Blog · Campaigns
Festival greetings on WhatsApp that bring clients back, without spamming
A warm Diwali message from a business you trust feels nice. Five “MEGA SALE” forwards from a number you barely remember feel like spam. The difference is a few simple rules. Here they are, with greetings you can copy for the big festivals.
Why festival greetings work
A greeting gives you a reason to show up in a past client’s chat without asking for anything. For an astrologer, a salon, a boutique or a clinic, that matters: a client who was happy last year may simply have forgotten to come back. A good greeting is short, personal, and leaves the door open.
The rules that keep it from becoming spam
- It’s a Marketing template. Any greeting sent to someone who hasn’t written to you in the last 24 hours needs a template Meta has approved, and greetings are Marketing, not Utility. That’s fine; just know the cost (below).
- Only to people who opted in. Send greetings to clients who agreed to hear from you on WhatsApp, not to every number you ever saved. See how to collect opt-in.
- One per festival. One message, on the day or the day before. Not a countdown, not a follow-up asking if they saw it.
- Greet first, sell softly or not at all. A greeting with a gentle line about your availability is welcome. A greeting that is really a sale is not.
- Give a way out. Add a STOP option. In GetSetSales, anyone who replies STOP is opted out automatically and never gets campaigns again.
Why it matters: when many people block or report your messages, WhatsApp lowers your number’s quality rating, and that can limit how many people you can message. See how the quality rating works.
Greetings you can copy
{{1}} is the client’s name, filled in when you send. Keep words before the first variable and after the last one; it helps approval.
Diwali
“Hi {{1}}, wishing you and your family a very happy Diwali from all of us at {{2}}. May the year ahead bring light, health and prosperity. Reply STOP to opt out of greetings.”
Navratri
“Namaste {{1}}, Navratri ki hardik shubhkamnayein from {{2}}. May Maa Durga bless your home with strength and peace. Reply STOP to opt out.”
Holi
“Happy Holi, {{1}}! Wishing you a day full of colour, sweets and laughter. Warm wishes from the team at {{2}}. Reply STOP to opt out.”
Raksha Bandhan
“Hi {{1}}, happy Raksha Bandhan from {{2}}. Here’s to the bond that protects and the love that lasts. Reply STOP to opt out of greetings.”
New Year
“Happy New Year, {{1}}! Thank you for trusting {{2}} this year. Wishing you good health and good news in the year ahead. Reply STOP to opt out.”
For astrologers: a soft line that fits
“Namaste {{1}}, shubh Deepavali from {{2}}. If you’d like a reading for the new year, just reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.”
That last line is the most selling a greeting should do: an open door, not an offer with a deadline.
Make it look good
A template can have an image header. A simple festival image with your name on it, the same size and style each time, looks more personal than a forwarded GIF. Keep the text short so it reads well under the image.
Send it properly
- Pick the list: tag clients who opted in, or filter by tag, and send the campaign only to that group.
- Schedule it for the morning of the festival, so it doesn’t land at midnight.
- Read the report: delivered, read, replied and failed. Replies land in your inbox.
- Reply to the replies. “Aapko bhi!” deserves a thank-you. A reply that asks about a booking is a warm lead; assign it to the right person.
Don’t send greetings from the normal WhatsApp Business app to hundreds of people at once, or with unofficial bulk tools. That’s the fastest way to get a number blocked. The official API is the safe way to send to many.
What it costs
Each greeting is ₹0.15 with us. Because greetings are Marketing templates, Meta also charges its marketing rate, about ₹0.86 per message in India, billed by Meta directly. For 500 opted-in clients that’s ₹75 with us plus about ₹430 to Meta. Replies in those conversations are free with us. Your first 100 are free. That’s why sending only to people who want to hear from you is also the cheaper choice. See pricing and the page for astrologers.
Common questions
Can a festival greeting be a Utility template?
No. Greetings, wishes and offers are Marketing. Utility is for messages about something the customer booked, bought or owes, like a reminder or a receipt.
How many festivals should I send greetings for?
Pick the ones your clients actually celebrate, usually four or five a year. One message per festival, to opted-in clients, keeps greetings welcome.
Can I put an offer in a festival greeting?
You can, since it’s already a Marketing template. Keep it gentle and short. A greeting that reads like a sales flyer is the kind of message people block, which hurts your quality rating.