WhatsApp Business Operations Playbook

Use when

• Step-by-step setup and daily operation of WhatsApp Business as a structured marketing, sales, and customer service channel for East African businesses. Invoke when a client needs to professionalise their WhatsApp presence — moving from ad hoc personal-style messaging to a branded, systematised business operation. Source: Pidsley (2023) Social Media Marketing for Business.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• A structured markdown document, plan, playbook, or strategy ready for client-facing or internal use.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.

Required Inputs

Ask for the following before generating any output:

1. Business name — trading name of the client
2. Industry — sector and niche (e.g. retail / women's fashion; professional services / accounting)
3. Country / city — default is Uganda/East Africa
4. Primary goal — what WhatsApp Business must achieve (increase sales, reduce response time, manage enquiries, build a loyal customer base)
5. Current WhatsApp usage — personal number used for business, existing WhatsApp Business account, or WhatsApp Business API
6. Team size — number of people who will manage WhatsApp responses
7. Product or service catalogue — list or description of what the business sells

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Why WhatsApp Business Matters for East Africa

WhatsApp is used by 90%+ of smartphone users in Uganda and across East Africa. It is the primary channel for customer enquiries, order confirmations, appointment booking, and repeat purchase. Businesses that manage WhatsApp professionally — with consistent branding, fast response times, and a structured catalogue — consistently outperform those using it informally from a personal number.

The WhatsApp Business app (free) is suitable for businesses with one or two team members managing conversations. The WhatsApp Business API (requires a verified business and an approved Business Solution Provider) is required for automation at scale and for teams of three or more.

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Account Setup

Complete every field. An incomplete business profile signals an untrustworthy operator to new contacts.

Business profile requirements:

Field	Standard
Business name	Full legal or trading name — no abbreviations
Category	Select the most accurate available category
Description	Under 256 characters; include the primary service and location (e.g. "Kampala-based accounting firm specialising in SME tax returns and bookkeeping. Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm EAT.")
Website URL	Link to the business website or link-in-bio page
Email address	Business email, not personal
Physical address	Include if the business has a walk-in location
Business hours	Set accurate hours; update immediately when hours change

Profile photo:

• Minimum 640×640px
• Logo on a clean background — no text overlay, no promotional messaging
• Recognisable at thumbnail size (approximately 48×48px in the chat list)
• Consistent with branding on all other platforms

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Automated Messaging Configuration

Configure all three automated message types before promoting the WhatsApp number on any platform.

Greeting Message

Sent to any new contact on their very first message. Must do three things: introduce the business, confirm receipt, and set response time expectations.

Template:

Welcome to [Business Name]! Thank you for reaching out. Our team responds within 2 hours during business hours (Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm EAT). How can we help you today?

Customise for industry — a clinic might add: "If this is a medical emergency, please call [number] or visit the nearest hospital immediately."

Away Message

Activated automatically outside business hours. Must acknowledge the enquiry, state when the customer will receive a response, and provide a self-service option where available.

Template:

Thank you for contacting [Business Name]. Our office is currently closed. We respond to all enquiries by [time] on the next working day. For immediate information about our services, visit [website/link-in-bio]. We look forward to speaking with you.

Quick Replies

Set up a minimum of 10 quick replies for the most common enquiries. Assign a keyboard shortcut trigger to each (e.g. /price, /location, /hours, /order, /delivery).

Recommended quick replies for most EA businesses:

Trigger	Reply Content
/price	Pricing information or link to catalogue
/location	Physical address and Google Maps link
/hours	Business hours
/order	How to place an order
/delivery	Delivery areas and timeframes
/pay	Payment methods accepted (mobile money, bank, cash)
/contact	Alternative contact details
/catalogue	Link to product catalogue or price list
/return	Returns and refund policy
/social	Links to other social media profiles

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Broadcast Lists

Broadcast lists allow a message to be sent to multiple contacts simultaneously. Each recipient receives it as an individual message — they do not see other recipients.

Key constraints:

• Maximum 256 contacts per broadcast list (WhatsApp Business app limit)
• A contact must have the business number saved in their phone to receive broadcasts — they will not receive the message if the business number is not in their contacts
• All broadcasts must be opt-in. Obtain explicit consent before adding any contact to a broadcast list. Never add a contact who has not initiated contact first.

Segmentation model:

List Name	Criteria
Leads	Enquired but not yet purchased
Active Customers	Purchased within the past 90 days
Lapsed Customers	Last purchase more than 90 days ago
VIP / High Value	Repeat purchasers or high-spend customers
Location: [City]	Contacts in a specific geographic area (for event or delivery comms)

Broadcast frequency and content ratio:

• Maximum 2 broadcasts per week for promotional content
• No limit on transactional broadcasts (order confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery updates)
• Content ratio: 70% value (tips, product education, news, community updates), 30% promotional (offers, new products, invitations to purchase)

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Product Catalogue

The WhatsApp Business catalogue is a browsable product or service listing accessible directly from the business profile and shareable in individual conversations.

Catalogue entry requirements:

Field	Standard
Name	Clear, searchable product or service name
Description	Under 256 characters; include key specifications or differentiators
Price	Display in local currency (UGX, KES, TZS, etc.); never leave price blank
Product code	Assign a code for easy reference in conversation
Image	High-quality photograph; minimum 640×640px; product only, no busy backgrounds

Maintenance rule: Update the catalogue within 24 hours of any price change. Out-of-date pricing displayed in the catalogue destroys trust and wastes the sales team's time managing corrections in individual conversations.

Share the catalogue link in:

• The business profile bio
• Every new enquiry conversation
• Broadcast messages to the Leads segment

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Customer Service Protocol

Define and document the service protocol before the WhatsApp number is publicised. A number without a protocol becomes a source of inconsistent, missed, and delayed responses.

Response time SLA:

• During business hours: first response within 2 hours; resolution or escalation within 4 hours
• Out of hours: away message confirms next-day response; honour the commitment

Escalation path:

Enquiry Type	WhatsApp Resolution	Escalate To
Product/pricing enquiry	Resolve via WhatsApp	—
Order confirmation	Resolve via WhatsApp	—
Delivery complaint	Attempt via WhatsApp; escalate if unresolved in one exchange	Phone call
Refund or payment dispute	Begin via WhatsApp; escalate immediately	Phone call or in-person
Legal or regulatory issue	Acknowledge via WhatsApp; do not engage substantively	Management

Complaint resolution rule: Move any complaint to a private, direct conversation within one message. Never attempt to resolve a dispute in a group chat. Acknowledge, empathise, and offer a specific resolution — not a generic apology.

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Team Management

For businesses with more than one person managing WhatsApp, use WhatsApp Business on a shared device managed by a designated team member, or upgrade to the WhatsApp Business API with a multi-agent inbox tool.

Team protocol:

• Assign one person as the daily WhatsApp lead responsible for response time compliance
• Rotate the WhatsApp lead on a weekly schedule for teams of two or more
• Log any unresolved enquiry in a shared tracker (a simple Google Sheet works for most EA SMEs) before handing over to the next team member

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Output: WhatsApp Business Setup Brief

Generate the following for the client:

1. Business profile copy — description, category, and hours pre-written to the character limit
2. Three automated messages — greeting, away, and a library of 10 quick replies
3. Broadcast list structure — segment names, criteria, and a 4-week broadcast content calendar
4. Catalogue entry template — a blank template with all required fields for the client to populate
5. Customer service protocol — response time SLA, escalation path, and complaint handling rule
6. Team rota template — if the client has more than one team member managing WhatsApp

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Quality Criteria

Output meets the standard when:

1. Business profile is fully completed — name, description, hours, website, email, profile photo — with no field left blank or approximate
2. All three automated messages are configured, tested by sending a message from a personal number to the business number, and confirmed as triggering correctly before any promotion begins
3. Broadcast lists are segmented by audience type with documented opt-in records — every contact on every list has explicitly initiated contact or provided consent
4. Product catalogue is complete and up to date — every product or service is listed with a price and image before any marketing activity drives traffic to the WhatsApp number
5. Response time SLA is defined, communicated to every team member, and monitored weekly — not assumed to be happening
6. Escalation path is documented for complaints and complex enquiries — the team knows which situations must move off WhatsApp immediately
7. Broadcast content ratio is maintained at 70% value, 30% promotional — tracked across each calendar month

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Reference

Pidsley, R. (2023) Social Media Marketing for Business: Scaling an Integrated Social Media Strategy Across Your Organisation. Kogan Page.