WhatsApp Business benchmarks: average KPI figures to gauge your success

Looking for WhatsApp Business benchmarks? We looked at our clients' analytics and have shared the average figures for the top 5 WhatsApp KPIs. 

You know what main analytics you should be tracking in WhatsApp, but how do you know if you're doing well?

We did some research across 100s of our clients. These brands have been operating WhatsApp channels for 1-2 years and have established a rich source of data to draw from. 

5 WhatsApp KPI benchmarks

Here are the average benchmark figures we found for the 5 key WhatsApp marketing KPIs, and numbers that will show you your channel is performing above average.

1. Revenue per conversation (RPC)

Benchmark: €2.26

A good WhatsApp RPC is anything higher than €1.50-2 per person.

We say to clients that they should make an RPC of at least €1 for a campaign to be worth it. During Black Friday 2022, our clients saw an average RPC of over €3 for the first time, showing the growing maturity and appeal of WhatsApp as a marketing channel.

2. Return on campaign spend (ROCS)

Benchmark: 10x 

A good WhatsApp ROCS is anything higher than 6-8x.

We're seeing very high ROCS for some campaigns, as much as 155x. But of course it will depend on other factors, like your average order value (AOV) and the initial objective of your campaign.

At charles, we're very focused on this WhatsApp metric. While revenue is important, our clients increasingly need to be showing that every WhatsApp campaign is profitable. This is something we advise brands on on a regular basis.

3. Click-through rate (CTR)

Benchmark: 15-20%

A good WhatsApp CTR is 10-20%.

Click-through rates in WhatsApp tend to be much higher than email. This doesn't measure conversion, but you can go a step further and measure conversion rate from those that clicked/tapped for a more "money-focused" success measurement.

4. Open rate

Benchmark: 85-95%

A good WhatsApp open rate is anything more than 90%.

Clearly this is far higher than email open rates, which average around 20%. This is a big benefit of WhatsApp – most of the time, you know your messages are getting read. People cannot resist looking at a WhatsApp message 👀

5. Opt-out rate

Benchmark: 0.3-0.6%

A good WhatsApp opt-out rate is anything more than 0.2%.

Unsubscribe or "opt-out" rates are typically around 0.2% in email. In WhatsApp they're similar.

Some clients tell us they get fewer people unsubscribing than in email. Some say they get slightly more opt-outs.

This number depends on many things, from the tone you use to how often you send campaigns (we recommend no more than 1-2 times a month) and how well you segment your audience (we recommend as finely as possible, and send them highly tailored content). Opt-outs are an inevitable part of marketing life, but we can help you keep them low.

We hope this helps you measure your WhatsApp campaigns more accurately. Or, if you're still deciding whether or not to get a WhatsApp channel, it should help you set up your reporting and know more clearly what success means in this channel.

If you have more questions on WhatsApp KPIs or how to track success, check out this post on 5 WhatsApp metrics you should know. Or give us a shout. We love numbers and would be happy to talk them through with you.