Back in 2018, we realised that WhatsApp leads for property and car portals were becoming increasingly important. This insight came from our call-tracking deployments across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. At the time, we had limited understanding of WhatsApp lead tracking or what a “WhatsApp lead” really involved. We didn’t understand user journeys, nor did we know the primary challenges people faced when reaching out via WhatsApp. Additionally, we didn’t even have access to WhatsApp’s APIs.

Fast forward to today, and we’re a Meta technical partner with a powerful, feature-rich WhatsApp lead management tool, now used by a growing client base across 10+ countries. The journey has been intense, but seeing the tool’s value in action has been rewarding.

Defining the WhatsApp Lead

We came to understand that “WhatsApp lead” refers broadly to interactions between buyers and sellers on WhatsApp during the buying journey. We also discovered that entry points to WhatsApp varied across users, markets, and products. With an ambitious vision and some initial uncertainty, we managed to secure access to WhatsApp’s APIs through a third-party aggregator and set out to develop a WhatsApp lead tracking tool that could be a game-changer for our clients’ sales.

WhatsApp Has Left the Group

One of our first challenges was that the initial product version relied on WhatsApp groups. Only months after we gained API access, Meta deprecated the groups endpoint to address concerns over potential group misuse at scale. We went back to the drawing board, consulted early users of our call-tracking products, and iterated our approach. The feedback from our Beta testers was promising, and from there, we turned our focus to scaling. Our goal was to turn the WhatsApp lead management tool into a monetizable tool used by car and property portals.

Identifying Target Markets and Shaping Our Pitch

Our next step was to identify additional markets (beyond those we already served) where property and car portals offered WhatsApp as a contact method. Discovering few such markets, we instead targeted regions where WhatsApp was the primary communication channel for buyers and sellers. Our pitch often involved convincing portals to introduce WhatsApp as a contact option, while also promoting our WhatsApp lead tracking solution as a sales booster.

Expanding to Real Estate Agencies and Dealerships

As we expanded our reach, we saw that our WhatsApp lead management tool was just as valuable for the clients of these portals—namely real estate agencies and car dealerships. This realization prompted us to widen our scope, helping these businesses track, manage, and engage WhatsApp leads more effectively, ultimately boosting sales and response rates.

Building a Robust WhatsApp Lead Tracking Feature Set

Collaborating with portals, agencies, and dealerships has given us invaluable insight into the full value chain, helping us create a feature set that better supports our clients’ sales goals. Our WhatsApp lead management tool includes:

• CRM Integrations: Seamlessly link WhatsApp leads to CRM systems, ensuring smooth lead management.
• Automated Pre-Qualifying and Follow-Up Questions: Increase efficiency with automated responses.
• Advanced Reporting Tools: Provide clients with detailed data for optimizing WhatsApp lead tracking.
• Outbound Marketing/Campaign Tools: Enable targeted outreach to improve sales engagement.
• Multi Agent Notification with Link Expiry: Support quick responses while maintaining control over interactions.
• Multi-Channel Lead Generation: Capture and track leads from Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, and more.
• Attribution Tracking for Paid Campaigns: Measure the success of Google and Facebook ads driving WhatsApp leads.

Converting Contact Forms into WhatsApp Leads in South Africa

One of our key innovations in South Africa has been converting contact form leads into WhatsApp experiences. Major property portals there initially did not include WhatsApp as a contact option, though a large portion of inquiries eventually transitioned to WhatsApp. Our tool allows agencies to automatically, instantly, and measurably move inquiries from email to WhatsApp, making WhatsApp lead tracking far more efficient.

Rapid Growth and Client Retention

Our client base has grown rapidly, and we have maintained a client retention rate of over 95%. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook our progress from the trenches, but looking back, we’re proud of the value our WhatsApp lead management solution brings to clients’ sales processes.

Looking Ahead: The Future of WhatsApp Lead Tracking at Sudonum

Our journey is far from over. We have many exciting features in the pipeline, from leveraging WhatsApp carousels to maintain user engagement to tools that help real estate agencies secure more sales mandates. We’re committed to continuously enhancing our WhatsApp lead tracking tool to better serve our clients.

This post isn’t a victory lap. We know the challenges ahead—technical, product-based, commercial, and legal—are significant. But the experience and market knowledge we’ve gained position us well to keep supporting our clients’ WhatsApp sales and lead management needs.

Taking a moment to reflect on the journey so far, I’m immensely proud of what the Sudonum team has accomplished.

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