WhatsApp Advertising Campaign: How Click-to-WhatsApp Ads Work in India

You're spending on Facebook ads. The leads fill out a form, you call them, they've already moved on. Or they ghost the form and you paid for the click anyway. WhatsApp advertising campaigns — or Click-to-WhatsApp ads — fix this by sending the click directly into a WhatsApp conversation with your business, where response rates are 5x higher than email and prospects are in the moment of highest intent.

What Is a WhatsApp Advertising Campaign?

A WhatsApp advertising campaign — formally called "Click-to-WhatsApp ads" — is an ad format on Facebook or Instagram where the call-to-action button opens a WhatsApp conversation with your business instead of sending users to a landing page or form.

The user clicks the ad, WhatsApp opens on their phone pre-loaded with your business chat, and they send a message. That first message triggers a 72-hour window during which Meta doesn't charge you for follow-up messages to that lead — including marketing messages that would otherwise cost ₹0.78 each.

This makes WhatsApp advertising campaigns structurally different from standard lead form ads. You're not collecting a number to call later. You're starting a conversation immediately, when the person's intent is highest.

How Does a WhatsApp Ad Campaign Work Step by Step?

Understanding the mechanics helps you set it up to work well rather than just getting clicks that don't convert.

Step 1: Ad shows on Facebook or Instagram. Your ad runs exactly like any Facebook or Instagram ad. You target by location, interest, demographics, or custom audience. The only difference from a standard ad is the call-to-action button.

Step 2: User clicks and WhatsApp opens. When someone clicks your ad, WhatsApp opens on their phone with your business chat already selected. You can pre-fill an opening message (e.g., "Hi, I saw your ad about [product]. Tell me more.") that they can send with one tap.

Step 3: They send a message, triggering the 72-hour window. Once they send any message, Meta's 72-hour free entry point activates. For the next 72 hours, you can send all message types — including marketing messages — at no Meta charge. This is the core cost advantage of WhatsApp campaigns over regular outbound WhatsApp marketing.

Step 4: Your WhatsApp CRM picks up the lead. If you have a WhatsApp Business API connected to a CRM, the conversation appears automatically in your team inbox, tagged as a campaign lead, and triggers your follow-up sequence. If you don't have this setup, your team handles it manually — which limits your scale.

Step 5: Follow-up until they convert or disqualify. Within the 72-hour window, send your product information, price, and a clear next step. After 72 hours, you can still follow up but standard template messaging rates apply. Here's our guide on automating WhatsApp follow-up sequences to maximize the free window.

Why WhatsApp Ad Campaigns Outperform Lead Form Ads in India

The comparison matters because most Indian businesses running Facebook ads are using lead form ads — and switching to Click-to-WhatsApp often improves results substantially.

According to Meta's own case studies, businesses using Click-to-WhatsApp ads see 3–4x lower cost per lead compared to form-based campaigns in some categories. For high-intent categories like real estate, education, and financial services, the gap is even wider because people want to ask questions before committing to a form. Meta's official guide to Click-to-WhatsApp ads covers the full setup process.

"We ran the same audience with a lead form and a WhatsApp ad. Cost per lead was similar — but the WhatsApp leads were 3x more likely to show up for the demo call because we'd already had a conversation before it." — Marketing lead, edtech startup, Delhi

How to Set Up a WhatsApp Advertising Campaign in Ads Manager

You need a Facebook Business Manager account and a WhatsApp Business number linked to it. If you're using the WhatsApp Business API, this connection is already set up through your BSP (Business Solution Provider). If not, you'll need to connect your WhatsApp Business number to your Facebook Page first.

In Meta Ads Manager:

1. Create a new campaign and select objective: "Engagement" or "Leads"
2. At the ad set level, choose "WhatsApp" as the messaging app destination
3. Set your audience targeting, budget, and schedule as you would any campaign
4. At the ad level, write your ad copy and choose the WhatsApp business number
5. Set up the conversation opener — the pre-filled message users will send when they click
6. Optionally configure an auto-reply greeting that fires when they initiate the chat

The conversation opener is more important than most advertisers realize. The default is something generic like "Hi, I'm interested." Better options tie the opener to the specific ad: "Hi, I saw your ad about [product] — what's the pricing?" This gives your team immediate context and signals higher intent. Here's our detailed guide on how to run Click-to-WhatsApp ads with targeting strategy and budget setup.

What Budget Should You Start With for WhatsApp Ad Campaigns?

The testing budget for a WhatsApp advertising campaign depends on your average order or deal value. For most Indian SMBs, ₹15,000–₹30,000/month is enough to get statistically meaningful data on 2–3 audience variants.

"Start with ₹500/day minimum per ad set to get enough data within 7–10 days. Lower than that and the algorithm doesn't have enough signal to optimize properly. I've seen business owners run ₹200/day for a month and wonder why results are inconsistent." — Performance marketer, Bengaluru

For benchmarking: Click-to-WhatsApp campaigns in India typically see a cost per conversation ranging from ₹20–₹150 depending on the industry and targeting. Real estate and finance tend to be on the higher end; consumer goods and education are often cheaper.

What matters more than cost per conversation is cost per qualified lead. Build in a qualification question early in your WhatsApp conversation flow so you're measuring leads who meet your criteria, not just any conversation starter.

How to Maximize Conversions From WhatsApp Ad Campaigns

The ad is only half the equation. Most businesses that get good click volume but poor conversions from WhatsApp campaigns are failing at the post-click conversation, not the ad itself.

Reply immediately: The 72-hour free window is also when the lead's intent is highest. An auto-reply within 30 seconds that acknowledges the conversation and sets expectations dramatically improves conversion rates compared to responding 2 hours later.

Qualify before pitching: Ask 1–2 questions to understand what they're looking for before sending a product deck. This feels more consultative and increases the chance they'll engage with your response.

Create a follow-up sequence for non-replies: Not everyone responds to the first message. If they've gone quiet for 24 hours, send one specific follow-up. If they don't respond to that, send a value-add (a tip, a case study, a question) at 48 hours. After 72 hours, the free window expires and follow-ups cost standard Meta rates — worth it for warm leads, not for cold ones. See our guide on WhatsApp lead generation strategies for the full follow-up framework.

"The first WhatsApp advertising campaign we ran for our coaching institute converted at 22% compared to 4% on the lead form version of the same ad. The difference: the WhatsApp version let prospects ask one question before deciding. That question made them commit." — Founder, test prep institute, Hyderabad

Track conversions back to the ad: Use UTM parameters in your destination URL (even though it's a WhatsApp link) and tag conversations with the campaign name in your CRM. Without tracking, you can't optimize which ad creative or audience converts best.

WhatsApp Ad Campaigns vs. Organic WhatsApp Marketing

Most businesses using WhatsApp for sales are doing outbound — manually messaging leads or broadcasting to opt-in lists. WhatsApp advertising campaigns are inbound — leads contact you. The two approaches work together, not against each other.

Use WhatsApp ads to generate inbound volume when organic reach isn't enough. Use WhatsApp broadcast sequences to re-engage leads already in your system. The highest-converting pattern: WhatsApp ad → immediate reply → 72-hour follow-up sequence → add to broadcast list for ongoing nurture.

Frequently Asked Questions About WhatsApp Advertising Campaigns

What is a WhatsApp advertising campaign?

A WhatsApp advertising campaign (Click-to-WhatsApp ad) is a Facebook or Instagram ad where the call-to-action opens a WhatsApp conversation with your business instead of sending users to a landing page. When someone clicks and messages you, you get a 72-hour window to send free follow-up messages.

Do I need WhatsApp Business API to run WhatsApp ad campaigns?

No — you can run Click-to-WhatsApp ads linked to a standard WhatsApp Business number. However, if you're scaling to more than 2–3 conversations per day, you'll quickly need the WhatsApp Business API to manage the inbox with a team and add automation. Without the API, you'll be managing every conversation manually from one phone.

How much do Click-to-WhatsApp ads cost in India?

Your ad spend follows standard Facebook/Instagram CPM pricing for your targeting. Cost per conversation in India typically ranges from ₹20–₹150 depending on industry and audience. The 72-hour follow-up window means your per-conversation meta messaging cost is ₹0 for that window — unlike standard outbound WhatsApp where each marketing message costs ₹0.78.

Can I track conversions from WhatsApp ad campaigns?

Yes, but it requires setup. Meta's Conversions API can track WhatsApp conversation starts as a conversion event. For tracking actual sales from those conversations, you'll need your CRM to log outcomes and tie them back to campaign source. Most WhatsApp CRM tools support this attribution.

What's the difference between a WhatsApp ad and a regular Facebook ad?

A regular Facebook ad sends users to a website, app, or lead form. A WhatsApp ad (Click-to-WhatsApp) sends them directly into a WhatsApp conversation with your business. The key difference: WhatsApp conversations convert at higher rates than web forms for high-consideration purchases because they allow immediate two-way dialogue.