How to send a message to all contacts individually on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features of WhatsApp is the ability to send a message to all your contacts at once. However, WhatsApp doesn’t allow you to send the same message to every contact individually. So how can you send a personalized message to each contact one by one?

Why send individual messages to all contacts?

There are several reasons why you may want to send an individual message to each of your WhatsApp contacts:

• Personalized greetings: You can wish each contact a happy birthday, anniversary or send season’s greetings individually.
• Important announcements: Share personalized invites for events, occasions or information relevant to each contact.
• Promotions: Businesses can send customized discounts, offers or promotions to customers individually.
• Staying in touch: Keep up with individual conversations even if you have a large contacts list.

Sending individual messages takes more time and effort but makes your contacts feel more valued than getting a generic blast message.

How to send individual messages on WhatsApp

Since WhatsApp doesn’t have a built-in feature to message all contacts one-by-one, you need to use some workarounds. Here are a few methods to send a personalized message to each contact:

1. Copy-paste messages manually

This is the most basic way to send individual messages on WhatsApp:

1. Open your contacts list and select a contact.
2. Craft a personalized message for this contact in the chat window.
3. Copy the entire message (select, copy).
4. Go back to your contacts list, select the next contact.
5. Paste the copied message in the chat window (select, paste).
6. Edit the message to personalize it for the new contact.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for each contact you want to message.

This method allows you to tailor each message but can get very tedious for a long contacts list. You’ll be spending a lot of time copy-pasting and editing messages.

2. Use a CSV file

A quicker way is to use a CSV (comma-separated values) file containing your contacts and messages. Follow these steps:

1. Create a CSV file with columns for contact name, mobile number, and message text.
2. Fill out each row with the contact details and personalized message for each contact.
3. Import this CSV file into a bulk messaging service. Many services support file imports.
4. Configure the service to send individual WhatsApp messages to each row in the sheet.
5. Hit send. The service will extract data from the CSV and send personalized WhatsApp messages.

This automated approach saves you lots of time. The downside is privacy since your data is going through a third-party service.

3. Use messaging automation tools

For frequently messaging all your contacts, consider using a dedicated messaging automation tool like Textedly or ManyChat. Here’s how they work:

• Import your phone contacts into the tool.
• Create a messaging campaign and template message.
• Use merge tags to add personalization like first name.
• Set up the campaign to send the message individually to each contact via WhatsApp.
• Schedule or send the campaign. The tool handles sending individual messages.

Automation tools streamline recurring individual messaging once set up. But they require a subscription fee.

4. Use Excel macros

If you’re familiar with Excel macros, you can create a macro to automate sending messages:

1. Import your contacts list into an Excel sheet.
2. Add columns for names, numbers, messages.
3. Write a macro to pick each row, open WhatsApp Web, paste message and send.
4. Loop through all rows to send each message.
5. Run the macro to send individual messages automatically.

This method needs some technical know-how but doesn’t cost anything extra. The process is automated on your computer once the macro is set up.

5. Use apps like Wame

Some third-party apps like Wame allow sending bulk individual messages on WhatsApp. Wame provides a template message composer and contact importer. The steps are:

1. Import or add contacts in the app manually.
2. Create a template message with merge fields for names.
3. Map contacts data to merge fields.
4. Schedule and send the message campaign.

Wame has a free tier but limits number of messages. The paid plans remove limits for bulk messaging.

Tips for sending individual messages

Here are some tips to make your individual messaging more effective and avoid spam:

• Personalize each message with the contact’s name, interests, past conversations etc.
• Spread out your messaging over hours/days to avoid looking like spam.
• Follow up individually if needed instead of re-sending the same message.
• Give recipients the option to opt out or unsubscribe.
• Observe WhatsApp’s daily message limits to avoid blocks.
• Use automation tools cautiously to prevent ban risks.
• Ensure you have consent from contacts to message them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to schedule WhatsApp messages?

WhatsApp doesn’t allow scheduling future messages natively. However, you can use third-party automation tools like Textedly and ManyChat to schedule and send individual WhatsApp messages automatically at your preferred date and time.

Can I export my phone contacts to CSV?

Most phones allow exporting contacts to a CSV file which can then be edited on a computer:

• On iPhone, go to Contacts > Select All > Export > CSV format.
• On Android, go to Contacts > Menu > Settings > Export > save as CSV file.

Ensure your exported contacts include names and phone numbers required for messaging.

Is sending bulk WhatsApp messages allowed?

WhatsApp has limits on how many chats/messages you can send per day to prevent spam. While not directly disallowed, bulk messaging is risky and your account can get banned for violating limits. It’s safer to space out individual messages instead of sending a blast.

Can I customize text formatting in WhatsApp messages?

WhatsApp supports basic text formatting in messages using markdown syntax. You can make text bold or italic using asterisks or underscores:

• *bold text*
• _italic text_
• __bold italic__

This formatting can be included in your template message for personalized messages.

Is there a way to automate sending messages without third-party apps?

Without external automation tools, the main options are manually copy-pasting messages or writing an Excel VBA macro. These methods allow automation using just Excel or your phone contacts and messages app without requiring a paid third-party service.

Conclusion

Sending individual WhatsApp messages to all your contacts does take more effort than a group blast message. But the personal touch makes it worthwhile for important announcements, invites, and staying in touch with your network.

Manual copy-pasting messages is doable for small contact lists. For larger lists, use CSV imports, automation tools, apps like Wame or write macros to save time and effort. Remember to personalize each message, spread out scheduling, and give opt-out options to recipients.

With the right technique, you can keep having personalized conversations to build stronger relationships, while avoiding looking like a spammer on WhatsApp.