A WhatsApp drip campaign is an automated sequence of messages sent over days or weeks to nurture leads toward purchase. Unlike email drips (22% open rate), WhatsApp drips achieve 85–94% open rates. This guide shows you exactly how to build, sequence, and optimise WhatsApp drip campaigns.
The drip starts when a lead takes a specific action: fills a form, requests a demo, downloads a lead magnet, abandons cart, or registers for a webinar. Each trigger type starts a different, relevant sequence.
Most effective B2C WhatsApp drips are 5-7 messages over 10-14 days. B2B drips can be longer — 8-12 touches over 30 days. Map the journey: Day 0 (welcome), Day 1 (value/education), Day 3 (social proof), Day 5 (objection handling), Day 7 (offer), Day 10 (urgency), Day 14 (last chance / soft re-engage).
WhatsApp drip messages should be 2-4 lines max. Conversational, not corporate. Use the person's first name. Each message should have one clear CTA. Unlike email, no headers, no HTML — just warm human text.
Buttons: "Learn More" / "Book a Call" / "See Pricing". Lists: "Which best describes you? [Option A] [Option B] [Option C]" — routes to different sub-sequences. Media: product photos on Day 3, customer video on Day 5.
Stop the drip if: customer purchases, customer books a demo, customer replies (enters conversation), or customer clicks "Stop" / "Unsubscribe". Never continue a drip after the goal is achieved.
Test different Day 0 welcome messages, different offer framing on Day 7, different urgency messages. WA.Expert shows open and response rates per template. Iterate monthly.
The single most important rule for WhatsApp drips: stop immediately when the customer engages. If they reply, book a demo, or purchase — exit the sequence. Nothing kills a relationship faster than automated messages continuing after the customer has already responded.
| Use case | Sequence length | Key trigger | Avg conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS free trial → paid | 7 touches, 14 days | Trial signup | 18-24% |
| Real estate enquiry → visit | 5 touches, 7 days | Property enquiry form | 22-28% |
| Education demo → enrollment | 6 touches, 10 days | Demo class attended | 35-45% |
| E-commerce abandonment | 3 touches, 48 hours | Cart abandoned | 12-18% |
| Insurance lead → policy | 8 touches, 21 days | Lead form fill | 8-12% |
WhatsApp drip campaigns require explicit opt-in. Only send sequences to users who specifically opted in to receive WhatsApp communication from you. Meta's policy and TRAI regulations both require consent for marketing messages. Using scraped or purchased phone lists for drip campaigns violates both.
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