WhatsApp Broadcast Marketing

18 WhatsApp Broadcast Templates Kenyan Businesses Can Copy

By the HabariChat team · Updated July 2026

How to use this page Every template below is written to be submitted to Meta as-is. Swap the bracketed parts for your own details and keep the variables in place. Each one ends with an invitation to reply, and that is deliberate: a reply opens a free 24-hour window, so the conversation that follows costs you nothing and tells you exactly who is interested. Send them during working hours, to the people the message actually suits.

Before you copy anything: the three rules

1. First contact needs a template. Any message you send outside the 24-hour window after a customer wrote to you must use a template Meta has approved. Approval is usually quick. Once they reply, you can write freely in your own words.

2. You pay per delivered message. Meta's Kenya rate falls in a band of roughly KES 0.50 to KES 2.60, and messages that fail to deliver are not billed. Sending a smaller campaign to the right segment therefore costs less and works better. See our broadcast cost guide for the arithmetic.

3. Variables need real examples. When you submit a template, Meta asks for a sample value for each variable. Fill them in with realistic content. Leaving them blank or writing "test" is one of the most common rejection reasons.

New stock and restocks

1. New arrivals

Send the morning after stock lands, to customers who bought this category before.

Hi {{1}}, the new [season] arrivals just landed at [Business Name]. [Short line on what came in, for example: 12 new dresses, sizes 8 to 18, from KES 2,500.] Want first pick before we post them online? Reply with the size you are looking for and we will send you photos.

2. Back in stock

Send only to the people who asked about that specific item. The most profitable message on this page.

Good news {{1}}, the {{2}} you asked about is back in stock. We have limited pieces this time. Reply RESERVE and we will hold one for you for 24 hours.

3. Last units

Use sparingly and only when it is true. Fake scarcity trains people to ignore you.

{{1}}, we are down to the last {{2}} pieces of [item]. Once these go we are not restocking this design. Reply if you want one set aside.

Offers and sales

4. Weekend offer

Send Thursday or Friday morning, never late at night.

Hi {{1}}, this weekend only at [Business Name]: {{2}} off [category]. Friday to Sunday, in store at [location] and on delivery countrywide. Reply with what you are looking for and we will check availability for you.

5. Member price

Rewards people for having joined your list. Strengthens future opt-in rates.

{{1}}, because you are on our WhatsApp list, here is a price we are not posting publicly: [item] at KES {{2}} instead of KES {{3}}. Valid until [day]. Reply ORDER and we will sort you out.

6. Bundle offer

Best for raising basket size with existing customers.

Hi {{1}}, buy any [item A] this week and get [item B] at half price. Works out to KES {{2}} for both, saving you KES {{3}}. Reply YES and we will put the bundle together for you.

Bookings and appointments

7. Appointment reminder

Send 24 hours ahead. Clinics, salons, garages and consultants cut no-shows sharply with this one.

Hi {{1}}, this is a reminder of your appointment at [Business Name] tomorrow, {{2}} at {{3}}. Location: [address or pin] Reply CONFIRM to keep it, or RESCHEDULE if another day works better.

8. Booking confirmed

Send immediately after booking, while the customer is still deciding whether you are organised.

Thank you {{1}}, your booking at [Business Name] is confirmed. Date: {{2}} Time: {{3}} Reference: {{4}} Anything you need to change, just reply here.

9. Slot released

For customers on a waiting list who asked to be told about openings.

Hi {{1}}, a slot has opened on {{2}} at {{3}}. You asked to be told when one came up. Reply TAKE IT within the hour and it is yours.

Orders, delivery and payment

10. Order confirmed

The message customers actually want. Cheap, expected and it builds trust.

Hi {{1}}, we have received your order {{2}}. Items: {{3}} Total: KES {{4}} Delivery: {{5}} We will message you the moment it is on the way.

11. Out for delivery

Cuts "where is my order" calls to almost nothing.

{{1}}, your order {{2}} is on the way and should reach you by {{3}}. Rider: {{4}} Reply here if you need to change the drop-off point.

12. Payment reminder

Firm, polite and easy to act on. Do not send late at night.

Hi {{1}}, a friendly reminder that invoice {{2}} of KES {{3}} is due on {{4}}. Pay via [Paybill or Till number], account {{5}}. If you have already paid, kindly ignore this and reply with the M-Pesa code so we can update your account.

Re-engagement and follow-up

13. The enquiry that went quiet

Send 48 to 72 hours after an unanswered enquiry. Recovers more revenue than most new campaigns.

Hi {{1}}, you asked about {{2}} a couple of days ago and we did not hear back. Still interested? If it was the price or the timing, tell me and I will see what we can do.

14. We have not seen you in a while

Send to customers who have not bought in three to six months.

{{1}}, it has been a while since your last order with us. A lot has changed on our shelves since then. Reply and I will send you what is new in your size, or tell me to hold off and I will stop these.

15. After the sale

Send three to seven days after delivery. Asks a real question rather than pushing a rating.

Hi {{1}}, how are you finding the {{2}}? If anything is not right, reply here and we will fix it. If you are happy with it, a word to a friend means a lot to a small business like ours.

Seasonal campaigns

16. Back to school

Send about two weeks before term opens, when parents are budgeting rather than panicking.

Hi {{1}}, term opens on {{2}} and we have the school list sorted: [items]. Order this week and we deliver before opening day, countrywide. Reply with the school and the class and we will send you a quote.

17. Festive season

Combines a genuinely useful notice with an offer, which is why it does not read as spam.

{{1}}, our festive hours at [Business Name]: Open: {{2}} Last delivery before the holidays: {{3}} Order by {{3}} and we will get it to you in time. Reply and we will start your order now.

18. Event invitation

Works for sales days, open days, product launches and trainings.

Hi {{1}}, you are invited to [event name] at [venue] on {{2}}, from {{3}}. [One line on what they get out of attending.] Reply YES and we will add you to the list and send the location pin.

Two Swahili variants

Most Kenyan businesses lead in English, and that is what the templates above assume. Where your customers prefer Swahili, submit the same template in Swahili as a second language version so each contact gets the one that suits them.

New arrivals

Habari {{1}}, bidhaa mpya zimefika [Business Name]. [Mstari mfupi kuhusu zilizofika.] Ungependa kuona picha? Jibu ujumbe huu na tutakutumia.

Delivery on the way

{{1}}, oda yako {{2}} iko njiani na itafika kabla ya {{3}}. Jibu hapa kama ungependa kubadilisha mahali pa kupokea.

The formatting rules that get templates approved

Do not start or end the message with a variable. Meta rejects templates that open or close with a placeholder.
Give a realistic sample for every variable when you submit.
Write in sentence case. Full capitals read as shouting and attract rejection.
Check spelling and grammar. Errors are a documented rejection reason, not a stylistic quibble.
Name your business in the message, so nobody wonders who is texting them.
Let the message say plainly what it is. A promotion dressed up as a notification gets refused, and irritates the customer if it does get through.
Avoid restricted content: alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, adult products, unapproved supplements and medical claims all fall under WhatsApp's commerce policy.

Our help centre has more on creating message templates and the WhatsApp business messaging policy.

The line that earns its place in every template. Ending with an invitation to reply is not a stylistic preference. A reply opens a free 24-hour window, so the follow-up conversation costs you nothing, and it tells you exactly who is interested. A campaign written to be read is an expense. A campaign written to be answered pays for itself.

Sending these from HabariChat

Templates are created and submitted for approval inside HabariChat, with a live preview of how the message will look on a customer's phone before you send. Campaigns go only to opted-in contacts in the segment you choose, and anyone who has opted out is skipped automatically.

Because WhatsApp Broadcast Marketing campaigns are unlimited on every plan, running six small targeted campaigns costs the same in software as one blast, and considerably less in Meta fees. Delivery, reads and replies for each one show up in your marketing reports, so the next campaign is written from evidence.

Put one of these to work this week

Create a template, pick a segment, and see the replies land in your shared inbox. Free for 14 days, no card required.

Start your free trial

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to get WhatsApp message templates approved?

Yes. Any message you send first, outside the 24-hour window after a customer contacts you, must use a template Meta has approved. Review is usually quick, often within minutes. Once a customer replies you can chat freely in your own words for 24 hours without a template.

How long does WhatsApp template approval take?

Usually minutes, though it can take up to 24 hours when a template needs a closer look. Submit your campaign templates a day before you plan to send so a rejection never costs you the promotion date. Once approved, a template can be reused as often as you like.

Why do WhatsApp templates get rejected?

The common causes are variables at the very start or end of the message, placeholder text left unfilled in the example you submit, spelling and grammar errors, shouting in full capitals, and content that breaks WhatsApp's commerce policy such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling or unapproved medical claims. A rejected template can be corrected and resubmitted straight away.

Can I write WhatsApp campaigns in Swahili?

Yes. You can submit templates in Swahili or any other language, and you can create the same template in several languages so each contact receives the version that suits them. Most Kenyan businesses lead in English and use Swahili where their customers prefer it.

How often should I send WhatsApp campaigns?

One to two genuinely useful promotional messages a week is a sensible ceiling for most businesses, sent during working hours. Messages tied to something the customer is already expecting, such as an order or a booking they made, sit outside that ceiling and can be sent as often as the transaction requires.