How The Indus Valley gets 2x RoAS and engagement with 2-way WhatsApp Campaigns?

The Indus Valley started WhatsApp Marketing in early 2023. They started by broadcasting SMS-like promotions to their entire user base several times a month.

Over a year of using WhatsApp, they realized that their WhatsApp open rates and RoAS were declining. This was because their messages were not engaging and their users were being spammed.

These difficulties made it harder for them to connect with their user base effectively, making their growth and retention more expensive.

The turning point came in June 2023 when WhatsApp jacked up the prices of marketing messages by 1.5x.

The primary objectives were:

1. To improve RoAS from WhatsApp
2. To gain a deeper understanding of user preferences
3. To increase engagement with their users

To step up their WhatsApp game, The Indus Valley leveraged LimeChat’s expertise to figure out the best practices for WhatsApp in the D2C industry. They dug into what the best brands were doing, checking out what worked in terms of content, how often to reach out, and who to target. No rocket science, just simple strategies.

They got down to business with a targeted approach, sending broadcasts every weekend, focusing on product information, discounts, and new arrivals. Their targeted segments, appealing images, and to-the-point copy became the game-changer in doubling their WhatsApp RoAS.

Even with all the expert advice, The Indus Valley realized they were just skimming the surface of WhatsApp’s potential. Turns out, their power users weren't just buyers, they wanted to develop a relationship on WhatsApp and become lifelong advocates

Homemakers wanted to talk about their cooking preferences and recipes for healthy cooking. They wanted to ask questions about cast iron cookware and return policies before they made a purchase.

A light bulb moment happened — WhatsApp wasn’t just for selling stuff; it was a chance to chat, understand needs, build a brand, and keep folks coming back. That's when they went all-in with two-way campaigns on WhatsApp.

When they rolled out new non-stick cookware, the old plan was to list down features, give out a discount, and call it a day. Not anymore. Armed with 2-way marketing, they flipped the script and threw questions at users.

What do you look for while buying cookware (non-stick?)

Know anything about healthy cookware? (used it / heard about it / not heard at all)

Depending on the answer, they would either educate the user or talk about their new launch. It was like chatting with a friend, not a sales pitch.

As part of their broadcast strategy, The Indus Valley offered 7-10% discounts weekly. Instead of just hitting you with a discount, they turned it into a game with 2-way Marketing. Click 'Unlock My Discount,' and boom! The same deal pops up, turning up the excitement. The same discounts now became 50% more effective.

If you engaged with the campaign, you got a reminder (at no extra cost). And if you didn’t engage, you were gradually removed from the list, turning up the RoAS over time

And because nobody likes a constant promo flood, they switched it up. Instead of pushing their stuff, they started a sale by asking about users' favorite healthy recipes. Engage, and the discount was yours. No more snoozing through the same old routine. The Indus Valley turned their WhatsApp into a chat party, and everyone was invited.

After implementing these solutions, the results were remarkable.

• The overall conversion rates and RoAS improved by 3x vs when they started
• After implementing 2-way marketing, CTRs surged by 30%
• Users were much more engaged with the brand, with 5x more interactions than before

LimeChat is super excited to be a part of The Indus Valley’s success. Here is how we contributed:

1. The right marketing strategy and benchmarks for the initial boost in RoAS
2. Ability to build 2-way conversation flows for exceptional user experiences on WhatsApp
3. Being a design partner to ideate the right 2-way marketing experiments
4. Quick turnaround on segments, analytics, and support to facilitate rapid experimentation

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