WhatsApp recently introduced the Communities feature on WhatsApp Business accounts to help businesses better connect with their customers. This new feature allows businesses to bring related groups together under one umbrella to organize their communications and send announcements. However, some business users have reported not being able to find the Communities option in their WhatsApp Business app. Here is a guide on where to find the Communities option and how to get started with it.
What are Communities on WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Communities are a way for businesses to organize their groups by bringing related groups together. This helps streamline communications and makes it easier for businesses to share announcements, updates, and alerts with their customers. Here are some key things to know about Communities:
- Groups within a community can still be private and encrypted.
- Admins can share updates across all groups within a community through announcements.
- Users can control which groups they want to be added to.
- Communities help organize related groups under one umbrella.
For example, a business may have separate WhatsApp groups for orders, deliveries, feedback, and announcements. Instead of managing each group separately, Communities allows them to bring these related groups together for easier management.
Where to Find the Communities Option
The Communities option is not enabled by default for all WhatsApp Business accounts. Here are the requirements for getting Communities:
- You must be using the latest version of WhatsApp Business.
- Your WhatsApp Business account must be using WhatsApp Business API or managed by Facebook’s partners.
- Your account must be approved by WhatsApp to use Communities.
If your account meets these requirements, follow these steps to find the Communities option:
- Open WhatsApp Business and tap the 3-dot menu icon in the top right.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Tap Communities to open the Communities settings.
If you don’t see the Communities option under Account settings, your account may not have been approved for the feature yet. You can request access by contacting WhatsApp support.
How to Create a Community
Once you have access to the Communities option, here are the steps to create your first Community in WhatsApp Business:
- Go to the Communities tab in WhatsApp Business.
- Tap Start a Community.
- Add a name and description for the Community.
- Tap Next to select groups to add.
- Select which groups you want to add to the new Community.
- Tap Create to finalize and create the Community.
You can now start adding members to the groups within the Community. Members will need to consent before being added to groups.
How to Send Announcements in a Community
After setting up a Community, businesses can send announcements to all members of that Community. Here are the steps:
- Go to the Communities tab in WhatsApp Business.
- Select the Community you want to send an announcement to.
- Tap Send an announcement.
- Type your announcement message.
- Tap Send to post it to all groups in the Community.
Announcements allow important updates to easily be shared with entire Communities. Users can also mute announcement channels if they prefer not to receive them.
Managing Communities
As a business, you have full control and ownership of the Communities you create. Here are some tips for managing Communities:
- Carefully choose which groups to add to Communities based on topic and purpose.
- Appoint other admins to help manage larger Communities.
- Moderate announcements and remove any inappropriate content.
- Engage with members by responding to replies and feedback.
- Analyze performance using metrics like open rates and clicks.
Well-managed Communities can create more engagement with customers and provide value. But poorly managed Communities with irrelevant content may cause members to mute or leave.
Why Aren’t Communities Showing Up?
If you still don’t see the Communities option, here are some potential reasons and fixes:
- You need to update to the latest version of WhatsApp Business.
- Your account may not be eligible yet. Contact WhatsApp support for status.
- You may need to wait a few more days for Communities to be enabled.
- Make sure your account is using WhatsApp Business API or is managed by one of Facebook’s partners.
- Verify that your account and groups comply with WhatsApp’s terms and policies.
WhatsApp is slowly rolling out Communities to more businesses over time. If it’s not enabled yet, keep checking back for updates.
Troubleshooting Communities
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for Communities:
- If a group is not showing under Communities, check that you are the admin of that group.
- Make sure to update to the latest version of WhatsApp Business.
- If announcements are failing, check your network connection.
- If members are not receiving announcements, ask them to check their notification settings.
- If a Community name is taken, try renaming it or adding initials.
Reach out to WhatsApp support if you continue facing issues with Communities not working as expected.
Conclusion
WhatsApp Communities provide an excellent way for businesses to organize their communications and interact with customers. But the option may not be available yet for all accounts. Ensure your account meets the requirements, check for updates, and contact WhatsApp support if needed. With proper management, Communities can become valuable engagement channels for your business.