We've got some exciting news to share with our Studio Inbox users. A long-awaited feature is now available to add to your workspaces: WhatsApp messages.
It's been one of our most-requested Studio Inbox features, allowing broadcasters to ditch switching between tabs or apps while on-air and bring even more listener interactions and useful info together in one place.
WhatsApp is the latest addition to our growing list of sources you can connect to Studio Inbox - joining SMS, mobile app messages, emails, RSS feeds, web forms and comments from Facebook and Instagram.
How does it work?
It's really easy to get started - just head to Studio Inbox in Aiir, go to the Sources tab. If you're an administrator, tap the option to set up a new WhatsApp source, following the on-screen instructions.
Once you're up and running, Studio Inbox can show messages sent to your station's WhatsApp number, including any images, videos or audio attachments.
As with all Studio Inbox sources, WhatsApp messages can be added to an existing workspace or added as a new column.
Your team can reply to incoming messages, and a log of who said what and when will be kept in Aiir.
Bring your existing WhatsApp number
We've tried to make adding WhatsApp to Studio Inbox as easy as possible.
You can use your current WhatsApp number, but you may need to delete any existing WhatsApp accounts to free up your chosen number to be used by WhatsApp's business messaging platform, which powers Studio Inbox.
If that sounds daunting, don't worry. Creating the platform account is done for you as part of the setup process. Meta doesn't allow a number currently registered with WhatsApp to be used, so you may need to remove your current account so the number can be re-used.
How much does it cost?
Support for WhatsApp is included at no extra cost for Studio Inbox users.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, may impose limits or charges depending on the volume of messages sent.
There are no charges for receiving messages, and in most cases, businesses can send up to 1,000 messages per month before any charges will be incurred. As most radio stations will receive way more messages than they send, the chances of WhatsApp's free tier limits being reached are slim - it's up to you how you use it!
Any usage charges will be billed directly by Meta through your WhatsApp business account rather than through Aiir.
Getting started
If you're an existing Studio Inbox customer looking to get started, check out our handy support guide. You can add WhatsApp through our recently revamped "Sources" section within Aiir.
If you haven't used Studio Inbox before and want to find out more, check out Aiir.com for more details.
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