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WhatsApp marketing for publishers.

With SmartChat, you send your readers newsletters and messages by WhatsApp as a template approved by Meta: the new volume of a series, the invitation to a reading, or the next issue of your magazine.

Example of a WhatsApp newsletter from a publishing house

Coffee cup and phone on a wooden table, image in the newsletter

image

Show the cover or an open double page. The image comes from your publishing program on your website, and your own photo works just as well.

๐Ÿ‘‹ Hello Brigitte, ๐Ÿฅง from Monday our new baking book โ€œSonntagskuchenโ€ is available in bookstores and in our shop. ๐Ÿ“ Country women from Upper Swabia have collected 68 recipes collected, many of them from handwritten notebooks of their grandmothers. ๐ŸŽ Included are apple sheet cake, cheesecake without a crust, and a yeast braid that works even on the first try. ๐Ÿ“ท Large photos show every step, and the instructions are easy to understand. ๐Ÿ“– The book has 192 pages with a hardcover and costs 26ย โ‚ฌ. โ˜• If you order now, we send you in advance three favorite recipes as a reading sample by WhatsApp.
09:30

Text

SmartChat AI writes it from your blurb and your website. You read it through and change what you don't like.

View baking book

button

One click leads straight to the book in your shop. Your reader orders without searching for long.

SmartChat gets in touch with your readers automatically.

After sign-up, when a pre-order ships, and before a reading, SmartChat sends the right message, without you having to take care of it.

As soon as a reader confirms
Long shelves filled with books in a warmly lit library interior, ideal for reading enthusiasts.
๐Ÿ“š Thank you, your sign-up is confirmed.โœ๏ธ We publish crime novels, novels and baking books from the south, plus a magazine about the region.๐Ÿ”” When a new titlecomes out, we let you know by WhatsApp.๐ŸŽ™๏ธ We'll invite you in good time to readings near you we invite you in good time.๐Ÿ“– To get you started, a reading sample from our new releases is waiting for you.21:07
Read the first chapter

Welcome after confirmation

Whoever signs up and confirms gets a thank-you message right away. That way, your reader knows which messages they will get from your publishing house.

As soon as your shop reports the shipment
Crop unrecognizable male packing staked books into carton box while standing against white wall during relocation
๐Ÿ‘‹ Hello Helmut,๐Ÿ“ฆ your pre-ordered copy of โ€œDas Haus am Weiherโ€ has gone to the post office.today. ๐Ÿšš It usually arrives in two working days at your place.๐Ÿ”– In the box is a bookmark with a greeting from the author.๐Ÿ“ฒ Do you have questions about the delivery? Just reply to this message.10:20
Track shipment

Pre-ordered book is on its way

If your web shop can report the shipment to SmartChat, the reader gets a WhatsApp as soon as their book leaves the warehouse.

1 day before the reading
A modern library interior featuring wooden tables, chairs, and bookshelves filled with books.
๐Ÿ‘‹ Hello Ingrid,๐Ÿ“… tomorrow at 7:30 pm the reading begins in the town library on the market square.๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Your two tickets are held at the evening box office in your name.๐Ÿš‰ From the train station it's about a five-minute walk.๐Ÿ–Š๏ธ Feel free to bring your book, the author she afterwards.โ˜• Before the start, there is in the foyer coffee and pretzels.12:00
View directions

Reminder before the reading

Once the reading is in your calendar, SmartChat reminds every registered contact the day before. If someone cancels, you pass their tickets on.

This is how you collect readers in the book and online.

Your readers sign up themselves: via the QR code in the book, on your website, or via a link in the shop. You only send your newsletter once they have confirmed in WhatsApp.

  1. 1

    Your reader scans the QR code in the book

    You print the code on the last page, on a bookmark, or in the magazine. SmartChat creates it for your landing page.

  2. 2

    Or your reader signs up on your website

    A small window opens on your publisher's page. Your reader enters their first name and phone number, nothing more.

    Real website popup from Verlag Lindenhof with photo on top, phone view: headline Never miss offers and news again, first name Monika and phone number entered, button Sign up
  3. 3

    Your reader confirms in WhatsApp

    One click on Confirm is enough. With this double opt-in, every reader confirms their sign-up themselves in WhatsApp.

    ๐Ÿ‘‹ Hello Monika,๐Ÿ“š here you find out when a new book comes out with us, where our authors read and what the next issue has in store.โœ… Do you want to receive these messages? Then click the button below: Confirm.๐Ÿ”’ You can unsubscribe at any time. Just write STOP.21:07
    Confirm
    Confirm21:07
  4. 4

    You have the proof

    SmartChat records when and in which way your reader agreed. You download the proof as a PDF.

    Contact Monika in SmartChat, mobile view: status Confirmed, sign-up history, consent confirmed in WhatsApp and button Download proof

SmartChat AI answers questions from your readers.

When a reader writes late in the evening and nobody at your publishing house can be reached any more, SmartChat AI replies fully automatically for you. It answers with the knowledge it learned from your website and your documents. If it has no source, it hands over to you.

Inbox in SmartChat: SmartChat AI answers the WhatsApp question of a customer of Verlag Lindenhof
  • Even after the last chapter

    Many messages come in late in the evening. SmartChat AI replies right away, on weekends too.

  • In every language

    If a reader writes in French, SmartChat AI replies in French. That applies to every language.

  • Manuscripts go to your team

    Questions about manuscripts, rights or invoices that SmartChat AI cannot answer end up in your team's inbox.

Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp marketing for publishers.

Can my publishing house simply write to readers on WhatsApp?

No, only to readers who have agreed. They sign up themselves, via the QR code in the book, your website or a link, and confirm once briefly in WhatsApp. SmartChat stores this consent as proof.

How does the QR code for WhatsApp get into my book?

SmartChat creates the QR code for your landing page. You hand it over as an image file for the layout, for example for the last page, the cover flap or a bookmark. It works just as well in the magazine and on the poster for the reading.

Do I also reach readers who bought my book in a bookstore?

Yes, if they scan the QR code in the book and sign up. The bookstore doesn't have to do anything. From the confirmation in WhatsApp on, the reader is one of your contacts, no matter where they bought the book.

Can I accept pre-orders via WhatsApp?

SmartChat is not a shop. The button in your message leads to the book in your web shop, where the reader orders as usual. If they reply in the chat instead, their message lands in SmartChat's inbox and your team takes care of it.

Does WhatsApp marketing also work for periodicals and magazines?

Yes. You announce the new issue with its cover story and point the button to your subscription page. You keep managing the subscriptions themselves in your own software.

Can I write to crime readers and cookbook readers separately?

Yes. In SmartChat you give your contacts tags, for example โ€œCrimeโ€ or โ€œBakingโ€, and build segments from them. Then you send your newsletter only to the readers who are interested in the topic.

Do I have to write the messages about my new releases myself?

No. SmartChat AI writes the newsletter from your blurb and your website, to fit your publishing house. You proofread the text, change what you want, and send it with one click.

How does SmartChat AI know my publishing house's books?

SmartChat AI analyzes your website and all the documentsthat you upload to SmartChat, for example your publisher's catalog as a PDF. When a new program comes out, you upload the new catalog. From then on, SmartChat AI answers with the new titles.

What happens with questions about manuscripts or invoices?

If SmartChat AI can't answer a question, it stays in the inbox and your team replies themselves. Once a person has replied in the conversation, SmartChat AI writes nothing more about that message. Free has 1 seat on the team, Starter 3, Basic 6 and Pro 12.

Do I need a new phone number for my publishing house?

No. You send with your own number. You connect it to SmartChat and confirm it with the code from Meta, the company behind WhatsApp. You connect one number per account.

What does WhatsApp marketing cost for a publishing house?

SmartChat Free costs โ‚ฌ0, with no time limit and no credit card, with 100 messages one-time. Starter costs โ‚ฌ299 per month with 3,000 messages, Basic โ‚ฌ499 with 6,000 and Pro โ‚ฌ999 with unlimited messages. You pay no credits for sending. All prices plus VAT, details at Pricing.

What does Meta charge for my publishing house's WhatsApp messages?

Meta bills you directly for the fees for WhatsApp messages. For this, you set up a payment method in your Meta account. You only pay SmartChat for your plan. You can find the exact prices here.

How quickly is my publishing house ready with SmartChat?

You tell SmartChat AI your publishing house's website. In 60 seconds, your WhatsApp marketing system is ready, with landing page and QR code for your next book. Then you connect your number and send your first newsletter.

How does a reader unsubscribe from the WhatsApp newsletter?

The reader writes STOP in the chat with your publishing house. From then on, they no longer get your newsletter, and SmartChat shows them as unsubscribed in your contact list.

WhatsApp marketing for your publisher in 60 seconds.

SmartChat AI analyzes your publisher's website. In 60 seconds, your WhatsApp marketing system is ready, with landing page and QR code. You use the Free plan with no time limit and no credit card.