
You can select a particular status, choose an existing tag or create a new one, and apply it to the relevant contacts.
This makes it easier to retarget contacts later.
For example, you could tag contacts based on a particular campaign outcome and use that group for a future campaign.
Export your campaign recipients
If you need the recipient data outside Samvad, you can also export the recipients using the Export CSV option.
Watch the campaign & reporting tutorial
You're Ready to Get Started
That's the basic Samvad workflow:
Connect WhatsApp → Create a Template → Choose Your Contacts → Send a Campaign → Check Your Results
Once you've completed these steps, you have everything you need to start using Samvad for WhatsApp campaigns.
If you run into any issues while setting up your account, creating templates, or sending campaigns, you can reach out to Samvad support for help.
Ready to get started with Samvad?