WhatsApp, SMS or email: which channel to sell with (and how to combine them)
Each channel has its strengths. Here’s when to use WhatsApp, SMS or email, and how to combine them in a simple multichannel strategy.
“Should I send my promotion by WhatsApp, SMS or email?” The right answer is often: it depends on the customer and the message. Each channel has its strengths, and the businesses that sell best use all three, each at the right moment.
WhatsApp: the conversation channel
Strengths: messages read quickly, two-way conversation, images, videos, voice notes, documents. It’s where customers ask questions and where the sale closes.
Best for: answering questions, sending an offer to customers who know you, confirming an order, following up with a lead.
Limits: it needs internet, and abuse can get your number restricted. Hence the importance of campaign best practices.
SMS: the maximum-reach channel
Strengths: reaches every phone, even basic ones, even offline. No app to install.
Best for: urgent reminders (appointments, deliveries), confirmation codes, customers who don’t use WhatsApp, areas with poor mobile internet.
Limits: short text, no media, cost per SMS with your provider. See our guide SMS campaigns with your own provider.
Email: the content and business channel
Strengths: long, well-designed content, newsletters, invoices, documents, B2B customers. Very low cost per send, and a history customers can find again.
Best for: newsletters, course access, invoices, educational content, business leads.
Limits: read less quickly, and deliverability needs care. See email campaigns from your business address.
The cheat sheet
- Answering a question → WhatsApp (AI agent).
- Promotion to loyal customers → WhatsApp, then SMS for those who didn’t read it.
- Appointment or delivery reminder → SMS or WhatsApp.
- Monthly newsletter → email.
- Order confirmation → WhatsApp, with a summary email.
- B2B lead → email, then WhatsApp once contact is established.
Combine all three without overcomplicating
The secret of a multichannel strategy is one customer database and one logic. In Whatixo:
- All your contacts live in the same CRM, with their number and email.
- The same tags target your WhatsApp, SMS and email campaigns.
- A sequence can chain an email, then an SMS a few days later.
- A workflow can send a WhatsApp message, an SMS and an email to the same customer, depending on the event.
Example journey: a lead fills in your form → instant WhatsApp welcome message → email with your guide the next day → SMS reminder before the offer ends.
Respect comes first
Whatever the channel: message people who agreed to hear from you, identify yourself clearly and always offer a way to unsubscribe (STOP for SMS, an unsubscribe link for email). It’s the law in many countries, and it’s what keeps customers loyal.
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