WhatsApp CRM for exporters: follow up until buyers answer
Send approved WhatsApp templates to the buyers you choose, as one campaign or a sequence of follow ups, from your own WhatsApp Business number. The sequence stops for anyone who replies.
Campaigns and sequences
A single campaign sends one template to a group of buyers, now or at a set time. A sequence chains up to ten messages, each waiting from one hour to 90 days after the previous one was actually sent.
- Choose buyers by tag, or pick them one by one.
- Schedule in the time zone of a city you choose.
- Set the most messages per day. This matters for a new number.
- Pause, edit steps that haven't gone out, or stop the campaign for one buyer.
Templates written and approved in one place
Write a template, see it exactly as the buyer will on their phone, and send it to WhatsApp for approval without leaving Double Export.
- Header line, image, video or file, useful for a price list.
- Personalise with the buyer's first name, full name or your business name.
- Quick-reply buttons, link buttons or a phone button.
- Promotion or order-update category, as WhatsApp requires.
See who replied, and when
Each campaign shows sent, delivered, read and failed counts per step, how many buyers replied and after which step, and where every buyer is in the sequence.
Buyers whose WhatsApp permission is turned off, or who have no WhatsApp number on file, are left out, and the review step tells you why.
How WhatsApp business messaging works
Sending to buyers in bulk or on a schedule runs through Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform, not the WhatsApp app on your phone. Three rules shape every export campaign:
- Templates start conversations. A message to a buyer who hasn't written to you recently must use a template that WhatsApp has reviewed and approved. Double Export lets you write, preview and submit templates for approval.
- The 24-hour window. When a buyer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens in which you can reply freely. Outside it, only templates can be sent.
- Opt-in first. Meta requires businesses to get a person's agreement before sending them business-initiated messages. A buyer who gives you their number at your stand and agrees to hear from you on WhatsApp is the typical case; record it.
Meta charges for template messages at rates that depend on the template category and the buyer's country, and some messages are free. Check Meta's pricing page and its opt-in guidance for the current rules. For ready-to-adapt wording, see our WhatsApp and email follow up templates.
Connecting your number
Campaigns send through the official WhatsApp Cloud API from a WhatsApp Business number you connect under WhatsApp setup in Double Export. Your access token is encrypted before it's stored.
You can connect more than one number depending on your plan and choose which number each campaign comes from. Buyers see that number on every message.
Message fees are charged by Meta to your WhatsApp Business account.
Questions
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes. Double Export sends campaigns through the official WhatsApp Cloud API, so you connect a WhatsApp Business number to Double Export. Messages that start a conversation must use a template WhatsApp has approved.
What happens when a buyer replies?
They are taken out of the sequence, so they won't get the next scheduled message. Campaign results show who replied and after which step.
How long does template approval take?
WhatsApp reviews each template, usually within a day. Double Export shows the status and, if WhatsApp asks for changes, explains what to fix in plain words.
Who pays for WhatsApp messages?
Meta charges WhatsApp Cloud API message fees directly to your WhatsApp Business account. They aren't included in Double Export's plan price.
Is there a shared WhatsApp inbox in Double Export?
Not today. Double Export is built for campaigns and sequences: it records replies so sequences stop and results are accurate. Conversations themselves continue on your WhatsApp Business number.
Can I send a price list or product sheet on WhatsApp?
Yes. A template can carry a header image, video or file, such as a price list, and link buttons, such as a link to your Product Sheet. The template has to be approved by WhatsApp before you send it.
Is WhatsApp suitable for B2B export buyers?
For many buyers, yes, especially those who already gave you their number and use WhatsApp for business. Others prefer email. Use the channel each buyer chose; our article on WhatsApp versus email for export sales covers when to use which.
How do I avoid getting my number restricted?
Message people who expect to hear from you, keep templates clear and relevant, and start a new number with low daily volumes. Double Export lets you set the most messages a campaign sends per day.
Keep exploring
- Cold email and follow up Email sequences sent from your own Gmail, with follow ups in the same thread.
- Export sales automation Follow ups that run on a schedule, audiences that update themselves and documents built from data you already have.
- CRM for exporters Keep importers and distributors in one buyer record with tags, notes and order history.
- WhatsApp for export sales Templates, permission and follow up on WhatsApp without getting your number blocked.
- WhatsApp vs Email: Which Works Better for Export Sales? Neither channel wins on its own.
- WhatsApp and Email Follow up Templates for Gulfood Exhibitors Fourteen short, ready-to-adapt WhatsApp and email templates for the weeks after Gulfood, with when to use each one and what to…
Start your first WhatsApp sequence to the buyers you already have.
Tag your buyers, write a template, and let the follow ups go out until each buyer answers.
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