Why “self-directed” marketing has become indispensable
There are sectors in which communication cannot be "one newsletter a month." Prices that change every day, different contractual deadlines for each customer, offers valid only in certain areas and very narrow time windows: in these contexts, the difference between conversion and silence is timeliness.
Consider a typical Italian scenario: an electricity and gas price comparison site, an insurance broker, a gym with monthly renewals, a language school with limited enrollment, or an e-commerce site offering flash promotions. If you send the same message to everyone, you get two results: wasted budget is annoyed customers.
Autonomous marketing was born to solve exactly this: to create a system that decides who to contact, when and with what message, without requiring continuous manual intervention. And today, thanks to WhatsApp Business, at the marketing automation and to the’Conversational AI, it is possible to build a communication engine that works 24/7, with intelligent logic and measurable results.
The real problem: complex data, different customers, perfect timing
In many businesses the difficulty is not “writing good copy”, but managing variability:
- Every customer has a different deadline (contract, subscription, renewal).
- Market conditions change frequently (prices, availability, incentives, seasonality).
- People don't all react the same way: some always open messages, some only reply on WhatsApp, some ignore emails but click on a short message.
To scale, you need a criterion that unites these signals and transforms them into an action: contact only those who have a high probability of converting, at the right time.
The solution: a “Switch Readiness Score” adapted to WhatsApp
A very effective approach is to create a proprietary score (let's call it Switch Readiness Score, but it can be “Renewal Score”, “Purchase Score”, “Lead Score”) which measures how “ready” a contact is to take the desired action.
From a SendApp perspective, the goal is to make this score the main trigger to launch automations on WhatsApp Business: messages, reminders, follow-ups, routing to an operator, or activating an AI chatbot.
What data to use to calculate the Score
In Italy, many companies already have the necessary data, even if it's scattered across CRM systems, Excel spreadsheets, and management software. Here's a concrete basis:
- Expiration date (contract, policy, subscription, maintenance).
- WhatsApp Interactions: replies, link clicks, response time, requests for information.
- Multi-channel engagement: email openings, visits to offer pages, forms completed.
- Potential value: average cart, price range, estimated margin.
- Context: geographic area, service availability, seasonality (e.g. air conditioners in May-June, boilers in September-October).
Why Conversational AI Makes a Difference
Many teams try segmenting with rigid rules ("if he clicked twice, then..."). This works, but requires ongoing maintenance. Conversational AI and analytics models can instead:
- Discover non-obvious patterns (e.g., “people who ask for prices after 9 pm convert more if they receive a summary in the morning”).
- Combine weak signals (a click + a question + an approaching deadline) and turn them into priorities.
- Generate branded and personalized messages at scale.
How to Build Your Score: From Simple to “Smart” (in 3 Versions)
A common mistake is wanting to start immediately with a perfect system. In reality, it's best to evolve the Score step by step, validating it with the results.
Version 1: Basic score (data + engagement)
Objective: understand who is closest to conversion using a few variables.
Practical example (energy or services company):
- +40 points if the expiration is within 60 days
- +20 points if you have replied on WhatsApp in the last 30 days
- +15 points if they clicked an “offer” link”
- +10 points if you requested a quote
- -20 points if you ignored the last 5 messages
Result: a 0-100 scale that lets you decide who to contact first.
Version 2: Score urgently (timing and window)
Objective: avoid “wasting” follow-ups on contacts that are not yet at the right time.
Rule: Send commercial communications only above a certain threshold is only if the deadline is near.
Example: “Score > 70 only if due within 45 days.”.
On WhatsApp this is very powerful, because it reduces unnecessary messages and improves reputation, response, and conversions.
Version 3: Score with value (urgency + real convenience)
Objective: contact those who are urgently needed and have a concrete advantage.
Example: “Score > 85 only if expiration within 45 days and estimated savings ≥ 7%”.
Here AI can help estimate the benefit, choose the best offer and generate a message that clearly explains the value.
From Score to Automation: WhatsApp Working on Its Own
Once the Score has been calculated, the most important part is to transform it into a event-driven campaign engine: you don't send "when you remember", but when something happens.
Typical events that trigger a flow on WhatsApp
- Deadline coming soon (e.g. -45, -30, -7 days).
- New offer available for the area or for the customer profile.
- Visit the price page or click on a quote.
- Reply to a message with keywords (“cost”, “how much”, “estimate”, “ok”).
- Inactivity (e.g. no response 14 days after a quote).
What an autonomous flow looks like (Italian example)
Scenario: Electricity/gas comparison site or utility partner. Contact deadline within 30 days and Score 88.
- WhatsApp 1 (value): “Hi Marco, I saw your deadline is approaching. Right now, there are rates in your area that can save you about 9%. Do you want me to send you two options in 30 seconds?”
- If you answer “Yes” → active SendApp Agent to collect minimum data (ZIP code, estimated consumption, preferences) and propose options.
- If he doesn't answer within 24 hours → soft reminder: “Do you want me to send you the options? Just reply 1.”
- If you click but don't finish → message with FAQ + option to speak to an operator.
- If it concludes → confirmation message + onboarding + request for consent for updates.
Conversational AI: From "Message" to "Conversation That Converts"“
The qualitative leap occurs when WhatsApp is not just a broadcast channel, but a communication channel. guided dialogue. Conversational AI enables:
- Qualify automatically (short questions, quick answers).
- Handling objections (price, time, constraints) with coherent responses.
- Customize in real time (based on area, profile, history).
- Pass the hand to an operator only when needed, with context already collected.
Examples of ready-made micro-conversations (Italy)
1) Gym / membership expiring
“Hi Giulia! Your subscription expires in 10 days. Would you like to renew with the '2 months + 1 free' promo, valid until Sunday? Reply: 1) Yes 2) I'd like more information 3) No, thanks.‘
2) Insurance / policy renewal
“"Hi Luca, I remind you that your renewal is coming up. Do you want me to send you a comparison of two more affordable alternatives? Just tell me: merit rating and annual mileage."”
3) High-value eCommerce / abandoned cart
“"You left the items in your cart. If you'd like, I'll send you the direct link to checkout right away and answer any questions you may have about sizes or shipping."”
Smart Segmentation on WhatsApp: Fewer Messages, More Results
An autonomous system does not mean “sending more messages”, but send the right messages. With a well-designed Score you can achieve:
- Higher conversion because you contact those who are ready.
- More qualified traffic towards offers and useful pages.
- Fewer unsubscriptions because you reduce irrelevant content.
- More efficient team: Operators only speak to warm leads.
Operational best practices (to be applied immediately)
- Define 3 thresholds: Low score (nurturing), medium (education + social proof), high (offer + urgency).
- Limit the pressure: daily/weekly cap to avoid saturation.
- Use different templates for different purposes: informational, reminder, offer, assistance.
- Measure by segment: response rate, conversion, average time to close.
- Align marketing and sales: when the Score exceeds a threshold, it automatically creates a task or a charge.
A replicable model: from the energy sector to any business
The concept of "Switch Readiness Score" is universal: it identifies an upcoming behavior (change, renewal, purchase) and transforms it into an automatic flow. In Italy, you can apply it to:
- B2C Services: energy, telephony, pay TV, insurance, rental.
- Local business: aesthetics, dentists, gyms, medical centers (recalls and check-ups).
- Training: courses with windowed registrations, lead recovery, post-webinar follow-up.
- B2B: license renewals, upsells, reorders, scheduled technical support.
How SendApp can help you
SendApp offers complete solutions to manage WhatsApp Business professionally and efficiently:
- SendApp Official – Official WhatsApp Business API for bulk sending and automation
- SendApp Agent – AI chatbot with integrated ChatGPT for intelligent automatic responses
- Request a free consultation – Talk to an expert to find the ideal solution
If you want to build a similar system (Score + automation + conversational AI) and turn WhatsApp into your most predictable conversion channel, start here: https://sendapp.live.
